English
For those whose destiny is exalted, however, there is no retention; therefore, immediately after the impulsion, taking the object of the life-continuum as its object, one passing-away consciousness arises. At its end, a rebirth-linking consciousness arises, belonging to one of the happy destinies, either sense-sphere or exalted, among the objects that have presented themselves, one of the objects... The re-linking consciousness arises with that object. This is a re-linking immediately following a good destiny's death-consciousness, which has an unmentionable object, the re-linking has as its object one of the past or present unmentionable objects. In the same way, a re-linking immediately following an immaterial-sphere death-consciousness should be understood. This is the manner of the occurrence of a re-linking immediately following a good destiny's death-consciousness with a past unmentionable object, where the re-linking has a past or present unmentionable object. 627. For an evil-doer situated in a bad destiny, in the manner stated, that kamma, kamma-sign, or destiny-sign appears at the mind-door. Or, at the five doors, an object that is the cause of unwholesome arising comes into range, then, in due course, at the end of his death-consciousness, a re-linking consciousness arises with one of those objects pertaining to a bad destiny. This is the manner of the occurrence of a re-linking immediately following a bad destiny's death-consciousness with a past object, where the re-linking has a past or present object. Thus, the occurrence of all nineteen kinds of consciousness by way of re-linking has been explained. 628. All this, indeed, thus, Occurring at re-linking, proceeds in two ways by kamma; And by classifications like mixed, its classification is twofold and so on. Indeed, all these nineteen kinds of resultant consciousness, occurring at re-linking, proceed in two ways by kamma. For each, its generating kamma is a condition by way of kamma-condition of different moments and by way of decisive support condition. This has been stated: "Wholesome and unwholesome kamma is a condition for result by way of decisive support condition" (Paṭṭhāna 1.1.423). And for that which thus occurs, its classification, twofold and so on, by classifications like mixed, should be understood. For example, this, though occurring in one way by way of re-linking, is twofold by the classification of mixed and unmixed with matter. It is threefold by the classification of sense-sphere, fine-material-sphere, and immaterial-sphere existences. It is fourfold by way of birth-wombs: egg-born, womb-born, moisture-born, and spontaneously arisen. It is fivefold by way of destinies. It is sevenfold by way of stations of consciousness. It is eightfold by way of abodes of beings. 629. Therein, Mixed d Two kinds of states, And with state, there also two ways; Two or three decads, At least, together with the beginning. As for "mixed, two kinds of states," Here, the mixed rebirth-consciousness with form arises, Apart from the formless existence. That, in the form existence, arises without the state Called female faculty or male faculty. In the sense existence, apart from the rebirth of a born hermaphrodite, It arises with a state, Thus "with state" and "without state" become two kinds. And "with state, there also two ways" means: Even there, that which is "with state," That, arising with either the female or male state, Is indeed of two kinds. As for "two or three decads, at least, together with the beginning": Here, the mixed rebirth-consciousness with form, Which is the first in the pair "mixed and unmixed," Together with that, two decads arise at least By way of the base and body decads, Or three decads by way of the base, body, and state decads. There is no further decrease of form beyond this. That, arising with such a minimum measure, In the two wombs named egg-born and moisture-born, Arises having obtained the designation "kalala" (embryo), The size of a drop of ghee lifted by a single strand of wool. There, the difference in origin According to the destinies of the wombs should be understood. 630. Indeed, among these, In hell, among earth-dwelling devas, And among devas, there are no wombs; The first three are not present. All four are in the three destinies. There, by the word "and" in "and among devas," It should be understood that just as in hell, Among earth-dwelling devas, and among devas, So too among the craving-scorched hungry ghosts, The first three wombs are not present. Indeed, they are only spontaneously arisen. But in the remaining three destinies, Namely animals, the realm of hungry ghosts, and humans, And among the previously excluded earth-dwelling devas, All four wombs are present. There, Thirty and nine in those with form, Seventy at most, then forms; In moisture-born and spontaneously arisen wombs, Or else, at least, thirty. Among the form-brahmās, In the spontaneously arisen wombs, By way of the eye, ear, and base decads, And the life nonad, that is, four groups, Thirty and nine at rebirth... With dual consciousness, forms arise. But excluding the Rūpī Brahmas, in other beings born from moisture and spontaneously arisen, at the maximum, there are seventy forms, by way of the decads of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and base. And these are always in the devas. Therein, color, odor, taste, nutritive essence, and also the four elements, eye-sensitivity, and life-faculty—this aggregate of ten forms is called the eye-decad. Thus, the rest should be understood. However, at the minimum, for one born blind, deaf, without a nose, or impotent, thirty forms arise by way of the decads of tongue, body, and base. And between the maximum and minimum, the variation should be understood appropriately. 631. Having thus known, again, By aggregates, objects, destinations, causes, feelings, joy, initial application, sustained application; The distinction of difference and non-difference of death and rebirth-linking should be fully understood. The rebirth-linking, which is twofold, mixed and unmixed, and the death immediately preceding it in the past—the meaning is that the distinction of difference and non-difference of these should be known by these aggregates and so forth. How? Sometimes, indeed, immediately after a four-aggregate formless death, there is a four-aggregate rebirth-linking, undifferentiated even in terms of object. Sometimes, from an unexalted external object, to an exalted internal object. This is the method in the formless realms. Sometimes, however, immediately after a four-aggregate formless death, there is a five-aggregate sensuous realm rebirth-linking. Sometimes, immediately after a five-aggregate sensuous realm death or a fine-material realm death, there is a four-aggregate formless rebirth-linking. Thus, from a death with a past object, to a rebirth-linking with a present object. From a death in a certain good destination, to a rebirth-linking in a certain bad destination. From a rootless death, to a rooted rebirth-linking. From a two-rooted death, to a three-rooted rebirth-linking. From a death accompanied by equanimity, to a rebirth-linking accompanied by joy. From a death without joy, to a rebirth-linking with joy. From a death without initial application, to a rebirth-linking with initial application. From a death without sustained application, to a rebirth-linking with sustained application. From a death without initial and sustained application, to a rebirth-linking with initial and sustained application—and similarly, from the opposite of each, it should be applied as appropriate. 632. Thus, having obtained conditions, the dhamma This is merely a state of existence that goes from one becoming to another; There is no transmigration of a being from there, nor does it arise without a cause from there. Thus, it is said that this mere mind-and-matter, which has obtained its conditions and arises, goes from one becoming to another, not a being, not a soul. And there is no transmigration of it from a past existence to here. Nor is there its manifestation here without a cause from there. We will explain this by means of the evident sequence of human death and rebirth. Indeed, in the past existence, when one is close to death, either by natural means or by an accident, unable to bear the onslaught of the unbearable, limb-and-joint-severing, death-dealing pains, as the body gradually withers like a fresh palm leaf thrown in the sun, and the eye and other faculties cease, the body-faculty, mind-faculty, and life-faculty, established only in the heart-base, the consciousness, supported by the heart-base remaining at that moment, arises, taking as its object a kamma, which is a formation, one of the heavy, long-practiced, or proximate past kammas, which has obtained its remaining conditions, or a kamma-sign or destiny-sign presented by it. As it thus arises, because craving and ignorance are not abandoned, craving inclines towards that object, which is hidden by ignorance and full of danger, and co-arising formations propel it. Being thus inclined by craving and propelled by formations in a continuous stream, like one who crosses a river by clinging to a rope tied to a tree on the near bank, it abandons the former support and arises, either enjoying or not enjoying the latter support produced by kamma, by means of conditions such as the object. Here, the former ceasing is called death. The latter connecting with another state of existence is called rebirth. It should be understood that this neither comes here from the former existence, nor does it manifest here without a cause such as kamma, formations, inclination, or object from there. 633. There may be illustrations here, such as echoes; From the continuity, there is no oneness, nor is there diversity. And here, for this consciousness, there is no coming here from the past existence. In the course of existence,