Life-continuum (Buddhism)

Following rebirth-linking or reconception consciousness there arises a life-continuum consciousness, or subconsciousness, with the same object as rebirth-linking consciousness and being associated with the 19 kinds of rebirth-linking consciousness in root cause. This consciousness continues indefinitely unless some other kind of arising of consciousness interrupts the continuity. Once the continuity is interrupted, the process of adverting, etc, up to registration proceeds until life-continuum resumes. The final life-continuum consciousness in the case of one becoming is death or decease, the passing away from that existence.

In Hinayana Buddhism, this is the second mode of occurrence of consciousness in which the 89 kinds of consciousness proceed.