To Be Reborn in the ‘Hell of Laughter’

‘Venerable Sir, I have heard it said among actors of old in the lineage of Teachers: ‘If an actor, in the theatre or the arena, entertains and amuses people by truth and lies, then with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the laughing heavenly beings’. What does The Perfectly Enlightened One say about that?’

Enough, Headman, let it be! Don’t ask me that!

A second time and a third time Talaputa the troupe Headman said the same question.

In the theatre or arena, among beings who are not yet free from craving, who are bound by the bondage of craving, an actor entertains them with teasing things that excite them even more strongly to craving.

In the theatre or arena, among beings who are not yet free from anger, who are bound by the bondage of anger, an actor entertains them with provoking things that excite them even more strongly to anger.

In the theatre or arena, among beings who are not yet free from ignorance (unknowing of true reality), who are bound by the bondage of ignorance, an actor entertains them with confusing things that excite them even more strongly to ignorance.

Thus, being heedless and complacent himself, having made others heedless and complacent, with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the ‘Hell of Laughter’. But should he hold such a view as this: ‘If an actor, in the theatre or the arena, entertains and amuses people by truth and lies, then with the breakup of the body, after death, he is reborn in the company of the laughing heavenly beings’ — that is a wrong view on his part.

For a person with wrong view, I say, there is one of two destinations: either hell or the animal realm.

(Reference: SN 42.2)

In this Teaching from Gotama Buddha, he shares how it is unwise to entice beings into further craving, anger, and ignorance (unknowing of true reality) as if one did this, they would be reborn into the realm of hell.

And, if one thought that through enticing others to further arise craving, anger, and ignorance (unknowing of true reality) that it would produce a rebirth in the heavenly realm, that is wrong view. A being with wrong view is reborn into either hell or the animal realm.