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← Saṃyutta Nikāya

In Common With the Gods

SN 55.36 · Devasabhāgatasutta

A mountain trail rising through grassy terraces.

“Mendicants, when someone possesses four things the gods are pleased and speak of what they have in common. What four? Firstly, a noble disciple possesses experiential confidence in the Buddha … There are deities who possess experiential confidence in the Buddha who passed away from here and were reborn there. They think: ‘Possessing such experiential confidence in the Buddha, we passed away from there and were reborn here. That noble disciple possesses the same kind of experiential confidence in the Buddha, so they will come into the presence of the gods.’

Furthermore, a noble disciple possesses experiential confidence in the teaching … the Saṅgha … And they possess the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones … leading to immersion. There are deities who possess the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones who passed away from here and were reborn there. They think: ‘Possessing such ethical conduct loved by the noble ones, we passed away from there and were reborn here. That noble disciple possesses the same kind of ethical conduct loved by the noble ones, so they will come into the presence of the gods.’ When someone possesses four things the gods are pleased and speak of what they have in common.”

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Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato · SuttaCentral · CC0

This translation is an expression of an ancient spiritual text that has been passed down by the Buddhist tradition for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is dedicated to the public domain via Creative Commons Zero (CC0). You are encouraged to copy, reproduce, adapt, alter, or otherwise make use of this translation. The translator respectfully requests that any use be in accordance with the values and principles of the Buddhist community. In particular, please do not use this work in AI training datasets, for the development of any AI model or algorithm, or in any AI-derived technologies.

Published source. Translation wording and order are preserved; source headings and notes are retained, with navigation and formatting adapted for this reader.

The opening image is AI-generated nature artwork for Buddhist Atlas, an evocative companion rather than a historical depiction.