Buddhacarita by Ven Asvaghosa - Ancient Buddhist Texts

The Buddha-c
Buddha-carita, or Life of Buddha - 177
33. ‘Others, ascetics, who have performed meritorious actions go to
heaven; others, having attained widely extended empire, wander about
on the earth;
34. ‘Others as Nāgas in the subterranean regions become the guardians
of treasures, – they wander in the ocean of existence, receiving the
fruits of their deeds.’
35. Having pondered all this, in the last watch he thus reflected, ‘Alas
for this whole world of living beings doomed to misery, all alike
wandering astray!
36. ‘They know not that all this universe, destitute of any real refuge,
is born and decays through that existence which is the site of the
skandhas and pain;
37. ‘It dies and passes into a new state and then is born anew.’ Then
he reflected, ‘What is that which is the necessary condition for old
age and death’
38. He saw that when there is birth, there is old age and death, then
he pondered, ‘What is that which is the necessary condition for a new
birth’’
40. He perceived that where there has been the attachment to
existence there arises a (previous) existence; then he pondered, ‘What