1 Then the venerable Ananda visited with the Auspicious One. Upon arrival, having bowed down to the Auspicious One, he sat down to one side. Having sat down to one side, the venerable Ananda said this to the Auspicious One:“A being, a being,” O Bhante, it is said. To what extent, O Bhante, is there a being?”

2 “But, O Ananda, were kamma not to ripen in the sense-desire sphere, would sense-desire beings be discerned?”

3 Certainly not, Bhante.

4 Thus, O Ananda, for beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by thirsting, kamma is the field, consciousness is the seed, thirsting is the moisture for their consciousness to be established in an inferior sphere. The actualization of a being again in the future comes to be thus.

5 “But, O Ananda, were kamma not to ripen in the form sphere, would form beings be discerned?”

6 Certainly not, Bhante.

7 Thus, O Ananda, for beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by thirsting, kamma is the field, consciousness is the seed, thirsting is the moisture for their consciousness to be established in a middling sphere. The actualization of a being again in the future comes to be thus.

8 “But, O Ananda, were kamma not to ripen in the formless sphere, would formless beings be discerned?”

9 Certainly not, Bhante.

10 Thus, O Ananda, for beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by thirsting, kamma is the field, consciousness is the seed, thirsting is the moisture for their consciousness to be established in a superior sphere. The actualization of a being again in the future comes to be thus. “It is in this way, O Ananda, that there is a being.”

1 atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami. upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ nisīdi. ekamantaṃ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṃ etadavoca: 'bhavo, bhavo'ti bhante vuccati. kittāvatā nu kho bhante bhavo hotī'ti?

2 kāmadhātuvepakkañca ānanda, kammaṃ nābhavissa api nu kho kāmabhavo paññāyethāti?

3 no hetaṃ bhante.

4 iti kho ānanda, kammaṃ khettaṃ, viññāṇaṃ bījaṃ, taṇhā sinehofootnote{taṇhāsneho-machasaṃ.} avijjānīvaraṇānaṃ sattānaṃ taṇhāsaṃyojanānaṃ hīnāya dhātuyā viññāṇaṃ patiṭṭhitaṃ. evaṃ āyati\footnote{āyatiṃ-machasaṃ.} punabbhavābhinibbatti hoti.

5 rūpadhātuvepakkañca ānanda, kammaṃ nābhavissa, api nu kho rūpabhavo paññāyethāti?

6 no hetaṃ bhante.

7 iti kho ānanda, kammaṃ khettaṃ, viññāṇaṃ bījaṃ, taṇhā sineho. avijjānīvaraṇānaṃ sattānaṃ taṇhāsaṃyojanānaṃ majjhimāya dhātuyā viññāṇaṃ patiṭṭhitaṃ. evaṃ āyati punabbhavābhinibbatti hoti.

8 arūpadhātuvepakkañca ānanda kammaṃ nā bhavissa, api nu kho arūpabhavo paññāyethā?ti.

9 no hetaṃ bhante.

10 iti kho ānanda, kammaṃ khettaṃ, viññāṇaṃ bījaṃ, taṇhā sineho. avijjānīvaraṇānaṃ sattānaṃ taṇhāsaṃyojanānaṃ paṇītāya dhātuyā viññāṇaṃ patiṭṭhitaṃ. evaṃ āyati punabbhavābhinibbatti hoti. evaṃ kho ānanda, bhavo hotī'ti.