諸經要集 19.49

19.49

The commentary states: The chain of birth and death does not depart from conventional truth. Although one may leave home with the aspiration to seek the superior Path, [the body of] segmented mortality is difficult to relinquish, and [the body of] transformative mortality has not yet been eliminated. One still relies on the three realms and drifts along with worldly customs. As for surviving and perishing, both rely on internal and external factors. On the day of approaching the end, settling [the deceased] in an appropriate manner and the decorum of burial and funeral will be fully presented below. First, as for discussing the corpse of the deceased, its placement toward north or south, and the hun and po souls being different, we briefly narrate it here. The 'Liyun' chapter of the Liji says: 'The corporeal soul (po) descends, while the conscious breath (qi) is above. The dead have their heads to the north; the living face south.'