妙法蓮華經玄贊 6.56

6.56

The Commentary says: The two and a half verses below symbolize the calamities of the formless realm. The first one and a half verses symbolize the delusions of the lower three stages; the final one verse symbolizes the delusions born in the Peak of Existence stage. This is the first. Creatures such as "centipedes" symbolize ordinary beings who, being scorched by the fire of delusions in the lower form realm, seek birth in the formless realm, like rushing out of holes to be born in the lower three stages. "Kumbhāṇḍa demons" symbolize non-Buddhists. Non-Buddhists mostly grasp the two upper stages as nirvāṇa. They repudiate ordinary beings for not holding them to be superior nirvāṇa; giving rise to delusions on account of ordinary beings is like the demons seeing insects and seizing them to eat at will. "Eating" has the meaning of nourishing and growing, because pursuing those births makes delusions increase even more.