法苑珠林 62.21

62.21

又長阿含經云。一切人民所居舍宅。皆有鬼神無有空者。街衖道陌屠膾市肆。及諸山塚。皆有鬼神無有空處。凡諸鬼神皆隨所依。即以為名。若人初生皆有鬼神隨逐擁護。若人欲死鬼收精氣。行十惡人。若百若千。共一神護。行十善者。猶如國王以百千人而侍衛之。又十方譬喻經云。天上天下鬼神知人壽命罪福。當至未至。不能活人。不能殺人。不能使人富貴貧賤。但欲使人作惡犯殺。因人衰耗而往亂之。語其禍福。令人向欲得設祠祀耳（故知空祭鬼神欲求現福難可得力也）又普曜經。於時迦葉。以偈報佛。

Furthermore, the Dīrgha-āgama says: "In all the dwellings and houses inhabited by the people, there are ghosts and spirits; none is empty. In the alleys, lanes, highways, slaughterhouses, markets, and upon the mountains and graves, there are ghosts and spirits; there is no empty place. All ghosts and spirits take their names according to that upon which they depend. When a person is newly born, there are always ghosts and spirits who follow and protect them. When a person is about to die, ghosts collect their vital energy. For a person who commits the ten unvirtuous actions (daśākuśala), hundreds or thousands share a single spirit to protect them. For one who practices the ten virtuous actions, it is as if a king were guarded and attended by hundreds of thousands of men." Furthermore, the Shifang piyu jing says: "The ghosts and spirits in the heavens above and beneath the heavens know human life spans, sins, and merits, whether they are yet to arrive or have already arrived. But they cannot give life to humans, they cannot kill humans, and they cannot make humans wealthy, noble, poor, or lowly. They merely wish to cause humans to do evil and commit slaughter. Taking advantage of human decline and exhaustion, they go to cause disturbance, speaking of their misfortunes and fortunes so as to make humans inclined to offer sacrifices." (Hence we know that in vainly sacrificing to ghosts and spirits to seek present blessings, it is difficult to obtain any effect.) Furthermore, in the Lalitavistara, at that time Kāśyapa reported to the Buddha in verse: