1.
The Discourse on Volition
171.
"If, monks, there is body, because of bodily volition there arises internal pleasure and pain.
If, monks, there is speech, because of verbal volition there arises internal pleasure and pain.
If, monks, there is mind, because of mental volition there arises internal pleasure and pain, and only with ignorance as condition.
"Either oneself, monks, generates that bodily activity, because of which condition there arises for him internal pleasure and pain. Or others, monks, generate that bodily activity for him, because of which condition there arises for him internal pleasure and pain. Or fully aware, monks, one generates that bodily activity, because of which condition there arises for him internal pleasure and pain. Or not fully aware, monks, one generates that bodily activity, because of which condition there arises for him internal pleasure and pain.
"Either oneself, monks, generates that verbal activity, because of which condition there arises for him internal pleasure and pain; or others, monks, generate that verbal activity for him; because of which condition there arises for him internal pleasure and pain; or fully aware, monks, one generates that verbal activity, because of which condition there arises for him internal pleasure and pain; or not fully aware, monks, one generates that verbal activity, because of which condition there arises for him internal pleasure and pain.
"Either oneself, monks, generates that mental activity, because of which condition there arises for him internal pleasure and pain; or others, monks, generate that mental activity for him, because of which condition there arises for him internal pleasure and pain; or fully aware, monks, one generates that mental activity, because of which condition there arises for him internal pleasure and pain; or not fully aware, monks, one generates that mental activity, because of which condition there arises for him internal pleasure and pain.
"In these states, monks, ignorance is involved. But from the complete fading away and cessation of ignorance, that body does not exist because of which condition there arises for him internal pleasure and pain, that speech does not exist because of which condition there arises for him internal pleasure and pain, that mind does not exist because of which condition there arises for him internal pleasure and pain, that field does not exist, etc. that site does not exist, etc. that base does not exist, etc. that cause does not exist because of which condition there arises for him internal pleasure and pain."
"There are, monks, these four acquisitions of individual existence. Which four? There is, monks, an acquisition of individual existence in which one's own volition operates, not another's volition. There is, monks, an acquisition of individual existence in which another's volition operates, not one's own volition. There is, monks, an acquisition of individual existence in which both one's own volition operates and another's volition. There is, monks, an acquisition of individual existence in which neither one's own volition operates nor another's volition. These, monks, are the four acquisitions of individual existence."
When this was said, the Venerable Sāriputta said this to the Blessed One - "I, venerable sir, understand in detail the meaning of what the Blessed One has spoken in brief thus - 'There, venerable sir, that acquisition of individual existence in which one's own volition operates, not another's volition, because of one's own volition there is the passing away of those beings from that class of beings. There, venerable sir, that acquisition of individual existence in which another's volition operates, not one's own volition, because of another's volition there is the passing away of those beings from that class of beings. There, venerable sir, that acquisition of individual existence in which both one's own volition operates and another's volition, because of both one's own volition and another's volition there is the passing away of those beings from that class of beings. There, venerable sir, that acquisition of individual existence in which neither one's own volition operates nor another's volition, which gods should be seen by that?'" "The gods who have reached the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, Sāriputta, should be seen by that."
"What, venerable sir, is the cause, what is the condition, whereby some beings here, having passed away from that realm, are ones who return, ones who come back to this state of being? But what, venerable sir, is the cause, what is the condition, whereby some beings here, having passed away from that realm, are non-returners, ones who do not come back to this state of being?" "Here, Sāriputta, for a certain person the lower mental fetters are not abandoned; he, in this very life, having attained the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, dwells therein. He enjoys it, desires it, and finds happiness on account of it; established therein, inclined to it, dwelling in it frequently, not fallen away from it, when dying he is reborn in the company of the gods who have reached the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. He, having passed away from there, is one who returns, one who comes back to this state of being.
"Here again, Sāriputta, for a certain person the lower mental fetters have been abandoned; he, in this very life, having attained the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, dwells therein. He enjoys it, desires it, and finds happiness on account of it; established therein, inclined to it, dwelling in it frequently, not fallen away from it, when dying he is reborn in the company of the gods who have reached the plane of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. He, having passed away from there, is a non-returner, one who does not come back to this state of being.
"This, Sāriputta, is the cause, this is the condition, whereby some beings here, having passed away from that realm, are ones who return, ones who come back to this state of being. But this, Sāriputta, is the cause, this is the condition, whereby some beings here, having passed away from that realm, are non-returners, ones who do not come back to this state of being." The first.