Korea Journal of Buddhist Studies ISSN:1598-0642(Print) 불교학연구

This study aims to propose an alternative understanding by tracing the origins of the embryologic interpretations of Twelve Nidānas (paṭiccasamuppāda) in Nikāyas. Since the interpretation from Abhidhamma, Twelve Nidānas has been regarded as a reincarnation theory that explains the embryologic process. Though major commentators and researchers have been rejecting the embryologic interpretations, the embryologic interpretations are regarded to be a difficult issue either to accept or reject because of the expressions such as "consciousness [viññāṇa] descends into the mother’s womb" in Mahānidāna-sutta and "the infant was born from an union of three conditions that are the mother and father and the spirit-being (gandhabba)" in Mahātaṇhāsaṅkhaya-sutta. This study concentrates on the context beyond the embryologic interpretations. The former expression is to be an explanation that consciousness resumes activities of the language-recognition and comes back from Form·Formless Realm (rūpa·ārūpadhātu) to Desire Realm (kāmadhātu) among ‘Three Realms’ (Tayodhātavo). Here the mother’s womb can be understood as a conscious space such as the womb (yoni) expresses the space of a deep understanding (manas) of the law (dhamma). The latter is to be an explanation in context that the consciousness should be understood under human conditions targeting the thought of Sati who misinterpreted it as the subject of reincarnation. In this sutta, embryologic description is added after the explanations of Twelve Nidānas, to correct Sati's idea of regarding it as transcendental being. Considering these contexts, it can be seen that the Twelve Nidānas are difficult to be generalized with the embryologic interpretations. Therefore, this study claims that Twelve Nidānas should be approached by considering the whole teaching and the context of each scripture beyond the embryologic interpretation which is only a later work.