Chapter 2: How the Ālaya-vijñāna Migrates to Receive a New Body

Section 1: Bhadrapāla Asks About the Ālaya-vijñāna's Migration

**Original Text:**

Bhadrapāla addressed the Buddha: "World-Honored One, sentient beings, though aware of the existence of consciousness, are like a jewel enclosed in a box—it remains unmanifested and unknown. World-Honored One, what is the form of this consciousness? Why is it called 'consciousness'? When sentient beings die, their hands and feet thrash about, their eyes change appearance, and they lose self-control. The faculties perish, the elements disintegrate, and the consciousness departs from the body. Where does it go?"

**Explanation:**

Bhadrapāla said to the Buddha: World-Honored One, sentient beings know they possess the ālaya-vijñāna within themselves, yet like a jewel concealed in a small box, it remains hidden and unknown to them. World-Honored One, what is the shape of this consciousness? Why is it named 'consciousness'? When sentient beings die, their hands and feet convulse in agony, their gaze grows dim and disordered, and gradually they lose autonomy. At this time, the five faculties gradually cease, the four great elements separate, and the ālaya-vijñāna departs the physical body. Where does it go?

"Consciousness" generally refers to the six consciousnesses, along with the seventh consciousness. Beyond these, there is also the unborn and undying ālaya-vijñāna. Between the mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna) and the ālaya-vijñāna, which is the "jewel" described here? Since the mental consciousness cannot manifest all phenomena, it is not the wish-fulfilling jewel (cintāmaṇi). The "jewel" referred to as the wish-fulfilling gem is the ālaya-vijñāna, which contains the seeds of all phenomena and generates all dharmas.

The ālaya-vijñāna is "like a jewel enclosed in a box." This "box" refers to the five-aggregate body (skandhas), which resembles a container. Because it is hidden within the five-aggregate body, this jewel is difficult for sentient beings to perceive. In truth, this jewel radiates light at all times; it is simply that sentient beings themselves cannot see it. It is not that the jewel fails to manifest, but that sentient beings' minds are obscured by the afflictions of the five aggregates. Sentient beings' minds, due to ignorance (avidyā), create veils that prevent them from seeing this treasure within themselves—it is not that the jewel conceals itself.

Bhadrapāla Bodhisattva asks about the form of the ālaya-vijñāna: Does this consciousness have shape? Does it possess length, breadth, squareness, roundness, size, or color? Is it like the six dusts (objects) in the mundane world—having sound, color, form, scent, taste, touch, or mental objects? What is its appearance, and why is it called ālaya-vijñāna?

When sentient beings die, the ālaya-vijñāna must depart the body according to karma, subsequently forming the karmically destined body for the next life. Some sentient beings, at the moment of death, thrash in agony due to the pain. These are beings who created unwholesome karma; their death appearances are unpleasant, and they suffer greatly. Because of this pain, their hands and feet convulse uncontrollably. When the four great elements of the eye decompose, the eyeballs become turbid. At this time, the ālaya-vijñāna and manas (the seventh consciousness) must depart one after another. The dying person can no longer see their family and loved ones, as the eye-consciousness vanishes beyond their control. However, their mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna) has not yet ceased; they still possess awareness. Then, vision gradually becomes blurred until they see nothing at all; the ears also cease to hear sounds. These functions gradually extinguish. They know they are dying yet are utterly powerless to act.

Manas, which previously exercised some control, now becomes powerless. Manas has always operated with "I want this" or "I don’t want that," grasping and controlling things, yet at this moment it can control nothing. This is because the force of karma is overwhelmingly strong, compelling them to follow the karmic flow. When the karmic conditions for death arise, manas is helpless. What truly governs? It is actually the ālaya-vijñāna. The ālaya-vijñāna manifests according to karma and departs accordingly—karmic force is as immense as a mountain. Where does this karma originate? It arises from the karmic seeds stored in the ālaya-vijñāna, accumulated through the actions of the five aggregates. The ālaya-vijñāna generates the five aggregates based on these karmic seeds, and sentient beings receive the corresponding five aggregates. Manas has no choice but to accept this. Thus, the ālaya-vijñāna is the true master.

Manas is merely a superficial, false master. It can only exercise limited control over minor matters. When true mastery is needed for life-and-death matters, it proves incapable. At the moment of death, manas does not wish to die, yet it must die. When facing retribution for unwholesome deeds, it does not wish to suffer, yet it must endure it. Against these, it is utterly powerless. However, the creation of karma by the five-aggregate body is governed by manas, arising from manas’s ignorance. Ultimately, the karmic results are determined by manas.

After the physical body dies, the eye faculty ceases to function. The ālaya-vijñāna can no longer manifest visual objects (rūpa-dhātu) through the eye faculty, and internal visual objects also vanish. Thus, eye-consciousness can no longer arise. Consciousness arises from the contact between faculty and object. When the external faculty (gross physical organ) fails, and the internal faculty (subtle supporting organ, *indriya-pratyaya*) also fails, can external visual objects still enter? They cannot, because the faculty loses its conductive function. Without internal visual objects, there is no eye-consciousness, so the person cannot see others.

The ear faculty similarly deteriorates. Though the shape of the ear remains, the conductive nerves cease to function, and sounds cannot enter. When the ear faculty fails, sound objects vanish. Sounds can no longer be transmitted to the subtle ear faculty to manifest as internal sound objects. Ear-consciousness gradually fades; the sounds heard become increasingly faint until they cease entirely. The nose faculty also loses its conductive function; scent objects cannot be transmitted, and nose-consciousness gradually disappears. The same principle applies to tongue-consciousness. Gradually, the body faculty also ceases to function. The ālaya-vijñāna no longer transmits tactile objects; without tactile objects, body-consciousness gradually ceases to function, and the entire body slowly loses sensation.

At this point, manas is also helpless. It clearly knows this body is no longer usable yet still clings to it because the mental consciousness has not yet ceased. When the mental consciousness finally extinguishes, manas, feeling utterly hopeless, withdraws from the body. The ālaya-vijñāna then departs along with it. Neither can sustain the physical body alone. The ālaya-vijñāna is not the last to leave; it departs simultaneously with manas. If manas were absent, the ālaya-vijñāna could not sustain the body or remain within it. If the ālaya-vijñāna departed first, manas could not exist and would necessarily cease. The ālaya-vijñāna cannot leave first or last; it must depart simultaneously with manas.

Does the ālaya-vijñāna enter the body first? No, it cannot sustain the physical body alone, nor does it have the intention to do so. Influenced by the mental factor of volition (cetanā) in manas, it follows manas instantaneously into the fertilized egg to sustain it, entering the womb simultaneously with manas. Because manas and the ālaya-vijñāna are inseparable—not even for an instant—their entry into the womb and departure from the body occur simultaneously. If they departed sequentially, it would imply they can separate, meaning manas could exist alone and the ālaya-vijñāna could function independently. This would contradict the intrinsic nature of the ālaya-vijñāna and manas.

The seeds of the four great elements originate from the ālaya-vijñāna. When the ālaya-vijñāna departs the body, it must withdraw all the seeds of the four elements. Only then can the seeds within the ālaya-vijñāna remain neither increased nor decreased, ready to be projected again when conditions arise, giving rise to all phenomena. Long before sentient beings approach death—even well in advance—the ālaya-vijñāna knows, because it discerns karmic seeds and knows the time of death, down to the precise moment. It gradually alters the seeds of the four elements, causing the body to decay and its functions to weaken. Only when the final breath approaches does it truly begin the decomposition of the four elements, withdrawing all the seeds. Once fully withdrawn, the body becomes a corpse, devoid of vitality.

The first five consciousnesses cease to arise. The mental consciousness associated with the five senses (*pañca-vijñāna*) and the mental consciousness functioning independently (*mano-vijñāna*) subsequently vanish. As the subtle supporting faculties (the bases for the five senses) decompose, the independent mental consciousness also gradually disappears. At this point, the being enters the stage of actual death. For those who performed wholesome deeds, this process may be relatively brief and painless. For those who created unwholesome karma, the dying process may be prolonged, involving greater suffering. This process may last several hours—six, seven, eight hours—or even over ten hours for some.

The sequential cessation of the six consciousnesses coincides with the gradual separation of the four great elements. At this time, the being experiences extreme suffering. The seeds of the four elements separate one by one. Once separated, these seeds return to the ālaya-vijñāna, which ceases to project them. The body gradually loses warmth because the seed of the fire element has separated. The body slowly turns cold. The earth, water, and wind elements also separate successively, returning to the ālaya-vijñāna.

However, those who performed wholesome deeds feel no pain at this time. This is the karmic result of their virtuous actions. In the snap of a finger, they may already be reborn in a heavenly realm. Yet, as long as the view of self (*satkāya-dṛṣṭi*) remains unsevered, they still cling to the three realms. Due to their wholesome karma, they are destined to enjoy heavenly blessings. Heavenly music may resound, and heavenly parents may await them. For those receiving wholesome karmic results, the departure of the eight consciousnesses does not take so long—it occurs in an instant, sparing them suffering. Those reborn in the human realm experience a relatively longer dying process, though without great pain.

The more unwholesome karma beings created, the more they suffer during the decomposition of the four elements at death. At the moment of death, they thrash their hands and feet, manifesting agonizing struggles. Yet they can no longer express this pain—the mouth cannot move, as the tongue, mouth, and teeth belong to the body faculty, which has ceased functioning. Thus, they cannot speak. If someone touches them at this time, they may feel excruciating pain, potentially arousing hatred (*dveṣa*). Once hatred arises, they may fall into hell realms driven by this malice. Therefore, the body should not be touched immediately after death—bathing or changing clothes must wait until death is fully confirmed. How long until death is complete? Perhaps eight hours, perhaps over ten—the time varies. Generally, those destined for the three lower realms have corpses that turn stiff and cold, with unpleasant complexions: hell beings appear blackened, hungry ghosts (pretas) appear bluish.

Finally, when the six consciousnesses completely extinguish, the five aggregates cease. Manas can no longer utilize the aggregate-body or command the six consciousnesses. Seeing no hope for the physical body, it abandons it to seek rebirth, finding a new body—thus the intermediate state (*antarābhava*) arises. This is the process of "the faculties perishing." "The elements disintegrate" refers to the separation of the four great elements (earth, water, fire, wind—actually including space as a fifth). Originally, the four elements combined to form the physical body. Now they decompose, and the body’s life functions vanish. Though the physical form remains, it can no longer move—it becomes like inert wood.