佛祖統紀 31.24

31.24

須彌山根上升一萬由旬。遶山縱廣一萬由旬。是堅首天住。復上一倍（因本二萬）遶山八千由旬。是華鬘天住。復上一倍（因本三萬）遶山四千由旬。是常放逸天住。復上一倍（三天皆云一倍者。皆以一萬增倍。至四天王為四萬由旬○因本云。山半四萬二千由旬。四王所住）遶山四千由旬。是日月星宿天四天王天住（婆沙論）○須彌山下別有三級。諸神住處。皆有七重牆院。皆夜叉住（起世因本經）此三天皆藥叉住。四天王之所部（俱舍論）○日天宮殿。天金頗梨所成。縱廣五十一由旬。正方如宅遙看似圓（智論日月方圓五百里）有五種風吹轉而行。閻浮檀金以為妙輦。高十六由旬。方八由旬。日天子及眷屬居中受天五欲。日天子壽五百歲。子孫相承。皆於彼治。宮殿住持滿足一劫（歷成住壞空。八十小劫。為一大劫也）日天身光。妙輦宮殿光明相照。有一千光。五百旁照五百下照。日天宮殿常行不息。六月北行六月南行。月天宮殿。天銀青琉璃成。高十六由旬。廣八由旬。月天子與諸天女在此輦中受天五欲。月天壽五百歲。子孫相承宮殿住於一劫。月天身光宮殿成千光明。五百旁照。五百下照。何因緣故。月天宮殿漸漸現耶。由日天有六十光障彼月輪。去日漸遠。故漸漸現。復何因緣圓淨滿足當十五日。月宮去日最遠光不能障。復何因緣黑月十五一切不現。此時月宮最近於日。日光隱覆一切不現。復何因緣月宮影現。此大洲有閻浮樹。高故影現月輪（起世因本）過去有兔行菩薩行。天帝試之索肉欲食。捨身火中。天帝愍之。取其焦兔置於月內。令眾生瞻之。知是菩薩行慈之身（西域記）南洲日正中。東洲日始沒。西洲日初出。北洲當半夜（起世因本經餘三方例知）日天宮牆地薄如華葩。為五風所持（長阿含）日月方圓五百由旬。而今所見不過如扇（智論）大星宮宅周七百二十里。中星四百八十里。小星百二十里（樓炭經）過去婆伽婆仙。分布諸宿曜（宿音秀）護國養人各有所主。東方七宿。角亢（晉岡）氏房心尾箕。北方七宿。斗牛女虛危室壁。西方七宿。奎婁胃昴畢觜參（音茲森）南方七宿。井鬼柳星張翼軫（大集經。諸星形相姓氏祭物法度所主人物國主。並具在本經）佛在淨居天宮。告諸宿曜。遊空天眾九執大天二十八宿十二宮辰。說過去娑羅王如來所說熾盛光大威德陀羅尼除災難法。若有國王及諸大臣。所居之處及諸國界。或被五星陵逼羅睺彗孛妖星照臨所屬本命宮宿及諸星位或臨帝座。於國於家及分野處。陵逼之時或退或入。作諸障難者。但於清淨處置立道場。念此陀羅尼一百八遍。或一千遍（消災經）有九種執曜。能令晝夜時分增減世間豐儉。其名曰日月熒惑（火）辰（水）歲（木）太白（金）鎮（土）羅睺（火之餘氣）彗孛（土之餘氣孔雀經）娑婆世界有八萬四千災變惡星（楞嚴經）毘沙門為星宿之主（法華文句○論語曰。北辰。天文志曰。北極）須彌山半四萬二千由旬。四天王居（智論因本經同。若阿毘曇論。俱舍論。皆云四萬由旬）東方城名上賢。南方城名善見。西方名周羅。北方名天敬（智論同）東方治國天王（諸經多云持國）領乾闥婆（此云尋香行帝釋俗樂神）毘舍闍（此云啖人精氣鬼又顛狂鬼智論作富單那）護東洲人。南方增長天王領鳩槃荼（此云厭魅鬼厭魘同睡中為鬼所著）薜荔多（此云最初餓鬼）護南洲人。西方雜語天王（孔雀經翻廣目又翻非報能與罪逆眾生不能現報）領龍及富單那（此云臭餓鬼智論毘舍闍）護西洲人。北方多聞天王領夜叉（此云捷疾今法會傳送符書使者是此類）羅剎（此云暴惡食人之鬼）護北洲人（出長阿含）。爾時毘沙門天王（此云多聞光明句記福德之名聞四方故）提頭賴吒天王（此云持國護持國土）毘留勒叉天王（此云增長令自他善根增長故）毘留博叉天王（此云雜語能種種雜語又廣目又惡眼專主罰惡令遇苦發心）俱從座起而白佛言。是金光明眾經之王（云云）。我等四王二十八部百千鬼神以淨天眼常觀擁護此閻浮提。是故我等名護世王（金光明經○光明句記經家先摽北方者西土以北方為上○涅槃經譬如北方之於東方為無上上四明正據此）○初地菩薩多作四天王（華嚴經）四天皆有昏嫁行欲如人。化生小兒在膝上如二歲小兒。未久自然寶器盛百味食天甘露漿。福多者色白。中者色青。下者色赤。食訖便與諸天等量。初生憶昔往業。戲已忘念（長阿含經）四天男女生時。若於女處膝上眼處生者。天女作意此是我兒天男亦言此是我兒。若於父膝眠處生者。唯有一父。諸妻皆得為母。四天欲事無數。亦有修行至死無欲。一切欲界諸天亦爾（立世論）護世四王各有九十一子有大威力。皆名曰帝。能護十方。一切山河樹木土地城郭一切鬼神皆屬四天王（智論）○一王下有八將軍。四王三十二將周四天下護助出家人。韋將軍於三十二將中最存弘護。比丘道力微者為魔所惑。將軍恓惶奔赴應機除剪（天人感通傳）。

Ascending ten thousand yojanas from the base of Mount Sumeru, encircling the mountain with a length and breadth of ten thousand yojanas, is the abode of the Karoṭapāṇi devas. Ascending another equivalent distance (the Yinben jing says twenty thousand) encircling the mountain for eight thousand yojanas, is the abode of the Mālādhāra devas. Ascending another equivalent distance (the Yinben jing says thirty thousand) encircling the mountain for four thousand yojanas, is the abode of the Sadāmada devas. Ascending another equivalent distance (the note for all three heavens saying 'an equivalent distance' means each increases by ten thousand, reaching forty thousand yojanas at the Four Heavenly Kings; the Yinben jing says: 'halfway up the mountain, at forty-two thousand yojanas, is where the Four Kings dwell') encircling the mountain for four thousand yojanas, is the abode of the sun, moon, and stars, and of the Four Heavenly Kings (the Vibhāṣā-śāstra). (There are also three tiers beneath Mount Sumeru, abodes of various spirits, all having seven tiers of enclosure walls, all inhabited by yakṣas [Qishi yinben jing]. These three heavens are all inhabited by yakṣas, who are under the command of the Four Heavenly Kings [Abhidharmakośa-śāstra].) The palace of the Sun Deva is made of heavenly gold and crystal (sphaṭika), fifty-one yojanas in length and breadth, square like a mansion, appearing round when seen from afar (the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says the sun and moon are five hundred li square). Five kinds of wind blow and turn it so that it moves. Jambūnada gold forms a wondrous carriage, sixteen yojanas high and eight yojanas square. The Sun Deva and his retinue reside within it, enjoying the five divine desires. The lifespan of the Sun Deva is five hundred years; sons and grandsons succeed one another, all governing there; the palace endures for a full kalpa (passing through the eighty small kalpas of formation, abiding, destruction, and emptiness, which constitute one great kalpa). The bodily radiance of the Sun Deva and the light of the wondrous carriage and palace shine upon one another, possessing one thousand rays of light—five hundred shining laterally, five hundred shining downward. The palace of the Sun Deva travels constantly without rest, traveling north for six months and south for six months. The palace of the Moon Deva is made of heavenly silver and blue lapis lazuli (vaiḍūrya), sixteen yojanas high and eight yojanas broad. The Moon Deva and the devīs reside in this carriage enjoying the five divine desires. The lifespan of the Moon Deva is five hundred years; sons and grandsons succeed one another, and the palace endures for one kalpa. The bodily light of the Moon Deva and his palace make up a thousand rays of radiance—five hundred shining laterally, five hundred shining downward. For what cause and condition does the palace of the Moon Deva appear gradually? Because sixty rays of light from the Sun Deva obstruct that lunar disk; as it moves gradually further from the sun, it gradually appears. Again, for what cause and condition is it completely round and full on the fifteenth day? The lunar palace is then furthest from the sun, so the light cannot obstruct it. Again, for what cause and condition is nothing visible on the fifteenth day of the dark fortnight? At this time the lunar palace is closest to the sun, and the sun's light conceals it, so nothing appears at all. Again, for what cause and condition does a shadow appear in the lunar palace? This great continent has a jambu tree, and because of its height, its shadow appears on the lunar disk (Qishi yinben [jing]). In the past, there was a hare practicing the bodhisattva path; the lord of the devas tested him by asking for meat to eat, and he threw his body into a fire. The lord of the devas took pity on him, retrieved the charred hare, and placed it within the moon to let sentient beings look upon it and know that this was the body of a bodhisattva practicing compassion (Xiyu ji). When it is noon in the southern continent, the sun has just set in the eastern continent, the sun is just rising in the western continent, and it is midnight in the northern continent (Qishi yinben jing; the other three directions are understood accordingly). The walls and floor of the Sun Deva's palace are as thin as flower petals, supported by five winds (Dīrghāgama). The sun and moon are five hundred yojanas square, yet what we see today is no larger than a fan (Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa). The palace of a large star has a circumference of seven hundred and twenty li; of a medium star, four hundred and eighty li; of a small star, one hundred and twenty li (Loutan jing). In the past, the Bhārgava ṛṣi distributed the mansions and planets (xiu pronounced xiu), protecting the country and nurturing the people, each having its jurisdiction. The seven mansions of the east: Jiao, Kang (pronounced gang), Di, Fang, Xin, Wei, Ji. The seven mansions of the north: Dou, Niu, Nü, Xu, Wei, Shi, Bi. The seven mansions of the west: Kui, Lou, Wei, Mao, Bi, Zui, Shen (pronounced zi sen). The seven mansions of the south: Jing, Gui, Liu, Xing, Zhang, Yi, Zhen (Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra; the forms, family names, sacrificial offerings, standards, and governed people and rulers of each star are all detailed in the main sūtra). While the Buddha was in the palace of the Śuddhāvāsa Heaven, he addressed the mansions and planets, the heavenly hosts traversing space, the great devas of the nine seizers (navagraha), the twenty-eight mansions, and the twelve zodiacal houses, preaching the method for eliminating calamities through the Great Majestic Radiance Dhāraṇī preached in the past by the Tathāgata Śālarāja: 'If there be kings and ministers whose dwellings and realms are encroached upon and pressured by the five planets, Rāhu, comets, or malevolent stars shining down upon their natal zodiacal houses, mansions, stellar positions, or upon the imperial throne; and when these encroach upon the state, the family, or territorial divisions, retreating or advancing and creating various obstructions and calamities: they need only establish a bodhimaṇḍa in a pure place and recite this dhāraṇī one hundred and eight times, or one thousand times' (Xiaozai jing). There are nine kinds of seizers (graha) that can cause the divisions of day and night to lengthen or shorten, and the world to have abundance or famine. Their names are: Sun, Moon, Yinghuo (Mars), Chen (Mercury), Sui (Jupiter), Taibai (Venus), Zhen (Saturn), Rāhu (residual vapor of fire), and comets (residual vapor of earth; Peacock Sūtra). In the Sahā World, there are eighty-four thousand malevolent stars that bring calamities and changes (Śūraṅgama-sūtra). Vaiśravaṇa is the lord of the stars and mansions (Fahua wenju; the Analects says: 'the Northern Star'; the Treatise on Astronomy says: 'the Northern Celestial Pole'). Halfway up Mount Sumeru, at forty-two thousand yojanas, dwell the Four Heavenly Kings (the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa and the Yinben jing agree; the Abhidharma-śāstra and Abhidharmakośa-śāstra both say forty thousand yojanas). The eastern city is named Shangxian (Bhadra); the southern city is named Shanxian (Sudarśana); the western is named Zhouluo (Cūḍā); the northern is named Tianjing (Devasatkṛta; Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa is the same). In the east, the Heavenly King of Governance (most sūtras say Dhṛtarāṣṭra) commands the gandharvas (translated here as 'those who feed on fragrance', musicians of Śakra) and the piśācas (translated here as 'ghosts that eat human vitality', also 'mad ghosts'; Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa calls them pūtanas), protecting the people of the eastern continent. In the south, the Heavenly King Virūḍhaka commands the kumbhāṇḍas (translated here as 'demons of nightmare', identical to incubi, ghosts that oppress people in their sleep) and the pretas (translated here as 'primal hungry ghosts'), protecting the people of the southern continent. In the west, the Heavenly King of Diverse Tongues (translated in the Peacock Sūtra as Virūpākṣa, 'Broad-eyed', and also translated as 'Not Retribution', because they are unable to bring immediate retribution to sinful and rebellious beings) commands nāgas and pūtanas (translated here as 'stinking hungry ghosts'; the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa has piśācas), protecting the people of the western continent. In the north, the Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa commands the yakṣas (translated here as 'swift-footed'; the messengers who transmit talismans and letters at Dharma assemblies today are of this type) and the rākṣasas (translated here as 'violent and evil man-eating ghosts'), protecting the people of the northern continent (from the Dīrghāgama). At that time, the Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa (translated here as 'Much Hearing'; the Commentary on the Golden Light says: 'Because the reputation of his blessings and virtues is heard in the four quarters'), the Heavenly King Dhṛtarāṣṭra (translated here as 'Holding the Country', protecting and upholding the realms), the Heavenly King Virūḍhaka (translated here as 'Increasing', causing the wholesome roots of oneself and others to increase), and the Heavenly King Virūpākṣa (translated here as 'Diverse Tongues', capable of various kinds of diverse speech; also 'Broad-eyed', also 'Fierce-eyed', specializing in punishing evil to make [beings] encounter suffering and arouse the aspiration [for awakening]) arose from their seats together and addressed the Buddha, saying: 'This King of Sūtras, the Suvarṇaprabhāsa... (and so forth). We Four Kings, with twenty-eight divisions and hundreds of thousands of spirits, constantly observe and protect this Jambudvīpa with pure divine eyes; for this reason, we are named the Kings Who Protect the World' (Suvarṇaprabhāsa-sūtra; the Commentary on the Golden Light states: 'The reason the sūtra compiler first indicates the north is that in the western lands the north is considered supreme'; the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'Just as the north is supreme above the east', which is precisely what Siming relies upon). Bodhisattvas of the first bhūmi frequently become the Four Heavenly Kings (Avataṃsaka Sūtra). In all four heavens there are marriages and engagement in desire just as among humans. A child is born by transformation on the lap, resembling a two-year-old infant. Before long, there naturally appear precious vessels filled with foods of a hundred flavors and divine ambrosia syrups. For those with abundant merit, the color is white; for those with moderate merit, it is blue; for those with lesser merit, it is red. Once eaten, they immediately attain the same size as the other devas. When first born, they recall their past karmic deeds; after playing, they forget those memories (Dīrghāgama). When the boys and girls of the Four Heavens are born, if they are born on the lap or before the eyes of a female, the devī thinks: 'This is my child', and the deva also says: 'This is my child.' If born on the father's lap or at his sleeping place, there is only one father, and all his wives can be mothers. The acts of desire in the Four Heavens are manifold, yet there are also those who practice cultivation until death without desire. The same is true of all devas in the Desire Realm (Lokasthiti-śāstra). The Four Kings Who Protect the World each have ninety-one sons of great authority and power, all named Di, who are able to protect the ten directions. All mountains, rivers, trees, lands, walled cities, and all spirits belong to the Four Heavenly Kings (Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa). Under each king are eight generals. The thirty-two generals of the Four Kings travel throughout the four worlds under heaven, protecting and assisting renunciants. General Wei, among the thirty-two generals, is the most devoted to extensive protection; when a monk's power of the Way is weak and he is deluded by Māra, the general hurries with anxious concern and cuts [the delusion] away as the situation requires (Tianren gantong zhuan).