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purify their minds, generate joy, and experience happiness? Yes. If the departed spirits rejoice in the giving of gifts for their own benefit, purify their minds, generate joy, and experience happiness; then it should indeed be said – "they subsist there on what is given from here." 490. Should it not be said – "they subsist there on what is given from here"? Yes. Has it not been said by the Blessed One atā – As water rained on high ground flows down to the low, even so what is given here benefits the departed. As rivers full of water fill the ocean, even so what is given here benefits the departed. For there is no farming there, nor is cattle-herding found there; there is no such trade, nor buying and selling with money; the departed, having passed away there, sustain themselves with what is given from here. Is there such a discourse? Yes, there is. Then they sustain themselves there with what is given from here. 491. Should it not be said – “they sustain themselves there with what is given from here”? Yes, it should. Has it not been said by the Blessed One: “There are these five reasons, monks, seeing which mothers and fathers wish for a son to be born in their family. Which five? He will support us when we are supported, he will do our duties, the family lineage will endure long, he will inherit the legacy, or else he will give offerings to the departed who have passed away. These, monks, are the five reasons, seeing which mothers and fathers wish for a son to be born in their family.” “Seeing five reasons, the wise wish for a son; He will support us when we are supported, he will do our duties. “The family lineage will endure long, he will inherit the legacy; Or else he will give offerings to the departed. “Seeing these reasons, the wise wish for a son; Therefore, good and virtuous people, grateful and knowing gratitude, “Support their mothers and fathers, remembering what was done before; They do their duties, as is fitting for those who did good first. “Obedient to advice, supporting his supporters, not letting the family lineage decline; Faithful, endowed with virtue, a son is praiseworthy.” Is there such a discourse? Yes, there is. Then they sustain themselves there with what is given from here. The discourse on what is given from here is finished. 7. The Seventh Chapter (69) 7. Discourse on the Earth as Kamma-result 492. Is the earth a kamma-result? Yes, it is. Is it experienced as pleasant, experienced as painful, or painful-feeling, associated with pleasant feeling, associated with painful feeling, associated with neutral feeling, associated with contact, associated with feeling, associated with perception, associated with volition, associated with consciousness, with an object; Is there for it turning towards, inclination, attention, mindfulness, volition, aspiration, and resolve? It should not be said thus… …Is it not that it is not pleasant-feeling, not painful-feeling, not neutral-feeling, not associated with pleasant feeling, not associated with painful feeling, not associated with neutral feeling, not associated with contact, not associated with feeling, not associated with perception, not associated with volition, not associated with consciousness, without an object; Is there for it turning towards, inclination, attention, mindfulness, volition, aspiration, and resolve? Yes. If it is not pleasant-feeling, not painful-feeling… …without an object; Is there for it turning towards… …and resolve, then it should not be said – “Earth is the result of kamma.” Contact is the result of kamma, contact is pleasant-feeling, painful-feeling, neutral-feeling, associated with pleasant feeling, associated with painful… …associated with neutral feeling, associated with contact, associated with feeling, associated with perception, associated with volition, associated with consciousness, with an object; Is there for it turning towards… …and resolve? Yes. Earth is the result of kamma, earth is pleasant-feeling, painful-feeling, neutral-feeling, associated with pleasant feeling, associated with painful… …associated with neutral feeling, associated with contact, associated with feeling, associated with perception, associated with volition, associated with consciousness, with an object; Is there for it turning towards, inclination, attention, mindfulness, volition, aspiration, and resolve? It should not be said thus… …Earth is the result of kamma, earth is not s feeling that is not pleasant, not painful… …is without an object. Is there no turning away from it… …no aspiration? Yes, that is so. Is contact a result of kamma, is contact not pleasant, not painful… …without an object? Is there no turning away from it… …no aspiration? It should not be said thus… Is earth a result of kamma? Yes, that is so. Is earth subject to grasping and letting go, to cutting and breaking? Yes, that is so. Is a result of kamma subject to grasping and letting go, to cutting and breaking? It should not be said thus… Can earth be bought, sold, stored, gathered, collected? Yes, that is so. Can a result of kamma be bought, sold, stored, gathered, collected? It should not be said thus… 493. Is earth common to others? Yes, that is so. Is a result of kamma common to others? It should not be said thus… Is a result of kamma common to others? Yes, that is so. Has it not been said by the Blessed One: “A treasure not common to others, a treasure not stolen by thieves; A mortal should do good deeds, if he lives a good life.” Is there such a discourse? Yes, that is so. Then it should not be said: “a result of kamma is common to others.” Is earth a result of kamma? Yes, that is so. First the earth is established, afterwards beings arise? Yes, that is so. First the result arises, afterwards they perform kamma to obtain the result? It should not be said thus… Is earth the kamma-result for all beings? Yes, that is so. Do all beings consume the earth? It should not be said thus… Do all beings consume the earth? Yes, that is so. Are there some who attain final Nibbāna without consuming the earth? Yes, that is so. Are there some who attain final Nibbāna without exhausting the kamma-result? It should not be said thus… Is earth the kamma-result for the universal monarch? Yes, that is so. Do other beings consume the earth? Yes, that is so. Do other beings consume the kamma-result of the universal monarch? It should not be said thus… ...do other beings experience the kamma-result of the Universal Monarch being? Yes. Do other beings experience the contact, feeling, perception, volition, consciousness, faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration, wisdom of the Universal Monarch being? It should not be said thus... 494. Should it not be said – "Earth is a kamma-result"? Yes. Is there not kamma leading to sovereignty, kamma leading to dominion? Yes. If there is kamma leading to sovereignty, kamma leading to dominion, then indeed it should be said – "Earth is a kamma-result." The discussion on "Earth is a kamma-result" is concluded. 7. The Seventh Chapter (70) 8. The discussion on "Aging-and-death is a result" 495. Is aging-and-death a result? Yes. Is it associated with pleasant feeling, with painful feeling, with neutral feeling, conjoined with pleasant feeling, conjoined with painful feeling, conjoined with neutral feeling, conjoined with contact, conjoined with feeling, conjoined with perception, conjoined with volition, conjoined with consciousness, with an object? Is there for it turning towards, attention, application, advertence, volition, aspiration, determination? It should not be said thus... Is it not not associated with pleasant feeling, not associated with painful feeling... without an object; is there not for it turning towards... determination? Yes. If it is not associated with pleasant feeling, not associated with painful feeling... without an object; if there is not for it turning towards... determination, then indeed it should not be said – "Aging-and-death is a result." Is contact a result? Is contact associated with pleasant feeling, with painful feeling... with an object? Is there for it turning towards... determination? Yes. Is aging-and-death a result? Is aging-and-death associated with pleasant feeling, with painful feeling... with an object? Is there for it turning towards... determination? It should not be said thus... Is aging-and-death a result? Is aging-and-death not associated with pleasant feeling, not associated with painful feeling... without an object? Is there not for it turning towards... determination? Is it? Yes. Contact is result, contact is neither pleasant-feeling nor painful-feeling... (etc.)... without object; is there no turning back for it... (etc.)... aspiration? It should not be said thus... (etc.). 496. Is old age and death for unwholesome states, the result of unwholesome states? Yes. Is old age and death for wholesome states, the result of wholesome states? It should not be said thus... (etc.). Is old age and death for wholesome states, not to be said as "the result of wholesome states"? Yes. Is old age and death for unwholesome states, not to be said as "the result of unwholesome states"? It should not be said thus... (etc.). Is old age and death for wholesome states, the result of unwholesome states? Yes. Is old age and death for unwholesome states, the result of wholesome states? It should not be said thus... (etc.). Is old age and death for unwholesome states, not to be said as "the result of wholesome states"? Yes. Is old age and death for wholesome states, not to be said as "the result of unwholesome states"? It should not be said thus... (etc.). Is old age and death for both wholesome and unwholesome states, the result of unwholesome states? Yes. Is old age and death for both wholesome and unwholesome states, the result of wholesome states? It should not be said thus... (etc.). Is old age and death for both wholesome and unwholesome states,