妙法蓮華經玄贊 2.118

2.118

開合者，六趣總為一，謂一期生死。次開為二，謂善趣、惡趣，分段生死、變易生死。或開為三，謂三界。或開為四，謂四生、四有。四有者：一生有、二本有、三死有、四中有。及四種生死：謂方便生死、因緣生死、有有生死、無有生死。或開為五，謂五趣，除阿素洛。或開為六，如此文等說有六趣。《雜心》非天鬼趣所攝，《瑜伽》、《佛地》天趣所攝，《正法念經》鬼、畜生攝。《伽陀經》中鬼、畜、天攝。今依大乘唯天趣攝，以《瑜伽》、《佛地》為正，行多不實諂詐為先，不同諸天直實行故，名曰非天，如人不仁亦名非人，不言非鬼非畜生故，今此離之故分為六。或開為七，謂七有，五趣及業有、中有。或開為九，謂九有或九有情居。或開為二十五有，如下當說。餘門如下第二卷經火宅頌中當釋。《瑜伽》第四、《正法念經》亦具陳述，此說萬八千界六趣之生於此悉見。

Regarding opening and combining: the six destinies combined make one, namely the cycle of birth and death of a single lifespan. Next, opened into two, they are the good destinies and the evil destinies; or cyclical birth and death (saṃsāra of portions and limits) and transformative birth and death. Alternatively, opened into three, they are the three realms. Alternatively, opened into four, they are the four modes of birth and the four states of existence (bhava). The four states of existence are: 1. existence at birth (upapatti-bhava), 2. basic existence (mūla-bhava), 3. existence at death (maraṇa-bhava), 4. intermediate existence (antarā-bhava). And the four kinds of birth and death: expedient birth and death, cause-and-condition birth and death, existing-state birth and death, and non-existing-state birth and death. Alternatively, opened into five, they are the five destinies, excluding the asuras. Alternatively, opened into six, as in the present text and others which state that there are six destinies. In the Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya, non-gods are subsumed under the ghost destiny; in the Yogācārabhūmi and Buddhabhūmi[-upadeśa], they are subsumed under the deva destiny; in the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra, they are subsumed under ghosts and animals. In the Gāthā Sūtra, they are subsumed under ghosts, animals, and devas. Now, relying on the Mahāyāna, they are subsumed solely under the deva destiny, taking the Yogācārabhūmi and Buddhabhūmi[-upadeśa] as authoritative. Because their conduct is mostly insincere, with flattering deception foremost, and unlike the straightforward and honest conduct of the devas, they are called 'non-gods' (asura)—just as a human who is not benevolent is also called an 'inhuman being' (non-human), but it does not say 'non-ghost' or 'non-animal'. Now, distinguishing them, they are divided into six. Alternatively, opened into seven, they are the seven states of existence: the five destinies, karmic existence, and intermediate existence. Alternatively, opened into nine, they are the nine states of existence or the nine abodes of sentient beings. Alternatively, opened into twenty-five states of existence, as will be explained below. The remaining approaches will be explained below in the verses of the burning house in the second fascicle of the sūtra. The fourth fascicle of the Yogācārabhūmi and the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra also expound this in detail. Here it is said that the beings of the six destinies throughout the eighteen thousand realms were all seen in this [light].