TANTRIC BUDDHISM (INCLUDING CHINA AND JAPAN)The mother and father as two people marry and afterwards a birth will occur.
Both are proceeding on the road of possible joy and happiness.
In the middle of the woman's yoni, there are two niidis that extend to the
right and left sides. Into the left niidi the semen seed descends; into the right
niidi, the blood seed descends.
Just as the inherent nature of the Dharmadhiitu^19 is one thing so in the middle
of the yoni the two things - the man's semen and the woman's blood - are
joined as one thing. Having been joined, particle goes to rest in the mother's
womb.
At 1 month, after having gone into the uterus of the mother's womb, it will
seem like a dirty substance after having been mixed with semen. At 2 months
after slowly moving, it will seem like a grain of sleep dust. At 4 months it will
seem thick.
At 5 months, after air (viiyu) has entered into it, it will take on the fish form;^20
the hands, feet, head, body and every part is very tiny and will (change) quickly.
And so the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and mind, i.e. the 5 parts,^21 will be filled up
with the 5 substances.^22 At 6 months, the bones and cartilage will be solid.
At 7 months there is head hair, body hair, and nails.
At 8 months the sense organs are complete and sensitive. After the 5 mater-
ials are complete, birth occurs at 10 months.
- Cutting the umbilical cord
After the birth, in order to protect the baby, and thinking that one must guide the
nine-limbed newborn one to be naturally intelligent, one puts the umbilical cord
on a nutmeg and cuts it.
After cutting the umbilical cord, one washes (the child) and plays auspicious
music. And then, having given a gift, one performs a ceremony. From the time
of the cord cutting, one observes restrictions.^23- Release from birth pollution
To be released from childbirth (restrictions)^24 according to tradition, one gives
Kalasii abhiseka^25 to the baby and offers best wishes.
Having put ghee and honey on a pipal tree leaf, and having done pujii accord-
ing to the rules, one feeds these to the baby.
Having assembled 6 pathi of barley grain on top of a leaf (and putting this on
Sri Maiijusri's mar:ufala), one puts 60 lights around the leaf and [the Vajradirya]
does the 3 samiidhi meditation and all pujiis.
And again, according to the planet siidhana guide, one writes the horoscope;
having analyzed the planet pujii [the Vajracarya] recites the mantra of the 9
planets [grahamatrkii].