法苑珠林 69.63

69.63

As stated in the Daśabhūmika-vibhāṣā-śāstra: Those who understand indeterminate phenomena well [know that] when phenomena have not yet arisen, they cannot yet be differentiated. As spoken by the Buddha in the Vibhaṅga-karma-sūtra, the Buddha told Ānanda: 'There are persons who perform good bodily karma, good verbal karma, and good mental karma, yet when these persons die, they fall into hell. There are persons who perform evil bodily karma, evil verbal karma, and evil mental karma, yet when these persons die, they are born into heaven.' Ānanda addressed the Buddha, saying: 'For what reason is it so?' The Buddha said: 'The karmic causes and conditions of merit or demerit from previous lifetimes of these persons have already ripened, whereas the karmic causes and conditions of merit or demerit from their present lifetime have not yet ripened. Or, when approaching the end of life, right view or wrong view, a good or evil thought arises; and the thought at the verge of death possesses great power.'