法苑珠林 72.28

72.28

Answer: It is not necessarily so in every case. This is spoken provisionally on the basis of those who die among humans. If one dies in hell and is reborn again in hell, one does not necessarily travel with head down and feet up. If one dies among the devas and is reborn again among the devas, one does not necessarily travel with feet down and head up. If one dies in hell and is born into the human destiny, one should ascend head first; if one dies among the devas and is born into the human destiny, one should turn head downward. The intermediate existences of the two destinies of ghosts and animals should be understood accordingly according to where they abide. Next, relying on the śāstra, it is asked: When an intermediate existence is born, does it have clothing or not? The śāstra answers: All intermediate existences in the form realm have clothing, because in the form realm shame and conscience are abundant. Shame and conscience are indeed the clothing of the dharmakāya; just as that dharmakāya is endowed with superior clothing, the physical body is likewise, and therefore that intermediate existence is always accompanied by clothing. In the desire realm, intermediate existences mostly lack clothing, because in the desire realm shame and conscience are mostly absent. Only except for bodhisattvas and the nun Śuklā: the intermediate existences they take on are always endowed with superior and wondrous clothing. Other masters say: A bodhisattva's intermediate existence also lacks clothing; only the intermediate existence taken on by the nun Śuklā and others is always accompanied by clothing. Question: For what reason does a bodhisattva's intermediate existence lack clothing while the nun Śuklā has clothing? Answer: Because the nun Śuklā formerly gave clothing to the Saṃgha of the Four Quarters, her intermediate existence always has clothing. Question: If so, when the bodhisattva in past lives gave wondrous clothing to the Saṃgha of the Four Quarters, the clothing given by the nun Śuklā and others would not equal it even if pulverized into fine dust; how could the bodhisattva's intermediate existence lack clothing while hers has clothing? Answer: Because her vow-power was different from the bodhisattva's. That is, after the nun Śuklā offered clothing to the Saṃgha of the Four Quarters, she made the vow: 'May I, life after life, always wear clothing, even to the point that in intermediate existence my form will not be exposed.' Induced by the power of that vow, wherever she was born she was always abundantly provided with clothing. In her final body, the intermediate existence she received always had clothing when entering the position of the mother's womb, and even upon emerging the clothing did not leave her body. As that body gradually grew, later after leaving home and receiving the full precepts, it turned into the five robes; diligently cultivating correct practice, before long she realized the fruit of arhatship, up until her later nirvāṇa, when she was cremated with this very robe wrapped around her body. The bodhisattva, across three incalculable kalpas, cultivated all kinds of superior wholesome practices entirely to dedicate them to supreme bodhi for the sake of benefiting and bringing peace and happiness to all sentient beings. Due to these practices and vows, although endowed with the marks and signs, he lacks clothing. Since their vow-powers differed, one should not raise this objection. Next, relying on the śāstra, it is asked: Does one rely on material nutriment in the stage of intermediate existence? Answer: The intermediate existence of the form realm does not rely on material nutriment; the intermediate existence of the desire realm must rely on material nutriment. Question: What is the material nutriment of the intermediate existence of the desire realm? Some make this statement: An intermediate existence of the desire realm goes to a place where there is food and eats that food, and goes to a place where there is water and drinks that water, sustaining itself by means of that food and drink. This statement is unreasonable. Why is this? Because intermediate existences are extremely numerous, making it difficult to sustain them all. That is, as the sūtras say, like pouring non-glutinous rice from a sack into a cauldron, the number is extremely dense; the intermediate existences taken on by sentient beings of the five destinies, scattered in various places, exceed that number. If they were to consume all food and drink, all the food and drink in the entire world would not even suffice to sustain the intermediate existences of just the single category of dogs, much less could the remaining intermediate existences be filled to satisfaction! Furthermore, since the body of an intermediate existence is extremely subtle, light, and wondrous, if it were to receive coarse, heavy food, its body would disintegrate. It should be said: Intermediate existences feed on fragrance, not coarse matter; therefore, the previous flaw does not apply. That is, those with merit enjoy the light and subtle fragrances of pure flowers, fruits, food, and the like to sustain their lives; those without merit enjoy the light and subtle odors of excrement, foulness, and decay to sustain their lives. Furthermore, the fragrance they consume is extremely slight, so although intermediate existences are numerous, they can all be sustained.