Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, Volume X (The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination)

(IV) Original text: What is dimness? It refers to the state of lying down, with heavy, multiple layers of sleep. What is debility? It refers to the lack of strength to awaken quickly in this state. What is diminishment? It refers to the decline of mindfulness and wisdom. What is decline? It means that due to the inferiority of mindfulness and wisdom, wholesome dharmas cannot manifest. What is the maturation of the faculties? It refers to the body being frail and weak. What is the destruction of function? It means that one is no longer sharp and keen towards objects. What is the decay of all activities? It means that one is approaching the end of life at that later time. What is the corruption of form? It means that the lifespan is about to be exhausted, the physical form is on the verge of destruction, and one no longer has the capacity for any undertakings.

Explanation: What does dimness mean? Dimness refers to the body being in a lying posture while the mind is dull and heavy with deep sleep. What does debility mean? Debility is the lack of strength for quick awareness, insufficient mental power, and inadequate capacity for action. What is diminishment? Diminishment is the decline of both mental mindfulness and wisdom. What is decline? Decline means that because mindfulness and wisdom are inferior, wholesome dharmas cannot manifest. What does the maturation of the faculties mean? This refers to the body being emaciated and weak. What does the destruction of function mean? It means one is no longer intelligent and sharp towards objects. What does the decay of all activities mean? It means all physical, verbal, and mental activities have deteriorated, and one will soon die. What does the corruption of form mean? It means the lifespan is about to reach its end, the physical form is facing destruction, and one no longer has the ability to perform any tasks.

Original text: The brief meaning of this aging is: the deterioration of the basis (the body), the deterioration of hair and beard, the deterioration of vitality, the deterioration of digestive heat, the deterioration of freedom from illness, the deterioration of appearance, the deterioration of dignified bearing, the deterioration of the formless faculties, the deterioration of the form faculties, the passing of time, the approach of the lifespan's end. This is to be known as the brief meaning. What are the sentient beings here and there? It refers to those in hell and so forth. What are the kinds of sentient beings? It refers to all of those. What is end? It means sentient beings die with the disintegration of their limbs. What is exhaustion? It means sentient beings die due to the disintegration of their limbs.

Explanation: The brief meaning of aging is: the deterioration of the body which is the basis (of existence), the graying and deterioration of hair and beard, the deterioration of mental state, the weakening of the body's digestive heat, the deterioration of health, the deterioration of the physical appearance, the decline in the dignified bearing of walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, the deterioration of the formless mental faculty, the deterioration of the five form faculties, the near exhaustion of the time of life, the approach of the lifespan's end. How does the mental faculty deteriorate? For example, the appearance of various delusional illnesses, mental disorders, psychological obstacles, etc. What are the sentient beings here and there? This refers to the beings of the six realms such as hell. What does 'kinds of sentient beings' mean? It means all sentient beings. What is end? End means the sentient being dies with the separation of the four great elements and the disintegration of the limbs rendering them unusable. What is exhaustion? It means all sentient beings die with the disintegration of the body's limbs and the separation of the four great elements.

Original text: What is dissolution? It means the consciousness leaves the body. What is extinction? It means the extinction of all form faculties. What is relinquishing the lifespan? It means the stage when the breath is about to cease. What is relinquishing warmth? It means abandoning the aggregates in the motionless state. What is the exhaustion of the life faculty? It means timely death. What is death? It means encountering a violent condition and dying before one's time. What is the exhaustion of fate? It means the stage immediately after death. Also, the karma of the death demon is called the exhaustion of fate. The brief meaning of this death is: death, the nature of death, the differences in death, and the state after death. This is called the brief meaning. Thus, this is known as the differences of dependent arising.

Explanation: What is dissolution? It means the eight consciousnesses leave the body. What is extinction? It means the extinction of all five form faculties. What is relinquishing the lifespan? It means the stage when the breath is almost extinguished. What is relinquishing warmth? It means the five aggregates are in a state of stagnation and are abandoned. What is the exhaustion of the life faculty? It means death. What is death? It means encountering a very strong adverse condition and dying before the lifespan is exhausted, meaning an untimely death. What is the exhaustion of fate? It means the stage just after death, not long passed. The karmic obstruction of the death demon is also called the exhaustion of fate. The brief meaning of this death includes death itself, how death occurs, the various differences in the manner of death, and the destination after death. The brief meaning of death is also called the differences of dependent arising regarding death.