In Buddhist thought, life does not gradually begin during pregnancy. Rather, it starts at conception, when three conditions are met: the presence of the mother, the father, and a gandhabba—the being seeking rebirth. This moment is when consciousness descends into the womb, marking the beginning of a new life. Thus, from a Buddhist perspective, embryonic life begins at fertilization.
A key passage in the Dīgha Nikāya captures this view. The Buddha explains to Ānanda that if consciousness did not enter the womb, there would be no developing body. And if it turned away after entering, the embryo would not develop into a being in this life. This clearly suggests that consciousness is a necessary condition for human development in the womb—not something that emerges later in pregnancy .
The term gabbhassa avakkanti, often translated as “descent into the womb,” is central to this idea. Scholars like Damien Keown argue that the most natural modern equivalent of this descent is fertilization, the fusion of egg and sperm. From this moment, all aspects of the embryo’s development unfold .
In line with this, the monastic code (Vinaya) treats an embryo as a living human being. A monk who intentionally destroys an embryo is guilty of a major offense—equivalent to killing a person—and must be expelled from the monastic community. This highlights how seriously Buddhism takes embryonic life: it is not seen as a “potential” human being, but a fully human life from the moment of conception .
Moreover, Buddhist ethics are built on the principle of non-harming (ahiṃsā). Because the embryo is alive and sentient in a fundamental sense—possessing the continuity of consciousness from a previous existence—it is subject to the same moral consideration as any other being. The killing of an embryo interrupts this continuity and generates serious negative karma for the one who causes it.
Even in discussions of ordination, the Vinaya calculates a person’s age from conception, not from birth. This reflects the belief that life begins not when a child takes its first breath, but when consciousness first settles into the fertilized egg .
In conclusion, Buddhism sees embryonic life as beginning at conception, marked by the arrival of consciousness. From that moment, the being is considered morally significant, deserving of care, protection, and ethical consideration.