“What do the good gods of the Thirty-Three think about how much the Buddha has clearly described the seven prerequisites of immersion for the development and fulfillment of right immersion? What seven? Right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, and right mindfulness. Unification of mind with these seven factors as prerequisites is called noble right immersion ‘with its vital conditions’ and ‘with its prerequisites’.

Right view gives rise to right thought. Right thought gives rise to right speech. Right speech gives rise to right action. Right action gives rise to right livelihood. Right livelihood gives rise to right effort. Right effort gives rise to right mindfulness. Right mindfulness gives rise to right immersion. Right immersion gives rise to right knowledge. Right knowledge gives rise to right freedom.

If anything should be rightly described as ‘a teaching that’s well explained by the Buddha, visible in this very life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves; and the doors to the deathless are flung open,’ it’s this. For the teaching is well explained by the Buddha—visible in this very life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves—and the doors of the deathless are flung open.

Whoever has experiential confidence in the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, and has the ethical conduct loved by the noble ones; and whoever is spontaneously reborn, and is trained in the teaching; in excess of 2,400,000 such Magadhan devotees have passed away having ended three fetters. They’re stream-enterers, not liable to be reborn in the underworld, bound for awakening. And there are once-returners here, too.

And as for other people
who I think have shared in merit—
I couldn’t even number them,
for fear of speaking falsely.”

That is the topic on which Brahmā Sanaṅkumāra spoke. And while he was speaking on that topic, this thought came to the great king Vessavaṇa, “It’s incredible, it’s amazing! That there should be such a magnificent Teacher, and such a magnificent exposition of the teaching! And that such achievements of high distinction should be made known!”

And then Brahmā Sanaṅkumāra, knowing what the great king Vessavaṇa was thinking, said to him, “What does Great King Vessavaṇa think? In the past, too, there was such a magnificent Teacher, and such a magnificent exposition of the teaching! And such achievements of high distinction were made known! In the future, too, there will be such a magnificent Teacher, and such a magnificent exposition of the teaching! And such achievements of high distinction will be made known!”

That, sir, is the topic on which Brahmā Sanaṅkumāra spoke to the gods of the Thirty-Three. And the great king Vessavaṇa, having heard and learned it in the presence of Brahmā as he was speaking on that topic, informed his own assembly.’”

And the spirit Janavasabha, having heard and learned it in the presence of the great king Vessavaṇa as he was speaking on that topic to his own assembly, informed the Buddha. And the Buddha, having heard and learned it in the presence of the spirit Janavasabha, and also from his own direct knowledge, informed Venerable Ānanda. And Venerable Ānanda, having heard and learned it in the presence of the Buddha, informed the monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. And that’s how this spiritual life has become successful and prosperous, extensive, popular, widespread, and well proclaimed wherever there are gods and humans.