[cigsstorenick]

I think its worthwhile remembering that 'consciousness' usually means sense consciousness in the suttas... which I don't think is quite the same as the 'consciousness' some people talk about which is supposed to leave a body and float around after death.

Possibly the end of the sutta can give an answer to the question in the title of this discussion topic we're posting in:

Now, what more do you want, friend Kotthita? When a monk has been freed from the classification of craving, there exists no cycle for describing him