On the night of his enlightenment, as he passed through a series of states of
higher consciousness, the Buddha came to recognize that beings pass from
existence to existence in accordance with the nature of their deeds (kamma). The
refrain is frequently repeated: "Thus with divine, purified, superhuman eye he sees
beings passing away and being reborn (upapajjamane). He knows that beings are
inferior, exalted, beautiful, ugly, well-faring, ill-faring, according to (the
consequences of) their kamma." Men are heirs to what they do.
>From James P. McDermott, "Karma and Rebirth in Early Buddhism" in Wendy
Doniger O'Flaherty (edit). "Karma and Rebirth in Classical Indian Traditions."
(Berkeley: University of California Press, 1980). p. 165.