唯識二十論述記 2.295

2.295

述曰：雖知命斷，未知死相，故今重顯。眾同分者，《成唯識》等說：依有情身心相似分位差別而假建立此眾同分，隨何生趣。若未捨時，阿賴耶識，即此趣生，相續一類，前之與後，趣等皆同。若遇他識增上違緣，捨眾同分，阿賴耶識即便變異，異舊趣生。此趣生者，舊時相續，今便斷滅，餘識亦爾。舊續今斷，名之為死。死者滅相，總有二時：一者將滅，說名為死，即是現在，如觸處中所立死觸，死支亦爾。若正滅相名死，觸支應成過去；二者正滅，說名為死。如今所說，識相斷滅，即是過去，故此說死，但是滅相，非死觸支。

Commentary: Although it is known that the life-faculty is severed, the characteristics of death are not yet known, so it is now clarified once more. Regarding nikāya-sabhāga, the Cheng weishi lun and other texts say: in dependence upon the differences in states of similarity among the bodies and minds of sentient beings, this nikāya-sabhāga is provisionally established according to whatever realm of rebirth one is in. When it has not yet been cast off, the ālaya-vijñāna in that realm of rebirth is a uniform continuum, identical throughout from before to after in realm and so forth. If it encounters the adhipati adverse condition of another's consciousness, it abandons the nikāya-sabhāga, and the ālaya-vijñāna immediately transforms, differing from the old realm of rebirth. The past continuum of this realm of rebirth is now severed; the remaining consciousnesses are also like this. The severing now of the old continuity is designated as 'death'. The characteristic of cessation that is death has two times in total: first, when it is about to cease, it is called death, which is the present, just as the touch of death established within the sense-sphere of touch; the branch of death [in dependent origination] is also like this. If the characteristic of actual cessation were called death, the touch and the branch would become the past. Second, actual cessation is called death. As currently explained, the cessation of the continuum of consciousness is the past. Therefore the death spoken of here is solely the characteristic of cessation, not the touch or branch of death.