法苑珠林 97.34

97.34

The commentary in the treatise explains: If a person is bound to go to an evil realm for rebirth, or to the human realm, for such persons, [or] gradually for an arhat, this person's mental consciousness ceases at the heart. Other schools say it ceases at the head. Why is this? Because the body faculty is extinguished together with the mental consciousness at these places. When a person is dying, this body faculty is like hot stone and water gradually contracting and extinguishing, extinguishing in succession at places such as the feet. The explanation says: The Abhidharmakośa-śāstra expounds the Hīnayāna meaning, and therefore says that the body is extinguished together with the mental consciousness at these places. If according to the Mahāyāna, the body faculty is extinguished together with the fundamental consciousness (ālaya-vijñāna) at these places.