Actions that influence life length

What intentional actions influence life length? A student once asked the Buddha:

“Master Gotama, what is the cause and condition why some human beings are short-lived, while others long-lived?”

The blessed Buddha then explained:

“Here, friend, some man or woman kills living beings and is murderous, bloody-handed, enjoying rage and violence, cruel to all living beings! Because of intending and undertaking such action, at the breakup of the body, right after death, such one reappears in a state of affliction, in a painful destination, in the purgatory, or even in the hells…

“But if such one at the breakup of the body, after death, is not reborn in an awful state, a painful destination, the purgatory, or in the hells, but instead comes back to the human state, then wherever such one is reborn he is short-lived! These are the actions, friend, that leads to a short future life, namely, kill, murder, bloody handed brutality, slaughter, violence, and cruelty towards all living beings…

“However, friend, any man or woman, who is avoiding the killing of living beings, who abstains from killing any living beings, with rod and weapon put down, gentle and kind, such one dwells all friendly to all living beings… Because of intending and undertaking such action, at the breakup of the body, right after death, such one reappears in a pleasurable and happy destination, even in the divine dimensions! But if at the breakup of the body, right after death, such one is not reborn in a happy destination, in the heavenly worlds, but instead comes back to a human state, and then wherever such one reappears, such one is long-lived!

“This way, friend, leading to long life, is namely, avoiding the killing of any living being, refraining from killing living beings, with stick and weapon laid aside, gentle and kind, one abides compassionate to all sentient, living and breathing beings…”

Such one escapes hell, because the evil kamma is modified by past good!

Such one misses heaven, because the good kamma is modified by past evil!