participe passé du verbe bhavati : été, devenu, produit, né ; naturel, vrai ; qui s'est produit, qui a la nature de, qui consiste en
bhūta [pp.of bhavati,Vedic etc.bhūta] grown,become; born,produced; nature as the result of becoming.‹-› The (exegetical) definition by Bdhgh of the word bhūta is interesting.He (at MA.I,31) distinguishes the foll.7 meanings of the term:(1) animate Nature as principle,or the vital aggregates (the 5 Khandhas),with ref.M.I,260; (2) ghosts (amanussā) Sn.222; (3) inanimate Nature as principle,or the Elements (the 4 dhātus) S.III,101 (mahābhūtā); (4) all that exists,physical existence in general (vijjamānaṁ) Vin.IV,25 (bhūtaṁ); (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) J.II,260; (6) all beings or specified existence,animal kingdom (sattā) D.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 Sn.35 (expld at Nd2 479 as 2 kinds,viz.tasā & thāvarā,movable & immovable; S.II.47 (K.S.II.36) mind and body as come-to-be; Dh.131 (bhūtāni),405; M.I,2 sq.(paṭhavī,āpo etc.,bhūtā,devā,Pajāpatī etc.),4; MA.I,32.The pl.nt.bhūtāni is used as pl.to meaning 2; viz.inanimate Nature,elements,usually enumd under term mahā-bhūtāni.–
2.(nt.) nature,creation,world M.I,2 (bhūte bhūtato sañjānāti recognises the beings from nature,i.e.from the fact of being nature); DhsA.312 (°pasāda-lakkhaṇa,see Expos.409).See cpds.°gāma,°pubba (?).–
3.(nt.adj.) that which is,i.e.natural,genuine,true; nt.truth; neg.abhūta falsehood,lie Sn.397; PvA.34.See cpds.°bhāva,°vacana,°vāda.–
4.a supernatural being,ghost,demon,Yakkha; pl.bhūtā guardian genii (of a city) J.IV,245.See cpds.°vijja,°vejja.–
5.(-°) pp.in predicative use (cp.on this meaning Bdhgh’s meaning No.5,above):(a) what has been or happened; viz.mātu-bhūtā having been his mother PvA.78; abhūtapubbaṁ bhūtaṁ what has never happened before happened (now) DA.I,43 (in expln of abbhuta); – (b) having become such & such,being like,acting as,being,quâsi (as it were),consisting of,e.g.andha° blind,as it were J.VI,139; aru° consisting of wounds DhA.III,109; udapāna° being a well,a well so to speak PvA.78; opāna° acting as a spring A.IV,185; hetu° as reason,being the reason PvA.58; cp.cakkhu° having become an eye of wisdom.Sometimes bhūta in this use hardly needs to be translated at all.
bhūta [pp. bhū_1] a. m. n. f. bhūtā été; devenu, qui a existé, qui s'est produit; passé; vrai, réel — ifc. qui est devenu, qui est pareil à, qui consiste en — n. être vivant, âme, créature | myth. esprit, fantôme, génie | phil. [sāṃkhya] cf. bhūtatattva | phil. [vaiśeṣika] cf. bhūtadravya | math. symb. le nombre 5 — m. myth. esprit d'un défunt, spectre; les bhūtās sont une classe d'êtres maléfiques.