In fact Ven Bodhi emailed us after the interview with the actual passages. Here is what he said, with my translations of the Pali. These should be compared with the Sutta definitions, for which I include links. The Vibhanga passage may be read in its entirety here: SuttaCentral
tl;dr: The Vibhanga in its Abhidhamma section takes out “beings” (satta) and substitutes “phenomena” (dhammas), thus altering the application of dependent origination from life-to-life to any kind of arisen phenomena. However the Sutta section of the Vibhanga keeps (mostly) the old definitions.
I mentioned that the Vibhanga section that treats the paticca-samuppada formula according to the mind-moment method defines the last three factors differently. This is what the Vibhanga says about them:
Tattha katamo upādānapaccayā bhavo? Ṭhapetvā upādānaṃ, vedanākkhandho saññākkhandho saṅkhārakkhandho viññāṇakkhandho – ayaṃ vuccati ‘‘upādānapaccayā bhavo’’.
Therein what is “grasping is the condition for existence”? Leaving aside grasping, the aggregates of feeling, perception, activities, and consciousness—this is called “grasping is the condition for existence”.
http://suttacentral.net/en/sn12.2/6
Tattha katamā bhavapaccayā jāti? Yā tesaṃ tesaṃ dhammānaṃ jāti sañjāti nibbatti abhinibbatti pātubhāvo – ayaṃ vuccati ‘‘bhavapaccayā jāti’’.
Therein what is “existence is the condition for birth”? Of those various phenomena the birth, conception, appearance, arrival, manifestation—this is called “existence is the condition for birth”.
http://suttacentral.net/en/sn12.2/5
Tattha katamaṃ jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇaṃ? Atthi jarā, atthi maraṇaṃ. Tattha katamā jarā? Yā tesaṃ tesaṃ dhammānaṃ jarā jīraṇatā āyuno saṃhāni – ayaṃ vuccati ‘‘jarā’’. Tattha katamaṃ maraṇaṃ? Yo tesaṃ tesaṃ dhammānaṃ khayo vayo bhedo paribhedo aniccatā antaradhānaṃ – idaṃ vuccati ‘‘maraṇaṃ’’. Iti ayañca jarā, idañca maraṇaṃ. Idaṃ vuccati ‘‘jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇaṃ’’.
Therein what is “birth is the condition for old age and death”? There is old age, there is death. Therein what is old age? Of those various phenomena the old age, decrepitude, failing of vitality—this is called “old age”. Therein what is death? of those various phenomena the ending, passing, breaking up, disintegrating, impermanence, disappearance—this is called “death”. Such are this old age and this death. This is called “birth is the condition for old age and death”.
http://suttacentral.net/en/sn12.2/4
So you see these are different than the standard definitions, and in the Vibhanga’s treatment of PS according to the sutta method, it employs the standard definitions, though the explanation of bhava is more elaborate than in the suttas, introducing the distinction of kammabhava and upapattibhava (which I found is common to all the Abhidharma systems and is even found in Chandrakirti’s commentary on the Mula-Madhyamika-Karika chapter on PS (I think chapter 27):
- Tattha katamo upādānapaccayā bhavo? Bhavo duvidhena – atthi kammabhavo, atthi upapattibhavo. Tattha katamo kammabhavo? Puññābhisaṅkhāro, apuññābhisaṅkhāro, āneñjābhisaṅkhāro – ayaṃ vuccati ‘‘kammabhavo’’. Sabbampi bhavagāmikammaṃ kammabhavo.
Tattha katamo upapattibhavo? Kāmabhavo, rūpabhavo, arūpabhavo, saññābhavo, asaññābhavo, nevasaññānāsaññābhavo, ekavokārabhavo, catuvokārabhavo, pañcavokārabhavo – ayaṃ vuccati ‘‘upapattibhavo’’. Iti ayañca kammabhavo, ayañca upapattibhavo. Ayaṃ vuccati ‘‘upādānapaccayā bhavo’’.
Therein what is “grasping is the condition for existence”? Existence is of two aspects: there is deed-existence and there is rebirth-existence. Therein what is “deed-existence”? Good choices, bad choices, tranquil choices. This is called “deed-existence”. All deeds that lead to existence are “deed-existence”.
Therein what is “rebirth-existence”? Sensual existence, corporeal existence, incorporeal existence, percipient existence, impercipient existence, neither percipient nor impercipient existence, single-factored existnce, four-factored existence, five-factored existence—this is called “rebirth-existence”. Such are this “deed-existence” and this “rebirth-existence”. This is called “grasping is the condition for existence.”
The remaining are virtually identical to the Sutta texts, so I won’t translate them.
- Tattha katamā bhavapaccayā jāti? Yā tesaṃ tesaṃ sattānaṃ tamhi tamhi sattanikāye jāti sañjāti okkanti abhinibbatti, khandhānaṃ pātubhāvo, āyatanānaṃ paṭilābho – ayaṃ vuccati ‘‘bhavapaccayā jāti’’.
- Tattha katamaṃ jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇaṃ? Atthi jarā, atthi maraṇaṃ. Tattha katamā jarā? Yā tesaṃ tesaṃ sattānaṃ tamhi tamhi sattanikāye jarā jīraṇatā khaṇḍiccaṃ pāliccaṃ valittacatā āyuno saṃhāni indriyānaṃ paripāko – ayaṃ vuccati ‘‘jarā’’.
Tattha katamaṃ maraṇaṃ? Yā tesaṃ tesaṃ sattānaṃ tamhā tamhā sattanikāyā cuti cavanatā bhedo antaradhānaṃ maccu maraṇaṃ kālakiriyā [kālaṃkiriyā (ka.)] khandhānaṃ bhedo kaḷevarassa nikkhepo jīvitindriyassupacchedo – idaṃ vuccati ‘‘maraṇaṃ’’. Iti ayañca jarā, idañca maraṇaṃ. Idaṃ vuccati ‘‘jātipaccayā jarāmaraṇaṃ’’.