妙法蓮華經玄贊 6.20

6.20

The Commentary says: The following ten verses explain that miraculous spirits and anomalous ghosts serve as metaphors for the five [wrong] views. They are divided into five parts: the first three and a half verses serve as a metaphor for wrong view (mithyādṛṣṭi); two and a half verses serve as a metaphor for attachment to rules and rituals (śīlavrataparāmarśa); one and a half verses serve as a metaphor for the view of individuality (satkāyadṛṣṭi); half a verse serves as a metaphor for attachment to views (dṛṣṭiparāmarśa); and two verses serve as a metaphor for extreme views (antagrāhadṛṣṭi). The first part is divided into two: one verse generally illustrates the own-nature of wrong view, and two and a half verses illustrate its distinct functional aspects. This is the first. Chi (魑) is pronounced ri-zhi reverse; mei (魅) is mei-bi reverse. The Shuowen and the Yupian say: 'They are the spirits of aged things.' The Tongsuwen says: 'Monsters of mountains and marshes are called chimei.' Zhang Pingzi's 'Western Capital Rhapsody' says: 'A mountain spirit with a tiger's shape is named chi; a marsh spirit with a pig's head, a human body, and a tail is named mei.' Wang (魍) is pronounced wen-liang reverse; liang (魎) is liang-jiang reverse. The Tongsuwen says: 'Anomalies of trees and stones are named wangliang.' The Chunqiu and the Yupian say: 'They are water spirits.' Adding yakṣas and evil ghosts, there are five classes altogether. They metaphorically illustrate the five functional aspects of the mind and mental factors, etc., which have wrong views as conditions and repudiate the five portals and repudiate the five dharmas, namely: repudiating cause, [repudiating] result, [repudiating] function, [repudiating] real entities, and any other wrong views other than the four [other] views. Injuring good dharmas and destroying fertile fields, so that there is nowhere they do not arise, is expressed as 'being everywhere.' Their harm is ever broader, like 'devouring human flesh.'