English
, is a sign of a bad destiny. The sign of a destiny is a destiny-sign. By the power of karma, by the power of wholesome and unwholesome kamma that causes rebirth. Regarding the six doors, in the manner to be explained, for the six doors of rebirth as appropriate: if wholesome kamma ripens, then a pure wholesome consciousness arises; if unwholesome kamma, then a defiled unwholesome consciousness. Thus it is said: “when ripening… or defiled.” Therefore the Blessed One said: “Monks, consciousness, being attached to the sign’s taste, or attached to the secondary sign’s taste, remains. If at that time one dies, it is possible that one may be reborn in one of two destinations: hell or the animal realm” (Saṃ. Ni. 4.235). “Tatthoṇataṃ vā” means as if bent towards that existence in which one is to be reborn, or the word division is “tatthoṇataṃ eva” (bent towards that very existence). The intention in “bāhullenā” (mostly) should be understood in the way stated in “yebhuyyena bhavantare” (mostly in another existence). Alternatively, since that can be included by “yathārahaṃ” (as appropriate), it is understood that “bāhullenā” indicates that it is not always the case, like for those whose lives are suddenly cut short, as opposed to those who die slowly. “Abhinavakaraṇavasena” means by way of making oneself new, as if being made at that very moment. 91. “Paccāsannamaraṇassa” means of one whose death is near, by way of an age equal to one thought-process or slightly more than that. “Vīthicittāvasāne” means at the end of the thought-processes that conclude with tadārammaṇa (retention) or that conclude with javana (impulsion). There, in accordance with the Dhamma, it is said: “For those who pass away from the sense-sphere existence and are reborn in that same existence, they conclude with tadārammaṇa; for others, they conclude with javana.” “Bhavaṅgakkhaye” means if there is a remaining lifespan longer than one javana thought-process, then it arises and ceases at the end of the bhavaṅga. If there is a remaining lifespan of one thought-moment, then at the end of the thought-process, and that is only concerned with past kamma, etc. “Tassānantarameva” (immediately after that) refutes the view of those who advocate an intermediate state. As appropriate, kamma according to the time of action and the time of giving result. Or, according to the latent defilements corresponding to the ripening kamma, or according to the arising of impulsion-concomitants. This is the meaning of "corresponding to the arising." But it was said, "encompassed by the latent defilement of ignorance." How can impulsion-concomitants be latent defilements? This is no fault, for even these are called latent defilements due to their similarity to latent defilements. Otherwise, there would be no inclusion of those concomitant with unwholesome kamma, or those concomitant with craving for existence, or those impulsion-concomitants close to death. Ignorance, indeed, is a latent defilement because it is unabandoned and arises; encompassed by it, surrounded by it. The latent defilement of craving is the root, the principal, the assisting cause of this, thus "rooted in the latent defilement of craving." By formations means by wholesome and unwholesome kamma, by the aggregate of kamma-concomitant phenomena like contact, or by impulsion-concomitants close to death; generated by these. For craving leads in matters where the danger is concealed by ignorance, and the formations, considered as projecting formations, project, as it was said: "By ignorance, craving, and formations concomitant with going to lower realms; and by those that conceal the danger of objects, and by those that do not project. "By the unabandoned, there is concealment and leading for the others; but the projecting formations are wholesome here." "Encompassed by the associated" means encompassed by phenomena like contact associated with oneself, by way of association condition and so on. "Being the foundation for the co-arisen, being the foremost" means being the principal, being the foundation for those co-arisen with oneself. For it was said, "Mind is the forerunner of all states." "By way of linking to another existence" means by way of linking the former existence and the latter existence as if bound together, it becomes established as it arises, not by going from here—this is the intention. For no phenomenon belonging to the former existence transmigrates to another existence, nor does it arise without causes belonging to the former existence, like an echo, a lamp, or a seal. Enough. due to excessive proliferation. 92. Those that arise slowly are slow-arising. The intention is that in the mind-door, it is by way of the destiny-sign (gatinimitta) regarding present objects that have come into range, and in the five doors, it is by way of the kamma-sign (kammanimitta). The present-object nature of rebirth-linking and life-continuum (bhavaṅga) is also obtainable; thus, in the mind-door, the rebirth-linking and the four life-continuums, and in the five doors, only the rebirth-linking, are obtainable as having present objects. For instance, when a present destiny-sign that has come into range in someone's mind-door is taken as an object, and a thought-process (cittavīthi) ending with that object arises, and immediately after the death-consciousness (cuticitta) arises, then the rebirth-linking and the four life-continuums, which arise with an object lasting five thought-moments, and in the five doors, the rebirth-linking, which arises with an object lasting one thought-moment, immediately after the thought-process that arises appropriately taking as object the color, etc., of the gifts presented by relatives, etc., and the death-consciousness, are found to occur with present objects. This is the summary here; the detailed explanation should be seen in the Visuddhimagga (Visuddhi. 2.620 ff.) or in the Vibhaṅga Commentary (Vibha. Aṭṭha. 227) in the section describing the term "consciousness conditioned by formations." "Grasped by six doors" should be understood as: the kamma-sign is grasped by six doors, and the destiny-sign is grasped by the sixth door, as appropriate. Others, however, explain it without distinction. In the Saccasaṅkhepa too, this was stated with the same intention: "In the five doors, there may be linking, without kamma in two spheres." (Sa. Sa. 173); However, in the Commentary (Visuddhi. 2.624-625; Vibha. Aṭṭha. 227), it is stated that "the destiny-sign comes into range in the mind-door," and the five-door rebirth-linking with that object is not shown, and in the Mūlaṭīkā and other sub-commentaries, it is stated with the rule that "the color-ayatana, presented by the power of kamma, comes into the range of the mind-door, just like one seeing a dream or one with divine sight." (Visuddhi. Mahā. 2.623) Therefore, their The teachers do not accept the statement. Regarding "and present," the sign of destiny is indeed a present object, but the sign of kamma is intended to be the sign of the kamma that generates rebirth. How then can its present state be possible, when it is grasped by the javanas close to death? For it cannot be both the object-presenter and the generator of rebirth, due to the absence of accumulation and not having been savored. For, according to the saying "due to having been done, due to having been accumulated" (Dhs. 431), only kamma that has been repeatedly practiced draws forth rebirth. And in the Paṭisambhidāmagga (Paṭi. Ma. 1.232), it is stated that the conditions of two causes at the moment of craving are for rebirth with causes. Kamma that is done and accumulated, when savored by craving, produces results. And at that time, how could the javanas close to death, which occur as if in the same thought-process as rebirth, be repeatedly practiced? And how could they be grasped by craving at that time? Moreover, the present kamma-sign is the object of the five-door javanas occurring close to death. "And five-door kamma is not a sign of rebirth due to its extreme weakness," is stated in the commentary (Vism. 2.620; VibhA. 227), and this is true. However, when flowers and so on, presented by relatives and others, are present, and death occurs, the present color and so on, grasped by the javanas close to death, are said to be the kamma-sign, being identical with the object of the mind-door javanas capable of generating rebirth, which occur in the preceding part of the thought-process close to death, with reference to the color and so on. And thus, Ānanda Acariya said: "The present kamma-sign that comes into the range of the five doors arises in the continuum of the object of kamma done close to death, and should be seen as similar to it" (VibhA-mūlaṭī. 227; Vism-mahā. 2.623). 94. As is fitting, the second and fourth in accordance with the rebirth-linking of the first three. 98. After the decease of the immaterial sphere, rebirth-linkings of the immaterial sphere occur, excluding the lower immaterial spheres, due to the non-exertion of lower and lower kamma by the higher and higher immaterial beings. But due to the strong nature of access-jhāna, rebirth-linkings with three roots in the sense-sphere, which are its results, occur. After the decease of the fine-material sphere, rebirth-linkings with two or three roots may occur, without those rootless, solely by the power of access-jhāna. After decease from a three-rooted sense-sphere existence, all rebirth-linkings, belonging to the sense, fine-material, and immaterial existences, may occur appropriately, starting with the rootless. After decease from other two-rooted or rootless existences, rebirth-linkings with three roots, etc., may occur only in the sense-sphere existences. The description of the sequence of decease and rebirth-linking is finished. 99. Immediately after the cessation of rebirth-linking, after the cessation of rebirth-linking. That very consciousness, due to its similarity,