[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [大乘義章](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1851) › 8.40 # 大乘義章 8.40 大乘義章 8.40 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [8.40](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1851.8.40) 第一釋名。言六道者，所謂地獄、畜生、餓鬼、人、天、脩羅，是其六也。言地獄者，如《雜心》釋，不可樂故名為地獄。《地持》中釋，增上可厭故名泥犁。泥犁胡語，此云地獄。不樂可厭，其義一也。此之兩釋，皆對厭心以彰其過，非是當相解其名義。若正解之，言地獄者，就處名也，地下牢獄是其生處，故云地獄。言畜生者，如《雜心》釋，以傍行故名為畜生。此乃辨相，非解名義。若正解釋，言畜生者，從主畜養，以為名也。一切世人，或為噉食、或為驅使，畜積此生，行從是義，故名畜生。言餓鬼者，如《雜心》釋，以從他求，故名餓鬼。又常飢虛故名為餓，恐怯多畏故名為鬼。所言人者，如《雜心》釋，意寂靜故，名之為人。此就人德以釋人也，以人能思斷絕邪念，名意寂靜。若依《涅槃》，以多恩義故名為人，人中父子親戚相憐，名多恩義。所言天者，如《雜心》釋，有光明故，名之為天。此隨相釋。又云天者，淨故名天。天報清淨，故名為淨。若依《地持》，所受自然，故名為天。阿脩羅者，是外國語，此名劣天。又人相傳名不酒神，阿之言無、脩羅名酒，不知何義，名不酒神。此之六種，經名為趣，亦名為道。所言趣者，蓋乃對因以名果也。因能向果，果為因趣，故名為趣。所言道者，從因名也。善惡兩業，通人至果，名之為道。地獄等報，為道所詣，故名為道。故《地持》言「乘惡行往，名為惡道。」亦可道者，當相名也，六趣道別故名六道（此一門竟）。 > First, explaining the names. As for the 'six destinies', they are the so-called hells, animals, hungry ghosts, humans, gods, and asuras; these are the six. As for the 'hells', as the \*Saṃyuktābhidharma-hṛdaya\* explains, because they are not pleasurable they are called 'hells' (naraka). In the \*Bodhisattvabhūmi\* it is explained that because they are supremely loathsome they are called \*nili\* (niraya). \*Nili\* is a foreign word; here \[in China\] one says 'hell' (dìyù, subterranean prison). 'Not pleasurable' and 'loathsome' have the same meaning. Both of these explanations highlight their faults with reference to an attitude of revulsion, rather than explaining the meaning of the name according to the phenomenon itself. If properly explained, the term 'hell' is named according to location: an underground prison is their birthplace, hence they are called 'subterranean prisons' (hells). As for 'animals', as the \*Saṃyuktābhidharma-hṛdaya\* explains, because they walk horizontally they are called 'animals' (tiryag-yoni). This merely distinguishes their appearance and does not explain the meaning of the name. If properly explained, 'animal' (xùshēng) takes its name from being reared (xùyǎng) by a master. All worldly people, whether for eating or for driving and employing, raise and keep this birth; the usage derives from this meaning, hence they are called 'animals' (xùshēng). As for 'hungry ghosts', as the \*Saṃyuktābhidharma-hṛdaya\* explains, because they seek from others, they are called 'hungry ghosts' (preta). Furthermore, because they are constantly famished and empty they are called 'hungry', and because they are terrified and full of fear they are called 'ghosts'. As for 'humans', as the \*Saṃyuktābhidharma-hṛdaya\* explains, because their minds are tranquil they are called 'humans' (manuṣya). This explains 'human' with reference to human virtue: because humans are capable of reflecting upon and severing deviant thoughts, it is called 'the mind being tranquil'. If according to the \*Nirvāṇa Sūtra\*, because they have much benevolence and righteousness they are called 'humans': among humans, fathers, sons, and relatives pity one another, which is called 'having much benevolence and righteousness'. As for 'gods', as the \*Saṃyuktābhidharma-hṛdaya\* explains, because they possess radiance they are called 'gods' (deva). This explains according to their appearance. It is also said that 'gods' are called \*tiān\* because they are pure; the divine retribution is pure, hence it is called 'pure'. If according to the \*Bodhisattvabhūmi\*, what they receive is spontaneous, hence they are called 'gods'. 'Asura' is a foreign word, which here is called 'inferior god'. Tradition also says they are called 'spirits without liquor' (\*a-sura\*), \*a\* meaning 'without' and \*sura\* meaning 'liquor'; it is unknown by what meaning they are called 'spirits without liquor'. These six kinds are called 'destinies' (gati) in the sūtras, and also called 'paths' (mārga). As for 'destinies', this names the fruit in contrast to the cause: the cause is able to head toward the fruit, and the fruit is where the cause tends (qù), hence they are called 'destinies' (qù). As for 'paths', they are named from the cause: the two karmas of good and evil lead a person to reach the fruit, hence they are called 'paths'. Retributions such as the hells are where the paths lead, hence they are called 'paths'. Therefore the \*Bodhisattvabhūmi\* says: 'Traveling by vehicle on evil conduct is called an evil path.' It may also be that 'path' is named according to the phenomenon itself: because the paths of the six destinies are distinct, they are called the 'six paths'. (This concludes the first section.) > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 8.39](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1851.8.39) - [Next: 8.41](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1851.8.41) - [Up: 8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1851.8) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1851~en-mt.8.40) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1851.8.40](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1851.8.40) · Pramāṇa