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77. Dutiya Bhava Sutta (On Becoming – Part 2) At one time, the Venerable Ānanda approached The Blessed One, and after paying homage to The Teacher, he sat down to one side and said to The Blessed One: “Bhante, ‘becoming, becoming…’ it is said. “But, Blessed Lord, in what way is there a ‘becoming’ that could to be fully and thoroughly understood?” And The Blessed One replied by instructing: a. “Ānanda, when there is no maturation of kamma manifesting into the sensual realm, then would there be any kind of becoming or rebirth for a being into the sensual realms, that may be discerned at all?” “No, Bhante.” “Just so, Ānanda, when beings are obstructed by ignorance and fettered by craving, then their deliberate actions (kammā) serve as the very soil, where consciousness becomes the seed, and the craving, with its constant thirst for more (taṇhā), which they held in their hearts, becomes the moisture, allowing their intentions and aspirations to gestate, and thus become established and develop within one of the lower planes of existence. Thus, renewed becoming is produced for a being, in the future. b. “Now, Ānanda, when there is no maturation of kamma manifesting into the form realm, then would there be any kind of becoming or rebirth for a being into the form realms, that may be discerned at all?” “No, Bhante.” “Just so, Ānanda, when beings are obstructed by ignorance and fettered by craving, then their deliberate actions (kammā) serve as the very soil, where consciousness becomes the seed, and the craving, with its constant thirst for more (taṇhā), which they held in their hearts, becomes the moisture, allowing their intentions and aspirations to gestate, and thus become established and develop within one of the middle planes of existence. Thus, renewed becoming is produced for a being, in the future. c. “Ānanda, when there is no maturation of kamma manifesting into the formless realm, then would there be any kind of becoming or rebirth for a being into the formless realms, that may be discerned at all?” “No, Bhante.” “Just so, Ānanda, when beings are obstructed by ignorance and fettered by craving, then their deliberate actions (kammā) serve as the very soil, where consciousness becomes the seed, and the craving, with its constant thirst for more (taṇhā), which they held in their hearts, becomes the moisture, allowing their intentions and aspirations to gestate, and thus become established and develop within one of the higher planes of existence. Thus, renewed becoming is produced for a being, in the future. “This, therefore, Ānanda, is how future becoming is produced for beings.”