"One who, after pondering with a modicum of discernment, has accepted that these phenomena are this way is called a Dhamma-follower: one who has entered the orderliness of rightness, entered the plane of people of integrity, transcended the plane of the run-of-the-mill. He is incapable of doing any deed by which he might be reborn in hell, in the animal womb, or in the realm of hungry shades. He is incapable of passing away until he has realized the fruit of stream-entry."（Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu）
如果我們確定：passing away 一定是死亡的“死”。那麽問題就簡單了：
這句話的意思可以理解成：初向和死之間可以有（很長的）一段距離，在這之間初向一定能證初果。
那麽這有幾種情況：
Ａ）證了初向後，經過幾年的努力，證了初果，再過了一段時間，死了。
Ｂ）證了初向後，經過幾年的努力，還沒有證初果，將要死了，在死的一刻，由于某種原因（比如說色身脫離等等）必定證初果。
再結合英文中說初向：He is incapable of doing any deed by which he might be reborn in hell, in the animal womb, or in the realm of hungry shades.
這裏的incapable of doing。。。個人認爲：也是說－－總的一般的情況，並不是絕對的不可能的情況。
