English
The results of the first immaterial jhāna and so on occur in their respective immaterial jhāna realms as rebirth-linking, life-continuum, and death. These are called the four arūpa rebirth-linkings. 45. Among them, for the realm of infinite space The lifespan of the Tanūpaga devas is twenty thousand aeons. 46. The lifespan of the devas of the Sphere of Infinite Consciousness is forty thousand aeons. 47. The lifespan of the devas of the Sphere of Nothingness is sixty thousand aeons. 48. The lifespan of the devas of the Sphere of Neither Perception Nor Non-Perception is eighty-four thousand aeons. 49. Rebirth-linking, life-continuum, and the death-consciousness, are all one and the same in their object, and of one kind. This is the tetrad of rebirth-linking here. The Tetrad of Kamma 50. Generating, supporting, oppressing, and destroying—these are by way of function. 51. Weighty, proximate, habitual, and residual kamma—these are by way of giving results. 52. Kamma ripening in this very life, kamma ripening in the next life, kamma ripening in subsequent lives, and defunct kamma—these are the four kinds of kamma by way of time of ripening. 53. Likewise, unwholesome, kāmāvacara wholesome, rūpāvacara wholesome, and arūpāvacara wholesome—these are by way of the place of ripening. 54. Among these, unwholesome kamma is of three kinds by way of kamma-door: bodily kamma, verbal kamma, and mental kamma. 55. How? Taking life, taking what is not given, and sexual misconduct—these are called bodily kamma due to their frequent occurrence at the bodily door, which is called bodily intimation. 56. Lying, slanderous speech, harsh speech, and frivolous talk—these are called verbal kamma due to their frequent occurrence at the verbal door, which is called verbal intimation. 57. Covetousness, ill-will, and wrong view—these are called mental kamma due to their frequent occurrence in the mind itself, even without intimation. 58. Among these, taking life, harsh speech, and ill-will arise from the root of hatred. 59. Sexual misconduct, covetousness, and wrong view arise from the root of greed. 60. The remaining four also arise from both roots. 61. By way of thought-moments, this unwholesome kamma is altogether twelvefold. 62. Kāmāvacara wholesome kamma is also of three kinds by way of kamma-door: bodily kamma occurring at the bodily door, verbal kamma occurring at the verbal door, and mental kamma occurring at the mental door. 63. Likewise, by way of giving, morality, and development. 64. Mind By its production, this is eightfold. 65. By way of giving, morality, development, reverence, service, transference of merit, rejoicing in merit, listening to Dhamma, teaching Dhamma, and straightening one's views, it is tenfold. 66. And this, even twentyfold, is reckoned as sense-sphere kamma. 67. But fine-material-sphere wholesome kamma is mental kamma only, and that, born of development, having attained absorption, by way of the division of jhana factors, is fivefold. 68. Likewise, immaterial-sphere wholesome kamma is mental kamma; that too, born of development, having attained absorption. By way of the division of objects, it is fourfold. 69. Here, unwholesome kamma, without restlessness, generates rebirth-linking in the woeful planes. But in the course of existence, all twelve kinds of unwholesome results ripen everywhere, in the sense-sphere and fine-material-sphere worlds, as appropriate. 70. Sense-sphere wholesome kamma also generates rebirth-linking only in the sense-sphere happy planes. And likewise in the course of existence, the great results, but the eight rootless results, ripen everywhere, in the sense-sphere and fine-material-sphere worlds, as appropriate. 71. Even there, excellent wholesome kamma with three roots, having given three-rooted rebirth-linking, in the course of existence, sixteen results ripen. 72. Inferior wholesome kamma with three roots and excellent wholesome kamma with two roots, having given two-rooted rebirth-linking, in the course of existence, twelve results ripen, excluding those with three roots. 73. But inferior wholesome kamma with two roots gives only rootless rebirth-linking, and in the course of existence, only rootless results ripen. 74. Unprompted (kamma) does not ripen the results of prompted (kamma). "Prompted and unprompted results," some say. For them, twelve results, and ten or eight, respectively; according to what has been said, one should state as possible. 75. But fine-material-sphere wholesome kamma, having developed the first jhana to a minor degree, is reborn among the retinue of Brahmās. 76. That same (kamma), having developed to a medium degree, (is reborn) among the ministers of Brahmās. 77. Having developed to an excellent degree, (is reborn) among the Great Brahmās. 78. Likewise, the second jhana and the third jhana, having developed to a minor degree, (are reborn) among the Brahmās of Limited Radiance. 79. Med Cultivating the lower, they are reborn in the Abhā. 80. Cultivating the excellent, they are reborn in the Ābhassara. 81. Cultivating the fourth jhāna in a limited way, they are reborn in the Parittasubha. 82. Cultivating the middling, they are reborn in the Appamāṇasubha. 83. Cultivating the excellent, they are reborn in the Subhakiṇha. 84. Cultivating the fifth jhāna, they are reborn in the Vehapphala. 85. Cultivating the detachment from perception, they are reborn in the Asaññasatta. 86. Non-returners, however, are reborn in the Suddhāvāsa. 87. And cultivating the wholesome states of the formless realms in due order, they are reborn in the formless realms. 88. Thus, the exalted merit, established according to its plane, Generates a similar result in the process of rebirth. This is the fourfold classification of kamma here. The Sequence of Death and Rebirth 89. The arising of death is fourfold: by exhaustion of life-span, by exhaustion of kamma, by exhaustion of both, or by destructive kamma. 90. And for those dying, at the time of death, the kamma that generates rebirth in the next existence, having become manifest as appropriate, or the kamma-sign, which is a previously experienced object like a form, serving as an instrument at the time of performing that kamma, or the destiny-sign, which is an object to be experienced in the immediately arising existence, serving as an enjoyment, appears by the power of kamma at one of the six doors. Thereafter, the mind-stream, repeatedly and predominantly, proceeds, as if inclined towards that, pure or defiled, in accordance with the kamma ripening and the existence to be experienced, taking that very object which has thus appeared. Or, the generative kamma itself comes to the door by way of a new performance. 91. For that person nearing death, at the end of the thought-process or at the cessation of the bhavanga, the death-consciousness, which is the end of the present existence, arises and ceases by way of passing away. Upon its cessation, immediately thereafter, taking that very object thus grasped, with or without a physical base as appropriate, generated by volitional formations encompassed by the latent tendency of ignorance and rooted in the latent tendency of craving, grasped by its associated states, and supported by co-arisen states The mind, called rebirth-linking, being a forerunner by way of its standing, by way of connecting to another existence, just as it arises, is established in another existence. 92. In the death-proximate thought-process here, only five slowly occurring impulsion thoughts are to be expected. Therefore, if death occurs while present objects that have come into range are still existing, then even for the rebirth-linking and life-continuum, the state of having a present object is obtained. Thus, for rebirth-linking in the sense-sphere, the karma-sign and destiny-sign, grasped by the six doors, having a present or past object, are found. Karma, however, is always past, and it is grasped by the mind-door. All of these, however, are objects that are of the limited (sensory) realm. 93. For rebirth-linking in the form-sphere, however, a concept-based karma-sign alone is the object. 94. Similarly, for rebirth-linking in the formless-sphere, an exalted and concept-based karma-sign alone is the object, as appropriate. 95. For the non-percipient beings, however, only the life-nonad is established as rebirth-linking. Therefore, they are called those with form-rebirth-linking. 96. The formless ones have formless rebirth-linking. 97. The rest have form and formless rebirth-linking. 98. From formless passing away, (rebirths) exclude the lower formless. The highest formless rebirth, and three-rooted sense-sphere (rebirth) also. From form realm passing away, (rebirths) are not rootless. From three-rooted sense-sphere (passing away), all (rebirths); but others (from lower sense-sphere passing away) are only in the sense-sphere. This here is the sequence of passing away and rebirth-linking. 99. Thus, for those who have taken rebirth-linking, however, from the moment immediately following the cessation of rebirth-linking, taking that very same object, that very same mind, until the arising of the death-consciousness, when there is no arising of thought-process consciousness, as a component of existence, the mind called the life-continuum series, uninterrupted, like a river's current, flows on. 100. And at the end, by way of passing away, becoming the death-consciousness, it ceases. 101. And thereafter, rebirth-linking and so on, like a chariot wheel, in due order, revolving, continue to proceed. 102. Rebirth-linking, life-continuum, thought-processes, And passing away here, and similarly in another existence. Again rebirth-linking, and life-continuum, thus. That which, indeed, the mind-continuum revolves. Having reflected upon this impermanent, the wise, having attained the deathless state; Having completely severed the bonds of craving,