[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [諸經要集](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123) › 4.120 # 諸經要集 4.120 諸經要集 4.120 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [4.120](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123.4.120) 問曰。何故經中為亡人造作黃幡。掛於塚塔之上者。答曰。雖未見經釋。然可以義求。此五大色中。黃色居中。用表忠誠。盡心修福。為引中陰不之惡趣。莫生邊國也。又黃色像金。鬼神冥道。將為金用故。俗中解祠之時。剪白紙錢。鬼得白錢用。剪黃紙錢。鬼得金錢用問曰。何以得知。答曰。冥報記。冥祥記。具述可知。又譬喻經云。有人窖粟數百石。時有穀賊盜主人粟。盡開窖不見一粒。主人唯見一蟲。身軀極大。捉得拷問。汝何以盜我粟盡。汝是何神。蟲報主人言。汝將我至四衢路首。有識知我者。主人取語。將至交首。道逢有官騎黃馬著黃衣。車乘衣服皆同黃色。黃官問蟲云。穀賊汝何在此。主人方知蟲是穀賊。主人又問。向乘馬黃衣是誰。穀賊言。是黃金之精。以報主人食粟之直。主人因此得金。用不可盡。良由人鬼趣別。感見不同。故聖制黃幡。為其亡人掛之塔塚。令魂神尋見得實救濟冥之也。 > Question: Why do the sūtras make yellow banners for the deceased and hang them upon stūpas and tombs? Answer: Although an explicit scriptural explanation has not yet been seen, it may nevertheless be sought through the underlying principles. Among the five primary colours, yellow occupies the centre, serving to express loyalty, sincerity, and the full devotion of the mind to cultivating merit, thereby guiding the intermediate state (antarābhava) so that it does not enter the evil destinies nor take birth in border regions. Moreover, yellow resembles gold; spirits and the beings of the underworld take it as gold for their use. For this reason, in secular purificatory sacrifices, when white paper money is cut, the ghosts receive white coins to use; when yellow paper money is cut, the ghosts receive gold coins to use. Question: How is this known? Answer: The Mingbaoji and the Mingxiangji recount this in full, as may be known. Furthermore, the Avadāna-sūtra says: A man had cellared several hundred piculs of grain. At that time, a grain-thief stole the master's grain until, upon opening the cellar, not a single grain was to be seen. The master saw only an insect of extremely large size. Seizing it, he interrogated it under torture: "Why did you steal all my grain? What kind of spirit are you?" The insect replied to the master, saying: "Take me to the head of the four crossroads; there is someone who recognises me." The master took its words and brought it to the crossroads. On the road they encountered an official riding a yellow horse and wearing yellow garments, whose carriage and clothing were entirely of the same yellow colour. The yellow official asked the insect: "Grain-thief, why are you here?" Only then did the master understand that the insect was the grain-thief. The master further asked: "Who was that person riding the horse in yellow clothes just now?" The grain-thief said: "That is the essence of yellow gold, come to repay you, master, for the cost of the grain I consumed." Through this, the master obtained gold that could never be exhausted. Truly, because the realms of humans and ghosts differ, what is sensed and seen is not the same. Therefore, the Sage instituted the yellow banner to be hung on stūpas and tombs for the deceased, enabling the spirit-consciousness to search for it, behold it, and receive true deliverance in the dark paths. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 4.119](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123.4.119) - [Next: 4.121](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123.4.121) - [Up: 4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123.4) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123~en-mt.4.120) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123.4.120](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123.4.120) · Pramāṇa