Loading translation...
The Teaching to the Venerable Nanda on Dwelling in the Womb (Āryanandagarbhāvakrāntinirdeśa, Toh 57).
See Denkarma, folio 296.a, and Herrmann-Pfandt, pp. 24–25. The other early inventory, the Phangthangma, is less informative as it neither lists these two texts as part of the Ratnakūṭa, nor distinguishes them by length; see Phangthangma, p. 48.
See Butön, folio 147.a. Chomden Rikpai Raltri’s dkar chag (q.v. folio 9.a) has the titles in the same order as the Chinese but gives them the equal length of two bam po.
In addition to the Degé, the Kangyurs in which the two texts are ordered in this way are the Choné, Lithang, and Urga Kangyurs, but in the Qianlong, Narthang, Lhasa, and Stok Palace Kangyurs, as well as in the Mongolian Kangyur, the order reflects that of the Chinese Ratnakūṭa.
Chutai hui has been translated into modern Japanese in the Kokuyaku issaikyō series (Hōshaku bu 3, pp. 203–17), as has Rutai jing (Hōshaku bu 3, pp. 218–56). Western-language translations of versions of the sūtra include Amy Paris Langenberg’s English translation of Toh 57 as part of her PhD thesis (2008), Franz Huebotter’s German translation of Baotai jing (1932), Robert Kritzer’s translation of The Teaching to the Venerable Nanda on Dwelling in the Womb for 84000 (mngal du gnas pa, Toh 57, 2024), and Kritzer’s English translation of one of the long versions of the sūtra as contained in Toh 6 (2014a). Studies devoted to the sūtra include Kritzer (2006–7, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014a, 2014b) and Langenberg (2017).
The Sanskrit word antarābhava sometimes indicates the intermediate existence, between death in one life and birth in the next, and sometimes the sentient being in the intermediate existence. In this sūtra, the word always refers to the sentient being. The word was translated into Tibetan as bar ma do’i phung po (“skandhas of the antarābhava”), or as bar ma do’i srid pa (“intermediate existence”). Since English translations such as “the being in the intermediate existence” are awkward, the Sanskrit term will be used throughout.
At this point, all other versions, Chinese and Tibetan, say something to the effect that, due to karma, the great elements are all present and enable the kalala to grow.
Tib. nang rab tu ’byed pa. The Chinese differs: “gather and receive” (she qu 攝取, Taishō 310.323a21).
Tib. mchi gu. The Chinese differs: “warm(ing) stone” (wen shi 温石, Taishō 310.323a22). Other versions of the sūtra explicitly call this stage ghana.
Tib. rkang lag ’gyur ba sgyur bar byed pas gor gor po gang yin pa de rnam par phye nas. The Chinese differs: “turns the ghana into a praśākha” (ling jia na zhuan wei ban luo she qu 令伽那轉爲般羅奢佉, Taishō 310.323a24), praśākha being a name given to the embryo at this stage of development.
Tib. bu ni ma mngal gnas pa na/ /mngal gnas de la phan ’dogs pas/ /des na lus srog rab gnas shing / /rim gyis skye dang ’phel bar byed/ /mas ni zos shing ’thungs pa dag /mngal na gnas na phan ’dogs pas/ /rim gyis skye dang (for tshad nga) ’phel bar byed/ /. The Chinese differs significantly:
(qi zi chu mutai yi jing shisan qi shen ji jue xu lei bian sheng jike xiang mu suoyou yinshi zi yi yu tai zhong you ci shenming cun jianjian er zengzhang 其子處母胎 已經十三七 身即覺虚羸 便生飢渇想 母所有飮食 滋益於胎中 由此身命存 漸漸而増長, Taishō 310.323c1–4.)
For this translation, see Kritzer 2014a (an edition and annotated translation of the version of Garbhāvakrāntisūtra in the Tibetan Mūlasarvāstivādavinaya), p. 59, n. 279.
According to the Chinese, there are three hip and groin bones, probably what is called trika (“triple”) in Sanskrit, referring to the triangular bone called “sacrum” in English. The Tibetan translator seems to have misunderstood the Chinese, which counts three bones in total, not three bones each.
According to the Chinese, there are thirteen chest bones. Other versions of the sūtra mention seven chest bones.
A calculation of the totals yields 212 bones in the Tibetan and 192 bones in the Chinese. Perhaps some of the bones mentioned above are considered to be “fine bones,” and hence not included in the total. Otherwise, it is difficult to account for the number 200 in the Tibetan. The Chinese also gives a total of 200, which is even more difficult to explain than the Tibetan.
Emended to pags pa from Degé lag pa (“hand”) on the basis of the Chinese, Toh 57, and Taishō 317.
Tib. rab tu dang bar byed. The Chinese differs: “nourishes it” (zirun 滋潤, Taishō 310.324b2).
Tib. rtswa’i. This is probably a misreading of cao 草 (“grass”), which resembles ge 革 (“leather”).
Tib. thogs pa’i rkyen. This is a translation of the Chinese ju yuan 拘縁 (“seize conditions”) which is probably a mistake for ju yuan 拘櫞 (“citron”); see Kritzer (2014a, p. 72, n. 386).
Tib. po ta ra ka. Presumably a transliteration of Sanskrit poṭaraka. The Chinese differs: “breast wrinkles,” yi zhou 臆皺; see Kritzer 2012, p. 140.
Tib. khong rde. This is not found in dictionaries. The translation is based on the Chinese, gan xiao 乾消 (Taishō 310.325c14).
Tib.: chos. Chinese: fa 法. It is not clear whether this refers to the teaching or to nirvāṇa.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
The name of a karmic wind involved in the formation of an embryo in its eleventh week.
The name of a karmic wind involved in the formation of an embryo in its second week.
A being in the interval between death in one life and birth in the next.
The embryo in the second week of gestation.
The name of a karmic wind involved in the formation of an embryo in its eighteenth week.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
The name of the twenty thousand channels on the front of the body.
The name of a karmic wind involved in the formation of an embryo in its twenty-second week.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
The name of a karmic wind involved in the formation of an embryo in its twenty-sixth week.
The name of a karmic wind involved in the formation of an embryo in its twenty-seventh week.
The name of a karmic wind involved in the formation of an embryo in its twelfth week.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
This term refers to an advanced mode of insight into the nature of reality.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
The name of a karmic wind involved in the formation of an embryo in its thirty-eighth week.
The name of a karmic wind involved in the formation of an embryo in its twelfth week.
The name of a karmic wind involved in the formation of an embryo in its twenty-ninth week.
The name of a karmic wind involved in the formation of an embryo in its sixth week.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
The name of a karmic wind involved in the formation of an embryo in its fifth week.
The embryo in the fourth week of gestation.
The four primary elements of earth, water, fire, and wind.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
The name of a karmic wind involved in the formation of an embryo in its twenty-third week.
The name of a karmic wind involved in the formation of an embryo in its twenty-fourth week.
The name of a karmic wind involved in the formation of an embryo in its twenty-fifth week.
The name of a karmic wind involved in the formation of an embryo in its fourth week.
The name of a karmic wind involved in the formation of an embryo in its thirtieth week.
One of the first Buddhist monasteries, located in a park outside Śrāvastī, the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kośala in northern India. This park was originally owned by Prince Jeta, hence the name Jetavana, meaning Jeta’s grove. The wealthy merchant Anāthapiṇḍada, wishing to offer it to the Buddha, sought to buy it from him, but the prince, not wishing to sell, said he would only do so if Anāthapiṇḍada covered the entire property with gold coins. Anāthapiṇḍada agreed, and managed to cover all of the park except the entrance, hence the name Anāthapiṇḍadasyārāmaḥ, meaning Anāthapiṇḍada’s park. The place is usually referred to in the sūtras as “Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s park,” and according to the Saṃghabhedavastu the Buddha used Prince Jeta’s name in first place because that was Prince Jeta’s own unspoken wish while Anāthapiṇḍada was offering the park. Inspired by the occasion and the Buddha’s use of his name, Prince Jeta then offered the rest of the property and had an entrance gate built. The Buddha specifically instructed those who recite the sūtras to use Prince Jeta’s name in first place to commemorate the mutual effort of both benefactors.
Anāthapiṇḍada built residences for the monks, to house them during the monsoon season, thus creating the first Buddhist monastery. It was one of the Buddha’s main residences, where he spent around nineteen rainy season retreats, and it was therefore the setting for many of the Buddha’s discourses and events. According to the travel accounts of Chinese monks, it was still in use as a Buddhist monastery in the early fifth century ᴄᴇ, but by the sixth century it had been reduced to ruins.
The embryo in the first week of gestation.
A type of worm (srin bu) that lives in and feeds on the body.
tshe dang ldan pa dga’ bo la mngal du ’jug pa bstan pa (Āyuṣmannandagarbhāvakrāntinirdeśa). Toh 58, Degé Kangyur vol. 41 (dkon brtsegs, ga), folios 237.a–248.a.
tshe dang ldan pa dga’ bo la mngal du ’jug pa bstan pa. bka’ ’gyur (dpe bsdur ma) [Comparative Edition of the Kangyur], krung go’i bod rig pa zhib ’jug ste gnas kyi bka’ bstan dpe sdur khang (The Tibetan Tripitaka Collation Bureau of the China Tibetology Research Center). 108 volumes. Beijing: krung go’i bod rig pa dpe skrun khang (China Tibetology Publishing House), 2006–9, vol. 31, pp. 737–774.
tshe dang ldan pa dga’ bo la mngal du ’jug pa bstan pa (Āyuṣmannandagarbhāvakrāntinirdeśa). Lhasa Kangyur vol. 37 (dkon brtsegs, ga), folios 399.b–448.a.
mngal du ’jug pa. In ’dul ba phran tshegs kyi gzhi (Vinayakṣudrakavastu), Toh 6, Degé Kangyur vol. 10 (’dul ba, tha), folios 124.b–153.a.
dga' bo la mngal na gnas pa bstan pa (Nandagarbhāvakrāntinirdeśa). Toh 57, Degé Kangyur vol. 41 (dkon brtsegs, ga), folios 205.b–237.a. English translation The Teaching to the Venerable Nanda on Dwelling in the Womb 2025.
rgya cher rol pa (Lalitavistara). Toh 95, Degé Kangyur vol. 46 (mdo sde, kha), folios 1.b–216.b. English translation in The Play in Full 2013.
chos kyi phung po (Dharmaskandha). Toh 245, Degé Kangyur vol. 66 (mdo sde, za), folios 27.b–33.a. English translation in The Sections of Dharma 2019.
’jig rten ’dzin gyis yongs su dris pa (Lokadharaparipṛcchā). Toh 174, Degé Kangyur vol. 60 (mdo sde, ma), folios 7.b–78.b. English translation in The Inquiry of Lokadhara 2020.
dam pa’i chos dran pa nye bar gzhag pa (Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna). Toh 287, Degé Kangyur, vols. 68 (mdo sde, ya), folios 82.a–318.a; vol. 69 (mdo sde, ra), 1.b–307.a; vol. 70 (mdo sde, la), 1.b–312.a; and vol. 71 (mdo sde, sha), 1.b–229.b. English translation in The Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma 2020.
shes phyin khri pa (Daśasāhasrikāprajñāpāramitā). Toh 11, Degé Kangyur, vol. 31 (shes phyin, ga), folios 1.b–91.a; vol. 32 (shes phyin, nga), folios 92.b–397.a. English translation in The Transcendent Perfection of Wisdom in Ten Thousand Lines 2018.
Asaṅga. rnal ’byor spyod pa’i sa (Yogācārabhūmi). Toh 4035, folios 1.b–283.a.
Butön Rinchen Drup (bu ston rin chen grub). chos ’byung (bde bar gshegs pa’i bstan pa’i gsal byed chos kyi ’byung gnas gsung rab rin po che’i gter mdzod). In gsung ’bum/ rin chen grub/ zhol par ma/ ldi lir bskyar par brgyab pa/, vol. 24 (ya), pp. 633–1055. New Delhi: International Academy of Indian Culture, 1965–71. BDRC W22106.
Chomden Rigpai Raltri (bcom ldan rig pa’i ral gri). bstan pa rgyas pa rgyan gyi nyi 'od. In gsung ’bum [Collected Works], vol. 1 (ka), pp. 96–257. Lhasa: khams sprul bsod nams don grub, 2006. BDRC W00EGS1017426.
Denkarma (pho brang stod thang ldan dkar gyi chos kyi ’gyur ro cog gi dkar chag). Toh 4364, Degé Tengyur vol. 206 (sna tshogs, jo), folios 294.b–310.a.
Phangthangma (dkar chag ’phang thang ma). Beijing: mi rigs dpe skrun khang, 2003.
Baotai jing 胞胎經. Taishō 317. (Translation of Garbhāvakrāntisūtra by Dharmarakṣa [Zhu Fahu 竺法護]).
Chutai hui 處胎會 (Full title: Fo wei Anan shuo chutai hui 佛爲阿難説處胎會). Taishō 310 (13). (Translation of Garbhāvakrāntisūtra by Bodhiruci [Putiliuzhi 菩提流志].)
Kaiyuan shijiao lu 開元釋教錄. Taishō 2154.
Rutai jing (Full title: Foshuo ru taizang hui 佛説入胎藏會). Taishō 310 [14]. (Translation of Garbhāvakrāntisūtra by Yijing 義淨.)
84000. The Application of Mindfulness of the Sacred Dharma (Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna, Toh 287). Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee. Online Publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2020.
84000. The Inquiry of Lokadhara (Lokadharaparipṛcchā, Toh 174). Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee. Online Publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2020.
84000. The Play in Full (Lalitavistara, Toh 95). Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee. Online Publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2013.
84000. The Sections of Dharma (Dharmaskandha, Toh 245). Translated by the Dharmachakra Translation Committee. Online Publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2019.
84000. The Teaching to the Venerable Nanda on Dwelling in the Womb (Āryanandagarbhāvakrāntinirdeśa, tshe dang ldan pa dga’ bo la mngal na gnas pa bstan pa, Toh 57). Translated by Robert Kritzer. Online publication, 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2025.
84000. The Transcendent Perfection of Wisdom in Ten Thousand Lines (Daśasāhasrikāprajñāpāramitā, Toh 11). Translated by the Padmakara Translation Group. Online Publication. 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, 2018.
Garrett, Frances. Religion, Medicine and the Human Embryo in Tibet. London: Routledge, 2008.
Herrmann-Pfandt, Adelheid. Die lHan kar ma: ein früher Katalog der ins Tibetische übersetzten buddhistischen Texte. Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008.
Huebotter, Franz. Die Sutra Über Empfängnis und Embryologie. Tokyo: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Natur-und Völkerkunde Ostasiens, 1932.
Kokuyaku issaikyō 國譯一切經. Hōshaku-bu 寳積部 3. (Japanese translation of Mahāratnakūṭasūtra [Taishō 310]).
Kritzer, Robert (forthcoming). “Worms in Saddharmamṛtyupasthānasūtra.” In Memorial Volume for Helmut Krasser. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Kritzer, Robert (2014a). Garbhāvakrāntisūtra: The Sūtra on Entry into the Womb. Tokyo: International Institute for Buddhist Studies, 2014.
Kritzer, Robert (2014b). “Affliction and Infestation in an Indian Buddhist Embryological Sutra.” In Scripture:Canon::Text:Context: Essays Honoring Lewis R. Lancaster, edited by R. K. Payne, 181–202. Berkeley: Institute of Buddhist Studies and BDK America, 2014.
Kritzer, Robert (2013). “Garbhāvakrāntau (‘In the Garbhāvakrānti’): Quotations from the Garbhāvakrāntisūtra in Abhidharma Literature and Asaṅga’s Yogācārabhūmi.” In The Foundation for Yoga Practitioners: The Buddhist Yogācārabhūmi and Its Adaptation in India, East Asia, and Tibet, edited by U. T. Kragh, 738–71. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University, Department of South Asian Studies, 2013.
Kritzer, Robert (2012). “Tibetan Texts of Garbhāvakrāntisūtra: Differences and Borrowings.” Annual Report of the International Institute for Advanced Buddhology at Soka University 15 (2012): 131–45.
Kritzer, Robert (2009). “Life in the Womb: Conception and Gestation in Buddhist Scripture and Classical Indian Medical Literature.” In Imagining the Fetus: The Unborn in Myth, Religion, and Culture, edited by Vanessa R. Sasson and Jane Marie Law, 73–89. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Kritzer, Robert (2006–7). “The Names of Winds in the Various Versions of the Garbhāvakrāntisūtra.” Bulletin D’Études Indiennes 24–25 (2006–7): 139–54.
Langenberg, Amy (2017). Birth in Buddhism: The Suffering Fetus and Female Freedom. Oxford: Routledge, 2017.
Langenberg, Amy (2008). “Like Worms Falling from a Foul-Smelling Sore: The Buddhist Rhetoric of Childbirth in an Early Mahāyāna Sutra.” PhD diss., Columbia University, 2008.
Ueyama Daishun 上山大峻. “Dai bankoku daitoku sanzō hōshi shamon Hōjō no kenkyū (jō)” 大蕃國大徳三蔵法師沙門法成の研究（上). Tōhō gakuhō 38 (1967): 133–98.
Chapter 13 of the one-hundred-thousand-chapter scripture Ārya Mahāratnakūṭa, “The Teaching to Nanda on Dwelling in the Womb.” [B1]
Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavān was staying in Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park. Now at that time, the venerable Nanda rose from his afternoon meditation and went to where the Buddha was seated together with five hundred monks. Having paid respect with palms joined and having worshiped at the Bhagavān’s feet, Nanda sat to one side. Then the Bhagavān spoke to the venerable Nanda and the monks: “I have a teaching that is virtuous at the beginning, virtuous in the middle, virtuous at the end, excellent in meaning, unadulterated, perfect, pure, pristine, and conducive to pure behavior, namely, the Dharma teaching called Entry into the Womb. Listen well and remember it. I will explain it and teach it to you.”
The venerable Nanda replied to the Bhagavān, saying, “I wish to hear what the Bhagavān says,” after which the Bhagavān addressed the venerable Nanda as follows:
“Nanda, when sentient beings wish to enter a womb, if the causes and conditions are complete, they will receive bodies; but if the causes and conditions are not complete, they will not receive bodies.
“What does lacking conditions mean here? It means that the mother and father both have a lustful thought; the antarābhava appears and desires the particular place of birth, but the coming together of the father and mother does not occur at the same time as that, whether early or late. Or if the parents have various physical illnesses, there will not be entry into the womb. If the mother’s womb is overwhelmed by wind, bile, phlegm, or blood; if its space is filled with flesh; if it is filled with medicine; if its center is like barley; if it is like an ant’s waist; if it is like a camel’s mouth; if it is triangular like the hitch of a cart; if it is like the axle of a cart; if it is like the opening of the hub of a cart; if it is like a leaf; if it is crookedly twisted like cane wood; if the inside of the womb seems as though barley awn has grown there; if semen and blood leak out in large amounts and do not stay there for even an instant; if they leak downward; if the path of the womb is rough; if it is wide at the top; if it is wide at the bottom; if it is crooked or not deep enough; if it bursts open and leaks; if it is high or low, or short and narrow; or if the mother has various illnesses, there will not be entry into the womb. If the parents’ lineage is noble and they have great merit, while the antarābhava has little merit; or if the antarābhava’s lineage is noble and it has great merit, while the parents have little merit; or if both the parents and the antarābhava have merit but have not accumulated the karma to come together, there will not be entry into the womb.
“This being so, when the antarābhava is about to enter the womb, at first two distorted thoughts will arise. What are the two? When the two parents come together, if the new being will be male, the antarābhava experiences desire for the mother and experiences hatred of the father. And when the father’s fluid is discharged, the antarābhava thinks, ‘This is my fluid.’ If the new being will be female, the antarābhava experiences desire for the father and experiences hatred of the mother. And when the mother’s fluid is discharged, the antarābhava thinks, ‘This is my fluid.’ But if such thoughts of desire and hatred do not arise, there will not be entry into the womb.
“Furthermore, Nanda, how will there be entry into the mother’s womb? If the parents’ thoughts of desire arise, the mother’s fertile period is in order, the antarābhava is present, the many previously mentioned problems are absent, and the karmic conditions are complete, there will be entry into the womb. There are two types of antarābhava who wish to enter the womb. What are the two? One lacking merit and one having great merit. As for the one lacking merit, an idea arises, and when the antarābhava sees the place where it is headed, it thinks in this way: ‘Now I have encountered wind and cold and darkness and rain, the noise of many people, and many powerful harm-doers.’ Terrified and panic stricken, it thinks, ‘Now I will enter a grass hut,’ or ‘I will enter a leaf hut,’ or ‘I will enter a hidden place at the bottom of a wall.’ Or it thinks, ‘I will enter a mountain or a thick forest,’ or ‘I will enter a cave.’ Having given rise to various other notions, in accordance with what it has seen, it will enter its mother’s womb.
As for the one with great merit, it too thinks in this way: ‘Now I have encountered wind and cold and darkness and rain, the noise of many people, and many powerful harm-doers.’ Terrified and panic stricken, it thinks, ‘I will ascend to the top of a multistoried mansion,’ or ‘I will ascend to the top of a high roof,’ or it thinks, ‘I will enter a celestial palace,’ or ‘I will sit on the throne.’ Having given rise to various other notions, in accordance with what it has seen, it will enter its mother’s womb.”
The Bhagavān continued, “Nanda, in this way, the antarābhava, when it first enters the womb, is called the kalala. Although a being obtains a body relying on the impurity of the father and mother and past karma, the body is not produced by that karma and the conditions of the father and mother individually; rather, it is obtained due to the power of their coming together.
“Just as curdled milk filling a pot becomes butter due to the conditions of human effort, a rope, and so forth, but the butter is not observed within those conditions, the butter only coming to be due to the power of a combination of these things, the same is true of the body of the kalala. Its body is produced in the womb due to the power of causes and conditions.
“Nanda, as an analogy, when worms arise variously relying on green grass or cow dung or jujubes or curdled milk, worms are not observed within each of these individually. Rather, the worms arise due to the power of causes and conditions. When worms arise, they become green, or yellow, or red, or white in color, according to what they respectively rely on. Similarly, when this body arises due to the impurities of the father and mother, if one searches for it within the conditions, it will not be observed; but if the power of the coming together of the conditions is not obtained, a body will not be properly obtained.
“When this body arises, its nature is not different from the four great elements of the father and mother. That is, the earth element performs the function of solidity. The water element performs the function of fluidity. The fire element performs the function of heat. The wind element performs the function of lightness and mobility. If those kalala bodies had only the earth element but did not have the water element, they would be unable to cohere, just as dry flour or ashes are unable to be grasped. If they had only the water element but did not have the earth element, they would spill out and disperse, just as oil and water have no stability, since their nature is slippery and moist. If they had only the earth and water elements but did not have the fire element, they would become rotten and putrid, just like a piece of meat that is put in the shade during the summer heat and is not struck by the sun’s rays. If they had only the earth, water, and fire elements but no wind element, they would not grow.
“As an analogy, a pastry maker or his skilled apprentice fries pastries, blows with his breath, and, doing whatever needs to be done, makes their interiors hollow. If there is no force of wind, they will not be finished. Similarly, since the four great elements are established together, depending on and holding together one another, the body of the kalala will be born due to the four great elements of the father and mother and the wind of karma. In the same way, it should be understood that the body of the kalala is not observed in the many individual conditions but is properly obtained due to the power of a combination of conditions.
“Furthermore, Nanda, as an analogy, a pure new seed is well hidden, and it is not eaten by insects. Not rotting, it is not burned or cracked, and it does not have any holes. Someone finds a good field, namely, a fertile field, and plants the seed. In one day, do a sprout, stalk, branch, leaf with its shade, flower, and fruit grow and become complete?”
“Bhagavān, that is not the case.”
The Bhagavān continued, “Nanda, the body of the kalala similarly grows gradually due to causes and conditions; the sense faculties are not complete all at once. Therefore, if one searches for this body that arises from the father and mother among these conditions, it will not be found. However, one should know that rebirth will occur due to the force of the combination of causes and conditions.
“Furthermore, Nanda, as an analogy, a clear-eyed person takes a sunstone jewel and places it in the sun. Since some dried dung is placed not far from the jewel, a fire will start. The dried dung and the rays of the sun separately cannot start a fire, but the force of causes and conditions not separated from one another starts the fire. The body that arises from the father and mother is also like this. Accordingly, the body of the kalala is called rūpa. Vedanā, saṃjñā, saṃskāra, and vijñāna are called nāma.
“The moment the five skandhas of nāma and rūpa are reborn, suffering is experienced. If I do not praise this moment, how could I even consider praising a circling among existences over a long period of time? If even a little filth stinks, how much more so a lot of filth? Therefore, who would desire and be attached to the five upādānaskandhas of the body of the kalala?
“Furthermore, Nanda, this body spends thirty-eight weeks in the mother’s womb before it emerges. In the first week, the being in the womb is called kalala. The features of its body begin to appear for the first time. Resembling uncongealed yogurt, it is cooked inside for seven days. After it is well cooked, the four great elements form gradually.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the second week, a karmic wind, all-uniting, comes into existence. This very subtle wind blows on the left and right sides of the mother’s torso and gradually causes features of the body of the kalala to appear, its form like thick curds or coagulated butter. It cooks inside the womb, and when it is well cooked, it becomes the body of the arbuda. Thus, the four great elements form gradually.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the third week, again a karmic wind, treasury opening, comes into existence. Due to the force of this wind, the arbuda gradually hardens and becomes a peśī. Its form is short and small, like a pestle for grinding medicine. It cooks inside the womb, and when it is well cooked, the four great elements in this way grow gradually.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the fourth week, again a karmic wind, internal differentiation, comes into existence. Due to the force of this wind, the peśī becomes solid, its form like a grinding stone. It cooks inside the womb, and when it is well cooked, the four great elements gradually grow.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the fifth week, again a karmic wind, collecting, comes into existence. The force of this wind, by making the hardened embryo begin to develop legs and arms, divides the ghana and gives rise to features of the two thighs, two shoulders, and head. Just as when rain falls in the rainy season of summer and produces branches and leaves on trees, in the same way, the force of karmic wind causes the features of the body to appear.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the sixth week, again a karmic wind, food, comes into existence. The force of this wind gives rise to four features. What are the four? The four types of features are the features of the two forearms and the two shanks.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the seventh week, again a karmic wind, twister, comes into existence. The force of this wind gives rise to four types of features, namely, the features of the two palms of the hands and two soles of the feet. These features are very soft, like a mass of bubbles.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the eighth week, again a karmic wind, reversing and turning, comes into existence. The force of this wind gives rise to twenty features, namely, the features of the twenty digits of the hands and feet. As for this, just as rain falling in the rainy season of summer makes the branches and leaves on the trees gradually grow and increase, in the same way, the force of karmic wind causes the features of the body to appear.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the ninth week, again a karmic wind, separating, comes into existence. The force of this wind gives rise to nine types of features. What are the nine? The features of the two eyes, the two ears, the two nostrils, the mouth, and the places of excrement and urine are the nine types of features.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the tenth week, again a karmic wind, making firm, comes into existence. The force of this wind makes the being in the womb firm and stable. Also at that time, a wind called universal door arises. By blowing on the body of the being in the womb, it causes the body to expand and fill, like a full leather bag.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the eleventh week, again a karmic wind, adamantine, comes into existence. The force of this wind, moving up and down in the being in the womb, causes holes to come forth in the body. The force of this wind makes the mother sometimes happy, sometimes unhappy. Her nature changes when she walks, stands, sits, and sleeps; she moves her legs and arms, and the holes in the being in the womb gradually grow and increase; and black blood comes out of its mouth. Filthy water also comes out of its nose. The wind turns away from the faculties and then is pacified.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twelfth week, again a karmic wind, crooked opening, comes into existence. The force of this wind produces the large and small intestines within the left and right sides of the body. They wind around eighteen times and adhere to the body in the same way that very fine lotus roots or taut strings are attached to the earth. Also at that time, a wind called fastened hair arises. Due to the force of this wind, one hundred twenty joints and one hundred one vital points are established in the body.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the thirteenth week, again a karmic wind, making hungry and thirsty, comes into existence. The force of this wind weakens the body of the fetus and causes sensations of hunger and thirst to arise. It causes the fetus to receive, through the navel and vital points of its body, all the nutritional essence of what its mother eats and drinks, and to benefit from it.”
Then the Bhagavān spoke in verse:
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the fourteenth week, again a karmic wind, thread opening, comes into existence. The force of this wind produces nine hundred ligaments and pulls together and covers the front and back and left and right sides of the body.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the fifteenth week, again a karmic wind, lotus, comes into existence. The force of this wind produces twenty channels, and when the nutritional essence from food and drink enters these channels, it benefits the body. What are the twenty? The front and back and right and left sides of the body have five channels each. These channels also have forty small branch channels each. Those channels have another one hundred branch channels each. The front of the body has twenty thousand channels called companion. The back of the body has twenty thousand channels called strength. The left side of the body has twenty thousand channels called stability. The right side of the body has twenty thousand channels called powerful. Therefore, eighty thousand large and small branch channels are produced in the body. These channels also have various colors, namely, blue, yellow, red, and white, along with the colors of butter, yogurt, and oil. Furthermore, the eighty thousand each have roots. Each root has various openings, from one or two openings up to seven openings, and each is connected to the pore of a bodily hair, just as a lotus root has many openings.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the sixteenth week, again a karmic wind, nectar, comes into existence. The force of this wind opens the nine orifices of its eyes, ears, nose, mouth, throat, and the area around the heart in its chest. It makes the breath move in and out and up and down without obstruction, and it makes whatever food and drink is eaten and drunk benefit the body, properly enter the place where it accumulates, and come out below. Just as a potter or a potter’s skilled apprentice, having carefully prepared the clay, places it atop a wheel and, turning it up and down, succeeds in rendering it into the form of a pot, this too is the same: the forces of the wind and good and bad karma gradually complete the eyes and ears and so forth.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the seventeenth week, again a karmic wind, yak face, comes into existence. The force of this wind clarifies its two eyes and causes the ear and nose faculties, and so forth, gradually to become fully mature. Just as one takes fine dirt, oil, or ashes and wipes a mirror that is covered with dust, and it becomes clear, it should be known that, in the same way, the force of this karmic wind blows on the eyes and so forth and makes them completely clear.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the eighteenth week, again a karmic wind, becoming firm, comes into existence. The force of this wind causes its faculties gradually to become fully mature, clear, and purified. Just as when the disks of the sun and moon are covered, obscured by clouds and mist, and suddenly a harsh wind arises and blows on them, scattering them in the four directions and making the orbs of the sun and moon totally clear, it should be known that, in the same way, the force of this karmic wind, by blowing on the faculties, makes them totally clear and purified.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the nineteenth week, the force of a karmic wind again makes the four faculties, namely, the eyes, ears, nose, and tongue, fully mature. At the time when the being first entered the womb, it possessed three faculties, namely, the body faculty, the life faculty, and the mind faculty. Thus, the faculties are now completed.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twentieth week, again a karmic wind, very solid, comes into existence. The force of this wind makes various bones arise in its body. It produces twenty bones in the left leg, and it produces twenty bones in the right leg. Furthermore, it produces four heel bones, two calf bones, two kneecaps, two thigh bones, three bones each of the waist and hips, eighteen bones of the spine, twenty-four ribs, thirty chest bones, twenty bones of each hand, four forearm bones, two shoulder bones, two jawbones, four bones of the head, and thirty-two tooth-root bones. To give an analogy, a sculptor or a sculptor’s skilled apprentice, having first taken some hard wood and then bound it with cord, makes shapes; and even though at that time he has not yet applied clay, nevertheless, it is called a skeleton sign. The time when the force of the karmic wind produces bones is like this. Therefore, one should know that in those seven days, leaving out the small bones, the large bones number two hundred.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twenty-first week, again a karmic wind, proper production, comes into existence. The force of this wind produces the flesh of the body of the being in the womb. One should know that, just as a plasterer or a plasterer’s apprentice, having cleansed clay, plasters walls, in the same way, the force of this karmic wind produces the flesh of its body.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twenty-second week, again a karmic wind, completely victorious, comes into existence. The force of this wind produces the blood of its body.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twenty-third week, again a karmic wind, holding cleanly, comes into existence. The force of this wind produces the skin of its body.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twenty-fourth week, again a karmic wind, holding clouds, comes into existence. The force of this wind stretches out the skin of its body and gives it color.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twenty-fifth week, again a karmic wind, holding the city, comes into existence. The force of this wind makes the flesh and blood of the body of the being in the womb increase and gradually purifies it.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twenty-sixth week, again a karmic wind, completion of birth, comes into existence. The force of this wind produces its hair, bodily hair, and nails, and connects them each individually to the channels.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twenty-seventh week, again a karmic wind, crooked medicine, comes into existence. It is said that, due to the force of this wind, the characteristics of its body gradually come into existence.
“If, in a former life, it engaged in bad and nonvirtuous actions—for example, not being charitable due to being stingy with and greedy for goods, and not listening to the teachings of spiritual masters, such as parents, teachers, and gurus—due to the force of those actions, it will obtain an undesirable body of one sort or another. If long and heavy, fleshy and white, and supple bodies are considered attractive, it will obtain a body that is short and thin, skinny and black, and hard. If short and thin, skinny and black, and hard bodies are considered attractive, it will obtain a body that is long and heavy, fleshy and white, and very supple. If bodily parts are considered attractive because they are high, low, many, few, dense, or thin, it will not obtain a body that has high, low, many, few, dense, or thin bodily parts. Moreover, it will be deaf, blind, or dumb, move by crawling on its hands and feet, have impaired faculties, or have speech that others do not wish to listen to; or it will obtain an ugly body, like a preta. Since it obtains an undesirable body of one sort or another due to its bad and nonvirtuous actions, not even its relatives and friends, to say nothing of other people, wish to see it.
“If, in a former life, it engaged in the ten virtuous actions—for example, being charitable and not being greedy or deceitful, and adopting with great conviction the teachings of spiritual masters, such as parents, teachers, and gurus—due to those causes and conditions, if it obtains a human body, it will not obtain a body that has come into existence as a result of the bad and nonvirtuous actions explained above. Instead, by obtaining a body endowed with various types of auspiciousness, and having good qualities and an attractive countenance, it will be worthy of everyone’s wish to listen to whatever it says. It should thus be understood that, due to the force of virtuous actions, the being in the womb will obtain the most excellent result.
“Nanda, the body of this sort, if it is male, squats on the right side of the mother’s womb and, covering its face with both hands, faces the mother’s spine. If it is female, it squats on the left side of the mother’s ribs and, covering its face with both hands, faces the mother’s belly. It cooks beneath the stomach and above the intestines. Boiling, it is bound in five places, as if it were in a straw bag. If its mother eats too much or eats too little, or if she eats food that is too sweet, or too harsh, or too astringent, or too oily, or too salty, or too bitter, or too sour, or too cold, or too hot, or, furthermore, if she engages in sexual activities, or moves violently, or jumps, or sleeps too long, or sits too long, the being in the womb will experience suffering. Therefore it should be understood that, at the time of living in the mother’s womb, the fetus is tormented by many types of suffering such as those. If the suffering of one who becomes human that I have briefly explained is like that, what need is there to mention the suffering of beings born in hell, which is difficult to compare to anything? What wise person would yearn for such a body in the ocean of saṃsāra?
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twenty-eighth week, eight distorted perceptions will arise. What are the eight? They are these eight perceptions: the perception of a vehicle, the perception of a penthouse, the perception of a couch, the perception of a spring, the perception of a pond, the perception of a river, the perception of a pleasure garden, and the perception of a grove. These are the eight perceptions.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twenty-ninth week, again a karmic wind, flower garland, comes into existence. The force of this wind makes the complexion of the being in the womb excellent and makes its features very clear. Because all beings have engaged in different types of action in the past, they will accordingly have various types of complexion. Some will be white, some will be black, some will be neither white nor black, some will be blue, some will be rough and dry, and some will be smooth. They will have complexion characteristics of these sorts.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the thirtieth week, again a karmic wind, iron aperture, comes into existence. The force of this wind increases the hair, bodily hair, and nails, and it clarifies white and black complexions. These features will appear due to karmic conditions.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the thirty-first week through the thirty-fifth week, the features of the body will grow, and the parts of the body will gradually become enlarged and complete.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the thirty-sixth week, it gives rise to a thought of emerging from the womb and becomes very unhappy.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the thirty-seventh week, five undistorted perceptions will arise. What are the five? They are a perception of dirtiness, the perception of a foul smell, the perception of a prison, the perception of darkness, and the perception of emerging due to great weariness. The being in the womb gives rise to these sorts of thoughts of great weariness.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the thirty-eighth week, again a karmic wind, seized conditions, comes into existence. The force of this wind makes it turn over. Furthermore, a wind called facing down arises. The being in the womb, upside down, extends its two arms and gradually wishes to emerge from the womb. If the being in the womb accumulated karma in previous lives that would result in its dying in the womb, it will be unable to turn over because its arms and legs become intertwined, and it will die in its mother’s womb on account of its sinful, nonvirtuous karma. And at that time, the mother, too, will experience great suffering or die. If, in previous lives, it engaged in virtuous actions and accumulated the causes that would result in a long life, when birth is imminent, both mother and child will be very happy and will not have such suffering that results from sinful, nonvirtuous karma. When thirty-eight weeks have passed and the being in the womb desires to emerge, it will experience various sufferings when it first emerges. Therefore, it should be understood that receiving this body is great suffering.
“When the infant first emerges from the womb—whether it is a son or a daughter, as soon as it falls to the ground, whether it is taken in the hands, or received in a cloth, or placed on a couch, or placed in a house, or placed on the ground, or placed in the open, or placed in the sun, in winter or summer—when the newborn body is touched by a cold or hot wind, it will experience great suffering. The pain experienced by the infant due to being washed with hot water when it first emerges from the womb is just like that of an ox, skinned alive, that brushes against a wall or, falling on the bare ground, is eaten by insects. Alternatively, it is like that of a man who is eaten by mosquitoes or is beaten with a whip. After being born, the infant gradually grows larger and is nourished by milk mixed with blood that comes from the mother’s body. I have previously taught this at length in other sūtras. Thus, since this body is filthy and is formed from much suffering, what wise person would desire this sort of body in saṃsāra?
“Furthermore, Nanda, a week after the infant emerges from the womb, eighty thousand types of worm arise in the body and feed on it. There are two types of worm called hair eater that live in and feed on the hair. Two types of worm live in and feed on the eyes. There are four types of worm, saddle horse, having a palate, provoking illness, and completion, that live in and feed on the brains. There is a type of worm, black rice leaf, that lives in and feeds on the ears. There is a type of worm, treasury door, that lives in and feeds on the nose. There are two types of worm, throwing and throwing everywhere, that live in and feed on the lips. There is a type of worm, needle lips, that lives in and feeds on the tongue. There is a type of worm, sharp mouth, that lives in and feeds on the root of the tongue. There is a type of worm, perfect hand, that lives in and feeds on the palate. There are two types of worm, webbed hand and half bent, that live in and feed on the palms of the hands. There are two types of worm, upper arm and lower arm, that live in and feed on the arms. There are two types of worm, having iron and having near-iron, that live in and feed on the throat. There are two types of worm, thunderbolt and great thunderbolt, that live in and feed on the heart. There are two types of worm, weak and weak mouth, that live in and feed on the flesh. There are two types of worm, colorful and renowned, that live in and drink the blood. There are two types of worm, hero and fragrance face, that live in and feed on the ligaments. There are two types of worm, low and face down, that live in and feed on the spine. There is a type of worm, color of fat, that lives in and feeds on the fat. There is a type of worm, color of bile, that lives in and feeds on the bile. There is a type of worm, pearl, that lives in and feeds on the liver. There is a type of worm, reed, that lives in and feeds on the spleen. There are five hundred types of worm that live in and feed on the left side: one hundred types called moon; one hundred types called moon face; one hundred types called moonlight; one hundred types called moonlight face; and one hundred types called vast. Furthermore, there are another five hundred types of worm, with names agreeing with those above, that live in and feed on the right side. There are four types of worm, slightly piercing, greatly piercing, bone piercing, and bone face, that live in and feed on the bones. There are four types of worm, greatly white, slightly white, smell power, and tiger path, that live in and feed on the tendons. There are four types of worm, determined mind, lion power, rabbit belly, and clinging to desire, that live in and feed on the stomach. There are two types of worm, hero and lord of heroes, that live in and feed on the intestines. There are four types of worm, mouth, net mouth, mass mouth, and sparrow mouth, that live in and feed on the urethra. There are four types of worm, action, big action, dust, and small bundle, that live in and feed on the rectum. There are two types of worm, black face and scary face, that live in and feed on the thighs. There are two types of worm, leprous and slightly leprous, that live in and feed on the knees. There is a type of worm, root of madness, that lives in and feeds on the lower legs. There is a type of worm, black head, that lives in and feeds on the feet.
“Nanda, I have now instructed you briefly about the eighty thousand types of worm that inhabit this body, feeding on it day and night and making it physically weak and badly complexioned, along with the various types of suffering from illnesses, which gather in this body and also torment, strongly torment, and completely torment a person’s mind—so that even if there were a skillful doctor, he would be confused, not knowing how to treat these illnesses with any medicine. What wise person would desire this sort of body in the ocean of saṃsāra?
“Furthermore, Nanda, from the time it is born until it is fully grown, this body is sustained by clothing and food, and it becomes fully developed. Its lifespan can be one hundred years, or it can be shorter than that. Those one hundred years will add up to three hundred seasons, namely, spring, summer, and winter. Spring is the hot season. Summer is the rainy season. Winter is the cold season. The three seasons have four months each, so there are twelve months in one year, and twelve hundred months in one hundred years; and if we differentiate the white face of the waxing moon and the dark face of the waning moon, there are twenty-four hundred fortnights. Therefore, there are thirty-six thousand days.
“In one day, a person eats twice; so, as for food, he will eat seventy-two thousand times, and occasional missed meals are included in that number. As for those missed meals, they are missed due to causes and conditions including illness, drunkenness, intentional fasting, sleeping, playing around, being engaged in other matters, and drinking mother’s milk. Since this sort of body, even if it can live for a hundred years, will finally be destroyed, what wise person would desire this sort of body in this ocean of saṃsāra?
“Furthermore, Nanda, there are two types of suffering with regard to taking this body. What are the two? The many illnesses that are contained in the body are called internal suffering. Harm caused by humans and nonhumans is called external suffering.
“With respect to this, which conditions are called the many illnesses that are contained in the body? Namely, maladies of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, throat, teeth, chest, belly, arms, and legs, as well as wind illness, mucous illness, insanity, consumption, shortness of breath, lung disease, roughness of the urethra, itching, leprosy, swellings, thorbu, abscesses, pustules, and elephantiasis, and various other types of illness are contained in the body.
“Furthermore, the above diseases can be divided into 101 bile diseases, 101 wind diseases, 101 phlegm diseases, and 101 diseases that arise from a combination of wind, bile, and phlegm. Thus, the 404 diseases that afflict the body are called internal suffering.
“Furthermore, external suffering damages the body. Namely, the body is afflicted by various types of suffering, for example, being thrown into a narrow prison, being beaten with whips, being fettered, and being bound; having an ear cut off or the nose cut off, having an arm or a leg severed, or being beheaded; or, unprotected by the gods, being harmed by hateful, inhuman demonic beings, or yakṣas, or rākṣasas; or being devoured by vicious insects such as bees, mosquitoes, and biting flies; or encountering cold, heat, hunger, thirst, wind, or rain. If the suffering of humans is like this, how much more so must be the suffering of lower beings? It is very difficult to express.
“Therefore, it should be known that all these sorts of karmic retribution are experienced due to the force of having engaged in sinful, nonvirtuous actions in a previous life. If someone—for the sake of protection from harm by weapons—builds a citadel, surrounds it with a moat, and tries to protect this body, nevertheless, wind, rain, bees, mosquitoes, biting flies, and so forth will come to his house and harm him, and the 404 diseases will cause internal and external afflictions. If one seeks life’s necessities—such as food, drink, bedding, medicines for illness, fields, pleasure gardens, houses, the seven great precious things such as gold and silver, male slaves, female slaves, and carriages and horses—and if these do not suit one’s fancy, they cause suffering. And if one obtains wealth and possessions, one is thrifty due to stinginess and always protects them; and if one loses them by wasting them, great suffering is produced.
“Nanda, in brief, as for this body consisting of the five upādānaskandhas, there are no activities of moving, standing, sitting, or lying down that are not suffering. If one walks for a long time without even a moment’s rest, suffering will arise. Standing, sitting, and lying down, if done for a long time, will all be suffering. If, after walking for a long time, there is a moment’s rest, even though a notion of pleasure is produced, this is not really pleasure. If, after standing for a long time, one sits for a moment, or if, after sitting for a long time, one lies down for a moment, a false notion of pleasure is produced; however, since this is not really pleasure, this body consisting of the five upādānaskandhas should therefore be known to be wholly suffering.
“People who—for their own sake, for the sake of another, or for the sake of both self and other—become weary with such suffering and leave home to go forth into homelessness, if they train correctly, will not fall short of the reality of the liberation of nirvāṇa. And people who serve them by giving clothes, bedding, medicines for illness, and requisites for living will also obtain, as karmic ripening, great power and renown.”
The Bhagavān said, “Nanda, what do you think of this? Is rūpa permanent? Or is it impermanent?”
The venerable Nanda replied to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, rūpa is impermanent.”
The Bhagavān said, “If it is impermanent, is it suffering? Or is it not suffering?”
Nanda replied, “Rūpa is suffering.”
The Bhagavān said, “If what is impermanent and suffering is subject to destruction, and if very learned noble śrāvakas hear this sort of teaching, would they, understanding that the body consists of these sorts of rūpa, hold on to the notions of I and mine?”
“Bhagavān, indeed not. In rūpa, there is no such thing as I; there is no such thing as mine.”
“Furthermore, Nanda, what do you think of this? Are vedanā, saṃjñā, saṃskāra, and vijñāna permanent? Or are they impermanent?”
The venerable Nanda replied to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, they are all impermanent.”
The Bhagavān said, “If they are impermanent, are they suffering? Or are they not suffering?”
The venerable Nanda replied, “Those four skandhas of this sort are called suffering.”
The Bhagavān said, “If what is impermanent and suffering is subject to destruction, and if very learned noble śrāvakas hear this sort of teaching, would they hold on to the notion that these four skandhas in this body are I and mine?”
“Bhagavān, indeed not. In the four skandhas, there is no such thing as I; there is no such thing as mine.”
“Furthermore, Nanda, since that sort of I does not exist in the past, present, or future, or internally or externally, and is not coarse or fine, or good or bad, or close or far, none of those things is I or mine. Therefore, Nanda, in this way, too, analyzing with correct knowledge, one should know that things lack a self. Any very learned noble śrāvaka, having analyzed in this way, when he generates weariness, will be liberated and will obtain final, complete nirvāṇa. When he has thus trained correctly and actualized this Dharma, he will have exhausted everything pertaining to birth; and having practiced the celibate life and having done what was to be done, he will not take up a subsequent birth.”
After the Bhagavān spoke this Dharma discourse, Nanda, freed from dust and defilement, obtained the pure Dharma eye. The five hundred monks, detached from phenomena, their defilements extinguished, had their minds liberated. After the Bhagavān spoke, the many in attendance praised what the Bhagavān had said.
This concludes The Teaching to Venerable Nanda on Entry into the Womb, the fourteenth of the one hundred thousand sections of the Dharma discourse known as The Noble Great Heap of Jewels.
I. Introduction
II. Conception
III. The composition of the embryo
A. The composition of the embryo: neither the same as nor different from the semen and blood
C. Simile of grass, cow dung, jujubes, and curdled milk and worms
D. The functions of the great elements in the embryo and the undesirable consequences of their absence
E. Simile of a sweet heated and blown into a shape like a lotus root
IV. Gestation
V. The newborn being
VI. The course of life and its sufferings
VIII. Conclusion
Chapter 13 of the one-hundred-thousand-chapter scripture Ārya Mahāratnakūṭa, “The Teaching to Nanda on Dwelling in the Womb.” [B1]
Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavān was staying in Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park. Now at that time, the venerable Nanda rose from his afternoon meditation and went to where the Buddha was seated together with five hundred monks. Having paid respect with palms joined and having worshiped at the Bhagavān’s feet, Nanda sat to one side. Then the Bhagavān spoke to the venerable Nanda and the monks: “I have a teaching that is virtuous at the beginning, virtuous in the middle, virtuous at the end, excellent in meaning, unadulterated, perfect, pure, pristine, and conducive to pure behavior, namely, the Dharma teaching called Entry into the Womb. Listen well and remember it. I will explain it and teach it to you.”
The venerable Nanda replied to the Bhagavān, saying, “I wish to hear what the Bhagavān says,” after which the Bhagavān addressed the venerable Nanda as follows:
“Nanda, when sentient beings wish to enter a womb, if the causes and conditions are complete, they will receive bodies; but if the causes and conditions are not complete, they will not receive bodies.
“What does lacking conditions mean here? It means that the mother and father both have a lustful thought; the antarābhava appears and desires the particular place of birth, but the coming together of the father and mother does not occur at the same time as that, whether early or late. Or if the parents have various physical illnesses, there will not be entry into the womb. If the mother’s womb is overwhelmed by wind, bile, phlegm, or blood; if its space is filled with flesh; if it is filled with medicine; if its center is like barley; if it is like an ant’s waist; if it is like a camel’s mouth; if it is triangular like the hitch of a cart; if it is like the axle of a cart; if it is like the opening of the hub of a cart; if it is like a leaf; if it is crookedly twisted like cane wood; if the inside of the womb seems as though barley awn has grown there; if semen and blood leak out in large amounts and do not stay there for even an instant; if they leak downward; if the path of the womb is rough; if it is wide at the top; if it is wide at the bottom; if it is crooked or not deep enough; if it bursts open and leaks; if it is high or low, or short and narrow; or if the mother has various illnesses, there will not be entry into the womb. If the parents’ lineage is noble and they have great merit, while the antarābhava has little merit; or if the antarābhava’s lineage is noble and it has great merit, while the parents have little merit; or if both the parents and the antarābhava have merit but have not accumulated the karma to come together, there will not be entry into the womb.
“This being so, when the antarābhava is about to enter the womb, at first two distorted thoughts will arise. What are the two? When the two parents come together, if the new being will be male, the antarābhava experiences desire for the mother and experiences hatred of the father. And when the father’s fluid is discharged, the antarābhava thinks, ‘This is my fluid.’ If the new being will be female, the antarābhava experiences desire for the father and experiences hatred of the mother. And when the mother’s fluid is discharged, the antarābhava thinks, ‘This is my fluid.’ But if such thoughts of desire and hatred do not arise, there will not be entry into the womb.
“Furthermore, Nanda, how will there be entry into the mother’s womb? If the parents’ thoughts of desire arise, the mother’s fertile period is in order, the antarābhava is present, the many previously mentioned problems are absent, and the karmic conditions are complete, there will be entry into the womb. There are two types of antarābhava who wish to enter the womb. What are the two? One lacking merit and one having great merit. As for the one lacking merit, an idea arises, and when the antarābhava sees the place where it is headed, it thinks in this way: ‘Now I have encountered wind and cold and darkness and rain, the noise of many people, and many powerful harm-doers.’ Terrified and panic stricken, it thinks, ‘Now I will enter a grass hut,’ or ‘I will enter a leaf hut,’ or ‘I will enter a hidden place at the bottom of a wall.’ Or it thinks, ‘I will enter a mountain or a thick forest,’ or ‘I will enter a cave.’ Having given rise to various other notions, in accordance with what it has seen, it will enter its mother’s womb.
As for the one with great merit, it too thinks in this way: ‘Now I have encountered wind and cold and darkness and rain, the noise of many people, and many powerful harm-doers.’ Terrified and panic stricken, it thinks, ‘I will ascend to the top of a multistoried mansion,’ or ‘I will ascend to the top of a high roof,’ or it thinks, ‘I will enter a celestial palace,’ or ‘I will sit on the throne.’ Having given rise to various other notions, in accordance with what it has seen, it will enter its mother’s womb.”
The Bhagavān continued, “Nanda, in this way, the antarābhava, when it first enters the womb, is called the kalala. Although a being obtains a body relying on the impurity of the father and mother and past karma, the body is not produced by that karma and the conditions of the father and mother individually; rather, it is obtained due to the power of their coming together.
“Just as curdled milk filling a pot becomes butter due to the conditions of human effort, a rope, and so forth, but the butter is not observed within those conditions, the butter only coming to be due to the power of a combination of these things, the same is true of the body of the kalala. Its body is produced in the womb due to the power of causes and conditions.
“Nanda, as an analogy, when worms arise variously relying on green grass or cow dung or jujubes or curdled milk, worms are not observed within each of these individually. Rather, the worms arise due to the power of causes and conditions. When worms arise, they become green, or yellow, or red, or white in color, according to what they respectively rely on. Similarly, when this body arises due to the impurities of the father and mother, if one searches for it within the conditions, it will not be observed; but if the power of the coming together of the conditions is not obtained, a body will not be properly obtained.
“When this body arises, its nature is not different from the four great elements of the father and mother. That is, the earth element performs the function of solidity. The water element performs the function of fluidity. The fire element performs the function of heat. The wind element performs the function of lightness and mobility. If those kalala bodies had only the earth element but did not have the water element, they would be unable to cohere, just as dry flour or ashes are unable to be grasped. If they had only the water element but did not have the earth element, they would spill out and disperse, just as oil and water have no stability, since their nature is slippery and moist. If they had only the earth and water elements but did not have the fire element, they would become rotten and putrid, just like a piece of meat that is put in the shade during the summer heat and is not struck by the sun’s rays. If they had only the earth, water, and fire elements but no wind element, they would not grow.
“As an analogy, a pastry maker or his skilled apprentice fries pastries, blows with his breath, and, doing whatever needs to be done, makes their interiors hollow. If there is no force of wind, they will not be finished. Similarly, since the four great elements are established together, depending on and holding together one another, the body of the kalala will be born due to the four great elements of the father and mother and the wind of karma. In the same way, it should be understood that the body of the kalala is not observed in the many individual conditions but is properly obtained due to the power of a combination of conditions.
“Furthermore, Nanda, as an analogy, a pure new seed is well hidden, and it is not eaten by insects. Not rotting, it is not burned or cracked, and it does not have any holes. Someone finds a good field, namely, a fertile field, and plants the seed. In one day, do a sprout, stalk, branch, leaf with its shade, flower, and fruit grow and become complete?”
“Bhagavān, that is not the case.”
The Bhagavān continued, “Nanda, the body of the kalala similarly grows gradually due to causes and conditions; the sense faculties are not complete all at once. Therefore, if one searches for this body that arises from the father and mother among these conditions, it will not be found. However, one should know that rebirth will occur due to the force of the combination of causes and conditions.
“Furthermore, Nanda, as an analogy, a clear-eyed person takes a sunstone jewel and places it in the sun. Since some dried dung is placed not far from the jewel, a fire will start. The dried dung and the rays of the sun separately cannot start a fire, but the force of causes and conditions not separated from one another starts the fire. The body that arises from the father and mother is also like this. Accordingly, the body of the kalala is called rūpa. Vedanā, saṃjñā, saṃskāra, and vijñāna are called nāma.
“The moment the five skandhas of nāma and rūpa are reborn, suffering is experienced. If I do not praise this moment, how could I even consider praising a circling among existences over a long period of time? If even a little filth stinks, how much more so a lot of filth? Therefore, who would desire and be attached to the five upādānaskandhas of the body of the kalala?
“Furthermore, Nanda, this body spends thirty-eight weeks in the mother’s womb before it emerges. In the first week, the being in the womb is called kalala. The features of its body begin to appear for the first time. Resembling uncongealed yogurt, it is cooked inside for seven days. After it is well cooked, the four great elements form gradually.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the second week, a karmic wind, all-uniting, comes into existence. This very subtle wind blows on the left and right sides of the mother’s torso and gradually causes features of the body of the kalala to appear, its form like thick curds or coagulated butter. It cooks inside the womb, and when it is well cooked, it becomes the body of the arbuda. Thus, the four great elements form gradually.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the third week, again a karmic wind, treasury opening, comes into existence. Due to the force of this wind, the arbuda gradually hardens and becomes a peśī. Its form is short and small, like a pestle for grinding medicine. It cooks inside the womb, and when it is well cooked, the four great elements in this way grow gradually.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the fourth week, again a karmic wind, internal differentiation, comes into existence. Due to the force of this wind, the peśī becomes solid, its form like a grinding stone. It cooks inside the womb, and when it is well cooked, the four great elements gradually grow.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the fifth week, again a karmic wind, collecting, comes into existence. The force of this wind, by making the hardened embryo begin to develop legs and arms, divides the ghana and gives rise to features of the two thighs, two shoulders, and head. Just as when rain falls in the rainy season of summer and produces branches and leaves on trees, in the same way, the force of karmic wind causes the features of the body to appear.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the sixth week, again a karmic wind, food, comes into existence. The force of this wind gives rise to four features. What are the four? The four types of features are the features of the two forearms and the two shanks.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the seventh week, again a karmic wind, twister, comes into existence. The force of this wind gives rise to four types of features, namely, the features of the two palms of the hands and two soles of the feet. These features are very soft, like a mass of bubbles.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the eighth week, again a karmic wind, reversing and turning, comes into existence. The force of this wind gives rise to twenty features, namely, the features of the twenty digits of the hands and feet. As for this, just as rain falling in the rainy season of summer makes the branches and leaves on the trees gradually grow and increase, in the same way, the force of karmic wind causes the features of the body to appear.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the ninth week, again a karmic wind, separating, comes into existence. The force of this wind gives rise to nine types of features. What are the nine? The features of the two eyes, the two ears, the two nostrils, the mouth, and the places of excrement and urine are the nine types of features.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the tenth week, again a karmic wind, making firm, comes into existence. The force of this wind makes the being in the womb firm and stable. Also at that time, a wind called universal door arises. By blowing on the body of the being in the womb, it causes the body to expand and fill, like a full leather bag.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the eleventh week, again a karmic wind, adamantine, comes into existence. The force of this wind, moving up and down in the being in the womb, causes holes to come forth in the body. The force of this wind makes the mother sometimes happy, sometimes unhappy. Her nature changes when she walks, stands, sits, and sleeps; she moves her legs and arms, and the holes in the being in the womb gradually grow and increase; and black blood comes out of its mouth. Filthy water also comes out of its nose. The wind turns away from the faculties and then is pacified.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twelfth week, again a karmic wind, crooked opening, comes into existence. The force of this wind produces the large and small intestines within the left and right sides of the body. They wind around eighteen times and adhere to the body in the same way that very fine lotus roots or taut strings are attached to the earth. Also at that time, a wind called fastened hair arises. Due to the force of this wind, one hundred twenty joints and one hundred one vital points are established in the body.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the thirteenth week, again a karmic wind, making hungry and thirsty, comes into existence. The force of this wind weakens the body of the fetus and causes sensations of hunger and thirst to arise. It causes the fetus to receive, through the navel and vital points of its body, all the nutritional essence of what its mother eats and drinks, and to benefit from it.”
Then the Bhagavān spoke in verse:
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the fourteenth week, again a karmic wind, thread opening, comes into existence. The force of this wind produces nine hundred ligaments and pulls together and covers the front and back and left and right sides of the body.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the fifteenth week, again a karmic wind, lotus, comes into existence. The force of this wind produces twenty channels, and when the nutritional essence from food and drink enters these channels, it benefits the body. What are the twenty? The front and back and right and left sides of the body have five channels each. These channels also have forty small branch channels each. Those channels have another one hundred branch channels each. The front of the body has twenty thousand channels called companion. The back of the body has twenty thousand channels called strength. The left side of the body has twenty thousand channels called stability. The right side of the body has twenty thousand channels called powerful. Therefore, eighty thousand large and small branch channels are produced in the body. These channels also have various colors, namely, blue, yellow, red, and white, along with the colors of butter, yogurt, and oil. Furthermore, the eighty thousand each have roots. Each root has various openings, from one or two openings up to seven openings, and each is connected to the pore of a bodily hair, just as a lotus root has many openings.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the sixteenth week, again a karmic wind, nectar, comes into existence. The force of this wind opens the nine orifices of its eyes, ears, nose, mouth, throat, and the area around the heart in its chest. It makes the breath move in and out and up and down without obstruction, and it makes whatever food and drink is eaten and drunk benefit the body, properly enter the place where it accumulates, and come out below. Just as a potter or a potter’s skilled apprentice, having carefully prepared the clay, places it atop a wheel and, turning it up and down, succeeds in rendering it into the form of a pot, this too is the same: the forces of the wind and good and bad karma gradually complete the eyes and ears and so forth.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the seventeenth week, again a karmic wind, yak face, comes into existence. The force of this wind clarifies its two eyes and causes the ear and nose faculties, and so forth, gradually to become fully mature. Just as one takes fine dirt, oil, or ashes and wipes a mirror that is covered with dust, and it becomes clear, it should be known that, in the same way, the force of this karmic wind blows on the eyes and so forth and makes them completely clear.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the eighteenth week, again a karmic wind, becoming firm, comes into existence. The force of this wind causes its faculties gradually to become fully mature, clear, and purified. Just as when the disks of the sun and moon are covered, obscured by clouds and mist, and suddenly a harsh wind arises and blows on them, scattering them in the four directions and making the orbs of the sun and moon totally clear, it should be known that, in the same way, the force of this karmic wind, by blowing on the faculties, makes them totally clear and purified.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the nineteenth week, the force of a karmic wind again makes the four faculties, namely, the eyes, ears, nose, and tongue, fully mature. At the time when the being first entered the womb, it possessed three faculties, namely, the body faculty, the life faculty, and the mind faculty. Thus, the faculties are now completed.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twentieth week, again a karmic wind, very solid, comes into existence. The force of this wind makes various bones arise in its body. It produces twenty bones in the left leg, and it produces twenty bones in the right leg. Furthermore, it produces four heel bones, two calf bones, two kneecaps, two thigh bones, three bones each of the waist and hips, eighteen bones of the spine, twenty-four ribs, thirty chest bones, twenty bones of each hand, four forearm bones, two shoulder bones, two jawbones, four bones of the head, and thirty-two tooth-root bones. To give an analogy, a sculptor or a sculptor’s skilled apprentice, having first taken some hard wood and then bound it with cord, makes shapes; and even though at that time he has not yet applied clay, nevertheless, it is called a skeleton sign. The time when the force of the karmic wind produces bones is like this. Therefore, one should know that in those seven days, leaving out the small bones, the large bones number two hundred.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twenty-first week, again a karmic wind, proper production, comes into existence. The force of this wind produces the flesh of the body of the being in the womb. One should know that, just as a plasterer or a plasterer’s apprentice, having cleansed clay, plasters walls, in the same way, the force of this karmic wind produces the flesh of its body.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twenty-second week, again a karmic wind, completely victorious, comes into existence. The force of this wind produces the blood of its body.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twenty-third week, again a karmic wind, holding cleanly, comes into existence. The force of this wind produces the skin of its body.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twenty-fourth week, again a karmic wind, holding clouds, comes into existence. The force of this wind stretches out the skin of its body and gives it color.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twenty-fifth week, again a karmic wind, holding the city, comes into existence. The force of this wind makes the flesh and blood of the body of the being in the womb increase and gradually purifies it.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twenty-sixth week, again a karmic wind, completion of birth, comes into existence. The force of this wind produces its hair, bodily hair, and nails, and connects them each individually to the channels.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twenty-seventh week, again a karmic wind, crooked medicine, comes into existence. It is said that, due to the force of this wind, the characteristics of its body gradually come into existence.
“If, in a former life, it engaged in bad and nonvirtuous actions—for example, not being charitable due to being stingy with and greedy for goods, and not listening to the teachings of spiritual masters, such as parents, teachers, and gurus—due to the force of those actions, it will obtain an undesirable body of one sort or another. If long and heavy, fleshy and white, and supple bodies are considered attractive, it will obtain a body that is short and thin, skinny and black, and hard. If short and thin, skinny and black, and hard bodies are considered attractive, it will obtain a body that is long and heavy, fleshy and white, and very supple. If bodily parts are considered attractive because they are high, low, many, few, dense, or thin, it will not obtain a body that has high, low, many, few, dense, or thin bodily parts. Moreover, it will be deaf, blind, or dumb, move by crawling on its hands and feet, have impaired faculties, or have speech that others do not wish to listen to; or it will obtain an ugly body, like a preta. Since it obtains an undesirable body of one sort or another due to its bad and nonvirtuous actions, not even its relatives and friends, to say nothing of other people, wish to see it.
“If, in a former life, it engaged in the ten virtuous actions—for example, being charitable and not being greedy or deceitful, and adopting with great conviction the teachings of spiritual masters, such as parents, teachers, and gurus—due to those causes and conditions, if it obtains a human body, it will not obtain a body that has come into existence as a result of the bad and nonvirtuous actions explained above. Instead, by obtaining a body endowed with various types of auspiciousness, and having good qualities and an attractive countenance, it will be worthy of everyone’s wish to listen to whatever it says. It should thus be understood that, due to the force of virtuous actions, the being in the womb will obtain the most excellent result.
“Nanda, the body of this sort, if it is male, squats on the right side of the mother’s womb and, covering its face with both hands, faces the mother’s spine. If it is female, it squats on the left side of the mother’s ribs and, covering its face with both hands, faces the mother’s belly. It cooks beneath the stomach and above the intestines. Boiling, it is bound in five places, as if it were in a straw bag. If its mother eats too much or eats too little, or if she eats food that is too sweet, or too harsh, or too astringent, or too oily, or too salty, or too bitter, or too sour, or too cold, or too hot, or, furthermore, if she engages in sexual activities, or moves violently, or jumps, or sleeps too long, or sits too long, the being in the womb will experience suffering. Therefore it should be understood that, at the time of living in the mother’s womb, the fetus is tormented by many types of suffering such as those. If the suffering of one who becomes human that I have briefly explained is like that, what need is there to mention the suffering of beings born in hell, which is difficult to compare to anything? What wise person would yearn for such a body in the ocean of saṃsāra?
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twenty-eighth week, eight distorted perceptions will arise. What are the eight? They are these eight perceptions: the perception of a vehicle, the perception of a penthouse, the perception of a couch, the perception of a spring, the perception of a pond, the perception of a river, the perception of a pleasure garden, and the perception of a grove. These are the eight perceptions.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the twenty-ninth week, again a karmic wind, flower garland, comes into existence. The force of this wind makes the complexion of the being in the womb excellent and makes its features very clear. Because all beings have engaged in different types of action in the past, they will accordingly have various types of complexion. Some will be white, some will be black, some will be neither white nor black, some will be blue, some will be rough and dry, and some will be smooth. They will have complexion characteristics of these sorts.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the thirtieth week, again a karmic wind, iron aperture, comes into existence. The force of this wind increases the hair, bodily hair, and nails, and it clarifies white and black complexions. These features will appear due to karmic conditions.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the thirty-first week through the thirty-fifth week, the features of the body will grow, and the parts of the body will gradually become enlarged and complete.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the thirty-sixth week, it gives rise to a thought of emerging from the womb and becomes very unhappy.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the thirty-seventh week, five undistorted perceptions will arise. What are the five? They are a perception of dirtiness, the perception of a foul smell, the perception of a prison, the perception of darkness, and the perception of emerging due to great weariness. The being in the womb gives rise to these sorts of thoughts of great weariness.
“While the being in the mother’s womb is in the thirty-eighth week, again a karmic wind, seized conditions, comes into existence. The force of this wind makes it turn over. Furthermore, a wind called facing down arises. The being in the womb, upside down, extends its two arms and gradually wishes to emerge from the womb. If the being in the womb accumulated karma in previous lives that would result in its dying in the womb, it will be unable to turn over because its arms and legs become intertwined, and it will die in its mother’s womb on account of its sinful, nonvirtuous karma. And at that time, the mother, too, will experience great suffering or die. If, in previous lives, it engaged in virtuous actions and accumulated the causes that would result in a long life, when birth is imminent, both mother and child will be very happy and will not have such suffering that results from sinful, nonvirtuous karma. When thirty-eight weeks have passed and the being in the womb desires to emerge, it will experience various sufferings when it first emerges. Therefore, it should be understood that receiving this body is great suffering.
“When the infant first emerges from the womb—whether it is a son or a daughter, as soon as it falls to the ground, whether it is taken in the hands, or received in a cloth, or placed on a couch, or placed in a house, or placed on the ground, or placed in the open, or placed in the sun, in winter or summer—when the newborn body is touched by a cold or hot wind, it will experience great suffering. The pain experienced by the infant due to being washed with hot water when it first emerges from the womb is just like that of an ox, skinned alive, that brushes against a wall or, falling on the bare ground, is eaten by insects. Alternatively, it is like that of a man who is eaten by mosquitoes or is beaten with a whip. After being born, the infant gradually grows larger and is nourished by milk mixed with blood that comes from the mother’s body. I have previously taught this at length in other sūtras. Thus, since this body is filthy and is formed from much suffering, what wise person would desire this sort of body in saṃsāra?
“Furthermore, Nanda, a week after the infant emerges from the womb, eighty thousand types of worm arise in the body and feed on it. There are two types of worm called hair eater that live in and feed on the hair. Two types of worm live in and feed on the eyes. There are four types of worm, saddle horse, having a palate, provoking illness, and completion, that live in and feed on the brains. There is a type of worm, black rice leaf, that lives in and feeds on the ears. There is a type of worm, treasury door, that lives in and feeds on the nose. There are two types of worm, throwing and throwing everywhere, that live in and feed on the lips. There is a type of worm, needle lips, that lives in and feeds on the tongue. There is a type of worm, sharp mouth, that lives in and feeds on the root of the tongue. There is a type of worm, perfect hand, that lives in and feeds on the palate. There are two types of worm, webbed hand and half bent, that live in and feed on the palms of the hands. There are two types of worm, upper arm and lower arm, that live in and feed on the arms. There are two types of worm, having iron and having near-iron, that live in and feed on the throat. There are two types of worm, thunderbolt and great thunderbolt, that live in and feed on the heart. There are two types of worm, weak and weak mouth, that live in and feed on the flesh. There are two types of worm, colorful and renowned, that live in and drink the blood. There are two types of worm, hero and fragrance face, that live in and feed on the ligaments. There are two types of worm, low and face down, that live in and feed on the spine. There is a type of worm, color of fat, that lives in and feeds on the fat. There is a type of worm, color of bile, that lives in and feeds on the bile. There is a type of worm, pearl, that lives in and feeds on the liver. There is a type of worm, reed, that lives in and feeds on the spleen. There are five hundred types of worm that live in and feed on the left side: one hundred types called moon; one hundred types called moon face; one hundred types called moonlight; one hundred types called moonlight face; and one hundred types called vast. Furthermore, there are another five hundred types of worm, with names agreeing with those above, that live in and feed on the right side. There are four types of worm, slightly piercing, greatly piercing, bone piercing, and bone face, that live in and feed on the bones. There are four types of worm, greatly white, slightly white, smell power, and tiger path, that live in and feed on the tendons. There are four types of worm, determined mind, lion power, rabbit belly, and clinging to desire, that live in and feed on the stomach. There are two types of worm, hero and lord of heroes, that live in and feed on the intestines. There are four types of worm, mouth, net mouth, mass mouth, and sparrow mouth, that live in and feed on the urethra. There are four types of worm, action, big action, dust, and small bundle, that live in and feed on the rectum. There are two types of worm, black face and scary face, that live in and feed on the thighs. There are two types of worm, leprous and slightly leprous, that live in and feed on the knees. There is a type of worm, root of madness, that lives in and feeds on the lower legs. There is a type of worm, black head, that lives in and feeds on the feet.
“Nanda, I have now instructed you briefly about the eighty thousand types of worm that inhabit this body, feeding on it day and night and making it physically weak and badly complexioned, along with the various types of suffering from illnesses, which gather in this body and also torment, strongly torment, and completely torment a person’s mind—so that even if there were a skillful doctor, he would be confused, not knowing how to treat these illnesses with any medicine. What wise person would desire this sort of body in the ocean of saṃsāra?
“Furthermore, Nanda, from the time it is born until it is fully grown, this body is sustained by clothing and food, and it becomes fully developed. Its lifespan can be one hundred years, or it can be shorter than that. Those one hundred years will add up to three hundred seasons, namely, spring, summer, and winter. Spring is the hot season. Summer is the rainy season. Winter is the cold season. The three seasons have four months each, so there are twelve months in one year, and twelve hundred months in one hundred years; and if we differentiate the white face of the waxing moon and the dark face of the waning moon, there are twenty-four hundred fortnights. Therefore, there are thirty-six thousand days.
“In one day, a person eats twice; so, as for food, he will eat seventy-two thousand times, and occasional missed meals are included in that number. As for those missed meals, they are missed due to causes and conditions including illness, drunkenness, intentional fasting, sleeping, playing around, being engaged in other matters, and drinking mother’s milk. Since this sort of body, even if it can live for a hundred years, will finally be destroyed, what wise person would desire this sort of body in this ocean of saṃsāra?
“Furthermore, Nanda, there are two types of suffering with regard to taking this body. What are the two? The many illnesses that are contained in the body are called internal suffering. Harm caused by humans and nonhumans is called external suffering.
“With respect to this, which conditions are called the many illnesses that are contained in the body? Namely, maladies of the eye, ear, nose, tongue, throat, teeth, chest, belly, arms, and legs, as well as wind illness, mucous illness, insanity, consumption, shortness of breath, lung disease, roughness of the urethra, itching, leprosy, swellings, thorbu, abscesses, pustules, and elephantiasis, and various other types of illness are contained in the body.
“Furthermore, the above diseases can be divided into 101 bile diseases, 101 wind diseases, 101 phlegm diseases, and 101 diseases that arise from a combination of wind, bile, and phlegm. Thus, the 404 diseases that afflict the body are called internal suffering.
“Furthermore, external suffering damages the body. Namely, the body is afflicted by various types of suffering, for example, being thrown into a narrow prison, being beaten with whips, being fettered, and being bound; having an ear cut off or the nose cut off, having an arm or a leg severed, or being beheaded; or, unprotected by the gods, being harmed by hateful, inhuman demonic beings, or yakṣas, or rākṣasas; or being devoured by vicious insects such as bees, mosquitoes, and biting flies; or encountering cold, heat, hunger, thirst, wind, or rain. If the suffering of humans is like this, how much more so must be the suffering of lower beings? It is very difficult to express.
“Therefore, it should be known that all these sorts of karmic retribution are experienced due to the force of having engaged in sinful, nonvirtuous actions in a previous life. If someone—for the sake of protection from harm by weapons—builds a citadel, surrounds it with a moat, and tries to protect this body, nevertheless, wind, rain, bees, mosquitoes, biting flies, and so forth will come to his house and harm him, and the 404 diseases will cause internal and external afflictions. If one seeks life’s necessities—such as food, drink, bedding, medicines for illness, fields, pleasure gardens, houses, the seven great precious things such as gold and silver, male slaves, female slaves, and carriages and horses—and if these do not suit one’s fancy, they cause suffering. And if one obtains wealth and possessions, one is thrifty due to stinginess and always protects them; and if one loses them by wasting them, great suffering is produced.
“Nanda, in brief, as for this body consisting of the five upādānaskandhas, there are no activities of moving, standing, sitting, or lying down that are not suffering. If one walks for a long time without even a moment’s rest, suffering will arise. Standing, sitting, and lying down, if done for a long time, will all be suffering. If, after walking for a long time, there is a moment’s rest, even though a notion of pleasure is produced, this is not really pleasure. If, after standing for a long time, one sits for a moment, or if, after sitting for a long time, one lies down for a moment, a false notion of pleasure is produced; however, since this is not really pleasure, this body consisting of the five upādānaskandhas should therefore be known to be wholly suffering.
“People who—for their own sake, for the sake of another, or for the sake of both self and other—become weary with such suffering and leave home to go forth into homelessness, if they train correctly, will not fall short of the reality of the liberation of nirvāṇa. And people who serve them by giving clothes, bedding, medicines for illness, and requisites for living will also obtain, as karmic ripening, great power and renown.”
The Bhagavān said, “Nanda, what do you think of this? Is rūpa permanent? Or is it impermanent?”
The venerable Nanda replied to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, rūpa is impermanent.”
The Bhagavān said, “If it is impermanent, is it suffering? Or is it not suffering?”
Nanda replied, “Rūpa is suffering.”
The Bhagavān said, “If what is impermanent and suffering is subject to destruction, and if very learned noble śrāvakas hear this sort of teaching, would they, understanding that the body consists of these sorts of rūpa, hold on to the notions of I and mine?”
“Bhagavān, indeed not. In rūpa, there is no such thing as I; there is no such thing as mine.”
“Furthermore, Nanda, what do you think of this? Are vedanā, saṃjñā, saṃskāra, and vijñāna permanent? Or are they impermanent?”
The venerable Nanda replied to the Bhagavān, “Bhagavān, they are all impermanent.”
The Bhagavān said, “If they are impermanent, are they suffering? Or are they not suffering?”
The venerable Nanda replied, “Those four skandhas of this sort are called suffering.”
The Bhagavān said, “If what is impermanent and suffering is subject to destruction, and if very learned noble śrāvakas hear this sort of teaching, would they hold on to the notion that these four skandhas in this body are I and mine?”
“Bhagavān, indeed not. In the four skandhas, there is no such thing as I; there is no such thing as mine.”
“Furthermore, Nanda, since that sort of I does not exist in the past, present, or future, or internally or externally, and is not coarse or fine, or good or bad, or close or far, none of those things is I or mine. Therefore, Nanda, in this way, too, analyzing with correct knowledge, one should know that things lack a self. Any very learned noble śrāvaka, having analyzed in this way, when he generates weariness, will be liberated and will obtain final, complete nirvāṇa. When he has thus trained correctly and actualized this Dharma, he will have exhausted everything pertaining to birth; and having practiced the celibate life and having done what was to be done, he will not take up a subsequent birth.”
After the Bhagavān spoke this Dharma discourse, Nanda, freed from dust and defilement, obtained the pure Dharma eye. The five hundred monks, detached from phenomena, their defilements extinguished, had their minds liberated. After the Bhagavān spoke, the many in attendance praised what the Bhagavān had said.
This concludes The Teaching to Venerable Nanda on Entry into the Womb, the fourteenth of the one hundred thousand sections of the Dharma discourse known as The Noble Great Heap of Jewels.
I. Introduction
II. Conception
III. The composition of the embryo
A. The composition of the embryo: neither the same as nor different from the semen and blood
C. Simile of grass, cow dung, jujubes, and curdled milk and worms
D. The functions of the great elements in the embryo and the undesirable consequences of their absence
E. Simile of a sweet heated and blown into a shape like a lotus root
IV. Gestation
V. The newborn being
VI. The course of life and its sufferings
VIII. Conclusion