法華文句記 2.91

2.91

四迦中云「己住處有宮」等者，《長含》十八云：「大海北面有大樹名究羅睒摩羅，圍七由旬、高百由旬，枝葉五十由旬，樹東有卵生龍宮，又有卵生金翅鳥宮，南胎、西濕、北化，各有其龍鳥之宮，並有七重行樹眾鳥和鳴，取龍之時翅搏海水，卵生搏開二百由旬，胎四百、濕八百、化一千六百，胎卵濕化如是次第，噉一二三四龍。」如是惡道住處，欲比西方安樂世界，故知福易而戒難，戒易而乘難，以不來者眾故。又如《阿含》云：「香山有象名善住，常住樹下，有六牙，牙上有池等，與普賢象相貌幾同，一樹一象其數八千，善住為王餘皆眷屬，或持蓋扇缾，或作倡妓樂，或為王洗等（云云）。」其如猶是惡道何？「嗷（五刀切）嘇（思刀切）」啗嘇物也。啗（徒濫切）。「金剛山」者，此洲之南。「將燒寶山」者，火欲至餘金山。若約教者，初云勝群輩者，過諸外道故；次云大身者，亦大乘始故；次大滿者，出假足故；如意者，如理滿故。

Regarding the statement among the four garuḍas that "in their own dwelling place there are palaces, etc.," the eighteenth [fascicle] of the Dīrgha-āgama says: "To the north of the great ocean there is a great tree named Kūla-śālmali, seven yojanas in circumference, one hundred yojanas in height, and its branches and leaves [spread for] fifty yojanas. To the east of the tree there is the palace of egg-born dragons, and also the palace of egg-born garuḍas; to the south, west, and north are those of womb-born, moisture-born, and transformative-born, each having its palaces of dragons and birds, all having seven rows of trees where flocks of birds sing in harmony. When seizing dragons, they strike the seawater with their wings; the egg-born strikes it open for two hundred yojanas, the womb-born four hundred, the moisture-born eight hundred, and the transformative-born one thousand six hundred. In this order—egg-, womb-, moisture-, and transformative-born—they devour one, two, three, and four dragons." Such dwellings of the evil destinies are to be compared to the Western World of Peace and Joy; hence we know that merit is easy while precepts are difficult, and precepts are easy while the vehicle is difficult, because those who do not come are many. Furthermore, as the Āgama says: "On Gandhamādana there is an elephant named Supratiṣṭhita, who constantly dwells under a tree and has six tusks; upon the tusks there are pools, etc., appearing almost identical to the elephant of Samantabhadra. For each tree there is one elephant, numbering eight thousand; Supratiṣṭhita is the king, and the rest are his retinue, either holding parasols, fans, and vases, or making music and dance, or bathing the king, etc." How can it be that [such beings] are still in the evil destinies? "Ao (cut as wu-dao) can (cut as si-dao)" means to eat up things; "dan" is cut as tu-lan. "Vajra Mountain" is to the south of this continent. "About to burn the jeweled mountain" means that the fire is about to reach the other golden mountains. If considered according to the teachings: the first, called "Surpassing the Flock," is because he excels all heterodox paths; the next, called "Great Body," is because he also represents the beginning of the Great Vehicle; the next, "Great Fullness," is because his emergence into the provisional is complete; "As-One-Wishes" is because his fulfillment accords with principle.