Bhūtā

grown, become; born, produced; nature as the result of becoming. The (exegetical) definition by Bdhgh of the word bhūta is interesting. He (at MN-a.i.31) distinguishes the foll. 7 meanings of the term:

1. animate Nature as principle or the vital aggregates (the 5 Khandhas), with ref. MN.i.260;
2. ghosts (amanussā) Snp.222;
3. inanimate Nature as principle, or the Elements (the 4 dhātus SN.iii.101 (mahābhūtā);
4. all that exists, physical existence in general (vijjamānaṃ) Vin.iv.25 (bhūtaṃ)
5. what we should call a simple predicative use, is exemplified by a typical dogmatic example, viz. “kālaghaso bhūto,” where bhūta is given as meaning khīṇāsava (Arahant) Ja.ii.260;
6. all beings or specified existence, animal kingdom (sattā) DN.ii.157;
7. the vegetable kingdom, plants, vegetation (rukkh’ ādayo Vin.iv.34 (as bhūta-gāma)

Meanings

1. bhūtā bhūtāni; (pl.) beings, living beings, animate Nature Snp.35 (explained at Cnd.479 as 2 kinds, viz. tasā & thāvarā movable & immovable; SN.ii.47 (K.S. ii.36) mind and body as come-to-be; Dhp.131 (bhūtāni), Dhp.405; MN.i.2 sq (paṭhavī, āpo etc., bhūtā, devā, Pajāpatī etc.), MN.i.4; MN-a.i.32. The pl. nt. bhūtāni is used as pl. to meaning 2, viz. inanimate Nature, elements, usually enumerated under term mahā- bhūtāni.
2. (nt.) nature, creation world MN.i.2 (bhūte bhūtato sañjānāti recognises the beings from nature, i.e. from the fact of being nature) Dhs-a.312 (˚pasāda-lakkhaṇa, see Expos. 409). See compounds -gāma, ˚pubba (?).
3. (nt. adj.) that which is i.e. natural, genuine, true; nt. truth; neg. abhūta falsehood, lie Snp.397; Pv-a.34. See compounds ˚bhāva ˚vacana, ˚vāda.
4. a supernatural being, ghost demon, Yakkha; pl. bhūtā guardian genii (of a city Ja.iv.245. See compounds ˚vijja, ˚vejja.
5. (-˚) pp. in predicative use (cp. on this meaning Bdhgh’s meaning No. 5, above):
   1. what has been or happened; viz mātu-bhūtā having been his mother Pv-a.78; abhūtapubbaṃ bhūtaṃ what has never happened before happened (now) DN-a.i.43 (in explⁿ of abbhuta)
   2. having become such & such, being like, acting as, being quâsi (as it were), consisting of, e.g. andha˚ blind, as it were Ja.vi.139; aru˚ consisting of wounds Dhp-a.iii.109; udapāna˚ being a well, a well so to speak Pv-a.78; opāna˚ acting as a spring AN.iv.185; hetu as reason, being the reason Pv-a.58; cp. cakkhu˚ having become an eye of wisdom. Sometimes bhūta in this use hardly needs to be translated at all.

-kāya body of truth Dhp-a.i.11
■ gāma vegetation, as trees, plants, grass, etc. Under bhūtagāma Bdhgh understands the 5 bīja-jātāni (5 groups of plants springing from a germinative power: see bīja), viz mūla-bījaṃ, khandha˚, phala˚, agga˚, bīja˚. Thus in C. on Vin.iv.34 (the so-c