What is embryo thinking?

A discussion on all aspects of Theravāda Buddhism
Bakmoon
Posts: 637
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2012 3:14 pm

Re: What is embryo thinking?

Post by Bakmoon »

Well, as consciousness is dependently arisen on the senses, and embryos don't even have a nervous system until the fourth week (I think that's when, if anyone knows differently please correct me), so I would suppose that prior to developing a nervous system able to engage in some sort of sense activity, the embryo doesn't have any consciousness. That's just my opinion, however.
The non-doing of any evil,
The performance of what's skillful,
The cleansing of one's own mind:
This is the Buddhas' teaching.
daverupa
Posts: 5980
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:58 pm

Re: What is embryo thinking?

Post by daverupa »

Bakmoon wrote:Well, as consciousness is dependently arisen on the senses, and embryos don't even have a nervous system until the fourth week (I think that's when, if anyone knows differently please correct me), so I would suppose that prior to developing a nervous system able to engage in some sort of sense activity, the embryo doesn't have any consciousness. That's just my opinion, however.
Vinnana has namarupa and sankhara as condition, and alongside the six sense bases and an appropriate percept in range, forms the tripartite condition for contact.
  • "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

    "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.

- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]
Sylvester
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Joined: Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:57 am

Re: What is embryo thinking?

Post by Sylvester »

The trick is to decide if the locative case employed in this-that conditionality should be interpreted to entail a temporal reading or a causative reading (that is temporally disjunct). The Chinese translators of the Agamas elected the causative...
User avatar
DAWN
Posts: 801
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2012 5:22 pm

Re: What is embryo thinking?

Post by DAWN »

There is consciosness between 0 and 1, between silence and noize, between paper and picture, between void and form, between all duality.
All fenomena "have" consciosness.

Verse 1:
Manopubbangama dhamma
manosettha manomaya
Sabbe dhamma anatta
We are not concurents...
I'am sorry for my english
Bakmoon
Posts: 637
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2012 3:14 pm

Re: What is embryo thinking?

Post by Bakmoon »

daverupa wrote:
Bakmoon wrote:Well, as consciousness is dependently arisen on the senses, and embryos don't even have a nervous system until the fourth week (I think that's when, if anyone knows differently please correct me), so I would suppose that prior to developing a nervous system able to engage in some sort of sense activity, the embryo doesn't have any consciousness. That's just my opinion, however.
Vinnana has namarupa and sankhara as condition, and alongside the six sense bases and an appropriate percept in range, forms the tripartite condition for contact.
I know that, but it's a lot easier to ask when an embryo has the six sense bases than it is to try to see when an embryo has namarupa and sankhara.
The non-doing of any evil,
The performance of what's skillful,
The cleansing of one's own mind:
This is the Buddhas' teaching.
SarathW
Posts: 21306
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2012 2:49 am

Re: What is embryo thinking?

Post by SarathW »

Sylvester wrote:
SarathW wrote:Thanks all. My queston is whether embryo can think.

For further information please refer to page 329 of the link below.
I hope this clarify my question. Can you further clarify the follwoing comments in this page

http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/buddh ... gsurw6.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


This rebirth-consciousness is regarded as pure as it is either devoid of immoral roots of lust, hatred, and delusion accompanied by moral roots.


. “Radiant is this consciousness,” (pabhassaram idam cittam) says the Buddha in
the Anguttara Nikāya vol. 1, p. 10. According to the commentator the Buddha
was thus referring to the rebirth-consciousness
Hi Sylvester
Thanks for your search. Se the page 406 of attached link for the following statement:
------
This relinking-consciousness is regarded as “radiant”
(pabhassara) as it is either devoid of immoral
roots of lust, hatred and delusion (as in the case of
‘rootless resultants—ahetukavipàka), or accompanied
by moral roots (as in the case of ‘resultants with roots’).

-------

Please also see page 315 and 316 for death and rebirth thought moments.
I think in this case Re linking consciousness is equal to Bhava consciousness

http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/abhidhamma.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
SarathW
Posts: 21306
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2012 2:49 am

Re: What is embryo thinking?

Post by SarathW »

Some intersting info about this subject please read page 151 of the following attachemtn.

http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/printguna.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
SarathW
Posts: 21306
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2012 2:49 am

Re: What is embryo thinking?

Post by SarathW »

Hi all
A link is provided by a forum member "dammafriend" in another discussion. I found that there is a wealth of information in regard to this discussion.
It appears to me that the sperm cell and the ovarim egg are mere sustenance for the "Gandhabba"

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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