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DASAVEĀLIYA SUTTA.
[ Ch. IV
Well, Sir, what is that lesson named 'six groups of lives' which was well cognised... of Kāshyapa clan? Is it beneficial etc... religion?
Well, the following is that lesson etc... ...clan. It, is beneficial for me ('for you' rather, with the reading # ) to study religion. The lesson runs as follows: The six groups are—the group of earth bodies, that of water bodies, that of fire bodies, that of wind bodies, that of vegetable bodies and that of moving bodies possessed of sensation and emotion.
The earth is stated to be alive with innumerable lives, all existing (and suffering ) individually separate, except when it (i, e. the earth ) is made lifeless (lit. changed) by the use of weapon. Water is stated to be alive ... weapon; fire is stated to be alive ... weapon; wind is stated to be alive ... weapon; vegetables and plants are stated to be alive... weapon. The following are the divisions of the plant group :-top-seeded, root-seeded, knot-seeded, branch-seeded seed-growing, shooting out without visible seed, grass and creepers-these form the vegetable group; these are said to be alive when there is the seed present in them; they are full of individual lives all separate except when they are changed i. e, turned lifeless by the use of weapon.
Now, the following are what are termed as moving lives of various kinds :-born from eggs; born as young ones, born from the womb, born of liquids, sweat-born, born collectively in large number (without any vivid source noticed, such as locusts etc. ), burst out from the ground, born suddenly (such as gods etc ). They are such living organisms as evince advancing, retreating, contraction, extension, crying, moving, fearing, running, coming and going ; they are, for example, insects and gnats, Kunthus and ants. All these living organisms, some of which are
