Expert: Alex Wilding - 5/11/2009

Question
Dear Alex,
Hope this finds you in the best of your health and spirits.

I have a small question on re-birth.
As per the information that I have read, normally, the consciousness enters the fathers sperm and mothers ovum a the time of conception and then proceeds become their child. This I can understand. But what happens in the case of twins, quadruplets etc ? Is it the same consciousness split into two or 4 or are they 2 or 4 different consciousness ?

Also I would like your guidelines on how to put into practice the teachings on the Buddha in everyday life. I have been following the teachings for more than 2 years now.

Thanks and Regards

Rajendran Menon

Answer
Hello Rajendra,
Yes, what you say is what is usually described, though I believe Theravada schools put the start of the new life at birth rather than conception. (Don't quote me on that!)
I have never seen any description of the process with multiple births. We now know, of course, that the "splits" occur some time after conception. I would doubt whether the difference between monozygotic twins and ordinary twins was understood in the "Buddhist past", though I dare guess that unusual twins who are not just similar but practically identical must have been noted from time to time.
For ordinary twins (like me, as it happens) there is clearly no problem - it's just the normal process, but more than one.
I certainly don't know of any traditional texts that address this issue. My personal speculation would be that even though the consciousness has connected to the zygote, it is perhaps not very deeply "embedded" or "entangled" with it when it is only a few cells. It is not, after all, able to support much in the way of human perception or activity at that stage. So perhaps it is not so hard for one consciousness to "move over a bit" to make room for another. But that's sheer speculation, which is, I'm afraid, all I can offer.

As for "everyday life", I'd suggest you try to connect with some like-minded people. Do you live near any other Buddhists or centres that might suit you?

All the best
Alex W