sutta » an » an3 » Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.76

Paṭhamabhavasutta

Continued Existence (1st)

Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:

“bhavo, bhavoti, bhante, vuccati.
“Sir, they speak of this thing called ‘continued existence’.

Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, bhavo hotī”ti?
How is continued existence defined?”

“Kāmadhātuvepakkañca, ānanda, kammaṁ nābhavissa, api nu kho kāmabhavo paññāyethā”ti?
“If, Ānanda, there were no deeds to result in the sensual realm, would continued existence in the sensual realm still come about?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”

“Iti kho, ānanda, kammaṁ khettaṁ, viññāṇaṁ bījaṁ, taṇhā sneho.
“So, Ānanda, deeds are the field, consciousness is the seed, and craving is the moisture.

Avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ hīnāya dhātuyā viññāṇaṁ patiṭṭhitaṁ evaṁ āyatiṁ punabbhavābhinibbatti hoti. (…)
The consciousness of sentient beings—shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving—is established in a lower realm. That’s how there is rebirth into a new state of existence in the future.

Rūpadhātuvepakkañca, ānanda, kammaṁ nābhavissa, api nu kho rūpabhavo paññāyethā”ti?
If there were no deeds to result in the realm of luminous form, would continued existence in the realm of luminous form still come about?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”

“Iti kho, ānanda, kammaṁ khettaṁ, viññāṇaṁ bījaṁ, taṇhā sneho.
“So, Ānanda, deeds are the field, consciousness is the seed, and craving is the moisture.

Avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ majjhimāya dhātuyā viññāṇaṁ patiṭṭhitaṁ evaṁ āyatiṁ punabbhavābhinibbatti hoti. (…)
The consciousness of sentient beings—shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving—is established in a middle realm. That’s how there is rebirth into a new state of existence in the future.

Arūpadhātuvepakkañca, ānanda, kammaṁ nābhavissa, api nu kho arūpabhavo paññāyethā”ti?
If there were no deeds to result in the formless realm, would continued existence in the formless realm still come about?”

“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, sir.”

“Iti kho, ānanda, kammaṁ khettaṁ, viññāṇaṁ bījaṁ, taṇhā sneho.
“So, Ānanda, deeds are the field, consciousness is the seed, and craving is the moisture.

Avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ paṇītāya dhātuyā viññāṇaṁ patiṭṭhitaṁ evaṁ āyatiṁ punabbhavābhinibbatti hoti.
The consciousness of sentient beings—shrouded by ignorance and fettered by craving—is established in a higher realm. That’s how there is rebirth into a new state of existence in the future.

Evaṁ kho, ānanda, bhavo hotī”ti.
That’s how continued existence is defined.”

Chaṭṭhaṁ.