法苑珠林 72.8

72.8

As the Prajñā Sūtra says: 'First, egg-born; second, womb-born; third, moisture-born; fourth, apparitionally born.' Furthermore, the Sūtra of the Oral Explanation of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination in the Āgamas says: 'There are four kinds of birth: first, birth from the belly, which refers to humans and animals (this is womb-born); second, birth through the conjunction of cold and heat, which refers to insects, moths, fleas, and lice (this is moisture-born); third, apparitional birth, which refers to the heavens and the hells; fourth, egg-born, which refers to flying birds, fish, and turtles.' Furthermore, the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra says: 'Animals are immeasurable; briefly stated, there are three places: first, those that travel by water, namely fish and the like; second, those that travel by land, namely elephants and the like; third, those that travel through the air, namely birds and the like. Alternatively, seeing animals with the divine eye, there are four kinds of birth. What are the four? First, womb-born, namely the kinds of elephants, horses, cattle, and sheep; second, egg-born, namely vipers, serpents, geese, ducks, chickens, pheasants, and all birds; third, moisture-born, namely the kinds of fleas, lice, and nits; fourth, apparitionally born, such as the long-faced dragons and the like.' Therefore the sūtra says: 'Birth is the arising of new faculties; death is the cessation of all feeling faculties.'