At Sāvatthī. Sāvatthinidānaṁ.

Seated to one side, that mendicant said to the Buddha: Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho so bhikkhu bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Sir, what is the cause, what is the reason why someone, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in the company of the spontaneously-born dragons?” “ko nu kho, bhante, hetu, ko paccayo, yena midhekacco kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā opapātikānaṁ nāgānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī”ti?

“Mendicant, it’s when someone does both kinds of deeds by body, speech, and mind. “Idha, bhikkhu, ekacco kāyena dvayakārī hoti, vācāya dvayakārī, manasā dvayakārī. And they’ve heard: Tassa sutaṁ hoti: ‘The spontaneously-born dragons are long-lived, beautiful, and very happy.’ ‘opapātikā nāgā dīghāyukā vaṇṇavanto sukhabahulā’ti. They think: Tassa evaṁ hoti: ‘If only, when my body breaks up, after death, I would be reborn in the company of the spontaneously-born dragons!’ ‘aho vatāhaṁ kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā opapātikānaṁ nāgānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjeyyan’ti. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the spontaneously-born dragons. So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā opapātikānaṁ nāgānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati. This is the cause, this is the reason why someone, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in the company of the spontaneously-born dragons.” Ayaṁ kho, bhikkhu, hetu, ayaṁ paccayo, yena midhekacco kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā opapātikānaṁ nāgānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjatī”ti.

Dasamaṁ.