法苑珠林 5.86

5.86

云何名阿脩羅道者。依立世阿毘曇論釋云。阿脩羅者。以不能忍善不能下意。諦聽種種教化。其心不動。以憍慢故非善健兒。又非天故名阿脩羅。餘經亦云阿須倫。今依新婆沙論云。梵本正音名素洛。素洛是天。彼非天故。名阿素洛。復素洛名端正。彼非端正名阿素洛。又長阿含經云。脩羅生女端正生男多醜。故云不端正。或名不飲酒。此有二釋。一由過去持不飲酒戒。宿習餘力云不飲酒。二由本因好酒四天下採華布海釀酒不成變為鹹水。既不得酒乘便令斷。故云不飲酒神。婆沙論云。或說天趣。由諂曲覆故。無決定者。或說鬼趣。由有舍脂故。得與諸天交通。故伽陀經云。有鬼有畜有天。正法念經亦云。有鬼有畜。或云劣天。劣天者。是毘摩質多。毘摩質多者。此云響高。亦云穴居。謂大海水底。出大音聲。自唱云。我是毘摩質多。故云響高。居在海穴。故云穴居。

Why are they called the destiny of asuras? According to the explanation in the Lokasthitābhidharma-śāstra: Asuras cannot patiently bear goodness, cannot humble their minds, do not listen attentively to the various teachings, and their minds are unmoved; because of arrogance, they are not virtuous warriors (su-ra). Furthermore, because they are not gods (a-sura), they are named asuras. Other sūtras also call them axiulun. Now, according to the *New Vibhāṣā-śāstra*, the correct Sanskrit sound is sura. A sura is a god; because they are not gods, they are called asura. Furthermore, sura means handsome and upright; because they are not handsome and upright, they are called asura. Moreover, the Dīrgha-āgama sūtra states that when asuras give birth to females they are handsome, but when they give birth to males they are mostly ugly; hence they are said to be not handsome. Alternatively, they are named 'those who do not drink liquor' (asura). There are two explanations for this: first, because in the past they upheld the precept against drinking liquor, by the residual power of past practice they are called non-drinkers of liquor; second, because in their original cause they were fond of liquor, they gathered flowers throughout the four continents and spread them in the ocean to brew liquor, but it failed to ferment and turned into salty water; having obtained no liquor, they took the opportunity to renounce it; hence they are called the spirits who do not drink liquor. The Vibhāṣā-śāstra states: Some say they belong to the divine destiny, but because they are obscured by flattery and deceit, they are not determined [gods]; some say they belong to the ghost destiny, but because of Śacī, they can intermingle with the gods. Therefore the Gāthā-sūtra says there are ghost [asuras], animal [asuras], and divine [asuras]. The Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra also states that there are ghost [asuras] and animal [asuras]. Some also call them inferior gods. Inferior gods are Vemacitrin. Vemacitrin is translated here as 'Loud Echo', and also as 'Cave Dweller'; that is, from the bottom of the great ocean a great sound comes forth, proclaiming of itself: 'I am Vemacitrin!' Hence he is called Loud Echo. Because he dwells in ocean caves, he is called Cave Dweller.