翻譯名義集 6.63

6.63

[Maraṇa] here translated as 'death'. The *Śrīmālādevī-sūtra* says: 'Birth means the arising of new sense faculties; death means the destruction of old sense faculties.' The *Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra* says: 'At the time of death, the four great elements cause injury, which is called disharmony of the four great elements; there are four kinds of death. If the wind element is disharmonious, all parts of the body are cut and severed one from another, disintegrating from foot to crown like sand.' Furthermore, the *Yichengzhang* says: 'There are two kinds of death. What are the two? They are: delimited death (where lifespan has a determined limit and the body has a physical form) and inconceivable transformative death (where the causes shift and the fruits change, hence called transformative). Delimited death refers to deceptive sentient beings. Inconceivable transformative death refers to arhats, pratyekabuddhas, and great-powered bodhisattvas with mind-made bodies.' It also says: 'Because delimited death is ended, it is said of the wisdom of arhats and pratyekabuddhas: "My births are exhausted"; because they have realized the fruit with remainder, it is said: "The holy life has been established"; because they have severed deceptive afflictions, which ordinary humans and gods cannot achieve and the seven types of learners have not yet completed, it is said: "What was to be done has been done"; and because the afflictions severed by arhats and pratyekabuddhas can no longer receive future existence, it is said: "There will be no further receiving of existence."' The *Mahāyānasaṃgraha* clarifies seven kinds of life and death: first, delimited, which refers to the retribution in the three realms; second, flowing-in, which refers to the beginning of possessing consciousness; third, turning back and departing, which refers to the beginning of turning away from delusion; fourth, expedient, which refers to the two vehicles entering extinction; fifth, causal condition, which refers to the first bhūmi and above; sixth, having an aftermath, which refers to the tenth bhūmi; seventh, without aftermath, which refers to the adamantine mind. In the *History of the Northern Dynasties*, Li Shiqian, whose courtesy name was Ziyue, was skilled in discussing principles of names. Once a guest was seated who did not believe in the Buddhist teaching of retribution. Shiqian admonished him, saying: '"He who accumulates goodness will have surplus blessings, and he who accumulates evil will have surplus calamity"—is this not good fortune and misfortune? The Buddhist sūtras say: "Revolving in the five destinies, there is no end." This is precisely what Jia Yi meant by: "Thousands of transformations and ten thousand changes have never had an ultimate limit, suddenly becoming human." Before the Buddhist Way arrived, the worthy already knew it to be so. As for Gun turning into a yellow bear, the Lord of Bao turning into a dragon, Niu Ai turning into a fierce beast, Pengsheng turning into a boar, Ruyi turning into a dog, Deng Ai turning into an ox, and Yang Hu being in his prior life the son of the Li clan—is this not what the Buddhists refer to as transformation into different forms!'