大乘義章 8.44

8.44

次辨餓鬼。如《法念》說，餓鬼之中，處要有二：一在人中、二在鬼界。如彼經說，閣浮提下五由百旬，縱廣三萬六千由旬，是餓鬼界。類別不同，有三十六。一鑊身餓鬼，其形似鑊，無有頭頂眼耳鼻舌手足等相，住餓鬼界。初生之時，倍過人身，後漸增長滿一由旬，猛火滿於鑊身之中焚燒其身，飢渴熱惱無能救者。人中十歲，當彼日夜，鑊身於彼壽五百歲。以其先世為貪財利受雇屠殺，又受他寄抵拒不還，故生其中。二針口餓鬼，身大如山、口如針孔，亦住鬼界，壽同鑊身。飢火燒身，燋燃無救，并受一切寒熱眾毒種種之苦。以其先世雇人屠殺，或有婦人夫令供養沙門淨行，誑言道無，如是等比，故生其中。三食吐鬼、四食糞鬼、五無食鬼、六食氣鬼、七食法鬼、八食水鬼、九悕望鬼、十食唾鬼、十一食鬘鬼、十二食血鬼、十三食肉鬼、十四食香煙鬼、十五疾行鬼、十六伺便鬼、十七地下鬼、十八神通鬼、十九熾燃鬼、二十伺嬰兒便鬼、二十一欲色鬼、二十二住海渚鬼，二十三使執杖鬼，是閻羅王。二十四食小兒鬼、二十五食人精氣鬼、二十六羅剎鬼、二十七火爐燒食鬼、二十八住不淨巷陌鬼、二十九食風鬼、三十食火炭鬼、三十一食毒鬼、三十二曠野鬼、三十三住塚間食熱灰土鬼、三十四樹中住鬼、三十五住四交道鬼、三十六殺身餓鬼。鬼別無量，要攝如此。其中果報業因各異，備如經說（餓鬼如是）。

Next, to explain hungry ghosts (preta): As stated in the *Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna Sūtra*, the habitats of hungry ghosts are primarily twofold: first, among humans; second, in the realm of ghosts. As that sūtra explains, five hundred yojanas beneath Jambudvīpa, with a length and breadth of thirty-six thousand yojanas, is the realm of hungry ghosts. There are thirty-six distinct categories: 1. Cauldron-bodied ghosts (Kumbhāṇḍa/Carpaṭa?), whose bodies resemble cauldrons, without heads, eyes, ears, noses, tongues, hands, or feet, who dwell in the realm of hungry ghosts. At birth, they are twice the size of a human body, and later gradually grow to a full yojana; raging fire fills the cauldron of their bodies and incinerates them, and none can rescue them from their distress of hunger, thirst, and heat. Ten years among humans equals one day and night for them, and cauldron-bodied ghosts there have a lifespan of five hundred years. Because in their past lives they were greedy for wealth and took hire to slaughter [animals], or received deposits from others and stubbornly refused to return them, they are born among these. 2. Needle-mouthed ghosts (Sūcīmukha), whose bodies are as large as mountains and their mouths like needle eyes, who also dwell in the ghost realm with a lifespan the same as the cauldron-bodied ghosts. The fire of hunger scorches their bodies, burning without rescue, and they suffer all kinds of distress from cold, heat, and diverse poisons. Because in past lives they hired others to slaughter, or as wives whose husbands told them to make offerings to śramaṇas of pure conduct lied saying they had nothing, through such deeds they are born among these. 3. Vomit-eating ghosts; 4. Excrement-eating ghosts; 5. Foodless ghosts; 6. Vapor-eating ghosts; 7. Dharma-eating ghosts; 8. Water-eating ghosts; 9. Expectation ghosts; 10. Saliva-eating ghosts; 11. Garland-eating ghosts; 12. Blood-eating ghosts; 13. Flesh-eating ghosts; 14. Incense-smoke-eating ghosts; 15. Swift-moving ghosts; 16. Opportunity-seeking ghosts; 17. Subterranean ghosts; 18. Supernatural-power ghosts; 19. Blazing ghosts; 20. Infant-opportunity-seeking ghosts; 21. Desirous-of-form ghosts; 22. Island-dwelling ghosts; 23. Stick-wielding messenger ghosts—who are King Yama; 24. Child-eating ghosts; 25. Human-vital-energy-eating ghosts; 26. Rākṣasa ghosts; 27. Hearth-food-burning ghosts; 28. Impure-alley-dwelling ghosts; 29. Wind-eating ghosts; 30. Hot-coal-eating ghosts; 31. Poison-eating ghosts; 32. Wilderness ghosts; 33. Cemetery-dwelling hot-ash-and-earth-eating ghosts; 34. Tree-dwelling ghosts; 35. Crossroads-dwelling ghosts; 36. Body-destroying hungry ghosts. The varieties of ghosts are immeasurable, but they are summarized as these. Their karmic causes and retributions differ respectively, as fully explained in the sūtra. (Such is the explanation of hungry ghosts).