Atha kho āyasmā ānando yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi. Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā ānando bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then the venerable Ānanda approached the Blessed One. Having drawn near, he paid homage to the Blessed One and sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the venerable Ānanda addressed the Blessed One:
“bhavo, bhavoti, bhante, vuccati. Kittāvatā nu kho, bhante, bhavo hotī”ti?
“Venerable sir, it is said ‘existence, existence.’ In what way, venerable sir, is there existence?”
“Kāmadhātuvepakkañca, ānanda, kammaṁ nābhavissa, api nu kho kāmabhavo paññāyethā”ti?
“Ānanda, if there were no kamma ripening in the realm of sensual desire, would existence in the realm of sense desire be discerned?”
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, venerable sir.”
“Iti kho, ānanda, kammaṁ khettaṁ, viññāṇaṁ bījaṁ, taṇhā sneho. Avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ hīnāya dhātuyā cetanā patiṭṭhitā patthanā patiṭṭhitā evaṁ āyatiṁ punabbhavābhinibbatti hoti.
“Thus, Ānanda, for beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving, kamma is the field, consciousness the seed, and craving the moisture for their intention and aspiration to be established in an inferior realm. In this way, there is the production of renewed existence in the future.
Rūpadhātuvepakkañca, ānanda, kammaṁ nābhavissa, api nu kho rūpabhavo paññāyethā”ti?
Ānanda, if there were no kamma ripening in the realm of form, would existence in the realm of form be discerned?”
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, venerable sir.”
“Iti kho, ānanda, kammaṁ khettaṁ, viññāṇaṁ bījaṁ, taṇhā sneho. Avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ majjhimāya dhātuyā cetanā patiṭṭhitā patthanā patiṭṭhitā evaṁ āyatiṁ punabbhavābhinibbatti hoti.
“Thus, Ānanda, for beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving, kamma is the field, consciousness the seed, and craving the moisture for their intention and aspiration to be established in a middling realm. In this way, there is the production of renewed existence in the future.
Arūpadhātuvepakkañca, ānanda, kammaṁ nābhavissa, api nu kho arūpabhavo paññāyethā”ti?
Ānanda, if there were no kamma ripening in the formless realm, would existence in the formless realm be discerned?”
“No hetaṁ, bhante”.
“No, venerable sir.”
“Iti kho, ānanda, kammaṁ khettaṁ, viññāṇaṁ bījaṁ, taṇhā sneho. Avijjānīvaraṇānaṁ sattānaṁ taṇhāsaṁyojanānaṁ paṇītāya dhātuyā cetanā patiṭṭhitā patthanā patiṭṭhitā evaṁ āyatiṁ punabbhavābhinibbatti hoti.
“Thus, Ānanda, for beings hindered by ignorance and fettered by craving, kamma is the field, consciousness the seed, and craving the moisture for their intention and aspiration to be established in a sublime realm. In this way, there is the production of renewed existence in the future.
Evaṁ kho, ānanda, bhavo hotī”ti.
It is in this way, Ānanda, that there is existence.”