Headman Asibandhakaputtaperson
1 discourse
The village headman who asked the administrator's question: could the Teacher send all beings to heaven? No, the Buddha answered; beings are reborn by their own doing, not a teacher's wish (SN 42.6), and the headman received the Buddha's lay teachings through the similes of the field, the horn blower, and the family (SN 42.7–9).
Discourses
In reply to the headman Asibandhakaputta’s question about whether the Buddha could cause all beings to be reborn in heaven, the Buddha explains that destiny after death depends on one’s own deeds, not on others’ prayers or rituals. Using similes of a boulder sinking and ghee rising in water, he shows that virtue uplifts, while evil conduct leads to downfall.
PTS 4.311–4.313