大乘義章 8.46

8.46

次辨人趣。人類無量，大約有四，謂四天下人報差別。四天下人，有八不同：一住處不同。須彌山南有一海渚，名閻浮提，縱廣二十八萬里，人住其上。東方有渚，名弗婆提，倍廣閻浮，人住其上。西方有渚，名瞿耶尼，倍廣弗婆，人住其上。北方有渚，名欝單越，倍廣瞿耶，人住其上。二形相不同。南閻浮渚，其地尖邪，人面像之。弗婆提渚，地如半月，人面像之。瞿耶尼渚，地如滿月，人面像之。北欝單越，其地正方，人面像之。三長短不同。閻浮提人，身長四肘。弗婆提人，身長八肘。瞿耶尼人，長十六肘。欝單越人，三十二肘。四壽命不同。閻浮提人，壽命不定，下極十歲、上極八萬四千歲。弗婆提人，壽命二百五十歲。瞿耶尼人，壽五百歲。欝單越人，定壽千歲。唯欝單定，餘皆不定。五果報不同。南閻浮提人，壽十歲時，或飢饉劫、或疫病劫、或刀兵劫，三劫互起。東西二方飢饉劫時，飲食不足而無餓死。疫病劫時，四大不和而不喪命。刀兵劫時，少增瞋恚，不相殺害。北欝單越，全無變異。六優劣不同。若論受道，閻浮提上，弗婆次下，瞿耶漸劣，欝單最下。若論果報，欝單最上，瞿耶次下，弗婆漸劣，閻浮最下。七起業不同。東西南方具行十惡，欝單越國但有綺語、貪、瞋、邪見，綺語業道成而現行，餘三業道成而不行，如十業章具廣分別。八趣果不同。北欝單越，死皆生天，不向餘趣，以無惡故；餘三天下，所向不定（人趣如是）。

Next, to explain the human destiny: Human beings are immeasurable, broadly divided into four kinds, referring to the differing retributions of humans in the four continents. The humans of the four continents have eight differences: 1. Difference of dwelling places: South of Mount Sumeru is an oceanic island named Jambudvīpa, two hundred and eighty thousand li in extent, where humans dwell. In the east is an island named Pūrvavideha, twice the breadth of Jambudvīpa, where humans dwell. In the west is an island named Aparagodānīya, twice the breadth of Pūrvavideha, where humans dwell. In the north is an island named Uttarakuru, twice the breadth of Aparagodānīya, where humans dwell. 2. Difference of bodily forms: The land of southern Jambudvīpa is pointed and irregular, and the human faces resemble it. The land of Pūrvavideha is like a half-moon, and the human faces resemble it. The land of Aparagodānīya is like a full moon, and the human faces resemble it. The northern Uttarakuru is square, and the human faces resemble it. 3. Difference of height: The people of Jambudvīpa are four cubits tall. The people of Pūrvavideha are eight cubits tall. The people of Aparagodānīya are sixteen cubits tall. The people of Uttarakuru are thirty-two cubits tall. 4. Difference of lifespan: For the people of Jambudvīpa, lifespan is indeterminate, with a minimum of ten years and a maximum of eighty-four thousand years. The people of Pūrvavideha have a lifespan of two hundred and fifty years. The people of Aparagodānīya have a lifespan of five hundred years. The people of Uttarakuru have a fixed lifespan of one thousand years. Only Uttarakuru has a fixed lifespan; the rest are all indeterminate. 5. Difference of retribution: When the people of southern Jambudvīpa have a lifespan of ten years, kalpas of famine, kalpas of epidemic, or kalpas of warfare arise alternately. In the eastern and western continents during a kalpa of famine, food and drink are insufficient, but none starve to death; during a kalpa of epidemic, the four great elements are disharmonious, but none lose their lives; during a kalpa of warfare, anger increases slightly, but they do not kill one another. Northern Uttarakuru has no such changes at all. 6. Difference of superiority and inferiority: If considered in terms of receiving the Way, Jambudvīpa is highest, Pūrvavideha is next, Aparagodānīya is gradually inferior, and Uttarakuru is lowest. If considered in terms of [karmic] retribution, Uttarakuru is highest, Aparagodānīya is next, Pūrvavideha is gradually inferior, and Jambudvīpa is lowest. 7. Difference of generating karma: The east, west, and south fully perform the ten unwholesome actions; the realm of Uttarakuru has only frivolous talk, greed, anger, and wrong views: the karma-path of frivolous talk is completed and manifested, while the remaining three karma-paths are completed but not manifested, as extensively explained in the Chapter on the Ten Karmas. 8. Difference of destination: Upon death, all in northern Uttarakuru are born in heaven and do not proceed to other destinies, because they have no evil; for the other three continents, their destinations are indeterminate. (Such is the explanation of the human destiny).