How is a living being/lifeform defined in Buddhism? As asked in the question, what are the characteristics by which a thing is classified as 'living being' or 'non-living' ?

How is a lifeform defined in Buddhism, I mean, like how humans consider themselves as living beings due to various facts such as: their  experience in this world due to consciousness, their actions (kamma), etc.

If lifeform is defined as something that has consciousness and capable of producing kamma, what things are concious?

Is a plant a living being/conscious? Is a stone living being/conscious? Is the universe conscious? Is everything a lifeform in some way?

Is rebirth possible only as a lifeform? (I mean, by rebirth, just a transfer of consciousness/experience subject to different conditions. Please correct me if I'm wrong)

Can our next rebirth be as a stone/whatever, other than the 5 predefined possibilities (human, god, ghost, animal, hell) in Buddhism? 

I'd be glad if all the questions are addressed :)
Being can be classified as:


has 5 aggregates or at least the mental subset
has has Nama-Rupa if in the material realm or Nama in the non material realms
has at least mind in the 6 sense faculties
arisen through Dependent Origination (DO)
subjected to the the 4 Noble Truths (4NT)
out of the 6 elements at least has consciousness
has Citta and Cetasika and in the material realms rupa
nourished and sustained by the 4 nutriments


A plant also lives but is not a being as it does not meet the above. It does not have a mind (henceforth Citta and Cetasika doe not arise) or consciousness, not subjected DO or 4NT. Plants also need nutrients but not the 4 nutrients which sustain a being.

A being is born another being in one of the 31 planes of existence or becomes extinguished if you attain Nibbana. An animate being cannot become an inanimate object like a stone.

Perhaps a way to access if a something is alive is through birth, aging and death along with the above factors. Something that is born ages and dies. Plants also does the same so they are alive but not beings.