1Then the Venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him:

"Bhante, it is said: ‘existence, existence.’ In what way, Bhante, is there existence?" [n.503] Bhava. What is meant is a concrete state of individual existence in one of the three realms. Nibbāna is called bhavanirodha, the cessation of individual existence.

---

2(1) "If, Ānanda, there were no kamma ripening in the sensory realm, would sense-sphere existence be discerned?"

"No, Bhante."

"Thus, Ānanda, for beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving, kamma is the field, consciousness the seed, and craving the moisture for their consciousness to be established in an inferior realm. In this way there is the production of renewed existence in the future. [n.504] Āyatiṁ punabbhavābhinibbatti hoti. Mp says that the consciousness that serves as the seed (bīja) is the kammically active consciousness (abhisaṅkhāraviññāṇaṁ) co-arisen with the kamma. In calling craving moisture (sneha) a word play is involved. Sneha, in Pāli, can mean both moisture and affection; in the latter sense, sneha is sometimes used as a synonym for craving. The rebirth process is described in similar terms at SN5:9, SN12:64, , SN22:53 SN22:54. The "inferior realm" (hīnā dhātu) is the sensory realm. Similarly, just below, the "middling realm" (majjhimā dhātu) is the form realm, and the "superior realm" (paṇītā dhātu) is the formless realm. The Buddha’s path aims at overcoming rebirth in all realms.

---

3(2) "If, Ānanda, there were no kamma ripening in the form realm, would form-sphere existence be discerned?"

"No, Bhante."

"Thus, Ānanda, for beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving, kamma is the field, consciousness the seed, and craving the moisture for their consciousness to be established in a middling realm. In this way there is the production of renewed existence in the future.

---

4(3) "If, Ānanda, there were no kamma ripening in the formless realm, would formless-sphere existence be discerned?"

"No, Bhante."

"Thus, Ānanda, for beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving, kamma is the field, consciousness the seed, and craving the moisture for their consciousness to be established in a superior realm. In this way there is the production of renewed existence in the future.

"It is in this way, Ānanda, that there is existence."

1Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

"bhavo, bhavoti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, bhavo hotī"ti?

---

2"Kāmadhātuvepakkañca, ānanda, kammaṁ nābhavissa, api nu kho kāmabhavo paññāyethā"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante".

"Iti kho, ānanda, kammaṁ khettaṁ, viññāṇaṁ bījaṁ, taṇhā sneho. Avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ hīnāya dhātuyā viññāṇaṁ patiṭṭhitaṁ evaṁ āyatiṁ punabbhavābhinibbatti hoti. ()

---

3Rūpadhātuvepakkañca, ānanda, kammaṁ nābhavissa, api nu kho rūpabhavo paññāyethā"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante".

"Iti kho, ānanda, kammaṁ khettaṁ, viññāṇaṁ bījaṁ, taṇhā sneho. Avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ majjhimāya dhātuyā viññāṇaṁ patiṭṭhitaṁ evaṁ āyatiṁ punabbhavābhinibbatti hoti. ()

---

4Arūpadhātuvepakkañca, ānanda, kammaṁ nābhavissa, api nu kho arūpabhavo paññāyethā"ti?

"No hetaṁ, bhante".

"Iti kho, ānanda, kammaṁ khettaṁ, viññāṇaṁ bījaṁ, taṇhā sneho. Avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ paṇītāya dhātuyā viññāṇaṁ patiṭṭhitaṁ evaṁ āyatiṁ punabbhavābhinibbatti hoti.

Evaṁ kho, ānanda, bhavo hotī"ti.

---

Chaṭṭhaṁ.