[Yeos]

Hello,

1- According science, psychic personhood manifests itself at the time of earliest brainstem activity, i.e., during the seventh week of embryonic development.
I think that “Psychic personhood” might equate to gandhabba/manomaya kaya…Is there anything in the Tipitaka about this , i mean about at what moment of the embryo’s life the mental body enters in it ?

2 – Regardless of the different (classical, esoteric or alien theory) explanations on the origin of humankind it’s plausible to state that the mental body and gathi of the first anthropomorphic sentient beings were very rudimentary ? Is there any info in the Tipitaka about humankind origin ?

3- According science there are 14 billions years separating the big-bang and the formation/aggregation (!) of our solar system, is it possible to establish a paralel between this and buddhist cosmology, i mean what realms were there then ? And secondly the Cosmos being composed by different levels of energy-matter (dense or less dense matter is always present) the Arupa Loka realm being immaterial is somehow outside of it ?

Thanks

[Cariyaputta]

Hi Yeos,

1. At the moment of conception between egg and sperm, if there is a suitable gandhabba that descended, then a sentient life is formed.

2. This question somewhat relates to Aggana sutta, there is no good translation of this sutta available yet. I think Lal will work on this sutta in the future.

3. Despite advancements in the past 100 years, currently the Quantum Field Theory is standed out and is going to become the new standard of physics, but sciences is still very primitive and limited. They can only describe 5% mass of total matters in the visible universe. In this 5% visible matters, there is a large portion which is currently unknown to sciences. And they are totally unacknowledge the mind, quich is far more important. So I think learn about sciences is nothing bad but don’t let them distract you from the Path to Nibbana.

Marananupassati.

On the way to Stream Entry.

[Yeos]

@Tien

No i don’t let sciences distract me as for the Path for Nibanna…my first aim is simply to live a more peaceful, insightful and under-control-life…as for Nibanna… it will be attained by this “current of life” in its next rebirths. Hopefully.

[Cariyaputta]

@Yeos

Don’t wait until next rebirths, don’t refuge in probability: time of death is uncertain, time of severe illnesses is uncertain, future is uncertain, state of attainment is uncertain, next lives are uncertain. Maybe in the very next rebirth, or even in the near future, some past strong kamma vipaka will take over and prevent you from hearing true Dhamma, or unable to finish the Path.

So you should take the chance of this life, of knowing true Dhamma to make haste, strive diligently and ensure the Path (attain Arahant stage , or at least Sotapanna stage).

On the way to Stream Entry.

[Lal]

Regarding conception (how a gandhabba takes hold of a zygote to become a live embryo), it is discussed in detail in the post:
What does Buddha Dhamma (Buddhism) say about Birth Control?

[Author]

Posts