法苑珠林 69.23

69.23

'As for the ninth intermediate existence: if a person of Aparagodānīya ends their life to be born in heaven, there are two kinds of karma. What are the two? The first is residual karma, and the second is productive karma for being born in the heavens. When that person is approaching the end of life, signs appear: due to wholesome karma, when on the verge of relinquishing life, their breath is neither choked nor turbid, the pulse does not fail, and all the faculties are clear and pure. They see a great body of water whose temperature is well regulated, flowing smoothly and widely, and they float to the other shore. Having reached the other shore, they see heavenly maidens, foremost in beauty, variously adorned, playing, laughing, singing, and dancing. Having seen them, a lustful mind seeks intimacy, and stepping forward to embrace a woman, they are immediately born in heaven, experiencing heavenly bliss as in a dream; the intermediate existence is then extinguished. This is called the ninth intermediate existence.' (For people of Aparagodānīya, rebirth has three grades, yet superior, middling, and inferior karma share the same single radiance and the like, forming a uniform intermediate existence, all resembling one another, unlike the distinct signs of the three kinds of rebirth for people of Uttarakuru.)