Dying as Ghosts and Reborn as GhostsPettidevapettivisayasutta

“… the sentient beings who die as ghosts and are reborn as gods are few, while those who die as ghosts and are reborn in the ghost realm are many.… “Evameva kho, bhikkhave, appakā te sattā ye pettivisayā cutā devesu paccājāyanti; atha kho eteva bahutarā sattā ye pettivisayā cutā pettivisaye paccājāyanti. Why is that?Taṁ kissa hetu? It’s because they haven’t seen the four noble truths.Adiṭṭhattā, bhikkhave, catunnaṁ ariyasaccānaṁ. What four?Katamesaṁ catunnaṁ? The noble truths of suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.Dukkhassa ariyasaccassa, dukkhasamudayassa ariyasaccassa, dukkhanirodhassa ariyasaccassa, dukkhanirodhagāminiyā paṭipadāya ariyasaccassa.

That’s why you should practice meditation to understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’.”Tasmātiha, bhikkhave, ‘idaṁ dukkhan’ti yogo karaṇīyo, ‘ayaṁ dukkhasamudayo’ti yogo karaṇīyo, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodho’ti yogo karaṇīyo, ‘ayaṁ dukkhanirodhagāminī paṭipadā’ti yogo karaṇīyo”ti.

That is what the Buddha said.Idamavoca bhagavā. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.Attamanā te bhikkhū bhagavato bhāsitaṁ abhinandunti.

The Linked Discourses on the Truths, the twelfth section.Saccasaṁyuttaṁ dvādasamaṁ.

The Great Book is finished.Mahāvaggasaṁyuttapāḷi niṭṭhitā.

The Linked Discourses are complete.Saṁyuttanikāyo samatto.