The Suffering of Birth: Understanding the Stages of Embryonic Development : หน้า 62/263

The suffering of birth starts to affect beings without exception from the moment they are conceived. Some beings are fully equipped with sense spheres [āyatanā] from the moment they are born — others are handicapped, only further adding to their suffering. There will be suffering as a result of birth, whatever the mode of birth. However, for birth from the womb, the suffering is correspondingly more than for those arising spontaneously in adult form, or those arising in dampness or moisture. For the mammals, for the first seven days after conception, the embryonic precursor [kalla] has the appearance of a tiny drop of sesame seed oil of the size that adheres to the tip of a yak hair which is clear like butter fat. Seven days later the embryonic precursor will become more concentrated taking on the colour of water in which one has washed one’s hands. Seven days later still, the droplet becomes yet more concentrated until it has become a small piece of flesh with the same consistency of a chicken egg and it will continue in this state for a further seven days. So far twenty-eight days have elapsed. At this time, there is a swelling in five places corresponding to the limbs and the head — a state which lasts for another seven days. After this time there is a differentiation of hair [kesa], bodily hair [lomā], finger and toenails [nakhā], teeth [dantā] and skin [taco] respectively. From this time onwards, the suffering of being in the mother’s womb starts to be apparent to the foetus, suffering that is so intense that it is difficult to find a comparison in words. ______________________________ 1. The twelve sense spheres, factors of the faculty of perception, comprise six inner sense spheres and six outer sense spheres. The six inner sense spheres are: 1. eyes; 2. ears; 3. nose; 4. tongue; 5. the body surface; and; 6. the mind. The six outer sense spheres are: 1. sights; 2. sounds; 3. smells; 4. tastes; 5. touches, and 6. things arising in the mind. Page 59