这一世，从入胎起就开始了

Second phase: present life

第二个阶段：现世。

The first state of the present life is consciousness. When the mind of a bardo being merges with a zygote from the parents, what emerged at the very first instant is consciousness. It only lasts one instant, not two or three. From the second instant onward, name and form begins.

现世的第一支是识支。中阴身的心识融入父母受精卵的时候，第一刹那的意识（神识）叫做识缘起支，它只有一刹那，没有第二、第三刹那，第二、第三、第四刹那就属于名色支了。

Another interpretation of consciousness is that, if alaya consciousness is acknowledged, it itself is the alaya consciousness. However, the Theravada tradition does not acknowledge alaya consciousness. To Theravada, this is mind consciousness. Either way, the mind emerged at the first instant of conception is called consciousness.

另外一种说法是，如果建立阿赖耶识，那么，识缘起支就是阿赖耶识。但不建立阿赖耶识的小乘不这么认为，他们认为识就是心识。无论是心识也好，阿赖耶识也好，投胎第一刹那的心就叫做识。

The second is name and form, which begins from the second instant of conception. In the beginning stage of gestation, there is just the shape of an embryo, not yet a full body. It can only be deemed a cause for the manifestation of a human body. This is form. What is name then? According to the Abhidharma-kosha-shastra, “name”is sensation, perception and mental formations associated with consciousness in the early period of gestation. In fact, all six consciousnesses are inseparable from sensation, perception and mental formations. Why are they called name? For instance, a name of a person or an object is not like matter which has mass that can block the passage of other substances. An object can have three or four names, but they would not interfere with one another. Likewise, neither would sensation, perception and mental formations obstruct one another as they are non-material, a process of mind and hence the term “name”.

第二支是名色，是从住胎的第二刹那开始算起的。在受精卵逐渐演变形成人体的过程初期，只有胎形，尚未形成真正的身体，只可以称作人体的一种因而已，这就叫做色支（物质）。那名是什么呢？《俱舍论》里讲，名就是在住胎初期和意识相关的受、想、行（精神）。所有的意识也好，眼识等前五识也好，都离不开受、想、行，这些就叫做名。为什么叫做名呢？譬如说，人的名字也好，物质的名字也好，都没有像物质一样的阻碍，一个事物可以有三四个名字，它们相互之间是毫无质碍的。同样的，受、想、行也是没有阻碍（非物质）的，它们是心识的一个过程，所以叫做名。

Buddhism enumerates five stages of gestation that are described in both the Abhidharma-kosha-shastra and the tantras of Great Perfection. The descriptions are very detailed particularly in the tantras of Great Perfection. Despite the fact that the word “cell” was not used in these texts, the writing actually delineated the complex process of cell division (reproduction). Those with a medical background would be very surprised to discover that the depiction is in accord with that of modern medicine. The gestation period between the second instant of conception and right before the development of the six sense organs is designated name and form, which lasts quite a long time.

佛教中讲的人住胎的五个阶段，在《俱舍论》乃至大圆满的续部里都提到过。尤其是在大圆满的续部里，连这五个阶段的细节都讲得非常清楚。这些经论虽然没有用“细胞”这个名词，实际上却讲到了细胞组合又分裂、分裂又组合的详细而复杂的过程。这种讲法令学医的人感到非常惊讶，因为这和现代医学的说法相当吻合。其中从投胎的第二剎那起，直至尚未形成眼根、耳根等六根之前的这个住胎阶段就叫做名色支，在此期间有一段漫长的过程。