The Related Suttas Collection 55.19

2. The Royal Monastery

A Visit to the Gods (2nd)

At Sāvatthī.

And then Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, vanished from Jeta’s Grove and reappeared among the gods of the Thirty-Three. Then several deities of the company of the Thirty-Three went up to Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, bowed, and stood to one side. Moggallāna said to them:

“Friends, it’s good to have experiential confidence in the Buddha. … It’s the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, have been reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. It’s good to have experiential confidence in the teaching. … the Saṅgha … and to have the ethical conduct that’s loved by the noble ones … leading to samādhi. It’s the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, have been reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.”

“My good Moggallāna, it’s good to have experiential confidence in the Buddha … It’s the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, have been reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. It’s good to have experiential confidence in the teaching. … the Saṅgha … and to have the ethical conduct that’s loved by the noble ones … leading to samādhi. It’s the reason why some sentient beings, when their body breaks up, after death, have been reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.”