The Practice Which leads to Nibbana - A Buddhist Library

and matter at that time he continues a little further again and repeatsthe same. In this way he is able to discern mentality and matterthat occurred one day in the past, one week in the past, one monthin the past, one year in the past, two years in the past, three years inthe past and so on. Discerning the mentality and matter in thisway he is eventually able to discern backwards into the past untilhe can see the mentality and matter associated with rebirth whichoccurred at the conception of his present life.Then by searching for the cause of this the meditator is able togo back further and he sees either the mentality and matter presentat the time near death of the previous life, or the object of the neardeath impulsion (maranasanna javana).There are three possible objects of the death impulsion. Theyare:1. Kamma object, the thoughts that produced the actions ofgiving, etc.2. Kamma nimitta, or kamma sign such as a pagoda, monk,flowers, or an object offered.3. Gati nimitta or rebirth sign, is the place where one will bereborn. For humans it is the mother's womb and is usually red incolour like a red carpet.If the meditator can discern the mentality and matter near deaththen he will also not have difficulty to discern the object of the deathimpulsion whether it be a kamma object, kamma sign, or rebirthsign. This object appears because of the kammic force which producesthe rebirth consciousness. Then if he can discern this he willbe able to discern the kamma formations, and kamma that producedthe relevant resultant aggregates in this present life. When he hasdiscerned kamma formations and kamma he then tries to discern theignorance, craving, and clinging that precede them. Then after thatw 23