an.3.76 Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numbered Discourses)

Becoming (1)

Then Ven. Ananda went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, bowed down to him and sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One, “Lord, this word, ‘becoming, becoming’—to what extent is there becoming?”

“Ananda, if there were no kamma ripening in the sensuality-property, would sensuality-becoming be discerned?”

“No, lord.”

“Thus kamma is the field, consciousness the seed, and craving the moisture. The consciousness of living beings hindered by ignorance & fettered by craving is established in/tuned to a lower property. Thus there is the production of renewed becoming in the future.

“If there were no kamma ripening in the form-property, would form-becoming be discerned?”

“No, lord.”

“Thus kamma is the field, consciousness the seed, and craving the moisture. The consciousness of living beings hindered by ignorance & fettered by craving is established in/tuned to a middling property. Thus there is the production of renewed becoming in the future.

“If there were no kamma ripening in the formless-property, would formless-becoming be discerned?”

“No, lord.”

“Thus kamma is the field, consciousness the seed, and craving the moisture. The consciousness of living beings hindered by ignorance & fettered by craving is established in/tuned to a refined property. Thus there is the production of renewed becoming in the future. This is how there is becoming.”

- Translator: Thanissaro Bhikkhu

- Editor: Gabriel Laera

Continued Existence (1st)

Then Venerable Ānanda went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him:
“Sir, they speak of this thing called ‘continued existence’.
How is continued existence defined?”
“If, Ānanda, there were no deeds to result in the sensual realm, would continued existence in the sensual realm still come about?”
“No, sir.”
“So, Ānanda, deeds are the field, consciousness is the seed, and craving is the moisture.
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.
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, sir.”
“So, Ānanda, deeds are the field, consciousness is the seed, and craving is the moisture.
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.
If there were no deeds to result in the formless realm, would continued existence in the formless realm still come about?”
“No, sir.”
“So, Ānanda, deeds are the field, consciousness is the seed, and craving is the moisture.
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.
That’s how continued existence is defined.”