To Be Reborn in the Company of Egg‑Born Nāgas (First Discourse)

Here, Monk, someone acts unwisely in body, speech, and mind. He has heard: Egg‑born nāgas are long‑lived, beautiful, and abound in happiness.

He thinks: Oh, with the breakup of the body, after death, may I be reborn in the company of egg‑born nāgas! Then, with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of egg‑born nāgas.

This, Monks, is the cause and reason why someone here, with the breakup of the body, after death, is reborn in the company of egg‑born nāgas.

(The same is repeated for the other three types of nāgas.)

(Reference: SN 30.3-30.6)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how a human being can be reborn as a nāga. Rebirth as a nāga is undesirable as once one is reborn into the animal realm it is like a prison and very difficult to move back into a human rebirth.

The Buddha shares that through making unwise decisions about one’s own bodily, verbal, and mental conduct, they are reborn into the animal realm. If there are unwise decisions related to bodily, verbal, and mental conduct, a being will produce unwholesome outcomes in this life and future lives.

Through acquiring wisdom of what is wholesome and what is unwholesome, a being can then make wiser decisions leading to wholesome outcomes. Through acquiring wisdom, we can make deliberate and intentional decisions that lead to wholesome outcomes both in this life and, if needed, future lives.

The ultimate goal would be to learn, reflect, and practice these Teachings to acquire wisdom leading to an improved condition of mind and life so that one can experience a peaceful existence in this life and no longer experience any future rebirths.