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I have read that the blueprint of the physical body is in the gandhabba which would mean that gender is determined before it enters the zygote.
But according to Science, the gender is determined after the fusion of female and male gametes. The ovum (egg) has the X chromosome and the sperm cells carry X or Y respectively. If a sperm cell with the X chromosome wins the race, the resulting chromosome pair would be XX which would lead to female body. On the contrary, if the sperm with Y chromosome fertilizes with the egg, the pair will be XY which would result in male.
Any thoughts on this?
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“If a sperm cell with the X chromosome wins the race, the resulting chromosome pair would be XX which would lead to female body.”
- Yes. In that specific case, only a female gandhabba will be pulled into the womb by kammic energy.
- In the other case, only a male gandhabba will be pulled into the womb by kammic energy.
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Yes, taryal. As I see, if the sex is determined before entry, then the gandhabba would only take the ‘right’ XX’ or ‘XY’ combination into consideration.
You got me wondering: what about gandhabbas newly created after the end of a previous bhava, even if that previous bhava happened to be a human one? Say, a brahma dies and grasps a human bhava. Brahmas are sexless, so the prominent gender from the past, or the one of the two that ‘needs addressing ‘ the more would take precedence.
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Each of us has many “kamma bija” waiting to bear fruit. They could bring rebirths in different realms. Some bring rebirths in lower realms, and some in higher realms. At the moment of cuti-patisandhi (grasping a new existence), the strongest one (called “garuka kamma“) will usually be chosen automatically. If no exceptionally strong kamma bija exists, the closest one (asanna kamma) will take over.
- However, some types of kamma bija bring rebirth without exception (anantariya kamma). For example, if a human cultivates a jhana, he/she will be born in the corresponding Brahma realm (first jhana in the lowest Brahma realm, etc.) at the death of the physical body, even if there is more kammic energy left in the human bhava. Of course, anantariya kamma on the “bad side,” such as killing a parent, will bring rebirth in an apaya.
- Some kamma bija become ineffective (i.e., cannot bring rebirth) if one attains magga phala. For example, a Sotapanna will not be reborn in an apaya, even if he/she has many kamma bija capable of bringing such rebirths.
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Thank you!
“Say, a brahma dies and grasps a human bhava. Brahmas are sexless, so the prominent gender from the past, or the one of the two that ‘needs addressing ‘ the more would take precedence.”
Yes, y not. I used to wonder that point too. I think the hidden asava of the brahma plays a big role in deciding that.
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“Say, a brahma dies and grasps a human bhava. Brahmas are sexless, so the prominent gender from the past, or the one of the two that ‘needs addressing ‘ the more would take precedence.”
I thought I addressed that in my comment.
- Grasping a new existence (bhava) is independent of the existence (bhava) that just ended.
Maybe I do not understand the issue/question.
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Yes, I posted my comment not knowing (and right after) you posted yours.
But speaking of genders, I was wondering how a gandhabba could change sex. There are rebirth stories that involve sex change in subsequent lives. Does that normally happen at death or while entering the womb? I don’t know if Tipitaka discusses this.
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taryal:
Lal is correct. His comment is in line with mine: I wrote ‘even if that previous bhava happened to be a human one’, meaning the bhava that just ended is not any more powerful because it is the most recent one.
As to a gandhabba changing sex. Depends what we mean by ‘change’. It could mean a transformation in the same gandhabba, due to a modification or modifications brought about by the gradual unfolding of the same kammic energy. That would take place in the same gandhabba (bhava). If ‘change’ is meant in the sense of substitution, replacement, exchange (I changed my car, my house….) then again what Lal and myself said concerning the grasping of a new existence applies.
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I realize I had not missed the point in y not’s Taryal’s question.
- Let me restate the question. Consider a Brahma exhausting its lifetime and born a human. Since Brahmas do not have sex organs, how is the sexual identity of the human is determined?
Sexual identity is loosely related to bhāva dasaka. Usually, a human born with purisa bhāva dasaka has male sex organs, but that is not necessary; see #2 of the post below. Also, All Brahma realms are “unisex.” They all have the purisa bhāva dasaka. See #8 of the post below.
- See the post “Sexual Orientation – Effects of Kamma and Gati (Saṅkhāra).”
Therefore, whether a Brahma exhausting its lifetime and born a human would have male or female sex organs is a complex issue. I guess that most will have male sex organs and even those born with female sex organs will have “purisa gati.”
- My apologies for not understanding the question. Strangely, our minds can latch onto one aspect of an issue and proceed in the wrong direction.
- Please read the above post to get a better idea of the issue. I only pointed out the main points.
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