user13375: 
Bhikkhu, ‘I am’ is a conceiving; ‘I am this’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall
be’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall not be’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be
possessed of form’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be formless’ is a
conceiving; ‘I shall be percipient’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be
non-percipient’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be
neither-percipient-nor-non-percipient’ is a conceiving. Conceiving is
a disease, conceiving is a tumour, conceiving is a dart. By overcoming
all conceivings, bhikkhu, one is called a sage at peace. And the sage
at peace is not born, does not age, does not die; he is not shaken and
does not yearn. For there is nothing present in him by which he might
be born. Not being born, how could he age? Not ageing, how could he
die? Not dying, how could he be shaken? Not being shaken, why should
he yearn?
MN 140

Also has:

Then the venerable Pukkusāti, having delighted and rejoiced in the
Blessed One’s words, rose from his seat, and after paying homage to
the Blessed One, keeping him on his right, he departed in order to
search for a bowl and robes. Then, while the venerable Pukkusāti was
searching for a bowl and robes, a stray cow killed him.
Then a number of bhikkhus went to the Blessed One, and after paying
homage to him, they sat down at one side and told him: “Venerable sir,
the clansman Pukkusāti, who was given brief instruction by the Blessed
One, has died. What is his destination? What is his future course?”
“Bhikkhus, the clansman Pukkusāti was wise. He practised in accordance
with the Dhamma and did not trouble me in the interpretation of the
Dhamma. With the destruction of the five lower fetters, the clansman
Pukkusāti has reappeared spontaneously in the Pure Abodes and will
attain final Nibbāna there without ever returning from that world.”

And we have this alternative translation of the relevant passage from Bhikkhu Sujato:

"But while he was wandering in search of a bowl and robes, a stray cow
took his life.
Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one
side, and said to him, “Sir, the gentleman named Pukkusāti, who was
advised in brief by the Buddha, has passed away. Where has he been
reborn in his next life?”
“Mendicants, Pukkusāti was astute. He practiced in line with the
teachings, and did not trouble me about the teachings. With the ending
of the five lower fetters, he’s been reborn spontaneously and will
become extinguished there, not liable to return from that world.”

What did the Buddha mean in MN 140 about what happened to clansman Pukkusāti after a cow killed him?

user8157: The highlighted translation in the question of "Tassa kā gati, ko abhisamparāyo" as "Where has he been reborn in his next life?” appears questionable or dodgy. "Gati" can simply mean "progress" and "samparāyo" simply means "future" (per Iti 44). Therefore, the question could simply be "what was Pukkusāti's path progress after being instructed by the Buddha?" (rather than "what was Pukkusāti's progress after being killed by a cow?").
In MN 68, the Buddha explains why he declares the "upapattīsu" (noun; locative case) of disciples who have deceased and passed away. While "upapattīsu" is often translated as "rebirth"; it appears it cannot mean "rebirth" because an Arahant disciple that passes away cannot have a "rebirth" (such as in Ud 1.10). Most literally, "upapattīsu" means "proceeded to state". Refer to this answer.
"Opapātikā" does not mean "reborn spontaneously". It means "spontaneously arisen". "Opapātikā" may derive from ‘upapatti’ or, otherwise,
‘upapāta’, which is said can mean ‘unusual’ or ‘unexpected occurrence’.
When the mind enters the stream and particularly when it flows non-volitionally through various jhanas, which occurs to the non-returner, then meaning of 'spontaneously arisen' may be comprehended in its reality. The common insertion into translations of "Pure Abodes" appears to refer to the 4th jhana.
The suttas appear to say the opapātikā of a non-returner occurs in the here-&-now, as follows:

Bhikkhus, living in this community there are bhikkhus who are
Non-Returners through having ended the five lower fetters, who are
spontaneously arisen, who will realize complete nibbana (parinibbāyī) there and by nature will never return from that world. Bhikkhus such as these are living in this community of bhikkhus.
MN 118
How is a person like a good horse with speed but not beauty or the
right proportions. With the destruction of five fetters, a bhikkhu
becomes one of spontaneous birth... This is his speed. But when asked
questions about Dhamma, he falters or does not answer. This is his
lack of beauty. Or he does not gain requisites (food, clothing,
shelter, medicine). This is his lack of right proportions.
AN 3.141

In addition, MN 12 says:

What is egg-born generation? There are these beings born by breaking
out of the shell of an egg; this is called egg-born generation. What
is womb-born generation? There are these beings born by breaking out
from the caul; this is called womb-born generation. What is
moisture-born generation? There are these beings born in a rotten
fish, in a rotten corpse, in rotten porridge, in a cesspit, or in a
sewer; this is called moisture-born generation. What is spontaneous
generation? There are gods and denizens of hell and certain human
beings and some beings in the lower worlds; this is called spontaneous
generation (opapātikā yoni). These are the four kinds of generation.
MN 12

Since MN 12 differentiates 'opapātikā' from womb birth and since people are born from a womb, obviously spontaneous generation as a gods, denizen of hell, certain human beings and in the lower worlds does not refer to physical birth but, instead, the birth of a psychological state.
As for the common non-returner translation (above) of "parinibbāyī" as "who will realize complete/final nibbana", this appears questionable to me. Refer to the 2nd answer to this question, below. In my opinion, 'parinibbāyī' here may simply refer to the 'complete extinguishment' of the five lower fetters, rendering the lower lower fetters incapable of ever arising again.
To add, the word "return" means to return to sensuality, as follows:

Bhikkhus, one bound by the bond of sensual desire and by the bond of being is a returner, one who comes back to this state.
One freed from the bond of sensual desire but still bound by the bond
of being is a non-returner, one who does not come back to this state
Iti 96

In conclusion, it appears possible the Buddha said nothing in MN 140 about what happened to clansman Pukkusāti after a cow killed him. Instead, it appears, in MN 140, the Buddha said non-returner happened to clansman Pukkusāti after the Buddha instructed him.

13375: <blockquote>
<p>Bhikkhu, ‘I am’ is a conceiving; ‘I am this’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall
be’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall not be’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be
possessed of form’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be formless’ is a
conceiving; ‘I shall be percipient’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be
non-percipient’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be
neither-percipient-nor-non-percipient’ is a conceiving. Conceiving is
a disease, conceiving is a tumour, conceiving is a dart. By overcoming
all conceivings, bhikkhu, one is called a sage at peace. And the sage
at peace is not born, does not age, does not die; he is not shaken and
does not yearn. For there is nothing present in him by which he might
be born. Not being born, how could he age? Not ageing, how could he
die? Not dying, how could he be shaken? Not being shaken, why should
he yearn?</p>
<p><a href="https://suttacentral.net/mn140/en/bodhi" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MN 140</a></p>
</blockquote>
<p>Also has:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Then the venerable Pukkusāti, having delighted and rejoiced in the
Blessed One’s words, rose from his seat, and after paying homage to
the Blessed One, keeping him on his right, he departed in order to
search for a bowl and robes. Then, while the venerable Pukkusāti was
searching for a bowl and robes, <strong>a stray cow killed him.</strong></p>
<p>Then a number of bhikkhus went to the Blessed One, and after paying
homage to him, they sat down at one side and told him: “Venerable sir,
the clansman Pukkusāti, who was given brief instruction by the Blessed
One, has died. <strong>What is his destination? What is his future course?</strong>”</p>
<p>“Bhikkhus, the clansman Pukkusāti was wise. He practised in accordance
with the Dhamma and did not trouble me in the interpretation of the
Dhamma. With the destruction of the five lower fetters, <strong>the clansman
Pukkusāti has reappeared spontaneously in the Pure Abodes</strong> and will
attain final Nibbāna there without ever returning from that world.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And we have this alternative translation of the relevant passage from Bhikkhu Sujato:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&quot;But while he was wandering in search of a bowl and robes, <strong>a stray cow
took his life.</strong></p>
<p>Then several mendicants went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one
side, and said to him, “Sir, the gentleman named Pukkusāti, who was
advised in brief by the Buddha, has passed away. <strong>Where has he been
reborn in his next life?”</strong></p>
<p>“Mendicants, Pukkusāti was astute. He practiced in line with the
teachings, and did not trouble me about the teachings. With the ending
of the five lower fetters, <strong>he’s been reborn spontaneously</strong> and will
become extinguished there, not liable to return from that world.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>What did the Buddha mean in MN 140 about what happened to clansman Pukkusāti <strong>after</strong> a cow killed him?</p>
 8157: <p>The highlighted translation in the question of &quot;<strong>Tassa kā gati, ko abhisamparāyo</strong>&quot; as &quot;<strong>Where has he been reborn in his next life?</strong>” appears questionable or dodgy. &quot;Gati&quot; can simply mean &quot;progress&quot; and &quot;samparāyo&quot; simply means &quot;future&quot; (per Iti 44). Therefore, the question could simply be &quot;<strong>what was Pukkusāti's path progress after being instructed by the Buddha?</strong>&quot; (rather than &quot;what was Pukkusāti's progress after being killed by a cow?&quot;).</p>
<p>In MN 68, the Buddha explains why he declares the &quot;<strong>upapattīsu</strong>&quot; (noun; locative case) of disciples who have deceased and passed away. While &quot;<strong>upapattīsu</strong>&quot; is often translated as &quot;rebirth&quot;; it appears it cannot mean &quot;rebirth&quot; because an Arahant disciple that passes away cannot have a &quot;rebirth&quot; (such as in <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/ud/ud.1.10.irel.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Ud 1.10</a>). Most literally, &quot;upapattīsu&quot; means &quot;proceeded to state&quot;. Refer to this <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/29363/8157">answer</a>.</p>
<p>&quot;<strong>Opapātikā</strong>&quot; does not mean &quot;reborn spontaneously&quot;. It means &quot;spontaneously arisen&quot;. &quot;Opapātikā&quot; may derive from ‘upapatti’ or, otherwise,
‘upapāta’, which is said can mean ‘unusual’ or ‘unexpected occurrence’.</p>
<p>When the mind enters the stream and particularly when it flows <em>non-volitionally</em> through various jhanas, which occurs to the non-returner, then meaning of 'spontaneously arisen' may be comprehended in its reality. The common insertion into translations of &quot;<strong>Pure Abodes</strong>&quot; appears to refer to the <strong>4th jhana</strong>.</p>
<p>The suttas appear to say the opapātikā of a non-returner occurs in the here-&amp;-now, as follows:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Bhikkhus, <strong>living in this community</strong> there are bhikkhus who <strong>are
Non-Returners</strong> through having ended the five lower fetters, who are
spontaneously arisen, <strong>who will realize complete nibbana</strong> (<strong>parinibbāyī</strong>) there and by nature will never return from that world. Bhikkhus such as these are living in this community of bhikkhus.</p>
<p>MN 118</p>
<p>How is a person like a good horse with speed but not beauty or the
right proportions. <strong>With the destruction of five fetters, a bhikkhu
becomes one of spontaneous birth... This is his speed</strong>. But when asked
questions about Dhamma, he falters or does not answer. This is his
lack of beauty. Or he does not gain requisites (food, clothing,
shelter, medicine). This is his lack of right proportions.</p>
<p>AN 3.141</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In addition, MN 12 says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>What is egg-born generation? There are these beings born by breaking
out of the shell of an egg; this is called egg-born generation. What
is <strong>womb-born generation</strong>? There are these beings born by breaking out
from the caul; this is called womb-born generation. What is
moisture-born generation? There are these beings born in a rotten
fish, in a rotten corpse, in rotten porridge, in a cesspit, or in a
sewer; this is called moisture-born generation. What is spontaneous
generation? There are gods and denizens of hell and certain human
beings and some beings in the lower worlds; this is called <strong>spontaneous
generation (opapātikā yoni)</strong>. These are the four kinds of generation.</p>
<p>MN 12</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Since MN 12 differentiates 'opapātikā' from womb birth and since people are born from a womb, obviously spontaneous generation as a gods, denizen of hell, certain human beings and in the lower worlds does not refer to physical birth but, instead, the birth of a psychological state.</p>
<p>As for the common non-returner translation (above) of &quot;<strong>parinibbāyī</strong>&quot; as &quot;who will realize complete/final nibbana&quot;, this appears questionable to me. Refer to the 2nd answer to this question, <a href="https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/45052/8157">below</a>. In my opinion, 'parinibbāyī' here may simply refer to the 'complete extinguishment' of the five lower fetters, rendering the lower lower fetters incapable of ever arising again.</p>
<p>To add, the word &quot;return&quot; means to return to sensuality, as follows:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Bhikkhus, one bound by the bond of sensual desire and by the bond of being is a returner, one who comes back to this state.</p>
<p>One freed from the bond of sensual desire but still bound by the bond
of being is a non-returner, one who does not come back to this state</p>
<p>Iti 96</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In conclusion, it appears possible the Buddha said nothing in MN 140 about what happened to clansman Pukkusāti after a cow killed him. Instead, it appears, in MN 140, the Buddha said non-returner happened to clansman Pukkusāti after the Buddha instructed him.</p>
