Untitled : หน้า 15/132

Universal Goodness : 13 3. Birth Is Accompanied By Dirtiness As soon as a newborn emerges from the womb, it is bluish, covered with blood and cream-cheesy glop, and looks as though it has just been in a fist-fight. (Source: KidsHealth.org) The human body is naturally dirty because it is formed by the four primary elements which are themselves impure. The four primary elements, in turn, form the cells in our body. Since the four primary elements are impure, the cells in our body are also impure. Every minute, 300 – 400 million cells in our body die and have to be replaced by new cells. The process makes our body dirty. Anything that comes into contact with our body becomes dirty. The food we eat may look appetizing enough but after it enters our body, it turns into gaseous, liquid and solid wastes within 24 hours. These waste products are smelly, dirty and repulsive. The cells in the body of an infant die at the rate of 300 – 400 million cells a minute, and they are replaced by 700 – 800 million new cells. By the time one reaches middle age, the rate of cell death and the rate of cell replacement are roughly equal. After that, the rate of cell death outweighs the rate of cell replacement. The aging process, however, starts as soon as one is born. The Lord Buddha saw and knew these facts with His supernormal insight long before the invention of the microscope. He could see how each human being was like a walking corpse.