Here we refer to Mahasihanada sutta of Majjima Nikaya, for the explanations given by Gautama Buddha regarding the four types of Births.

Meaning of Mahasihanada Sutta passage on Four Places of Birth

What are the four places where birth get manifested.

They are birth manifestation inside an Egg, birth manifestation inside a Womb, birth manifestation in Wet environment, birth manifestation from Transformation.

If a being is born inside an egg, it is called Birth from an Egg.

If a being is born inside a hollow muscular organ, it is called Birth from Womb.

If a being is born in putrid flesh or putrid body , impure water placement or cesspit, it is called Birth in Wet environment.

All beings such as Gods and Hellish beings has a Transformation Birth. Buddha says even Humans and Peta too can have a Transformation Birth.

Mahasihanada Sutta passage on Four Places of Birth in Pali and it's meaning

Catasso kho imà sàriputta yoniyo

(There are the four places of Birth ven.Sariputta).

Katamà catasso?

(What are the four?)

Aõóajà yoni

(Birth from an Egg),

jalàbujà yoni

(Birth from Womb),

saüsedajà yoni

(Birth from wet environment),

opapàtikà yoni

(Birth from transformation),

katamà ca sàriputta aõóajà yoni?

(ven.Sariputta,What is birth from Egg)

Ye kho te sàriputta sattà aõóakosaü abhinibbhijja jàyanti, ayaü vuccati sàriputta aõóajà yoni

(ven.Sariputta, If a being is born out of an Egg, it is called Birth from an Egg).

Katamà ca sàriputta jalàbujà yoni?

( ven.Sariputta,What is birth from Womb)

Ye kho te sàriputta sattà vatthikosaü abhinibbhijja jàyanti, ayaü vuccati sàriputta jalàbujà yoni

(ven.Sariputta, If a being is born inside a hollow muscular organ, it is called Birth from Womb).

Katamà ca sàriputta saüsedajà yoni?

(ven.Sariputta, What is birth from wet environment)

Ye kho te sàriputta sattà påtimacche và jàyanti påtikuõape và påtikummàse và candanikàya và oëigalle và jàyanti, ayaü vuccati sàriputta saüsedajà yoni.

(ven.Sariputta, If a being is born in putrid flesh or putrid body , impure water placement or cesspit, it is called Birth from wet environment)

Katamà ca sàriputta opapàtikà yoni?

(ven.Sariputta, What is birth from Transformation)

Devà nerayikà ekacce ca manussà ekacce ca vinipàtikà. Ayaü vuccati sàriputta opapàtikà yoni

(All Gods and Hellish beings have a Transformation Birth as well as Humans and Peta ).

Imà kho sàriputta catasso yoniyo.

(These ven.Sariputta are the Four Places of Birth)

Mahasihanada Sutta passage on Four Places of Birth in Pali English

Catasso kho imà sàriputta yoniyo. Katamà catasso? Aõóajà yoni, jalàbujà yoni, saüsedajà yoni, opapàtikà yoni, katamà ca sàriputta aõóajà yoni? Ye kho te sàriputta sattà aõóakosaü abhinibbhijja jàyanti, ayaü vuccati sàriputta aõóajà yoni. Katamà ca sàriputta jalàbujà yoni? Ye kho te sàriputta sattà vatthikosaü abhinibbhijja jàyanti, ayaü vuccati sàriputta jalàbujà yoni. Katamà ca sàriputta saüsedajà yoni? Ye kho te sàriputta sattà påtimacche và jàyanti påtikuõape và påtikummàse và candanikàya và oëigalle và jàyanti, ayaü vuccati sàriputta saüsedajà yoni. Katamà ca sàriputta opapàtikà yoni? Devà nerayikà ekacce ca manussà ekacce ca vinipàtikà. Ayaü vuccati sàriputta opapàtikà yoni. Imà kho sàriputta catasso yoniyo.

Meaning of Mahasatipattana Sutta passage on Birth

What is Birth? Those each being belonging to that particular category of beings, being born, after having matured faculties of body and being born, being born inside a womb, being born other than inside of a womb, manifestation of khandha, manifestation of internal sense bases, Monks, this is called Birth

Mahasathipattana Sutta passage on Birth in Pali and it's meaning

Katamà ca bhikkhave jàti:

(Monks, what is birth)

yà tesaü tesaü sattànaü

( those each being)

tamhi tamhi sattanikàye

(belonging to that particular category of beings )

jàti

(being born)

sa¤jàti

(having matured faculties of body and being born),

okkanti

(being born inside a womb),

abhinibbanti

(being born other than inside of a womb),

khandhànaü pàtubhàvo

(manifestation of khanda ),

àyatanànaü pañilàbho

( manifestation of internal sense bases),

ayaü vuccati bhikkhave jàti

( this is called birth).

Mahasathipattana Sutta passage on Birth in Pali English

Katamà ca bhikkhave jàti: yà tesaü tesaü sattànaü tamhi tamhi sattanikàye jàti sa¤jàti okkanti abhinibbanti khandhànaü pàtubhàvo àyatanànaü pañilàbho, ayaü vuccati bhikkhave jàti.

Comments

Above stated were excerpts from two important sutta discourses by Gautama Buddha on Jati or Birth. It is intended to discuss further on Birth with other available information appearing in various other sutta discourses by Lord Buddha.

It is always a difficult task for everybody , specially to non Buddhists to fathom Opapatika or the Transformation birth. Those who have made inroads to Dhamma and had clearly understood the Opanika Quality of Dhamma or the realisation of the merits of the Dhamma considers the word of the Buddha as truth. So even though he doesn't have the wisdom to know the Transformation Birth, he considers that as a fact through the self understanding of the tangible sections of Dhamma. A wise person does not hesitate to accept that there will be things unknown to him in this World or Nature and will not have an over estimate about himself.

Here the key phrase one should follow is to proceed from the known to the unknown. Actually all of us have a high self esteem on ourselves and due to the advancement of science in the present day, we are being able to gather vast amount of information which was not possible 20 years back! With information technology being very vibrant , there seems that there is nothing we do not know literally speaking! Amidst such a backdrop, every one would need solid proof to accept anything and everything.

Well, let us see how honest we are to ourselves, before we proceed more in to matters regarding Birth. This is a practical everyone of us can do and must do and to give your verdict honestly on the outcome of the result.

Scenario

Ask one of your family members, or a friend or a colleague to come and stand in front of you, looking at you silently for a minute or two. During that time you start thinking of some matter, it doesn't matter what since the thought train would be numerous. After a minute or so ask the person in front of you to tell what the thoughts that were in your mind.

Repeat this as many times as you like and get them to say what exactly were your thoughts. Did any of them able to say what your thoughts were? Not at all most probably. If the answers they gave are not what you thought, how could you prove to the other that it is not what you thought.

So though you know by yourself that their answers about what you thought were not correct, there is no way for you to prove to them what you really thought. Does that mean you are not being truthful, or lying? You very well know the truthfulness but you can't prove yourself!

Truth could not be proved in this instant!

Sort of funny isn't it. That is how the subtle nature of mental factors are. Even the present day's advanced science is at infant stage when it comes to tackle mental factors and powers. Present day science is all about the Four Elements or Four Great Dhatus or Matter, namely Patavi, Apo,Thejo and Vayo. or Earthy, Watery, Fiery and Airy. Nothing beyond that but Buddha has stated 35 more Dhatu mainly on Mental factors.

Gautama Buddha had been the greatest teacher to disclose the secrets of the behavior of the Nature or the World. Many who don't understand about Buddha and Dhamma don't know that Buddha only put forward the working order of the so called World or Nature through his teachings to his diciples to understand and to lead them to go beyond the Four Great Dhatus or Matter which the Buddha himself realised when he became the Enlightened One under the Bo Tree at BodhGaya. The enlightened ones or Arhats do not get bind to the Four Great Elements or Matter after their death and thus become the released ones or attain Nibbana.

The earlier comments were thought necessary since on that backdrop only we can discuss about Birth as Gautama Buddha disclosed in his sermons.

Types of Births Gautama Buddha explained

They are birth manifestation inside an Egg, birth manifestation inside a Womb, birth manifestation in Wet environment, birth manifestation from Transformation.

Let us consider the four types of Births, the Buddha explained.

Birth from Egg is very common to all of us and the Animal kingdom is in abundance of this nature of Birth.

Birth from Womb is very special for humans since this is how we all come into this world . There are so many animals who are born in this nature and no special mention is needed further.

Birth from Wet environment is also very common and is easily understood since countless number of creatures born this way.

Birth from Transformation is what we really don't know about since our eye faculty or ear faculty or nose faculty or tongue faculty or body faculty or mind faculty is unable to gather information on such beings or such birth. But It is believed no doubt that those who have mind faculty with high jana and samadi levels are able to know and also to communicate sometimes with beings of Transformation. Gautama Buddha's knowledge on this had been unique and was unsurpassed by any other god even as we can know by his own descriptions on the various knowledge bases he was endowed with. According to Buddha, all Gods, Hell beings emerge from Transformation. Some Humans as well as Peta are sometimes are born this way, Lord Buddha says. It could be that Gods and Hell beings that gets a Birth as Humans or Peta after that life might come into a new Birth in the form of Transformation.

There is a more important Buddha discourse which describes the condition called as Birth in Mahasatipattana sutta.

Katamà ca bhikkhave jàti:(Monks, what is birth) yà tesaü tesaü sattànaü( those each being) tamhi tamhi sattanikàye(belonging to that particular category of beings ) jàti (being born), sa¤jàti (having matured faculties of body and being born), okkanti (being born inside a womb), abhinibbanti (being born other than inside of a womb), khandhànaü pàtubhàvo (manifestation of khanda ), àyatanànaü pañilàbho( manifestation of internal sense bases), ayaü vuccati bhikkhave jàti( this is called birth).

Here the important criteria to be called as a Birth are follows.

jàti (being born),

sa¤jàti (having matured faculties of body and being born),

okkanti (being born inside a womb),

abhinibbanti (being born other than inside of a womb),

khandhànaü pàtubhàvo (manifestation of khanda ),

àyatanànaü pañilàbho( manifestation of internal sense bases),

The first explanation is the simplified meaning of Birth. That is meant to be a being's birth belonging to that particular category of beings.

The second one is having matured faculties of body and being born.

The third one is being born inside a womb

The fourth one is being born other than an inside of a womb.

The fifth one is manifestation of Kandha.

The sixth one is manifestation of internal sense bases.

(1) A Birth can be regarded as a living being coming anew into existence through one of the above means.

(2) The second instance of having matured faculties of body and being born needs to be expanded with the given meaning. Since it considers of a being of matured faculties at the very Birth, it could well be the Transformed beings since manifestation of Gods,Asura and Hell beings get their bodily and mental features instantly after the previous death. There is no Biological aspect in this type of birth.

(3) Being born inside a womb is also important and might as well detail it. The womb belongs to the female and male needs to fertile the egg which starts to develop the life of the being inside the womb for a particular period of time. For humans it is about 9 months. Dogs, Cats, Elephants, Cows, Horses, and hundreds more animals are born to the world this way. Here the being develops its faculties from zero to a certain matured level by the time being ready to come out from the womb. The womb is in a liquefied state where the being is being nourished. Buddha considered that the very conception of the being inside the womb also can be regarded as the Birth.

(4) Being born other than inside a womb ( inside an Egg or in Wet surroundings ) is very common in the world so that birth types can easily be understood except Transformation birth. This also is a very important Buddha saying since it opens ways and means of various Birth conditions that can exist which we may not being able to grasp.

(5) Manifestation of Kandha is of utmost importance since it unfolds a huge landscape of an unforeseen Scenario on Birth. With this statement Gautama Buddha is inviting us to look at the Kandha, namely the Panchaskandha. Buddha described the Sathva or the Being as one having Panchaskandha under Upadana or Being as the Pancha Upadanskandaya. The Pancha Upadanskandha are

Rupa Upadanaskandha or Form (Matter) Clinging Aggregates

Vedana Upadanaskandha or Feeling Clinging Aggregates

Sanna Upadanaskandha or Perception Clinging Aggregates

Sankara Upadanaskandha or Mental formation Clinging Aggregates

Vinnana Upadanaskandha or Consciousness Clinging Aggregates

[Note- In some instances Matter is also called as Form. But Arupa or Formless should not be taken as Matter-less but devoid of an Image. A Vinnana cannot exist with out Matter as per Lord Buddha]

Give more heed to the content of the above. A being could be anything once it fulfills the above five criteria. Even it can be a most weird creature if there is Matter or the FourGreat Dhatus , with feeling,perception,mental formation and consciousness. All Gods, Hell Beings or beings with whatever outlook or nature with above criteria. will qualify to be a being. Even a Test tube baby is no wonder as life is manifested under the above criteria. More on this will be discussed below.

(6) Manifestation of the Internal Sense Organs as Birth is as important as the above Pancha Upadanskandha description. Here it is not even bothered to see how the Sense bases get manifested! All that matters is having sense bases to call it as a Birth. For we humans there are six sense bases namely Eye, Ear, Nose, Tongue, Body and Mind. What is the secret here. It is once you have a sense base or bases, the Pancha Upadanaskandha gets created automatically. One literally would need some sort of Organ that facilitate to get the Pancha Upadanaskandha created. One need not have all Organs we have to consider as. So it is immaterial that there should be only creatures we have to see from our eyes or felt by our other sense bases. It is much more advanced thinking here. Even a Cloud can be a being if it fulfills the criteria of sense base and Pancha Upadanaskandha. In fact there are Rain Cloud Gods as per Sutta discourses. There are many descriptions of Gods and Hell Beings and other descriptions on Beings in Sutta, that unless one is well understood on above matters, would regard them as nonsense. True, nonsense to those unable to fathom them but for the inquisitive and intelligent person, it would be food for thought!

Now another most important fact on Birth is needed to be discussed here. That is Vinnana or Consciousness.

Consciousness is the difference between the presence in any degree and utter non presence or non existence. - Ven.Nanavira Thera

To have a clear idea on Vinnana as Buddha explained, one should take effort to study them profoundly otherwise the base would be faulty to build a solid structure to gain knowledge correctly on Buddha's teachings.

According to Patichchasamuppada or Law of Cause and Effects, it is due to Vinnana or Consciousness that NamaRupa or Mind and Matter gets created. So for a Birth of a being Vinnana invariably needs its footprint at the Place of Birth.

Tiõõaü kho pana bhikkhave sannipàtà gabbhassàvakkanti hoti: idha màtàpitaro sannipatità honti, màtà ca na utunã hoti, gandhabbo ca na paccupaññhito hoti, neva tàva gabbhassàvakkanti hoti. Idha màtàpitaro ca sannipatità honti, màtà ca utunã hoti, gandhabbo ca na paccupaññhito hoti, neva tàva gabbhassàvakkanti hoti. Yato ca kho bhikkhave màtàpitaro sannipatità honti, màtà ca utunã hoti, gandhabbo ca paccupaññhito hoti, evaü tiõõaü sannipàtà gabbhassàvakkanti hoti.

Here are the three conditions for a birth of a Human as explained by Lord Buddha in Mahatanhasankhaya Sutta

(1) There should be a union between the man and the woman.

(2) The woman should be under ovulation at that instant of union for a birth to take place.

(3) There should be an arrival of the being who expects to have a Birth

Refering to above we come across " gandhabbo ca paccupatthito hoti". The word Gandhabba needs some attention here. Gautama Buddha has used the word Gandabba in this very important explanation and "the arrival of the Gandhabba" is a must for a human birth in a womb. It is very clear that the Gandhabba is a being and that means it is a sathva or a pancha upadanaskandha. There is no basis for a "vinnana" arriving alone when considering Lord Buddha'a word. More on Gandhabba is refered in Atanatiya Sutta and the Gandhabba arriving for a human birth in a womb may have a similarity to the Gandhabba mentioned in the Atanatiya sutta.

Atanatiya Sutta

gandhabbo và gandhabbã và, gandhabbapotako và gandhabbapotikà và, gandhabbamahàmatto và gandhabbapàrisajjo và gandhabbapacàro và

Even having the first two criteria is not sufficient as the presence of a vinnana is needed to start a life at the biological surrounding prepared by the woman and the man to develop NamaRupa with help of Vinnana. This vinnana with Matter and othe mental factors, belongs to a deceased being whose Kamma designates the type of a birth to be born as a human.

Even under laboratory conditions if the scientists create a condition which fulfills the first and the second conditions by creating such an environment, a birth taking place there will be from a being expecting a birth whose kamma designated such a birth. Science will be able to provide the envioronment suitable for a birth only. Gandhabba or the being will always be a separate entity.

Since we know that the presence of a Vinnana is needed for a life to be manifested let us see the basics of a Vinnana. The Vinnana that is hoping to create a new life itself is a complete life, though we are unable to see it that way. Gautama Buddha clearly stated that the Vinnana cannot be existed without Rupa or Matter, Vedana or Feeling ,Sanna or Perception and Sankara or Mental formation. since Upadana was a factor for Jati or Birth, a complete Pancha Upadanskanda comes into play during a Vinnana's placement for a new birth.

Now what is difficult to fathom here is how is a Sathva or a Pancha Upadanaskhanda looks for a due birth according to Kamma after a "Death".

If we clearly understood the Opapatika or Transformation Birth, it would not be difficult to grasp the other types of births involving Vinnana with Rupa or Matter, Vedana or Feeling ,Sanna or Perception and Sankara or Mental formation as its associates since Transformation Birth also involves Pancha Upadanaskanda for the new birth. According to Sutta we see there is lot to do with Manomaya or Mental forms here and as humans we are only familiar with Olarika Kaya or Corporeal (Tangible) Body but has almost no knowledge on Manomaya Kaya or Mental Body.

Another important fact to keep in mind is that the Vinnana and its associates also have the stamp of previous kamma ( of Samsara) which comes into play accordingly to the karmic law, which Lord Buddha stated as a subject that only a Buddha can conceptualise, that every being is bound with.

Seyyathàpi citta gavà khãraü, khãramhà dadhi, dadhimhà navanãtaü, navanãtamhà sappi, sappimhà sappimaõóo, yasmiü samaye khãraü hoti, neva tasmiü samaye dadhãti saïkhaü gacchati. Na navanãtanti saïkhaü gacchati. Na sappãti saïkhaü gacchati. Na sappimaõóoti saïkhaü gacchati. Khãraü tveva tasmiü samaye saïkhaü gacchati. Yasmi samaye dadhi hoti, neva tasmiü samaye navanãtanti saïkhaü gacchati. Na sappãti saïkhaü gacchati. Na sappimaõóoti saïkhaü gacchati. Yasmiü samaye navanãtaü hoti, neva tasmiü samaye sappinti saïkhaü gacchati. Na sappimaõóoti saïkhaü gacchati. Na khãranti saïkhaü gacchati. Yasmiü samaye sappi hoti, neva tasmiü samaye sappimaõóoti saïkhaü gacchati. Na khãranti saïkhaü gacchati. Na dadhãti saïkhaü gacchati. Yasmiü samaye sappimaõóo hoti, neva tasmiü samaye khãranti saïkhaü gacchati. Na dadhãti saïkhaü gacchati. Na navanãtanti saïkhaü gacchati. 'Sappimaõóo'tveva tasmiü samaye saïkhaü gacchati. yasmiü samaye oëàriko attapañilàbho hoti, neva tasmiü samaye manomayo attapañilàbho'ti saïkhaü gacchati. Na aråpo attapañilàbho'ti saïkhaü gacchati. 'Oëàriko attapañilàbho'tveva tasmiü samaye saïkhaü gacchati. Yasmiü citta samaye manomayo attapañilàbho hoti, neva tasmiü samaye aråpo attapañilàbho'ti saïkhaü gacchati. Na oëàriko attapañilàbho'ti saïkhaü gacchati. 'Manomayo attapañilàbho'tveva tasmiü samaye saïkhaü gacchati. Yasmiü citta samaye aråpo attapañilàbho hoti, neva tasmiü samaye oëàriko attapañilàbho'ti saïkhaü gacchati. Na manomayo attapañilàbho'ti saïkhaü gacchati. 'Aråpo attapañilàbho'tveva tasmiü samaye saïkhaü gacchati.

Pottapada Sutta of Diga Nikaya explains hitherto unknown facts on the Corporeal Body (Oëàriko atta), Mental Body (Manomayo atta) and Formless Body (Aråpo atta) all combined as one but only one Body can be in existance at a time. Ability to perform such action are based on the purification factor of the mind and the mental factors of the Monk. At the time the Corporeal body is in existance, Mental body and Formless body are non existing and at the time the Mental Body is in existance , the Corporeal body and the Formless body are non existing. At the time the Formless body is in existance, the Corporeal body and the Mental body are not in existance.

Translating Aråpo atta as Matterless Body ( Taking Rupa as Matter) would be a mistake since according to Lord Buddha's discourses there can't be Atta or person or vinnana without being related to Matter.

Gautama Buddha has compared the above three stages of body to milk obtained from a cow, and from that milk getting milk based produce like curdled milk and from curdled milk getting butter. All from the same sourse but when in one stage, the other stages are not present.

In Samannapala Sutta Gautama Budha explains the above phenomenon applied by a Bikku with refined mind and mental conditions to facilitate having the Mental Body separating out from the Corporeal Body.

Here Gautama Buddha explains how a Bikku with refined mind and mental status bring into existance a Mental Body as a complete replication of the Corporeal Body with three examples citing as below.

Just as a man pulling out the inner stem of a Munjo reed and then knowing this is the stem, this is the reed. It is from the reed that the stem was pulled out.

Just as a man taking out the sword from it's sheath and then knowing this is the sword, this is the sheath. It is from the sheath that the sword was pulled out.

Just as a man taking out the snake from the snake box and then knowing this is the snake, this is the snake box. It is from the snake box that the snake was taken out.

Like in the three examples, he will know, this is my Mental Body. This is my Corporeal Body. It is from the Corporeal Body that the Mental Body was taken out.

To understand Birth or Jati, it is very important to have the above explanations by Gautama Buddha studied well to obtain the working order of a birth being taken place.

The information of Olarika Kaya, Manomaya Kaya and Arupa Kaya that is all combined in a person will give more insight to understand the Death and Life in continuous cycle or Samsara Chakra. It is well stated that both Mental Body and Formless Body does exist with Four Great Dhatu or Matter and the subtleness of the Matter in these instant may not be perceptible to Human nature. Though our corporeal body dies, one is not being aware of what happens to the Mental Body or the Formless Body (Manomaya Kaya and the Arupa Kaya) since it is beyond the knowledge of the person who has not reached the levels Buddha has described needs to be attended to gain such insight. Here we can take only the guidance Lord Buddha has given in his discourses.

Based on the above Sutta discourses, and by comparing the content to Dhamma stated by Gautama Buddha, the first life moment of a being in a new surrounding as a new birth based on Kamma will be feasible with Vinnana associating with Rupa or Matter, Vedana or Feeling ,Sanna or Perception and Sankara or Mental formation. The first birth moment of a new life may well lie with the earlier life's Manomaya Kaya or the Arupa Kaya involvement which may be the deciding factors involved in a new Birth in a new surrounding.