Lectures on the Pitṛputra Samāgama Sūtra (100)

Death Aggregate and Birth Aggregate

Original Text: Great King. Consciousness is the master. Karma is the condition. These two are mutually causal. The initial consciousness arises. It may go to hell, fall into the animal realm, the realm of Yama, or the Asura realm, whether human or heavenly. Once the initial consciousness is born, each receives their retribution. With the same mental factors, it continuously revolves. When the last consciousness ceases, it is called the death aggregate. When the initial consciousness arises, it is called the birth aggregate.

Explanation: The Buddha said: Great King, the Alaya consciousness is the master of sentient beings, being the cause for the birth of the next life's material body; karmic actions are the condition for the birth of the next life's material body. When cause and condition converge, the initial consciousness mind of the next life appears, and the material body of the next life is born. This person may fall into a hell body, an animal body, the ghost realm, or fall into an Asura body, a human body, or a heavenly body. When the initial consciousness mind of the next life is born, sentient beings begin to receive their respective karmic retributions. Afterwards, the consciousness mind on this material body continuously operates until finally, when the consciousness mind ceases, it is called the death aggregate, becoming a corpse and a deceased being. And when the initial consciousness mind arises, it is called the birth aggregate, which is the living being.