Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume 10: Commentary on the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination (Part Five)

Original text: 其形腐败云何。谓寿量将尽。身形临坏。于诸事业。无复功能。此老略义者。谓依止变坏。须发变坏。充悦变坏。火力变坏。无病变坏。色相变坏。威仪变坏。无色诸根变坏。有色诸根变坏。时分已过。寿量将尽。略义应知。彼彼有情云何。谓那落迦等。有情种类云何。谓即彼一切。

Explanation: What does "decay of the body" mean? It means the lifespan is about to run out, the body's form is on the verge of breaking down, and one no longer has the capacity to carry out the tasks one needs to do. The general meaning of aging is: the bodily faculty one depends upon deteriorates; the hair on the head and body turns gray and deteriorates; one's mental state deteriorates; the body's vital warmth (fire power) declines; one's physical health deteriorates; the appearance of the material body deteriorates; the deportment of walking, standing, sitting, and lying down declines; the formless manas deteriorates; the five faculties that have form deteriorate; the time one has to live has passed, and the lifespan is about to reach its end. These should be understood as the general meaning. What does "this and that kind of sentient being" mean? It refers to beings in the hells (naraka) and so forth. What does "the categories of sentient beings" mean? It means all of those sentient beings without exception.

Original text: 终云何。谓诸有情。离解支节而死。尽云何。谓诸有情。由解支节而死。坏云何。谓识离身。没云何。谓诸色根灭。舍寿云何。谓气将尽位。舍暖云何。谓不动位。弃舍诸蕴。命根谢灭云何。谓时死。

Explanation: What is "ending"? It means the lives of all sentient beings have come to an end—the dissolution of the four great elements and the dismemberment of the material body are not far off. What does "exhaustion" mean? It means all sentient beings die with the bodily faculties dismembered and the four great elements separated. What does "dissolution" mean? It means the eight consciousnesses depart from the body. What does "perishing" mean? It means all the five faculties that have form cease. What does "relinquishing the lifespan" mean? It means the stage when the breath is about to be exhausted. What does "relinquishing warmth" mean? It means the five aggregates have become motionless and are all relinquished. What does "the extinction of the life faculty" mean? It means death.

Original text: 死云何。谓遇横缘。非时而死。时运尽云何。谓初死未久位。又死魔业名时运尽。此死略义者。谓若死若死法。若死差别。若死后位。是名略义。如是名为。缘起差别应知。

Explanation: What is "death"? It means encountering violent, adverse conditions and dying before one's time—that is, dying an untimely death. What does "the exhaustion of one's allotted time" mean? It means the stage shortly after death has just occurred; also, the māra-activity of death is called the exhaustion of one's allotted time. The general meaning of death includes dying itself, includes how one dies, includes the various differentiated marks of death, and includes the destination after death. This is the general meaning of death, and it is also called the differentiated links of dependent arising. This should be understood.