法苑珠林 50.11

50.11

Furthermore, the Antarābhava-sūtra says: 'The Buddha asked Maitreya: "When a child in Jambudvīpa falls to the ground upon birth and up until three years old in its mother's embrace, how much milk does it drink?" Maitreya replied: "It drinks one hundred and eighty hu of milk, excluding the four parts eaten while in the mother's womb. When a child in Pūrvavideha falls to the ground upon birth and up to three years old, it drinks one thousand eight hundred hu of milk. When a child in Aparagodānīya falls to the ground upon birth and up to three years old, it drinks eight hundred and eighty hu of milk. When a child in Uttarakuru falls to the ground upon birth, it sits by the roadside, and passers-by offer their fingers for it to suckle; in seven days it becomes an adult. In that land there is no milk. Sentient beings in the intermediate state (antarābhava) inhale the wind." (The ancients used small dou measures; compared to the current Tang dou, one modern dou equals three old dou, which is why the amount of milk seems large.)