Yogācārabhūmi Śāstra, Volume 10: Explanation of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination (5)

Original text: 其形腐败云何。谓寿量将尽。身形临坏。于诸事业。无复功能。此老略义者。谓依止变坏。须发变坏。充悦变坏。火力变坏。无病变坏。色相变坏。威仪变坏。无色诸根变坏。有色诸根变坏。时分已过。寿量将尽。略义应知。彼彼有情云何。谓那落迦等。有情种类云何。谓即彼一切。

Explanation: What does "the body decaying" mean? It means the lifespan is about to end, the body's form is on the verge of deterioration, and there is no longer the capacity to carry out one's undertakings. The general meaning of aging is: the deterioration of the bodily faculty upon which one depends, the graying and deterioration of hair and beard, the deterioration of one's mental state, the decline of the body's vital heat, the deterioration of bodily health, the deterioration of the form and appearance of the physical body, the decline of the deportment of walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, the deterioration of the formless manas, the deterioration of the five faculties that have form, the running out of one's allotted time, and the lifespan about to come to an end — this is the general meaning that should be understood. What does "each and every sentient being" mean? It refers to beings in the hells (naraka) and so forth. What does "the kinds of sentient beings" mean? It means all of those beings without exception.

Original text: 终云何。谓诸有情。离解支节而死。尽云何。谓诸有情。由解支节而死。坏云何。谓识离身。没云何。谓诸色根灭。舍寿云何。谓气将尽位。舍暖云何。谓不动位。弃舍诸蕴。命根谢灭云何。谓时死。

Explanation: What is "ending" (终)? Ending means the lives of all sentient beings have come to an end — the dissolution of the four great elements is not far off, and the physical body will soon die through the dismemberment and disintegration of its limbs. What does "exhaustion" (尽) mean? It means all sentient beings die with the bodily faculty dismembered and the four great elements all separated. What does "deterioration" (坏) mean? It means all eight consciousnesses have departed from the body. What does "perishing" (没) mean? It means all the five faculties that have form have ceased. What does "relinquishing the lifespan" (舍寿) mean? It means the stage when the breath is about to be exhausted. What does "relinquishing warmth" (舍暖) mean? It means the five aggregates have come to a standstill, motionless, and are all relinquished. What does "the extinction of the life faculty" (命根谢灭) mean? It means death.

Original text: 死云何。谓遇横缘。非时而死。时运尽云何。谓初死未久位。又死魔业名时运尽。此死略义者。谓若死若死法。若死差别。若死后位。是名略义。如是名为。缘起差别应知。

Explanation: What does "death" (死) mean? It means encountering very forceful adverse conditions and dying before one's lifespan is complete — that is, dying an untimely death. What does "the exhaustion of one's allotted time" (时运尽) mean? It means the stage shortly after death has just occurred; also, the karma of the Māra of death is called the exhaustion of one's allotted time. The general meaning of this death includes dying itself, includes how one dies, includes the various differentiated aspects of death, and includes the destination after death — this is the general meaning of death, also called the differentiated links of dependent origination of death, which should be understood.