大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 19.53

19.53

Regarding the Commentary's words, "The Abhidharma also subsumes them under the ghost realm": according to the eighth chapter, "Sūtra Chapter," of the Miśrakābhidharmahṛdaya, they are also subsumed under the animal realm. Some say: asuras share the same realm as devas, which is why it is said, "You were formerly a deva." Question: If so, why do they not see the Lord of Devas? Answer: Because they are veiled by dishonesty and deviousness. Some say they are pretas of great power, since they are not subsumed under the deva realm. Question: If that is so, how does Śakra associate with them? Answer: Because devas crave sensual forms and because there are many contests of victory and defeat. Kumbhāṇḍas and rakṣasas are also subsumed under the preta realm; kinnaras, piśācas, herukas (?), gajas, and pralehas (?) are all subsumed under the animal realm. The above are all treatise texts, cited here incidentally. Regarding the Commentary's words, "Transformational birth consumes all four modes of birth": this is because transformational birth is supreme. Thus moisture-born birds consume moisture-born, womb-born, and egg-born dragons; womb-born birds consume womb-born and egg-born dragons; egg-born birds consume only egg-born dragons. However, the inferior cannot consume the superior; if any were to eat them, that bird would die immediately. Those that may be consumed are: one dragon king and five hundred small dragons eaten daily. Circling the four continents round and round, they take their food in turn. When that bird's life is about to end, it goes to the ocean to seize dragons, but because the dragons spit venom it cannot eat them; encircled by the fire of hunger, it raises its wings and enters the sea, going straight down to the edge of the wind disc, and blown by the wind it rises back up again. In this manner, seven times back and forth with nowhere to alight, it proceeds to the summit of the Vajra Mountain where its life ends. Because it ate dragons, the poisonous vapors of its body erupt in fire and consume itself. The dragon king Nanda, fearing the precious mountain would be burned, pours down rain to extinguish the fire with drops thick as cart axles. Its bodily flesh melts away, and only its heart remains, as large as a human thigh, with the color of deep blue lapis lazuli. A wheel-turning king obtains it and uses it as a jewel; Śakra obtains it and uses it as the jewel in his topknot. The Commentary omits this and does not state it.