大乘義章 8.48

8.48

次辨其因。因有通別。通而論之，唯善與惡，善謂十善、惡謂十惡，十惡是其三塗通因，十善是其人、天、脩羅三趣通因。故龍樹言「惡有三品，謂下、中、上，下生餓鬼、中生畜生、上生地獄。」《地經》之中亦同此說。善亦三品，下生脩羅、中善生人、上善生天。問曰：脩羅四惡趣攝，何故論言下善生中？釋言：脩羅雜業所招，是雜業中有善有惡，惡業得彼總報之果，故名惡趣；善業得彼別報樂受，是故名為下善生也。又復惡業得彼正報，故名惡趣；善得依果，故說善生。問曰：諸餘鬼畜等中亦有樂受並為善生，何故偏言善生脩羅？釋言：脩羅樂受增上。如經中說「脩羅所受，其次如天。」是故偏言善生脩羅。問曰：脩羅樂既次天，感樂之善應名為中，何故名下？釋言：彼樂施福所招，施福增上，故樂如天。施福望戒，不及戒善，是故名下。問曰：施福能生勝樂，何故不能生善道身，乃生惡趣？釋言：善趣必由戒得，彼非戒善，是故不能生善趣身。又脩羅中有鬼、有畜、有是天者，鬼畜脩羅，樂不從善生，總報惡得，故名惡趣。天脩羅者，總報雖從善業而得，疑心劣故，不能會聖，是故名為下善生也。通因如是。若論別因，六道之中種類無量，業因皆異，如《法念經》具廣分別。六道之義，辨之麁爾。

Next, their causes are analysed. Causes are general and specific. Speaking generally, there are only good and evil: good refers to the ten wholesome actions, and evil refers to the ten unwholesome actions. The ten unwholesome actions are the common cause of the three bad destinies, while the ten wholesome actions are the common cause of the three destinies of humans, devas, and asuras. Thus Nāgārjuna says: 'Evil has three grades, namely lower, middling, and higher: the lower gives birth to hungry ghosts, the middling gives birth to animals, and the higher gives birth to hells.' The *Daśabhūmika Sūtra* also states the same. Good also has three grades: the lower gives birth to asuras, the middling good gives birth to humans, and the higher good gives birth to devas. Question: Asuras are subsumed under the four bad destinies; why does the treatise say that lower good gives birth among them? Explanation: Asuras are brought about by mixed karma; within this mixed karma there is good and evil. Evil karma obtains their overall karmic fruit, and hence they are called a bad destiny; good karma obtains their particular karmic pleasure, and therefore it is called being born of lower good. Furthermore, evil karma obtains their primary retribution, hence they are called a bad destiny; good karma obtains their dependent fruit, and therefore it is said to be born of good. Question: Among other ghosts and animals there are also pleasant retributions, all born of good; why is it specifically said that good gives birth to asuras? Explanation: The pleasant retributions of asuras are preeminent. As stated in the sūtra: 'The retributions received by asuras are second only to the devas.' Therefore it is specifically said that good gives birth to asuras. Question: Since the pleasure of asuras is second only to devas, the good that induces that pleasure should be called middling; why is it called lower? Explanation: Their pleasure is brought about by the merit of giving; the merit of giving being preeminent, their pleasure is like that of devas. Comparing the merit of giving to morality, it does not equal the goodness of morality; therefore it is called lower. Question: The merit of giving can produce superior pleasure; why can it not produce a body in a good destiny, but rather produces birth in a bad destiny? Explanation: A good destiny must be obtained through morality; that is not the goodness of morality, and therefore it cannot produce a body in a good destiny. Furthermore, among asuras there are ghosts, animals, and devas: for ghost and animal asuras, their pleasure does not arise from good [as a primary cause], but their overall retribution is obtained from evil, so they are called a bad destiny. For deva asuras, although their overall retribution is obtained from good karma, because their doubting minds are inferior they cannot meet the noble ones, and therefore it is called being born of lower good. Such is the general cause. If one discusses specific causes, within the six destinies the varieties are measureless and their karmic causes are all different, as distinguished in detail in the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna Sūtra. The meaning of the six destinies has thus been roughly analysed.