21.3 （三）

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was at Anāthapiṇḍada's Park in the Jeta Grove near Śrāvastī.

At that time, the World-Honored One told the bhikṣus, "There are three causes and conditions for consciousness to come and conceive. What are the three? Bhikṣus! If the mother has lustful thoughts, the parents gather together in one place and spend the night together, but the external consciousness is not yet ready to come, then conception will not take place. If the consciousness is ready to come, but the parents do not gather together, then conception will not take place. If the mother is without lust, and the parents gather together in one place, then if the father has strong lustful thoughts, but the mother is not very earnest, then conception will not take place. If the parents gather together in one place, and the mother has strong lust, but the father is not very earnest, then conception will not take place.

If the parents gather together in one place, and the father has a wind illness, and the mother has a cold illness, then conception will not take place. If the parents gather together in one place, and the mother has a wind illness, and the father has a cold illness, then conception will not take place. If at some time the parents gather together in one place, and the father's body has excessive moisture, and the mother does not have this affliction, then conception will not take place.

If at some time the parents gather together in one place, and the father has the signs of having a son, and the mother has the signs of not having a son, then conception will not take place. If at some time the parents gather together in one place, and the mother has the signs of having a son, and the father has the signs of not having a son, then conception will not take place. If at some time the parents both have the signs of not having a son, then conception will not take place.

If at some time the consciousness-spirit approaches the womb, and the father is not present, then conception will not take place. If at some time the parents should gather together in one place, but the mother is away and not present, then conception will not take place. If at some time the parents should gather together in one place, and the father's body encounters a serious illness, and the consciousness-spirit comes to approach, then conception will not take place. If at some time the parents should gather together in one place, and the consciousness-spirit comes to approach, but the mother's body obtains a serious illness, then conception will not take place. If at some time the parents should gather together in one place, and the consciousness-spirit comes to approach, but the parents' bodies both obtain illness, then conception will not take place.

If at some time, monks! the parents gather together in one place, the parents are without illness, and the consciousness-spirit comes to approach, and the parents both have the signs of having a son, then conception will take place. This is said to be the three causes and conditions for coming to receive conception. Therefore, monks! you should seek means to cut off the three causes and conditions. Thus, monks! you should train in this.

At that time, the bhikṣus heard what the Buddha said, and joyfully received and practiced it.