維摩義記 1.32

1.32

上列聖眾，下列凡眾。於中初先列其天眾，次列鬼神，後列人眾。鬼神是其天之輔從，次天以列。天中，初先列其梵眾，次列帝釋，後列餘天。梵中，初言「萬梵天王」，列數辨眾。此皆應是初稱梵王，尸棄列名。此云頂髻，蓋乃是其偏髮梵王，下言螺髻應是其人。「從餘天下」，辨其來處。此言稍略，若具應言從餘四天下。上來之，詣佛所，至聽法所。就帝釋中，「復萬二千」，舉其數也。天帝辨眾。帝猶主也，忉利天主名為天帝。「亦從餘天」，還彰來處。「在會」，所至。下列餘天，噵言「并餘大威力」者，辨前兼後，故說為并。謂欲界中餘天眾也。次列鬼神。「龍」是畜生，於中具有四生差別，有大神德能來聽法，故今列之。「夜叉」，是輕捷鬼也。「乾闥婆」者，是天樂神，亦鬼道攝。「阿修羅」者，人釋言名不酒神，不知是非。或云劣天。依如《毘曇》，修羅唯鬼。依《法念經》，有鬼有畜。如彼羅睺阿修羅王，是師子兒，體是畜生。依《伽陀經》，有天、鬼、畜三種差別。修羅凡有五地之別：一、在地上眾相山中，如《地經》說，勢力最下。二、須彌山北大海之下二萬一千由旬，有脩羅王名曰羅睺，統領無量阿脩羅眾。三、羅睺下復過二萬一千由旬，有阿脩羅王名曰勇健。四、勇健下復過二萬一千由旬，有阿脩王名曰華鬘。五、華鬘下復過二萬一千由旬，有脩羅王名毘摩質多，亦統領無量阿脩羅眾。毘摩之母本從天生，故名劣天。劫初成時有諸天女，來海中洗浴，水觸其身遂失精氣，流在水中成一肉卵，逕八千歲乃生一女，有九百九十頭，頭有千眼，有九百九十九口，口有四牙，牙上出火猶如礔礰，二萬四千九百九十九脚。此女後時在海浮戲，水精入身生一肉卵，逕八千歲生毘摩質多，有九頭，頭有千眼，口中出水，有九十九手，脚唯有八。其形四倍大於須彌，純食淤泥及與藕根，多與天諍，如《法念》說。「迦樓羅」者，是其鳥神。於中有其金翅之鳥，純食諸龍，有四生別：有化生者，食四生龍；其胎生者，食三生龍，除其化生；其卵生者，食二生龍，除化生、除胎；其濕生者，唯食濕生。此四天下有一化生迦樓羅王，名曰正音，受八千歲，日別噉食一大龍王、五百小龍，繞四天下周而復始次第食之。命終時，諸龍吐毒不復能食，飢火所燒，聳翅直下至風輪，為風所吹而復上來，往還七返無處停足，遂至金剛輪山頂命終。以食諸龍，身肉毒氣遂發猛火。其難陀龍王及跋難陀龍王，恐燒寶山，遂降大雨渧如車軸以滅其火。身肉消散唯有心在，大如人脾純青瑠璃，輪王得之用為珠寶，帝釋得之為髺中珠。「緊那羅」者，此名疑神。體是畜生，形狀似人，面極端正，頂有一角。人見生疑，不知為人為鬼為畜，故曰疑神。此亦是天之樂神。「摩睺羅伽」是腹行神，世人相傳是魔神也。下列人眾。「比丘」如上，「尼」猶女也。「優婆塞」者，名為善宿男，懷善而居；亦云近善住，亦云清信士。「優婆姨」者，如前，姨猶女也。上來第二列其從眾。

Above, the noble assembly was listed; below, the ordinary assembly is listed. Therein, first the assembly of devas is listed, next the ghosts and spirits are listed, and afterwards the assembly of humans is listed. Because ghosts and spirits are the attendants of the devas, they are listed next to the devas. Among the devas, first the assembly of Brahmā gods is listed, next Śakra is listed, and afterwards the remaining devas are listed. Among the Brahmā gods, the initial statement "ten thousand Brahmā kings" lists their number and distinguishes the assembly. These should all be Brahmā kings of the first meditation, with Śikhin listed by name. Here [in Chinese] this is rendered as "Topknot"; this probably refers to the Brahmā king with his hair gathered to one side, and the "Snail-Topknot" mentioned below must be this person. "From other worlds below the heavens" specifies their places of origin. This statement is somewhat abbreviated; if stated in full, it should say from other four-continent worlds below the heavens. They came up, proceeded to the Buddha's location, and reached the place where the Dharma was being preached. Regarding Śakra, "moreover, twelve thousand" gives their number. "Heavenly sovereign" distinguishes the assembly. "Sovereign" is like a lord; the lord of the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven is called the Heavenly Sovereign. "Also from other heavens" again shows their places of origin. "Were in the assembly" is where they arrived. Below, the remaining devas are listed; saying "together with other [beings of] great majesty and power" distinguishes those before while including those after, hence it says "together with." This refers to the remaining assemblies of devas within the desire realm. Next, the ghosts and spirits are listed. "Dragons" are animals; among them there are the distinctions of the four modes of birth. Possessing great spiritual virtue, they were able to come and hear the Dharma, and thus they are listed now. "Yakṣas" are swift and agile ghosts. "Gandharvas" are celestial musicians, also subsumed under the destiny of ghosts. Regarding "asuras," some people interpret the name as gods who do not drink liquor, but it is not known whether this is correct or not. Others call them "inferior devas." According to the Abhidharma, asuras are solely ghosts. According to the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna Sūtra, there are both ghosts and animals among them. For example, that asura king Rāhu is the offspring of a lion and is essentially an animal. According to the Gāthā Sūtra, there are three distinct types: devas, ghosts, and animals. Asuras generally have five distinct levels of residence: First, among the mountains of various characteristics upon the earth, as stated in the Daśabhūmika Sūtra, their power is the lowest. Second, twenty-one thousand yojanas beneath the great ocean north of Mount Sumeru, there is an asura king named Rāhu who commands immeasurable multitudes of asuras. Third, another twenty-one thousand yojanas below Rāhu, there is an asura king named *Sūra (Yongjian). Fourth, another twenty-one thousand yojanas below *Sūra, there is an asura king named Mālādhāra (Huaman). Fifth, another twenty-one thousand yojanas below Mālādhāra, there is an asura king named Vemacitrin, who also commands immeasurable multitudes of asuras. Vemacitrin's mother was originally born from heaven, hence they are called "inferior devas." When the kalpa first began to form, celestial maidens came down to bathe in the sea. When the water touched their bodies, they lost their generative essence, which flowed into the water and formed a fleshy egg. After eight thousand years had passed, it gave birth to a daughter who had nine hundred and ninety heads, each head with a thousand eyes, nine hundred and ninety-nine mouths, each mouth with four fangs from which fire burst out like thunderbolts, and twenty-four thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine legs. Later, when this woman was floating and sporting in the sea, the essence of the water entered her body and produced a fleshy egg. After eight thousand years had passed, it gave birth to Vemacitrin, who had nine heads, each head with a thousand eyes, water coming out of his mouths, ninety-nine hands, and only eight legs. His form was four times larger than Mount Sumeru. He fed purely on mud and lotus roots, and frequently fought with the devas, as stated in the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna Sūtra. "Garuḍas" are bird spirits. Among them are the golden-winged birds that feed purely on dragons, and they have the distinction of four modes of birth: those born by transformation feed on dragons of all four modes of birth; those born from a womb feed on dragons of three modes of birth, excluding those born by transformation; those born from eggs feed on dragons of two modes of birth, excluding those born by transformation and from a womb; those born of moisture feed only on moisture-born dragons. In this world of four continents there is a transformation-born garuḍa king named Zhengyin (Right Sound) with a lifespan of eight thousand years, who each day devours one great dragon king and five hundred small dragons, circling the four continents around and around to devour them in succession. When his life comes to an end, the dragons vomit poison so that he can no longer eat; burned by the fire of hunger, he spreads his wings and plunges straight down to the wind wheel, is blown back up by the wind, going back and forth seven times without a place to rest his feet, and finally reaches the peak of the Cakravāḍa Mountains where he dies. Because he fed on dragons, the poisonous vapors of his flesh ignite a fierce blaze. The dragon kings Nanda and Upananda, fearing it will burn the jeweled mountain, send down heavy rain with drops as thick as chariot axles to extinguish the fire. His body and flesh dissolve away, leaving only his heart, the size of a human spleen and made of pure blue lapis lazuli; when a wheel-turning king obtains it, he uses it as a wish-fulfilling jewel; when Śakra obtains it, he uses it as the jewel in his topknot. "Kiṃnaras" are called "doubtful spirits." In substance they are animals, but their appearance resembles humans, their faces are exceedingly handsome, and they have a single horn on the crown of their heads. When people see them they give rise to doubt, not knowing whether they are human, ghost, or animal, and thus they are called doubtful spirits. These are also heavenly musicians. "Mahoragas" are bellied-crawling spirits; ordinary people pass down the tradition that they are demon spirits. Below, the assembly of humans is listed. "Bhikṣus" are as explained above; "[bhikṣu]ṇī" means female. An "upāsaka" is called a "man who abides well," dwelling while cherishing goodness; it is also said to mean "dwelling near goodness," and also "purely faithful gentleman." "Upāsikā" is as explained before, with "[upāsi]kā" meaning female. The above has been the second part, listing his accompanying retinue.