When the sense doors are presented with a tainted object which comes from bad kamma done just prior to death; then at death the sense doors cease to function and the Citta which is free of doors (i.e. the Descending Citta) is presented with an object which comes from the sense doors and which is consequently tainted. One’s Representation Symbol (Gati Nimitta) is therefore a bad symbol. For example, the vision of beings which one used to kill, the vision of chains and manacles, of spears or swords, of the guardian of Niraya Hell, of flames blazing in hell.
As is the case with some people who have been very sick and unconscious, and while in this state have seen Hell and the Guardian of Hell. When they have recovered, they ofren describe their experiences to us. These people have, however, not truly experienced the Descending Citta and so have not reached the time of their death. The “Official of Kamma” has made a mistake in putting their names on his list of those who are to die, so they return to life. But for those who have truly died, the “Official of Kamma” makes no mistake.
When one’s Descending Citta is presented with any type of Symbol (Nimit ta), one’s Rebirth Linking Citta (Pat& #3642;isandhi Citta) arises in the next Realm of Becoming in accordance with that object or symbol which one sees and knows.
Present objects are those which one’s sense doors are constantly receiving. Future objects are those presented to one’s Citta which is free of sense doors; they are both of the same kind.
One’s sense doors are the basis of one’s present Continuity of Existence (Santati) ; the Citta which is free of doors is one’s future Continuity of Existence. The present and the future Continuity of Existence are linked together.
One’s Continuity of Existence is like someone who sends a radio transmission from a distant country. When he sends a signal having certain characteristics, then our radio receiver picks up that signal and reproduces those characteristics without altering them.
One’s Descending Citta which is presented with an object while in one Realm of Becoming, is like the radio transmitter in another country which sends the radio signals.
One’s Rebirth Linking Citta which arises in the next Realm of Becoming, is like our radio receiver, which can only receive the same kind of signal as that which is transmitted.
If one knows by one’s own experience what is explained above, one will have a full understanding of death and one may expect, when death comes, to win better ensuing conditions than one who does not have this understanding. It is like a man who can see clearly, as compared with the one who does not understand, who is like a blind man. Both of these men will try for a state which is desirable, but the man who sees clearly goes fearlessly, with certainty and quickly attains that state of ease and contentment which he desires. But the man who is blind is uncertain and slow in attaining the state which he desires, or he may not even manage to reach it.
One who has understanding leads his Citta to avoid tainted things, he is fully acquainted with the type of objects connected with the Heaven Realms, and also those connected with the Hell Realms. Such a person is sure to be one who practises Samadhi and who develops his wisdom (Panna) for his understanding is supreme in the Sensual Realm.
One who wants to get to the Heaven Realms but does not know how to get there may guess how to do it.
He may succeed, but only if he is very fortunate. It is like a soldier who fires at a target without aiming; he may fire a thousand times without hitting it. Whereas the one who understands is like an experienced soldier who hits the target first time. Therefore one should try to develop understanding by training oneself so that one may know for certain.
If, however, one does not train oneself, then at the time just before death, one may be instructed not to become entangled with relatives and kinsfolk, to make the heart joyful, to recall one s acts of generosity, one’s virtue and to think about the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha. But bow can one who is not accustomed to them practise these recollections. If he is instructed in the way to do them, he will neither believe nor follow, for he has not been in the habit of practising them. He is only accustomed to recall the evil that he has done, which leads him only to the Realms of Evil Spirits.
For those who are accustomed to think, only in terms of evil deeds, how can their generosity, morality, the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha come to their minds; for these are things which arise from the heart which accumulates and stores them. If a person has accumulated something in his heart; when the time of his death approaches, even though he is not instructed to recall it, it may still arise in his mind.
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