Viyahapannatti 7.3.346

7.3.346

se nūnaṃ bhaṃte! mūlā mūlajīvaphuḍā, kaṃdā kaṃdajīvaphuḍā, khaṃdhā khaṃdhajīvaphuḍā, tayā tayājīvaphuḍā, sālā sālajīvaphuḍā, pavālā pavālajīvaphuḍā, pattā pattajīvaphuḍā, pupphā pupphajīvaphuḍā, phalā phalajīva-phuḍā, bīyā bīyajīvaphuḍā?
haṃtā goyamā! mūlā mūlajīvaphuḍā jāva bīyā bīyajīvaphuḍā|
jai ṇaṃ bhaṃte! mūlā mūlajīvaphuḍā jāva bīyā bīyajīvaphuḍā, kamhā ṇaṃ bhaṃte! vaṇassaikāiyā āhāreṃti? kamhā pariṇāmeṃti?
goyamā! mūlā mūlajīvaphuḍā puḍhavījīvapaḍibaddhā tamhā āhāreṃti, tamhā pariṇāmeṃti| kaṃdā kaṃdajīva-phuḍā mūlajīvapaḍibaddhā, tamhā āhāreṃti, tamhā pariṇāmeṃti| evaṃ jāva bīyā bīyajīvaphuḍā phalajīvapaḍibaddhā tamhā āhāreṃti, tamhā pariṇāmeṃti|

"Is it true, Venerable Sir, that roots are pervaded by root-souls, bulbs are pervaded by bulb-souls, stems are pervaded by stem-souls, barks are pervaded by bark-souls, branches are pervaded by branch-souls, sprouts are pervaded by sprout-souls, leaves are pervaded by leaf-souls, flowers are pervaded by flower-souls, fruits are pervaded by fruit-souls, and seeds are pervaded by seed-souls?"
"Yes, Gautama, roots are pervaded by root-souls, and so on up to seeds are pervaded by seed-souls."
"If, Venerable Sir, roots are pervaded by root-souls and so on up to seeds are pervaded by seed-souls, from where, Venerable Sir, do plant-bodied beings take nourishment? From where do they transform [it]?"
"Gautama! Roots are pervaded by root-souls and are attached to earth-souls, therefore they take nourishment and therefore transform [it]. Bulbs are pervaded by bulb-souls and are attached to root-souls, therefore they take nourishment and therefore transform [it]. In this way, and so on up to seeds are pervaded by seed-souls and are attached to fruit-souls, therefore they take nourishment and therefore transform [it]."