English
threefold by the difference of the realms of desire, form, and formless, fourfold by way of the wombs of egg-born, womb-born, moisture-born, and spontaneously born, fivefold by way of destinies, sevenfold by way of stations of consciousness, eightfold by way of abodes of beings. Therein: Mixed, twofold by difference of gender, With gender, there also twofold; Two or three decades, The last with the first. "Mixed, twofold by difference of gender": Herein, the rebirth-consciousness mixed with form, which arises elsewhere than in the formless realm, is twofold, without gender in the realm of form, and with gender in the realm of desire, elsewhere than in the rebirth of a neuter, as with gender and without gender. "With gender, there also twofold": Therein also, that which is with gender is just twofold, arising with one of the genders, male or female. "Two or three decades, The last with the first": Herein, the rebirth-consciousness mixed with form, which is the first in saying "mixed, unmixed," arises as two decades by way of the decade of the base, or as three decades by way of the decade of the base and the decade of gender, the last, for there is no further diminution of form. But this, arising as such a limited measure, becomes a globule the size of a drop of oil or melted butter lifted with a tip of a blade of grass, having obtained the designation "kalala," in the two wombs called egg-born and womb-born. Therein, the difference of possibility should be understood by way of the destinies of the wombs. For in these: In hell, the earth-dwelling... Neither in hells, nor in gods. Three are the former, four in the three realms. Here, "in gods also" means, just as in hells and non-corporeal gods, so too in the Nijjhāmatanhika ghosts, the former three wombs do not exist. For they are only apparitional beings. But in the remaining three realms, namely animals, ghosts, and humans, and in the previously mentioned corporeal gods, there are four wombs. There – Thirty and nine in the corporeal, seventy at most the corporeal; In the moisture-born and apparitional, or at least thirty. In the corporeal Brahmas, thirty and nine rūpas arise together with the rebirth-consciousness, by way of the four aggregates: the decads of eye, ear, body, and life. But in other moisture-born and apparitional beings, except for the corporeal Brahmas, there are seventy at most, by way of the decads of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, gender, and base. And these are always in the gods. Here, color, odor, taste, nutritive essence, the four elements, eye-sensitivity, and life-faculty – this group of ten rūpas is called the eye-decad. The rest should be understood in the same way. But at least, for the congenitally blind, deaf, noseless, and impotent, thirty rūpas arise by way of the decads of tongue, body, and base. But the variation between the maximum and minimum should be understood accordingly. Having thus understood, again – By aggregates, object, destiny, cause, feeling, joy, thought, and reasoning; The difference and non-difference, of death and rebirth should be understood. This rebirth, which is twofold as mixed and unmixed, and its immediately preceding death, the difference and non-difference of these by way of aggregates etc. should be known, is the meaning. How? Sometimes, after a death in the immaterial realm with four aggregates, there is a rebirth with four aggregates, also non-different in object; sometimes, after an unexalted external object, there is an exalted internal object. This is the method only in the immaterial planes. But sometimes, after a death in the immaterial realm with four aggregates, there is a five-ag Blind are rebirths in the sense sphere. Sometimes, after the five-aggregate death in the sense sphere or the form sphere, four aggregates are reborn in the formless sphere. Thus, with a past-object death, a past, non-speakable, or present-object rebirth occurs. With a death in a good destination, sometimes a rebirth in a bad destination; with a causeless death, a rebirth with causes; with a two-cause death, a three-cause rebirth; with a death accompanied by equanimity, a rebirth accompanied by joy; with a death without delight, a rebirth with delight; with a death without initial application, a rebirth with initial application; with a death without sustained application, a rebirth with sustained application; with a death without initial and sustained application, a rebirth with initial and sustained application. And the opposite of each of these should be connected appropriately. This is merely a phenomenon of conditionality, that goes to another existence; From there, there is no transmigration of it, nor does it happen without a cause from there. Thus, this is said to be merely a phenomenon of form and formlessness, arising due to conditions, that goes to another existence, not a being, not a life. There is no transmigration of it from the past existence to here, nor does its appearance here occur without a cause from there. Now, we will explain this with a clear account of the process of death and rebirth in humans – Indeed, in the past existence, for one nearing death due to a potent affliction or assault, unable to bear the onslaught of deadly feelings that sever all the joints and connections of the limbs, as the body gradually withers like a green palm leaf thrown in the sun, when the senses such as the eye are ceasing, and only the physical base, mental base, and life faculty remain established in the heart-base, the consciousness dependent on the heart-base, with that moment remaining, proceeds apprehending as its object one of the weighty, habitually practiced, proximate deeds, or the supporting karma, or the sign of karma or sign of destiny. Thus proceeding, because craving and ignorance are not abandoned, craving names that object, its faults veiled by ignorance, and the co-arisen formations impel it. That continuum By the force of craving, being bent, By the formations, being hurried along, Clinging to the rope tied to the tree on the near shore, Like one crossing a ford, it abandons the former support, And delights in the support produced by kamma, Or not delighting, it proceeds by means of conditions, Such as sense-objects. Here, the former ceasing is called dying, The latter, the linking to a new existence, is called rebirth. This should be understood as: Neither does the former existence come here, Nor does it arise without a cause, Such as the force of kamma-formations. Here, examples may be given, such as an echo; In the continuity, there is neither identity nor difference. Here, the phenomena such as an echo, a lamp, a seal, a reflection, are examples of the non-coming of consciousness from the former existence, and its arising due to causes pertaining to the past existence. Just as an echo, a lamp, a seal, a shadow, are caused by sound etc., without coming from elsewhere, even so is this mind. And here, "in the continuity, there is neither identity nor difference." For if there were absolute identity in the continuity, curd could not arise from milk. And if there were absolute difference, curd would not be dependent on milk. This is the way in all things produced by cause and condition. And if it were otherwise, the entire worldly convention would be destroyed. And that is undesirable. Therefore, here, neither absolute identity nor difference should be assumed. Here someone says: If there is such non-transmission and arising, since the aggregates in this human existence have ceased, and the kamma, the condition for the fruit, does not go there, the fruit would belong to another, from another? And if there is no one to enjoy it, to whom would the fruit belong? Therefore, this arrangement is not good. There this is said: The fruit in the continuity, not to another, nor from another; The conditioning of seeds, proves this meaning. For when a fruit arises in one continuity, since absolute identity and difference are rejected there, it is neither to another nor from another. Or not be at all. And in this connection, the preparation of seeds is the means. For when preparations are made for mango seeds and the like, the particular fruit that arises in due course, having found a condition in the continuity of that seed, does not arise from other seeds, nor from other preparations, nor do those seeds or those preparations reach the state of fruit. This should be understood as an analogy. And this meaning should also be understood from the fact that when knowledge, skills, medicines, and the like are applied to a child's body, they give fruit in due course in an adult body and so on. And as for what was said, "If there is no enjoyer, whose is the fruit?" Therein: The convention of an enjoyer is established by the very arising of the fruit; as the convention of a tree bearing fruit is established by the arising of fruit from the tree. Just as, by the very arising of the fruit of a tree, which is a part of the elements called a tree, it is said that the tree bears fruit or is fruiting, so too, by the very arising of the fruit of enjoyment, which is a part of the aggregates called gods and humans, it is said that a god or a human enjoys, is happy, or is sad. Therefore, there is no need here for any other so-called enjoyer. And if someone should say, "Even so, these formations, either existing or not existing, are conditions for the fruit. If existing, their result must occur at the very moment of arising. But if not existing, they would always bring fruit, both before and after arising." He should be told thus: Being done, these are conditions, but not always fruit-bearing; the example of a loan and so on should be understood there. For formations are conditions for their own fruit because they are done, not because they exist or do not exist. As it is said, "Because a wholesome deed belonging to the sense-sphere is done and accumulated,