維摩經疏 1.16

1.16

Fifth is the general conclusion. Above, the assembly of noble ones was listed; below, the assembly of ordinary beings is listed. Therein, first the assembly of devas is listed; next the ghosts and spirits are listed; and finally the assembly of humans is listed. The ghosts and spirits are attendants and retinues of the devas, so they are listed after the devas. Among the devas, first the Brahmā assembly is listed; next Śakra is listed; and finally the remaining devas are listed. Among the Brahmā [gods], the opening words 'ten thousand Brahmā kings' list the count and distinguish the assembly. These should all be the Brahmā kings of the first dhyāna. 'Śikhin' lists the name, which here is translated as 'Crest of Hair' [uṣṇīṣa / cūḍā], meaning the Brahmā king with braided hair. The reference below to 'conch-shell-like hair' must be this person. 'From the other worlds of the four quarters' explains the place from which they came. This phrasing is somewhat abridged; stated in full, it should say that they came down from the heavens of the other four quarters. 'Approached where the Buddha was' describes their arrival; 'to listen to the Dharma' describes what they came to do. Regarding Śakra, 'further, twelve thousand' raises their number. 'Sovereigns of the devas' distinguishes the assembly; 'sovereign' means lord. The lord of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven is named Sovereign of the Devas. 'Also from the other heavens' likewise reveals their place of origin. 'Arrived at the assembly' describes where they came. Below, the remaining devas are listed. The collective statement 'together with the other beings of great power and might' explains what came before and includes what follows, and is thus spoken of as 'together with', meaning the remaining devas in the desire realm. Next the ghosts and spirits are listed. The nāgas are animals; among them all four modes of birth are present. Having great divine power, they are able to come and hear the Dharma, and are thus listed here now. Yakṣas are swift and nimble ghosts. Gandharvas are the gods of heavenly music, who also belong to the realm of ghosts. As for asuras, it is traditionally explained by people as meaning 'gods who do not drink liquor', but it is unknown whether this is correct. Some also say they are 'inferior gods'. According to the Abhidharma, asuras are purely ghosts. According to the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra, there are both ghosts and animals; for instance, that asura king Rāhu is the child of a lion, and his nature is that of an animal. According to the *Gana-sūtra, there are three distinct kinds: devas, ghosts, and animals. Asuras are divided into five realms altogether. The first is on the earth within the Mount of Many Forms, as the Daśabhūmika-sūtra explains, where their strength is the lowest. The second is twenty-one thousand yojanas beneath the great ocean north of Mount Meru, where there is an asura king named Rāhu who commands countless assemblies of asuras. The third is twenty-one thousand yojanas further below Rāhu, where there is an asura king named Brave and Strong. The fourth is twenty-five thousand yojanas further below Brave and Strong, where there is an asura king named Flower Garland. The fifth is twenty-one thousand yojanas further below Flower Garland, where there is an asura king named Vemacitrin who commands countless assemblies of asuras. The mother of Vemacitrin was originally born from the devas, hence they are called 'inferior gods'. At the beginning of the kalpa when it first formed, several heavenly maidens came to bathe in the sea. The water touched their bodies, and they subsequently discharged essence, which drifted in the water and became a fleshy egg. After eight thousand years had elapsed, it gave birth to a daughter who had nine hundred and ninety-nine heads, each head having a thousand eyes; nine hundred and ninety-nine mouths, each mouth having four claws from which fire issued like lightning; twenty-four arms; and nine hundred and ninety-nine legs. Later, when this woman was floating and playing in the sea, the essence of the water entered her body and gave birth to a fleshy egg. After eight thousand years had elapsed, it gave birth to Vemacitrin, who had nine heads, each head having a thousand eyes; fire issued from his mouths; and he had nine hundred and ninety-nine arms and only eight legs. His form was four times larger than Mount Meru. He ate only silt, mud, and lotus roots, and often fought with the devas, as the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna[-sūtra] explains. Garuḍas are bird deities; among them are the golden-winged birds who eat only nāgas. They have the distinction of the four modes of birth: those born by transformation eat nāgas of all four modes of birth; those born from a womb eat nāgas of three modes of birth, excluding those born by transformation; those born from an egg eat nāgas of two modes of birth, excluding those born by transformation and from a womb; and those born of moisture eat only those born of moisture. In these four continents there is a transformation-born garuḍa king named Right Sound, whose lifespan is eight thousand years. Each day he consumes five hundred small nāgas of the heavenly nāga kings, circling the four continents, beginning again after each cycle to eat them in order. When his life is about to end, the nāgas spit poison so that he can no longer eat. Scorched by the fire of hunger, he spreads his wings and plunges straight down to the edge of the wind-wheel, where he is blown by the wind and rises back up again. He goes back and forth seven times with nowhere to rest his feet, until he finally reaches the summit of the Cakravāḍa Mountains and dies. Because he ate the flesh of the nāgas, the toxic vapours ignite into a fierce blaze. The nāga king Nanda and Upananda, fearing it would burn the jewelled mountains, cause a great rain to fall in drops as thick as axle trees to extinguish the fire. His body and flesh dissolve and disperse, leaving only his heart intact, which is as large as a human knee and made of pure, clear vaiḍūrya. When a cakravartin obtains it, he uses it as a jewel; when Śakra obtains it, it becomes the jewel in his topknot. Kinnaras are named 'doubt-gods'. Their bodies are animals, but their shapes resemble humans. Their faces are exceedingly handsome, and on top of their heads is a single horn. When people see them, doubt arises, not knowing whether they are human, ghost, or animal; thus they are named 'doubt-gods'. These two are gods of heavenly music. Mahoragas are gods that crawl on their bellies; it is traditionally said among worldly people that they are galloping spirits. Below, the human assembly is listed. Bhikṣus are as explained above; bhikṣuṇīs are the women. Upāsakas are called 'those who dwell in goodness', possessing the virtue of good dwelling; they are also called 'those who abide near', abiding near goodness; they are also called 'pure and faithful men'. Upāsikās: 'upā' is as before, and 'sikā' refers to women. The above constitutes the second section listing the retinue.