This thematic paper entitled “A Comparison of Human Genesis Between Buddhist and Obstetrical Views” has two objectives: 1) to study the concepts about according Buddhism and obstetrics, and 2) to compare the concepts about human genesis between Buddhist and Obstetrical views.

The results show that, according to the early age of Buddhism, the genesis of humans was considered “Opapatika” (spontaneous creation), which currently has no currently available tool to prove. Later on, the human genesis concept shifted to Jalabuja (vivipary). The concepts of Buddhism and obstetrics in that it requires pregnancy, during which a father cohabits and deposits sperms in a mother with a mature egg. Obstetrical knowledge can clearly explain and expand this notion in the Tipitaka and the Commentary. However, the Buddhist concept of Gandhabba, or the entering of “consciousness” into the body, and the effects of Karma are not mentioned or explained in obstetrics.

The delimitation of pregnancy timeline also differs. In obstetrics, gestational age starts at the first day after the last menstruation, but the human fetal age starts at the fertilization of egg and sperm. In Buddhism, human body starts being alive at the embryo stage (Kalala), meaning that the embryo already has Gandhabba (consciousness) in the mother’s womb. The pregnancy period in the canon is similar to obstetrics at 9-10 lunar months.

The Comparisons of the issue of one-time, seven-day cohabitation of mother and father and the meaning of “radu” (menstruation) in the Tipitaka and Commentary can be explained as follows. In the Buddhist text, a father cohabits with a mother during the time that she has “radu” in her uterus, and, seven days after that, she is pregnant. This can be in obstetrical terms as follows. The father deposits sperms during the ovulation leading to fertilization and subsequent development for seven days before the embryo actually being implanted in the endometrium, which marks the beginning of pregnancy. The mechanism is that the inner endometrium (radu) starts to form during the ovulation and continue to develop for 7 days after the release of the egg to prepare for a possible fertilization, subsequent cleavage to blastocyst seven days afterwards. At this point, the blastocyst is implanted in the endometrium, during which a small amount of bleeding (implantation bleeding) may occur and the pregnancy can continue. However, if there is too much implantation bleeding, the blastocyst cannot be implanted on the endometrium and the pregnancy will be terminated. The issues of ten colors of sperms as an indicator of human health and Gandhabba are not studied in obstetrics.

For the interpretation of human genesis at the embryo stage, Kalala is the embryo during the implantation stage, because, without implantation in the uterus, a human cannot be formed, regardless of the method of fertilizations (in vivo, in vitro, and cloning). This is consistent with the Buddhist concept of Jalabuja. The other reason is the shape of kalala which looks like a clear drop of water attached to the endometrium, similar to blastocyst. Kalala cannot be a zygote, because a zygote has a solid, spherical shape. Similar to plant zygote, a human zygote can undergo cell divisions using its own energy without requiring Gandhabba.

The obstetrical explanation of human genesis serves to answer to academic curiosity and bring about technology to help enhance lives of people. The Buddhist aim to create changes in the mind. The Buddhist consideration of human genesis allows us to see this process as part of forever-going Vatta (life cycle), leading us to consider adopting Buddha’s teaching to be liberated from this cycle.

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