契經描述說，餓鬼趣人缺乏信心，只有飢餓難耐。他們發現了食物，吃的時候認為，此物可果腹。吃完了，他們又什麼都不信了，信心只有舌頭那麼長。惡鬼總是居於草木荒蕪，饑荒瘟疫橫行的世界，天空中沒有希望。惡鬼的鬼字是說他們不會在光天化日之下做事，他們做生意別人看不見。

Harmony Sutra describes that Hungry Ghosts lack faith, hunger and thirsty are unbearable. When they found food, and ate it, they thought it would ease their hunger. After eating, they don't believe in anything anymore. Their faith is only as long as their tongues. Hungry Ghosts always inhabit a world where vegetation is barren, famine and plague are rampant, and there is no hope in the sky. The ghost word of Hungry Ghost is that they do not do things in broad daylight, they do business that others cannot see.

餓鬼亦遍諸趣，有福德者，作諸處神；無福德者，居不淨處，常受飢餓，其苦無量。就出生而言，餓鬼有胎生、卵生、濕生、化生。惡鬼經劫無數，壽量亦不定，極長者可達人間的千歲。在三惡道中，惡鬼亦作刀途，是說他們常常攜槍持刀，常受刀箭逼迫。

Hungry ghosts also prevailingly exist in all interests, those fortunate can be Gods in places; and those who have no fortunate merit dwell in maculation, suffer from constant hunger, with immeasurable bitterness. As far as birth is concerned, hungry ghosts have womb-born, egg-born, wet-born, and conversion-born. Hungry ghosts experience innumerable catastrophes, and their lifespan is uncertain also, and those extremely long can reach a thousand years of human. Among the Three Ferocious Paths, Hungry Ghost is Sword Path (author believe that which should be modernized as Gun Path), which means that they often carry knives, or guns, and are often persecuted by swords, arrows, clubs, or being bombed.

作下品十惡者，感此道生，可約境，約心，約事來辨別。

一、境下品者，奪人天命，盜人天物等。

二、心下品者，微小貪嗔等。

三、事下品者，或偶一作，或旋知悔改等。

以要言之，但從任運煩惱所起惡業，名為下品十惡，故是餓鬼因。

Those who have done Ten Ferocities of the lower grade are to inductively be born in the path. Here, associating with environment, heart, and affair to discern Hungry Ghosts:

1. Escalatory conducts to heart’s environment: killing human, and sky; stealing assets from human and sky, etc.

2. Escalatory conducts to annoying heart: with little greed, and irritation, etc.

3. Escalatory conducts to affair: occasionally killing or stealing, or soon know to repent, etc.

Generally, randomly aroused ferocious karma from view and greed (i.e. love) annoyances are low grade of evil, hence it is reason of Hungry Ghosts.

惡鬼的種類繁多，大別有三種九類：

Hungry Ghosts have many kinds, roughly three categories nine types:

一、無財鬼，言無財者以不得飲食故，有三類：（一）炬口，謂於口中，常出猛焰；（二）針咽，頭腹如山，咽喉如針；（三）臭口，口如臭屍。

First, Wealthless Ghosts, the saying of Wealthless, means that they can’t gain drinks and foods, have three types: (1) Torch Mouth, which is said to be in the mouth, often gushes fierce flames; (2) Needle Throat, head and abdomen are big like mountains, but their throats are slim like needles; (3) Smelly Mouth, mouth like a smelly corpse.

二、少財鬼，言少財者，以少得飲食故，有三類：（一）針毛，身毛如針，還自刺身，出血而食；（二）臭毛，身毛臭穢；（三）大癭，項中有癭，以手抉膿，還自食。

Second, Poor Ghosts, the saying of Poor, means that they gain less drinks and foods, also have three types: (1) Needle Hair, body hairs like needles, but also self-piercing, bleeding, and eating; (2) Smelly Hair, body hair smelly; (3) Big Gall, there are galls in their necks, with their hand to cut pus, and they eat that.

三、多財鬼，言多財者以多得飲食故，有三類：（一）得棄，常得棄食；（二）得失，常得遺失之食；（三）勢力，此復有三：（1）夜叉，亦作勇健暴惡貴人，有三種，在地，在天，在虛空；（2）羅剎，亦作可畏食人鬼；惡鬼之通名也；（3）啖精鬼，食人精氣之鬼也。

Thirdly, Rich Ghosts, the saying of Rich, means that they gain more drinks and foods, have three types also: (1) Gain Abandonment, often get foods abandoned by others; (2) Gain Lost, often gain foods lost by others; (3) Potential Power, which also have three types: (A) Valiant Ferocious Nobles, have three types of On Land, In Air, and At Empty; (B) Fearsome Human-Eaters, which is common name for all Hungry Ghosts; (C) Sperm Eaters, they eat Mans’ sperm and wholesomeness.

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