維摩經略疏 2.13

2.13

問：無想無色何故不來？答：無想是外道天，菩薩住如空三昧亦生於彼，從多為論，戒急乘緩多不來也。四無色天，菩薩住無礙三昧生空處、常生識處、樂生不用處、我生非有想非無想處。但彼天無色不來聽法，設來不見，不可為證。此等未辨，故重云諸天。「龍」者，是畜生道，正報似蛇，依報七寶宮殿與天相似，亦能變形為端正人，戒緩乘急故也。亦如僧護比丘為四龍說法，聞即得悟。「神夜叉」者，皆是鬼道。夜叉此云輕疾，有三種：一在地、二在空、三為諸天給使。毀戒故墮鬼神，以惡毒故受夜叉身，往修乘故見佛聞法。少行布施微有果報，車馬施故故能飛空。「乾闥婆」，此云香陰，此亦凌空之神。不噉酒肉，唯香資陰。又云是天主幢倒樂神，居十寶山，身異相現，即上天奏樂。往世好觀聽妓樂，戒緩故墮神，行施故果報似天。「阿修羅」，舊云無酒或云身大，採四天下華於海釀酒不成，故言無酒。又云非天，此神果報最勝，隣次諸天而非天也。又云不端正，唯生女舍脂端正絕倫，眷屬皆醜，故云不端正也。又云男醜女端正，往昔嫉妬惱他，故恒多怖畏。「迦樓羅」，此云金翅鳥，畜生道攝，多慢故墮；以行施故，頸有如意珠，以龍為食。權者，《華嚴》云「法身金翅鳥，四如意為足，慈悲明淨眼，住一切智樹。菩薩金翅王，生死大海中，搏撮天人龍，安置涅槃岸。」此是住不退三昧金翅法門，當知法身住諸三昧。龍神修羅等皆有法門，類金翅可知。「緊那羅」，此云疑神，頭上有角，是諸天糸竹之神，果報少劣乾闥婆也。好樂音樂，生鬼神道還作樂神，少修功德微有果報。菩薩住心樂三昧，力能摧生也。「摩睺羅伽」，此是蟒神亦云地龍，無足腹行神，即世間廟神，受人酒肉悉入蟒腹。毀戒邪諂、多嗔少施、貪嗜酒肉，戒緩墮鬼神。多嗔虫入其身而唼食之。昔少施，謙敬得人供養，乘急值佛聞法。上來皆乘戒俱急、戒緩乘急，故來聽法。所以經初皆有八部。八部一一皆約信法大小頓漸根緣，類前可知。

Question: Why do [the gods of] the realm of non-conception and the formless realm not come? Answer: The heaven of non-conception is a heaven of the non-Buddhists; though bodhisattvas abiding in the sky-like samādhi are also born there, generally speaking, those strict in the precepts but lax in the vehicle mostly do not come. As for the four formless heavens, bodhisattvas abide in the unobstructed samādhi to be born in the stage of empty space, in the constant [samādhi] to be born in the stage of consciousness, in the joyful [samādhi] to be born in the stage of nothingness, and in the self [samādhi] to be born in the stage of neither perception nor non-perception. However, those gods lack form and do not come to hear the Dharma; even if they came, they could not be seen and could not serve as witnesses. Because these were not yet distinguished, the text reiterates "all the devas." "Nāgas" belong to the animal destiny; their direct retribution resembles serpents, but their dependent retribution consists of palaces of seven jewels similar to those of devas. They can also transform their bodies into handsome humans, because they were lax in the precepts but urgent in the vehicle. It is also as when the monk Saṅgharakṣita preached the Dharma to four nāgas, who upon hearing it immediately attained awakening. "Spiritual yakṣas" all belong to the ghost destiny. "Yakṣa" is translated here as "swift and nimble." There are three kinds: first, those on earth; second, those in the air; third, those who serve the devas. Because they broke the precepts they fell among ghosts and spirits; because of their evil venom they received yakṣa bodies; but because in the past they cultivated the vehicle, they see the Buddha and hear the Dharma. Having practiced a little giving, they have slight recompense; having given carriages and horses, they are able to fly through the air. "Gandharva" is translated here as "fragrance-aggregate"; these are also gods who traverse the air. They do not consume wine or meat, but sustain their aggregates solely on fragrance. It is also said that they are the musical spirits of the overturned banners of the lord of devas, residing in the Ten Jewel Mountains; when extraordinary signs appear on their bodies, they immediately ascend to the heavens to play music. In past lives they loved watching and listening to music and drama; being lax in the precepts they fell among spirits, but having practiced giving their recompense resembles that of devas. "Asuras": the old translation says "without wine" or "great body." They gathered flowers from the four continents to brew wine in the ocean but failed, hence the name "without wine." They are also called "non-devas"; the recompense of these spirits is the most supreme, ranking next to devas, yet they are not devas. They are also called "uncomely"; only their daughters, such as Śacī, are peerlessly comely, while their retinue are all ugly, hence they are called "uncomely." It is also said that the males are ugly and the females comely; because in the past they were jealous and troubled others, they are constantly full of fear. "Garuḍa" is translated here as "golden-winged bird," subsumed under the animal destiny; because of great conceit they fell, but because they practiced giving, they have wish-fulfilling gems on their necks; they take nāgas as food. Regarding provisional manifestations, the Avataṃsaka says: "The dharmakāya golden-winged bird takes the four bases of psychic power as feet, has eyes of compassion bright and pure, and abides in the tree of all-knowledge. The bodhisattva king of golden-winged birds, in the great ocean of birth and death, clutches devas, humans, and nāgas, placing them upon the shore of nirvāṇa." This is the garuḍa Dharma-gate of abiding in the non-retrogressing samādhi; one should know that the dharmakāya abides in all samādhis. Nāgas, spirits, asuras, and the rest all have Dharma-gates, which can be known by analogy with the garuḍa. "Kiṃnara" is translated here as "spirit of doubt," having horns on their heads; they are the spirits of strings and bamboo among the devas, their recompense being slightly inferior to that of gandharvas. Loving music, they are born in the spirit destiny and serve as musical spirits; having cultivated merit slightly, they receive a slight recompense. Bodhisattvas abiding in the samādhi of mental joy have the power to destroy rebirth [there]. "Mahoraga": these are python spirits, also called earth dragons; they are footless spirits that crawl on their bellies, namely the worldly temple spirits who receive wine and meat from people, all of which enters the python's belly. Breaking the precepts through deviousness and flattery, with much anger and little giving, and greedy for wine and meat, they fall into the ghost and spirit [destiny] because of laxity in the precepts. Because of their much anger, worms enter their bodies and gnaw at them. Having given a little in the past and having been humble and respectful, they receive offerings from humans; because they were urgent in the vehicle, they encounter the Buddha and hear the Dharma. All those mentioned above were urgent in both vehicle and precepts, or lax in precepts and urgent in the vehicle; therefore they come to hear the Dharma. For this reason, the eight classes are present at the beginning of sūtras. Each of the eight classes is determined according to their faculties and conditions—whether faith or Dharma, great or small, sudden or gradual—which can be known by analogy with the preceding.