佛法双语工作坊经典连载：佛说四十二章经第25-26章

法师讲解：26 天魔娆佛

Commentary: Deva-maras disrupt the Buddha

In Buddhism, the lord of Deva-maras is called Papiyan, who is the lord of the sixth heaven in the Realm of Sensuous Desire. According to the Buddhist Sutra, Papiyan was the master of a temple in one of his previous lives, during which he once offered a bowl of rice to a Pratyekabuddha and also upheld the eight precepts for one day. As a result, he was then reborn as the lord of the Heaven of Sensuous Desire. We may want to know that practising the ten good deeds will lead one to the Heaven of Sensuous Desire. Then how come he had become the lord of Deva-maras? It is because he also possessed unwholesome qualities of jealousy, pride and aggression. He vowed to undermine the Buddhist truth in order to expand the population of his companions.

佛教中的天魔称为波旬，祂其实是欲界第六天的天主。佛经记载波旬的前生曾经是一所寺庙之主，因为供养了辟支佛一钵饭，及受持了一日八关斋戒，所以生到欲界天当天主。当知欲界天是修持十善而成就的，但既然是善怎么会变成魔王呢因为祂也有嫉妒、傲慢、好胜心等恶习。祂誓要破坏佛法来增加自己的眷属。

We will hereby explain the Buddhist concept regarding the path of devas or heavens; the path of devas includes three realms, which can in turn be divided into 28 heavens. The lowest level is the Realm of Sensuous Desire which has 6 heavens. The next level is the Realm of Form which has 18 heavens. Then the top level is the Realm of Formlessness which has 4 heavens, altogether making up the 28 heavens. 

在这里我们解释一下佛教对天道或是天堂的概念。天道是分为三界二十八天，最下层的欲界有个六天，然后是色界的十八天，最上层的是无色界的四天，合共二十八天。

Those who practise the ten good deeds can be reborn in the Realm of Sensuous Desire. Devas there have a body of gender and sexual desires. The lord of the Heaven Paranimmitavasavatti, which is the highest heaven in the Realm of Sensuous Desire, is also the lord of Deva-maras.

修学十善可以生欲界天，当中的天人有男女之相及欲望，而欲界最高的他化自在天天主就是魔王。

On the top of the Realm of Sensuous Desire is the Realm of Form, in which devas have a body but no gender. One has to additionally practise the meditation of the Realm of Form in order to be reborn there. The Realm of Form is vertically divided into the heavens of first degree meditation, second degree, third degree, and the highest heavens of fourth degree meditation. Each of the four groups has its own heavens which add up to a total of 18 heavens. The lord of the Heaven Mahabrahma under the first degree of meditation is meant to be the God in Western culture.

欲界之上是色界，那里的天人虽有形相但没有男女的区别，要生到色界天更需要色界的禅定功夫。色界天内再顺序细分为初禅天、二禅天、三禅天、及最高的四禅天，每个下面各自有各自的天，加起来刚好有十八天，而初禅中的大梵天天主即是西方所称的上帝。

On the top of the Realm of Form is the Realm of Formlessness, where devas there have no body anymore. Instead they only have spiritual existence. One has to additionally practise the meditation of the Realm of Formlessness in order to be reborn there.   

色界之上是无色界，这里的天人已经没有身体形相，而是以精神体形式存在，要生到无色界更需要无色界的禅定功夫。

From the Realm of Sensuous Desire to the Realm of Formlessness, devas’ bliss and life spans increase progressively; starting from the lowest Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings to the highest Heaven of Nevasannanasannayatana, devas’ life spans increase from 9.125 million years to 84,000 kalpas in human world time standard. However, every deva’s life has an expiry date. From a Buddhist perspective, even 84,000 kalpas will pass very quickly, after which one will be fallen from heaven. That is why Buddhism considers that the Three Realms are as dangerous as a burning house, and heavens are of no exception. 

从欲界到无色界，天人的福报以及寿命层层递增，由最低的四天王天，人间时间的912.5万年寿命开始增加，到无色界最高的非想非非想处天，人间八万劫寿命，但当中的众生全部都有寿命终结的一天。在佛法的角度看，就算八万四千劫也就匆匆过去，然后下堕，所以佛法视三界如火宅，天堂也不外如是。

讲解 | 释宏添   北京天开寺