Viyahapannatti 11.1: Uddeśaka 1: utpala

Utpala, Śālūka, Palāśa, Kumbhī, and Nālikā, Padma, and Karṇikā,
Nalina, Śiva, Loka, Kāla, and Ālabhiyā: ten and two [i.e. twelve] in the eleventh [śataka].

Rebirth, extent, extraction, height, binding, and gender-feeling,
activation, premature activation, lesyā, view, and cognition;

[mnemonic verse:] Yoga, application, color, taste and so forth, breathing, and nourishment,
abstinence, action, binding, instinct, passions, female gender-feeling, and binding;

sentient, sense-faculties, duration-continuity, transmigration-span, nourishment, lifespan duration, soul-expansion,
passing away, and rebirth of all jīvas into roots and the rest.

At that time, in that period, in Rājagṛha, up to while revering [him, Gautama] spoke thus: “A blue lotus, Venerable Sir, having a single petal—is it one jīva [or] many jīvas?”
“Gautama! It is one jīva, not many jīvas. Beyond that, other jīvas that are born into it, they are not one jīva [but] many jīvas.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, from where are they born? Do they take birth from hell-beings? Do they take birth from animals? Do they take birth from humans? Do they take birth from deities?”
“Gautama! They do not take birth from hell-beings. They take birth from animals, they take birth from humans, they also take birth from deities. In this way, rebirth is to be stated as in [the Chapter on] Rebirth (Vakkantī) for plant-bodied beings up to the Īśāna [heaven].”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, how many are born in a single instant?”
“Gautama! At a minimum, one, two, or three; at a maximum, numerable or innumerable are born.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, if removed instant by instant, in how much time would they be exhausted?”
“Gautama! Innumerable as they are, being removed instant by instant, they would be exhausted in innumerable avasarpiṇīs and utsarpinīs, but they might not indeed be exhausted at all.”
“Of those jīvas, Venerable Sir, how large a bodily spatial capacity is taught?”
“Gautama! At a minimum, an innumerableth part of an aṅgula; at a maximum, a little over one thousand yojanas.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, are they binders of knowledge-obscuring karma, or non-binders?”
“Gautama! They are not non-binders; [they are either] a binder or binders.”
“Thus up to obstructive [karma]; with the exception of lifespan karma, the question [is posed]:”
“Gautama! 1. [one] binder, or 2. [one] non-binder, or 3. binders, or 4. non-binders, or 5. a binder and a non-binder, or 6. a binder and non-binders, or 7. binders and a non-binder, or 8. binders and non-binders—these are eight alternatives.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, are they experiencers of knowledge-obscuring karma, or non-experiencers?”
“Gautama! They are not non-experiencers; [they are either] an experiencer or experiencers. Thus up to obstructive [karma].”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, are they experiencers of pleasant feeling, or experiencers of unpleasant feeling?”
“Gautama! An experiencer of pleasant feeling, or an experiencer of unpleasant feeling—[there are] eight alternatives.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, do they have the manifestation of knowledge-obscuring karma, or non-manifestation?”
“Gautama! They are not with non-manifestation; [they are either] one with manifestation or those with manifestation. Thus up to obstructive [karma].”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, are they premature activators of knowledge-obscuring karma, or non-activators?”
“Gautama! They are not non-activators; [they are either] an activator or activators. Thus up to obstructive [karma], with the exception that for feeling-producing and lifespan karma there are eight alternatives.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, do they have black leśyā, blue leśyā, grey leśyā, [or] fiery leśyā?”
“Gautama! [One has] black leśyā, or blue leśyā, or grey leśyā, or fiery leśyā; or [many have] black leśyā, or blue leśyā, or grey leśyā, or fiery leśyā; or [one has] black leśyā and [another has] blue leśyā. Thus by two-fold combinations, three-fold combinations, and four-fold combinations, there are eighty alternatives.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, do they have right view, wrong view, [or] mixed right-and-wrong view?”
“Gautama! They do not have right view, nor do they have mixed right-and-wrong view; [they are either] one with wrong view or those with wrong view.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, are they knowledgeable or ignorant?”
“Gautama! They are not knowledgeable; [they are either] an ignorant one or ignorant ones.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, are they endowed with mental activity, vocal activity, [or] bodily activity?”
“Gautama! They are not endowed with mental activity, nor with vocal activity; [they are either] one endowed with bodily activity or those endowed with bodily activity.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, do they have determinate application, or indeterminate application?”
“Gautama! [One with] determinate application, or [one with] indeterminate application—[there are] eight alternatives.”
“Of those jīvas, Venerable Sir, how many colors, how many smells, how many tastes, and how many touches are their bodies taught to possess?”
“Gautama! They are taught to possess five colors, five tastes, two smells, and eight touches. But by themselves they are taught to be devoid of color, devoid of smell, devoid of taste, and devoid of touch.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, are they inhalers, exhalers, or non-inhaler-exhalers?”
“Gautama! 1. [one] inhaler, or 2. [one] exhaler, or 3. [one] non-inhaler-exhaler, or 4. inhalers, or 5. exhalers, or 6. non-inhaler-exhalers; or [1–4] an inhaler and an exhaler; or [1–4] an inhaler and a non-inhaler-exhaler; or [1–4] an exhaler and a non-inhaler-exhaler; or [1–8] an inhaler, an exhaler, and a non-inhaler-exhaler—[these are] eight alternatives. These make twenty-six alternatives.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, are they nourishers or non-nourishers?”
“Gautama! A nourisher or a non-nourisher—[there are] eight alternatives.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, are they restrained, non-restrained, or partially restrained?”
“Gautama! They are not restrained, nor partially restrained; [they are either] a non-restrained one or non-restrained ones.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, are they with activity, or without activity?”
“Gautama! They are not without activity; [they are either] one with activity or those with activity.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, are they binders of seven kinds [of karma], or binders of eight kinds?”
“Gautama! A binder of seven kinds, or a binder of eight kinds—[there are] eight alternatives.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, are they occupied with the instinct for food, the instinct for fear, the instinct for sex, or the instinct for possession?”
“Gautama! Occupied with the instinct for food—[there are] eighty alternatives.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, are they impassioned by anger, impassioned by pride, impassioned by deceit, or impassioned by greed? [There are] eighty alternatives.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, are they experiencers of female gender, experiencers of male gender, or experiencers of neuter gender?”
“Gautama! They are not experiencers of female gender, nor experiencers of male gender; [they are either] an experiencer of neuter gender or experiencers of neuter gender.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, are they binders of female gender, binders of male gender, or binders of neuter gender?”
“Gautama! A binder of female gender, a binder of male gender, or a binder of neuter gender—[there are] twenty-six alternatives.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, are they with mind or without mind?”
“Gautama! They are not with mind; [they are either] one without mind or those without mind.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, do they have sense faculties, or are they without sense faculties?”
“Gautama! They are not without sense faculties; [they are either] one with sense faculties or those with sense faculties.”
“That lotus jīva, Venerable Sir, in terms of time, how long does it exist [as such]?”
“Gautama! At a minimum, an antarmuhūrta; at a maximum, an innumerable time.”
“That lotus jīva, Venerable Sir, [becoming] an earth jīva, and once again a lotus jīva—for how much time might it persist? For how much time might it perform transmigration back and forth?”
“Gautama! In terms of states of existence, at a minimum, two acquisitions of existence; at a maximum, innumerable acquisitions of existence. In terms of time, at a minimum, two antarmuhūrtas; at a maximum, an innumerable time. For this much time it might persist, for this much time it might perform transmigration back and forth.”
“That lotus jīva, Venerable Sir, [becoming] a water jīva, and once again a lotus jīva—for how much time might it persist? For how much time might it perform transmigration back and forth?”
“Just the same. As was stated for an earth jīva, so it is to be stated up to a wind jīva.”
“That lotus jīva, Venerable Sir, [becoming] another plant jīva, and that once again a lotus jīva—for how much time might it be reckoned? For how much time might it perform transmigration back and forth?”
“Gautama! In terms of states of existence, at a minimum, two acquisitions of existence; at a maximum, infinite acquisitions of existence. In terms of time, at a minimum, two antarmuhūrtas; at a maximum, an infinite time—the plant-time. For this much time it might persist, for this much time it might perform transmigration back and forth.”
“That lotus jīva, Venerable Sir, [becoming] a two-sensed jīva, and once again a lotus jīva—for how much time might it persist? For how much time might it perform transmigration back and forth?”
“Gautama! In terms of states of existence, at a minimum, two acquisitions of existence; at a maximum, numerable acquisitions of existence. In terms of time, at a minimum, two antarmuhūrtas; at a maximum, a numerable time. For this much time it might persist, for this much time it might perform transmigration back and forth. So also for a three-sensed jīva; so also for a four-sensed jīva.”
“That lotus jīva, Venerable Sir, [becoming] a five-sensed animal jīva, and once again a lotus jīva—the question [is the same].”
“Gautama! In terms of states of existence, at a minimum, two acquisitions of existence; at a maximum, eight acquisitions of existence. In terms of time, at a minimum, two antarmuhūrtas; at a maximum, a pūrvakoṭi-plurality. For this much time it might persist, for this much time it might perform transmigration back and forth.”
“So also together with a human, up to: for this much time it might perform transmigration back and forth.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, what nourishment do they consume?”
“Gautama! In substance, substances with infinite spatial units; in space, occupying innumerable spatial units; in time, lasting for a certain duration of time; in quality, possessing color, possessing smell, possessing taste, possessing touch. In this way, as in the Section on Nourishment [it was told of] the nourishment of plant-bodied beings, just so, up to: they consume nourishment with their entire self; with the exception that: necessarily from six directions; the rest is just the same.”
“Of those jīvas, Venerable Sir, how long a lifespan duration is taught?”
“Gautama! At a minimum, an antarmuhūrta; at a maximum, ten thousand years.”
“For those jīvas, Venerable Sir, how many culminations are taught?”
“Gautama! Three culminations are taught, namely: culmination of pain, culmination of passions, culmination of death.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, do they die having engaged in the culmination of death, or without having engaged in it?”
“Gautama! They die having engaged in it, and they also die without having engaged in it.”
“Those jīvas, Venerable Sir, having departed immediately thereafter, where do they go? Where are they born? Do they take birth among hell-beings? Do they take birth among animals? Thus as in Rebirth (Vakkantī) on the departure of plant-bodied beings, so it should be stated.”
“Now, Venerable Sir, have all breathing things, all beings, all jīvas, all souls ever been born before as a lotus root, as a lotus bulb, as a lotus stalk, as a lotus leaf, as a lotus filament, as a lotus pericarp, [or] as a lotus cluster?”
“Yes, Gautama! Not once, or rather, an infinite number of times.”
“It is so, Venerable Sir! It is so, Venerable Sir!”