What Is Segmented Birth-and-Death?

Segmented birth-and-death (pariccheda-maraṇa) means that life is divided into segments, and the length of each segment is not fixed; this is the case for all bodhisattvas before the eighth bhūmi. One can observe the lifespans of animals, ranging from a few hours or minutes in the human world to thousands or tens of thousands of years; the lifespans of beings in the ghost realm, the lifespans of beings in the hells, the lifespans of humans, the lifespans of devas in each of the heavens, the lifespans of asuras, and the lifespans of bodhisattvas at each level—no matter how long they live, in the end they all must die; none live forever. Since life has a time limit, it has segments, and this is called segmented birth-and-death (pariccheda-maraṇa).

After segmented birth-and-death comes transformational birth-and-death (parināma-maraṇa). Bodhisattvas from the eighth bhūmi up to those of equal enlightenment (samatā-sambodhi) and wondrous enlightenment (samyak-sambodhi) all have transformational birth-and-death; although their lives can be indefinitely long, they will still eventually die, because there remains extremely subtle ignorance (avidyā) that has not been completely eradicated. Ignorance can summon arising-ceasing and transformation, making life impermanent. Beings in segmented birth-and-death have the heaviest ignorance, and thus their birth-and-death and suffering are also the heaviest. It is like how, when a person has thoughts, there will be breathing, there will be breath and pulse, there will be movement of wind, and this will summon wind calamities; without thoughts there is no movement of wind, no breathing, no beating of the heart and pulse, and one will be far removed from all calamities. When ignorance is completely extinguished, there will be no form of birth-and-death whatsoever, and at that point one becomes a Buddha.