Nāgavagga · The Elephant · Gāthā 330
Yathā-pi muñja-bhūtesu, tiṇa-ttharaṇa-missakaṁ; Evaṁ bhavābhavā ramā, sattāha-satthussadā sukhaṁ.
Yathā-pi muñja-bhūtesu, tiṇa-ttharaṇa-missakaṁ; evaṁ bhavābhavā ramā, sattāha-satthussadā sukhaṁ.
As in the pasture where muñja grass grows, mixed with straw and various plants, so in various existences beings take delight.
Muñja grass is valuable for making ropes and mats, but it grows mixed with other plants. Similarly, the human being is surrounded by mixed conditions: some factors favor awakening, others hinder it.
Bhavābhavā — in existence after existence. The cycle of rebirths is not a punishment, it is the result of continuing to delight in the mixed.