法苑珠林 70.55

70.55

問曰。未知四十二居止云何分別。答曰。如樓炭經說。謂於欲界之中有二十居止。色界中有十八無色界中有四。三界合論有四十二居止處。其欲界二十者。謂彼八大地獄及畜生餓鬼。即為十也。又取四天下人及六欲天。復為十也。總為二十居止處。色界中十八者。謂彼四禪之中有十八天。即為十八居止。無色界中。四空定處。合為四十二居止也。

Question: It is not known how the forty-two dwellings are differentiated. Answer: As stated in the Lokasthāna-sūtra, there are twenty dwellings within the desire realm, eighteen within the form realm, and four within the formless realm; taken together across the tridhātu, there are forty-two dwelling places. The twenty of the desire realm are: the eight great hells, together with animals and hungry ghosts, which make ten; further taking the humans of the four continents and the devas of the six desires makes another ten, totaling twenty dwelling places. The eighteen in the form realm are: the eighteen heavens within the four dhyānas, which make eighteen dwellings. In the formless realm are the four stations of formless absorption. Combined, they make forty-two dwellings.