"The Mogok Sayadaw taught like a football analogy: #no_matter_how_good_the_play_without_scoring_a_goal_you_don't_succeed.
'Appamādena sampādetha' - #don't_forget_your_wholesome_deeds. Remember your dāna and sīla.
Even King Asoka, unmatched in generosity, #couldn't_remember his good deeds at death. Neither dāna nor sīla came to mind. With delusion leading consciousness, he became a python in the four woeful states.
But if wholesome mind states arise at death, remembering one's good deeds, #wouldn't_one_achieve_human_or_deva_birth?
#Āciṇṇaka_kamma_āsanna_kamma - habitual and death-proximate kamma are crucial.
#Just_before_consciousness_ceases, unwholesome kamma-nimitta appears like seeing all past unwholesome actions - killing, stealing, lying - #like_photographs_in_sequence.
For hell-bound beings, they see flames, black dogs, hell beings. #These_are_gati_nimitta. For petas, they see cliffs; for animals, forests.
For wholesome kamma-nimitta, one might recall keeping precepts, discussing Dhamma, offering alms, serving the Sangha. #This_is_kamma_nimitta.
For human rebirth, one sees reddish maternal fluids. For deva rebirth, celestial mansions and gardens appear. #Consciousness_ceases_with_gati_nimitta_for_deva_realm_birth. #When_kamma_nimitta_appears_gati_nimitta_follows."
anekajātisaṃsāraṃ sandhāvissaṃ anibbisaṃ gahakāraṃ gavesanto dukkhājāti punaṃppunaṃ sabbā te phāsukā aggā gahakūṭaṃ visaṅkhataṃ visaṅkhāra gataṃ cittaṃ taṇhānaṃ khaya majjyagā
ဝန္ဒာမိ
vandāmi cetiyaṃ sabbaṃ, sabbaṭṭhānesu patiṭṭhitaṃ. Ye ca dantā atītā ca, ye ca dantā anāgatā, paccuppannā ca ye dantā, sabbe vandāmi te ahaṃ.