諸經要集 12.54

12.54

故知生寬趣狹。以化生寬故。全攝二趣及三趣少分。地獄趣中一向化生。問曰。六欲諸天。既行欲同人。何故無有胎生。答曰。欲受雖同。行事不等。故樓炭正法念經等云。四天忉利此二地居。行欲之時男女形交。同人無異。而無泄精與人不同。自上四天。一向全異。炎摩天行欲。意喜相抱。或但執手而為究竟。不至交合。兜率天中意嬉語笑即為究竟。不待相抱。化樂天中。共相瞻視即為究竟。不待語笑。他化天中。但聞語聲。或聞香氣。即為究竟。不待瞻視。故異於人。以天化生故。從母膝化起。鬼趣化生可知。胎生者少隱。如彼淨觀者說。謂昔王舍城中。有一女人。為鬼精著。身生五百鬼子。又俱舍論云。有鬼告目連云。我晝生五子。夜亦生五子。隨生而食噉。竟無有飽時。此為胎生鬼也。阿修羅趣。亦具胎化二生。以有匹配故有胎生。修羅劫初從天而出。即是化生。又依觀佛三昧經說。根本女修羅。元從大海泥卵濕潤中出。通彼胎化。亦具四生也。人具四生者。胎生現見可知。卵如涅槃經說。如毘舍佉母。生一肉卵。於中出其三十二卵。如鞞婆沙論云。問云何知人中有卵生。答曰。如佛所說。閻浮利地。多有商人。入海採寶。得二鶴。隨意所化失一一在。與共遊戲。寢臥一室。共彼合會。遂生二卵。卵漸濕熟。便生二童。後大出家學道。得阿羅漢果。一名尸婆羅。二名優鉢尸婆。問曰。云何知人中有濕生。答曰。如經所說。有頂生王。尊者遮羅。尊者優婆遮羅。梨女及柰女等。即其事也。問曰。云何知人中有化生。答曰。如劫初人是也。得聖法者。不復卵生濕生。問曰。何故不復卵生濕生耶。答曰。卵生濕生是畜生趣所攝也。畜具四生者。胎卵濕生。此三目覩可知。其化生者。依樓炭經云。如四生金翅鳥。還食四生龍。化生食四。胎生食三（除化）卵生食二（除化及胎）濕生還食濕生一（除三可知）。

Thus we know that [modes of] birth are broader and the realms are narrower. Because apparitional birth is broad, it encompasses two whole realms and portions of three realms. Within the hell realm, birth is exclusively apparitional. Question: Given that the devas of the six desire [heavens] engage in desire in the same way as humans, why is there no womb-birth [among them]? Answer: Although their experience of desire is the same, the execution of the act is not identical. Therefore, texts such as the Loutan jing and the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra state that the Cāturmahārājakāyika and Trāyastriṃśa devas dwell on the ground; when they engage in desire, male and female unite physically, no different from humans, yet they do not emit semen, which is different from humans. From the upper four heavens upward, it is completely different throughout. When the Yāma devas engage in desire, they embrace with joyous intent, or achieve consummation merely by holding hands, without reaching copulation. In the Tuṣita heaven, playful intent, conversation, and laughter constitute consummation, without waiting to embrace. In the Nirmāṇarati heaven, mutual gazing constitutes consummation, without waiting for conversation and laughter. In the Paranirmitavaśavartin heaven, merely hearing the sound of voices or smelling fragrance constitutes consummation, without waiting for mutual gazing. Therefore they differ from humans. Because devas are apparitionally born, they arise through transformation from the mother's knees. Apparitional birth in the ghost realm is well known. Womb-birth [there] is rather obscure; as those with pure vision have explained, in the past in Rājagṛha there was a woman who was possessed by the essence of a ghost and gave birth from her body to five hundred ghost children. Furthermore, the Abhidharmakośa-śāstra states: A ghost told Maudgalyāyana, 'By day I give birth to five children, and by night I also give birth to five children. As soon as they are born, I devour them, yet I am never sated.' This is womb-birth among ghosts. The asura realm also possesses the two births of womb and apparitional. Because they have mating pairs, there is womb-birth. In the beginning of the kalpa, asuras emerged from the heavens, which is apparitional birth. Furthermore, according to the Guanfo sanmei jing, the primordial female asura originally emerged from the moist mud and eggs of the great ocean; including both womb and apparitional, they also possess all four births. As for humans possessing all four births: womb-birth is visible in the present and well known. Egg-birth is as spoken in the Nirvāṇa-sūtra: for example, the mother of Viśākhā gave birth to a flesh-egg, from which emerged thirty-two eggs. As the *Vibhāṣā-śāstra states: Question: How is it known that there is egg-birth among humans? Answer: As the Buddha taught, in the land of Jambudvīpa there were many merchants who entered the sea to gather jewels. They obtained two cranes. [The cranes] transformed themselves as they wished, leaving one [with each merchant]. Playing together with them, sleeping in the same chamber, and copulating with them, they ultimately laid two eggs. As the eggs gradually matured with warmth, two boys were born. Later, having grown up, they went forth to cultivate the path and attained the fruit of arhatship; one was named Sīvali and the second was named Upasīvali. Question: How is it known that there is moisture-birth among humans? Answer: As taught in the sūtras, there was King Mūrdhata, the Venerable Cāla, the Venerable Upacāla, the Pear Maiden, and the Mango Maiden, etc.; these are instances of it. Question: How is it known that there is apparitional birth among humans? Answer: It is like the humans at the beginning of the kalpa. Those who attain the noble Dharma are never again born from eggs or moisture. Question: Why are they never again born from eggs or moisture? Answer: Egg-birth and moisture-birth are subsumed under the animal realm. As for animals possessing all four births: womb-birth, egg-birth, and moisture-birth—these three can be seen with one's eyes and are well known. As for their apparitional birth: according to the Loutan jing, the garuḍas of the four births in turn eat the nāgas of the four births. The apparitionally born eat [nāgas of] all four [births]; the womb-born eat [nāgas of] three births (excluding apparitional); the egg-born eat [nāgas of] two births (excluding apparitional and womb); and the moisture-born in turn eat only the moisture-born one (excluding the other three, as is understandable).