Bhava, 7 Definition(s)

Becoming. States of being that develop first in the mind and can then be experienced as internal worlds and/or as worlds on an external level. There are three levels of becoming: on the sensual level, the level of form, and the level of formlessness.

Bhava is the Sanskrit and Pali word for "becoming" in the sense of ongoing worldly existence, from the root bhu "to become".

N (Life). Existence. Becoming.

Existence;

Upadana leads to bhava (becoming). There are two kinds of bhava, viz., kammabhava and upapattibhava.

Bhava means nature;

'becoming', 'process of existence', consists of 3 planes:

• sensuous existence (kāma-bhava),

• fine-material existence (rūpa-bhava),

• immaterial existence (arūpa-bhava). Cf. loka.

The whole process of existence may be divided into two aspects:

(1) Karma-process (kamma-bhava), i.e. the karmically active side of existence, being the cause of rebirth and consisting in wholesome and unwholesome volitional actions. See Karma, paticca-samuppāda (IX).

(2) Karma-produced rebirth, or regenerating process (uppattibhava), i.e. the karmically passive side of existence consisting in the arising and developing of the karma-produced and therefore morally neutral mental and bodily phenomena of existence. Cf. Tab. - (App.).

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(feminine and masculine) 'nature',

refers to the sexual characteristics of the body, and belongs to the group of corporeality (s. khandha).

It is a commentarial term for the faculties of femininity and masculinity (s. indriya 7, 8). (App.).