Modes of Birth and Death

Modes of Birth and Death 

Buddhism explains four modes of birth: egg-born beings, womb-born beings, moisture-born beings, and beings having spontaneous births.

The beings that have a spontaneous birth are generally invisible to the physical eye. 

Conditioned by their past kamma, they appear spontaneously without passing through an embryonic stage. Spirits (Petas), divine beings (Devas) and Brahmas belong to this group.

In Buddhism, death is assigned to one of the four causes:

1. Exhaustion of the Reproductive Kammic energy -

The Buddhist belief is that, as a rule, the thought, volition or desire, which is extremely strong during a life-time becomes predominant at the time of death and conditions the subsequent birth. A special potentiality is present in this last thought moment. When the potential energy of this Reproductive Kamma is exhausted, the organic activities of the material form in which is embodied the life-force, cease even before the end of the lifespan in that particular plane. This often happens in the case of beings who are born in states of misery; but it can happen in other planes also.

2. Exhaustion of the Natural Life-Span -

The expiration of the life-term varies in different planes. Natural deaths, due to old age, may be classed under this category.

3. Death due to the simultaneous exhaustion of the Reproductive Kammic energy and expiration of the life-term.

4. The opposing action of a stronger Kamma that unexpectedly obstructs the flow of the Reproductive Kamma before the life term expires. Sudden, untimely deaths and deaths of children are due to this cause.

Death, according to Buddhism, is the cessation of the psycho-physical life of any one individual existence. 

It takes place by the passing away of vitality, i.e. psychic and physical life-stream of consciousness. The only difference between the passing of one thought to another in a single life-time and of the dying thought-moment to the rebirth consciousness, is that in the latter case, a marked perceptible physical death is apparent to all.

~ Ven. Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda