In
Buddhism
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
, Jāti (
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
/
Pāli
Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a classical Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Therav ...
), "birth", refers to physical birth; to
rebirth
Rebirth may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Film
* ''Rebirth'' (2011 film), a 2011 Japanese drama film
* ''Rebirth'' (2016 film), a 2016 American thriller film
* ''Rebirth'', a 2011 documentary film produced by Project Rebirth
* '' ...
, the arising of a new living entity within
''saṃsāra'' (cyclic existence); and to the arising of mental phenomena.
Meaning
Within the teachings on the
Four Noble Truths
In Buddhism, the Four Noble Truths (; ; "The Four Arya (Buddhism), arya satya") are "the truths of the noble one (the Buddha)," a statement of how things really are (Three marks of existence, the three marks of existence) when they are seen co ...
, ''jāti'' refers to physical birth, and is qualified as ''
dukkha'' (suffering): "Now this, monks, is the noble truth of dukkha: birth (jati) is dukkha, aging is dukkha, death is dukkha."
In traditional Buddhist thought, there are four forms of birth:
* birth from an egg (
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
: Andaja;
Pali
Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a Classical languages of India, classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pali Canon, Pāli Can ...
: Aṇḍaja; ; )—like a bird, fish, or reptile;
* birth from a womb (Sanskrit: Jarayuja; Pali: Jalābuja; ; )—like most mammals and some worldly
devas;
* birth from moisture (Sanskrit: Samsvedaja;
Pali
Pāli (, IAST: pāl̤i) is a Classical languages of India, classical Middle Indo-Aryan languages, Middle Indo-Aryan language of the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pali Canon, Pāli Can ...
: Saṃsedaja; ; )—probably referring to the appearance of animals whose eggs are microscopic, like maggots appearing in rotting flesh;
* birth by transformation (Sanskrit: Upapaduka; Pali: Opapatika; ; )—miraculous materialization, as with the
devas.
Jāti is the eleventh link within the
eleventh Nidāna of
paṭiccasamuppāda ("dependent arising" or "dependent origination"), where it can refer both to rebirth and to the arising of mental phenomena. The ''
Vibhanga'', the second book of the Theravada ''
Abbidhamma'', treats it in both ways. In the ''Suttantabhajaniya'' it is described as rebirth, which is conditioned by becoming (
bhava
The Sanskrit word ''bhava'' (भव) means being, worldly existence, becoming, birth, be, production, origin,Monier Monier-Williams (1898), Sanskrit English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Archiveभव, bhava but also habitual or emotio ...
), and gives rise to old age and death (
) in a living being. In the ''Abhidhammabhajaniya'' it is treated as the arising of mental phenomena.
References
Sources
*
Further reading
;Single suttas
*
Piyadassi Thera (trans.) (1999). ''Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta: Setting in Motion the Wheel of Truth'' (
SN 56.11). Retrieved 2007-06-13 from "Access to Insight" a
Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta: Setting in Motion the Wheel of Truth
*
Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (1997). ''Paticca-samuppada-vibhanga Sutta: Analysis of Dependent Co-arising'' (
SN 12.2). Retrieved 2007-06-20 from "Access to Insight" a
SN XII.2: Paticca-samuppada-vibhanga Sutta
* Thanissaro Bhikkhu (trans.) (2000). ''Maha-satipatthana Sutta: The Great Frames of Reference'' (
DN 22). Retrieved 2007-06-20 from "Access to Insight" a
Maha-satipatthana Sutta: The Great Frames of Reference
*
;Sutta-collections
*
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;Commentaries and interpretations
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;Scholarly
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{{Buddhism topics
Twelve nidānas
Sanskrit words and phrases