 The originality of this sūtra lies in introducing the notion of a burden-bearer (bhārahāra) defined as a ‘person’ (pudgala). In the text, the term ‘burden’ is interpreted as desire or craving that is the root cause of morally wrong action, which in turn is the cause of rebirth and suffering according to the Buddhist doctrine of karma. The person is introduced in the original sūtra as the bearer of moral desert.