Why Doesn't the Corpse Immediately Disintegrate and Decay After the Ālayavijñāna Departs?

At the moment of death, when the mental faculty (manas) and the ālaya-vijñāna depart from the physical body, the body becomes a corpse. It ceases to be held solely by the ālaya-vijñāna of the individual sentient being and instead becomes held collectively by the ālaya-vijñānas of many sentient beings, transforming into an inanimate object. Inanimate objects are composed of the four great elements (earth, water, fire, wind). When they decay, these four elements gradually, orderly, and continuously return from the inanimate object to the ālaya-vijñānas of the respective sentient beings. The duration of this process is uncertain, determined by the karma of the sentient beings and also by the solidity of the inanimate object itself. The decay of the corpse begins as soon as the ālaya-vijñāna leaves the physical body, though it is initially difficult to perceive. The rate of decay depends on the surrounding temperature and environment, as well as the moisture content within the corpse. This is because temperature and humidity are conditions for bacterial proliferation; the more and faster bacteria multiply, the quicker the corpse decays. Eventually, only bones remain, becoming part of the inanimate world of mountains, rivers, and the earth. After a certain period, even the bones weather, decompose, and cease to exist.

For a short time immediately after the physical body dies, it is still held by the individual ālaya-vijñāna, and consciousness may potentially revive. For instance, the worldly concept of "returning from the dead" is based on this principle. Therefore, when a person has just died, and the ālaya-vijñāna and mental faculty have not yet completely departed, organ transplantation must occur within a very short timeframe – specifically, within a few hours. Within these few hours, it is ensured that the body's organs are still held by the ālaya-vijñāna, the nerves are still functional, the cells are still viable, and the muscle tissue is still usable. If an organ is transplanted to another person at this time and the mental faculties of the two individuals are incompatible, a state of rejection will occur. If the mental faculties of the two individuals are compatible, meaning they have good rapport and affection for each other, rejection will not occur, and the transfer of the ālaya-vijñāna can be completed. If the mental faculty is attached to the physical organ and unwilling to relinquish it to another, the transfer between the two ālaya-vijñānas will not proceed smoothly, potentially leading to other discomforting symptoms, manifesting as the body's rejection reaction.

Another example is when a person's finger is severed. For a short time, the finger still retains warmth, the blood vessels are still functional, and within this timeframe, blood can still circulate through it, the nerves are still functional, and it can be reattached. If reattached during this period, it can reconnect to the hand, heal relatively quickly, and regain function. If too much time passes, the finger becomes held collectively by the ālaya-vijñānas of sentient beings sharing collective karma. Attempting to reattach it to the hand then becomes useless; no amount of suturing will work, like attaching a piece of wood.