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March 14, 2021; revised March 15, 2021; July 29, 2022; rewritten December 13, 2024

Jāti has different meanings depending on the context. In the Idappaccayatā Paṭicca Samuppāda, one can be “born” in many “temporary births” during any given day. Jāti also refers to rebirths among various realms in the rebirth process.

Three Main Meanings of Jāti

1. The commonly-used meaning of jāti is “birth,” as in the birth of a human body. We celebrate “birthdays” based on the day someone was born in this life. As we see below, Buddha Dhamma has two other (different) meanings depending on the context.

i.In the Uppatti Paṭicca Samuppāda, jāti means the birth in a new realm among the 31 realms. For example, a living being can be born as a human, animal, Deva, Brahma, etc.; that is a birth in that existence. See, “Akusala-Mūla Uppatti Paṭicca Samuppāda.”

ii.On the other hand, in Idappaccayatā Paṭicca Samuppāda, one can be “born” in countless “temporary births” during a given lifetime. See #3 below.

▪The above two are the main meanings of “jāti” in Buddha Dhamma. After understanding the concepts, one could use the same term appropriate for a given situation.

▪Note that jāti is pronounced “jāthi” with “th” sound as in “three.” See ““Tipiṭaka English” Convention Adopted by Early European Scholars – Part 1.”

“Birth of a Baby” as Jāti = Mundane Version

2. The mundane meaning of “birth” as the birth of a human (or animal) baby is all we can “see” with our limited worldview.

▪It takes a Buddha to comprehend the real nature of this complex world.

▪The two possible meanings of “jāti” listed in #1 above require a basic understanding of the “wider worldview” of the Buddha.

▪The first refers to possible births among 31 realms in a rebirth process. But it DOES NOT mean the “re-appearing” of a soul (as in Abrahamic religions) or a ātman (as in Hinduism.) Most people are familiar with this type of jāti.

▪Let us consider the second type briefly.

“Temporary Births” During a Lifetime – Important Type of Jāti

3. This type of jāti happens during a lifetime. For example, one can become angry and be “born” in an “angry bhava” and “angry jāti” for a short time. An hour later, one may learn of a big promotion and become very happy. At that time, one is “born” in a “happy jāti.”

▪Even before understanding births (jāti) in the rebirth process, it is essential to understand how various temporary jāti arise. The Buddha discussed that in many suttas. See, for example, “WebLink: suttacentral: Avijjā Sutta (AN 10.61).” This sutta explains that one must associate with “Noble Persons” or “sappurisa” (“true persons” in the English translation), cultivate good habits, and be mindful of one’s actions. That way, one is likely to be “born in good jāti” numerous times during this life. That is the basis for guaranteeing good rebirths in the rebirth process (saṁsāra.)

▪The Buddha explained various types of jāti (for a human) to Vāseṭṭha in the “WebLink: suttacentral: Vāseṭṭha Sutta (MN 98).” The English translation there is good enough to get the idea. In that sutta, the Buddha told Vāseṭṭha that humans are the same as a species. But they can be “born” in various “gati” according to their actions. For example, one who steals is “born” a thief. In another example, the Buddha says, “I don’t call someone a brahmin (of high caste) based on the mother or womb they came from but based on their actions.” Furthermore, even an immoral person can change to be “born a moral person of good character.”

▪See “Paṭicca Samuppāda During a Lifetime” for details on “temporary jāti.” These arise via Idappaccayatā Paṭicca Samuppāda.

Births Among the 31 Realms in the Rebirth Process

4. In the “WebLink: suttacentral: Saccavibhaṅga Sutta (MN 141),” Ven. Sāriputta explains in a bit more detail the material in the “Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (SN 56.11).” That sutta states: “Katamā cāvuso, jāti? Yā tesaṁ tesaṁ sattānaṁ tamhi tamhi sattanikāye jāti sañjāti okkanti abhinibbatti khandhānaṁ pātubhāvo āyatanānaṁ paṭilābho, ayaṁ vuccatāvuso: ‘jāti’.”

Translated: “What is jāti? It is the birth of beings in the various realms with one or more of the following stages: jāti sañjāti okkanti abhinibbatti khandhānaṁ pātubhāvo āyatanānaṁ paṭilābho. This is called birth.”

▪English translations try to translate those words directly, but that does not convey their real meaning. See the English translation in the above link.

▪Let us briefly go through the steps. All steps are controlled and implemented by kammic energy.

First Two Steps – Jāti and Sañjāti

5. First, just three sets of suddhaṭṭhaka (vatthu dasaka, kāya dasaka, and bhava dasaka) appear in the corresponding realm. This is the jāti stage.

▪Within a split second, four more dasaka (four pasāda rūpa of cakkhu, sota, ghāna, and jivhā) are incorporated, leading to the sañjāti stage. Here, “sañjāti” means “adding to jāti.”

▪That completes the formation of the essential “manomaya kāya” required for ALL living beings.

▪That completes the process for all Brahma births since they only have a “manomaya kāya.”

▪Devās in the six Deva realms also end up with their “final body” in this step. However, they will be formed with a physical body like ours, but much less dense.

▪Thus, opapatika (instantaneous) births in the Deva and Brahma realms occur with only jāti and sañjāti steps. A Brahma or a Deva is born instantaneously, complete with all parts of their “bodies.”

Humans and Animals Have Other Additional Stages of “Birth”

6. Humans and animals have the other four stages, which are as follows. Let us describe human birth; it is the same process for animals.

•The “manomaya kāya” created in the first two steps is called a “human gandhabba.” It will appear in the human realm; since it has only seven suddhaṭṭhaka (each smaller than an atom in modern science), we cannot see them.

•That gandhabba then stays for the duration of human existence (bhava.)  

7. That gandhabba is periodically pulled into a womb by kammic energy to be “born with a physical body.” When pulled into a womb, the gandhabba merges with a zygote, which is the okkanti state. See “Buddhist Explanations of Conception, Abortion, and Contraception.”

▪Then, that embryo grows in the womb in the abhinibbatti stage.

▪When all body parts are formed, that is the khandhānaṁ pātubhāvo stage, and a baby then comes out of the womb. This is what we commonly call a “birth.”

▪After the baby is born, the sensory faculties start working as āyatana. This is the last āyatanānaṁ paṭilābho stage.

▪For details, see “Manomaya Kāya (Gandhabba) and the Physical Body” and “Buddhist Explanations of Conception, Abortion, and Contraception.”

Repeated “Births” Within Human and Animal Bhava

8. When the physical body dies, that is not necessarily the end of the “human bhava.” That gandhabba comes out of the dead body and waits for another womb. We also call this “repeated jāti” within that same human bhava. See “Bhava and Jāti – States of Existence and Births Therein.” Per our discussion above, “jāti” in that post refers to the mundane meaning – which is the same as the khandhānaṁ pātubhāvo stage in #7 above. Thus, we need to understand the meaning of a word appropriate for the situation.

▪When the kammic energy for the human bhava (human existence) is depleted, that gandhabba dies, which is the end of human bhava. Then, it can grasp a new existence, such as a Deva, Brahma, animal, etc.

▪Therefore, we can see that a human can be in the ‘human bhava” as a human gandhabba for many thousands of years. The same holds for animals. A fly lives with a visible “fly body” only for several days, but that “fly bhava” can last thousands/millions of years. That is the “repeated births” within a given bhava.  There are many more details that can be found by searching for posts on gandhabba; type the word “gandhabba” in the “Search” box on the top right.

There Are Other Types of Jāti Too!

9. When one gets deeper into Buddha Dhamma, one can see that everything in this world is “born” due to causes and effects, i.e., Paṭicca Samuppāda. For example, a tree is born out of a seed. A car is “born” in a factory.

▪“Jāti dhamma” (those that arise via Paṭicca Samuppāda) include “Partners and children, male and female bondservants, goats and sheep, chickens and pigs, elephants and cattle, and gold and money are all jāti dhamma.” See “WebLink: suttacentral: Pāsarāsi Sutta (MN 26).”

▪Note that the English translation in the above link is misleading/wrong: “Partners and children, male and female bondservants, goats and sheep, chickens and pigs, elephants and cattle, and gold and money are liable to be reborn.”

▪The Buddha did not describe the mechanism of how external rūpa arise due to the COLLECTIVE kammic energies generated by living beings. It is critical to realize that the physical objects in the external world do not arise due to one mind but due to ALL relevant minds. That will likely be a very complex process; we don’t need to understand it.

▪To attain Nibbāna, we must understand how an INDIVIDUAL MIND (specifically one’s own mind) attaches to worldly things and how that leads to suffering. That is the process explained by Paṭicca Samuppāda.

10. Technical Point: Significant kammic energies (that can contribute to one’s future and changes in the physical world) are generated in javana citta. Such javana cittās arise while consciously engaging in kāya, vacī, or mano kamma, i.e., after the “taṇhā paccayā upādāna” step in Paṭicca Samuppāda.

▪Thus, such significant kammic energies arise only in the “nava kamma” stage and not in the “purāṇa kamma” stage.

▪See “Purāṇa and Nava Kamma – Sequence of Kamma Generation.”

Jātidhammā Lead to Jāti

11. It is to be noted that jātidhammā (in #9 above) means something different from jāti.

▪As explained in the “WebLink: suttacentral: Saccavibhaṅga Sutta (MN 141),” Jātidhammā are dhammā (kammic energies) responsible for jāti. Similarly, jarādhammā, byādhidhammā, and sokaparidevadukkhadomanassupāyāsadhammā are dhammā responsible for old age, disease, and all other sufferings associated with jāti: sorrow (soka), lamentation (parideva), suffering (dukkha), misery (domanassa), and despair (upāyāsa).

▪The key verse in that regard: “Jātidhammānaṁ, āvuso, sattānaṁ evaṁ icchā uppajjati: ‘aho vata mayaṁ na jātidhammā assāma; na ca vata no jāti āgaccheyyā’ti.” The correct translation is, “In sentient beings who are liable to be reborn, such a wish arises (once they understand the Paṭicca Samuppāda process): ‘Oh, if only we don’t have jātidhammā that bring rebirths! If only rebirth would not come to us!” That is because every birth (in any realm) ends up in suffering with death.”

▪As we know, dhammā make contact with the mind to generate mano viññāṇa: “manañca paṭicca dhamme ca uppajjati manoviññāṇaṁ.” When grasping a new existence in the rebirth process, it happens via “manañca paṭicca dhamme ca uppajjati mano viññāṇaṁ.” In that special case of rebirth, dhamma is a kamma bija responsible for that birth, and mano viññāṇa (in this specific situation) is the paṭisandhi viññāṇa or the “rebirth consciousness.”

▪Also, see “What are rūpa? – Dhamma are rūpa too!”

Summary

12. The term jāti (birth) must be understood according to the situation.

▪When someone says, “I was born 30 years ago,” that refers to his/her birth with the present physical body. That person would not know when he/she was first “born” in the human realm. Thus, we normally refer to birth as “to be born with a human body.” We say the same about animals: “This dog was born ten years ago.”

▪However, in Buddhist terminology, birth (jāti) refers to two main types discussed above. (i) The first happens many times during a given lifetime, and (ii) The second type of jāti is the moment of appearance in any given realm. A living being could be born a Deva, Brahma, human, animal, etc.

▪An Arahant would not be born in any jāti during the rest of life, i.e., the Idappaccayatā Paṭicca Samuppāda will never again operate. After the Parinibbāna (death) of an Arahant, birth (jāti) in any of the 31 realms of this world will not take place. In the “WebLink: suttacentral: Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (SN 56.11),” the Buddha stated, “ayamantimā jāti” or “this is my last birth.” At Parinibbāna (merging with Nibbāna), suffering stops without a trace.

▪As long as there is a jāti, it ALWAYS ends up in death. That is why all Paṭicca samuppāda cycles end with decay (jarā) and death (maraṇa): “jāti paccayā jarā, maraṇa, soka-parideva-dukkha-domanassupāyasā sambhavan’ti.