大乘義章 8.15

8.15

第一辨相。四有之義，出《阿含經》，毘曇論中具廣分別。生死果報是有不無，故名為有。有別不同，一門說四。四名是何？一者生有、二者死有、三者本有、四者中有。報分始起名為生有；命報終謝名為死有；生後死前名為本有，對死及中故說為本；兩身之間所受陰形名為中有。中有相隱，九句辨之：一定其有無，經論不同。毘曇法中定有中陰，成實法中一向定無。有無偏定，故成諍論。故《涅槃》云「我諸弟子不解我意，唱言：『如來宣說中陰，一向定有、一向定無。』」大乘所說有無不定，上善重惡趣報速疾則無中陰，如五逆等；餘業則有。異於偏定，故無諍論。二定其生分。生有四種，胎卵濕化，一切中陰同一化生。三辨其形類。中陰之形，髴緣生陰。趣天中陰髴緣似天，乃至趣向地獄中陰髴緣地獄。四明中陰形量大小。如論中說，生人中陰如有知小兒，上天中陰以漸轉大。如是中陰，隨所向處，小於生陰，准人可知。五辨其形色。如《地持》說色有好惡。好色有二：一者極好，如明月光；二者微好，如波羅捺衣。惡色亦二：一者極惡，如夜黑闇；二者微惡，如黑羊毛光。然實中陰色萬差，《地持》且就麁影為言。六明中陰趣向差別。如論中說，地獄中陰向地獄時，足上頭下，直趣地獄。至地獄中受報之時，形如人立。諸天中陰上趣天時，如箭射空。餘則倚行。七明中陰相見不同。有人宣說：一切中陰皆得相見。復有人言：上得見下，下不見上。如此說者，地獄中陰唯得見於地獄中陰，不見餘者；畜生中陰，能見畜生、地獄中陰，不見餘者；乃至天陰，能見一切五趣中陰。八明中陰所食不同。欲界中陰具足四食，其中段食，還食生陰所食香氣。上界中陰則無段食，但有識、觸、意思食等。九明中陰衣服有無。諸天中陰一向有衣，人中不定。如近佛地諸大菩薩、轉輪聖王及白淨比丘尼等，福德殊勝又具慚愧，中陰有衣；餘者則無（此一門竟）。

First is the explanation of their characteristics. The doctrine of the four states of existence comes from the Āgama sūtras, and is extensively and fully differentiated in the Abhidharma treatises. The karmic fruition of birth-and-death is existent and not non-existent, hence it is termed "existence." Because existences differ, one framework presents four. What are the names of the four? The first is existence at birth (upapatti-bhava); the second is existence at death (maraṇa-bhava); the third is basic existence (pūrva-kāla-bhava); the fourth is intermediate existence (antarā-bhava). The initial arising of the retribution portion is called existence at birth; the final termination of the life-retribution is called existence at death; the period after birth and before death is called basic existence, termed "basic" in contrast to death and the intermediate; the skandhas and bodily form received between the two bodies are called intermediate existence. Because the characteristics of intermediate existence are concealed, they are explained in nine points: First, determining its presence or absence. Sūtras and treatises differ: in the Abhidharma system, intermediate existence is definitely affirmed; in the Tattvasiddhi system, it is categorically denied. With presence and absence each being asserted exclusively, dispute arose. Thus the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] says: "My disciples do not understand my intention and proclaim: 'The Tathāgata taught that intermediate existence is categorically existent or categorically non-existent.'" As taught in the Mahāyāna, its presence or absence is indefinite: for supreme good or grave evil where retribution in a destination is rapid, there is no intermediate existence, as in the cases of the five heinous sins and the like; for other karma, it is present. Differing from an exclusive assertion, there is thus no dispute. Second, determining its mode of birth. There are four modes of birth: viviparous, oviparous, moisture-born, and apparitional. All intermediate existences are uniformly of apparitional birth. Third, explaining its form and kind. The form of intermediate existence faintly resembles the skandhas of the life into which it will be born. The intermediate existence bound for the heavens faintly resembles a deva, and so on up to the intermediate existence bound for the hells faintly resembling a hell-dweller. Fourth, clarifying the size and dimensions of its form. As stated in the treatises, the intermediate existence born among humans is like a sentient toddler, while the intermediate existence ascending to the heavens becomes gradually larger. Such an intermediate existence, according to the place it is heading toward, is smaller than the skandhas of that birth; this can be known by analogy with humans. Fifth, explaining the color of its form. As stated in the Bodhisattvabhūmi, its color may be good or bad. Good colors are of two kinds: first, extremely good, like the light of the bright moon; second, slightly good, like Benares cloth. Bad colors are also of two kinds: first, extremely bad, like the darkness of night; second, slightly bad, like the sheen of black sheep's wool. In reality, the colors of intermediate existence have myriad variations; the Bodhisattvabhūmi speaks merely in broad outlines. Sixth, clarifying the differences in the intermediate existence's direction of movement. As stated in the treatises, when the intermediate existence bound for hell heads toward hell, it goes with feet up and head down, heading straight for hell; when it reaches hell and receives its retribution, its form stands upright like a human. When the intermediate existences of devas ascend toward heaven, they are like arrows shot into the sky. The others move obliquely. Seventh, clarifying the differences in their mutual perception. Some say that all intermediate existences can see one another. Others say that the higher can see the lower, but the lower cannot see the higher. According to this latter view, hell intermediate existences can only see hell intermediate existences and cannot see others; animal intermediate existences can see animal and hell intermediate existences, but cannot see others; and so on up to deva intermediate existences, which can see the intermediate existences of all five destinies. Eighth, clarifying differences in what the intermediate existence eats. The intermediate existence of the desire realm is fully endowed with the four foods; among these, as for material food, it still consumes the fragrances eaten by the skandhas of that life. Intermediate existences in the higher realms lack material food, possessing only the food of consciousness, contact, mental volition, and the like. Ninth, clarifying the presence or absence of clothing on the intermediate existence. The intermediate existences of devas always have clothing, whereas among humans it is indefinite. For great bodhisattvas close to the Buddha ground, wheel-turning sage kings, the nun Śuklā, and the like, whose merit is extraordinary and who are endowed with shame and conscience, their intermediate existence has clothing; others do not. (This completes the first gate.)