契经描述说，饿鬼趣人缺乏信心，只有饥饿难耐。他们发现了食物，吃的时候认为，此物可果腹。吃完了，他们又什么都不信了，信心只有舌头那么长。恶鬼总是居于草木荒芜，饥荒瘟疫横行的世界，天空中没有希望。恶鬼的鬼字是说他们不会在光天化日之下做事，他们做生意别人看不见。

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.

饿鬼亦遍诸趣，有福德者，作诸处神；无福德者，居不净处，常受饥饿，其苦无量。就出生而言，饿鬼有胎生、卵生、湿生、化生。恶鬼经劫无数，寿量亦不定，极长者可达人间的千岁。在三恶道中，恶鬼亦作刀途，是说他们常常携枪持刀，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.

作下品十恶者，感此道生，可约境，约心，约事来辨别。

一、境下品者，夺人天命，盗人天物等。

二、心下品者，微小贪嗔等。

三、事下品者，或偶一作，或旋知悔改等。

以要言之，但从任运烦恼所起恶业，名为下品十恶，故是饿鬼因。

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.

恶鬼的种类繁多，大别有三种九类：

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

一、无财鬼，言无财者以不得饮食故，有三类：（一）炬口，谓于口中，常出猛焰；（二）针咽，头腹如山，咽喉如针；（三）臭口，口如臭尸。

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、少财鬼，言少财者，以少得饮食故，有三类：（一）针毛，身毛如针，还自刺身，出血而食；（二）臭毛，身毛臭秽；（三）大瘿，项中有瘿，以手抉脓，还自食。

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、多财鬼，言多财者以多得饮食故，有三类：（一）得弃，常得弃食；（二）得失，常得遗失之食；（三）势力，此复有三：（1）夜叉，亦作勇健暴恶贵人，有三种，在地，在天，在虚空；（2）罗刹，亦作可畏食人鬼；恶鬼之通名也；（3）啖精鬼，食人精气之鬼也。

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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