After being defeated by Yoshitsune, the scene where TAIRA no Tomomori describes the battle by comparing Rokudo (six posthumous worlds) as 'being thirsty and wanting water in the ocean is exactly what Gakido (the Buddhist hell of starvation) is' clearly shows the nature of the Heike Monogatari (The tale of the Heike) which is featured by the strong influence by Buddhist thought.
義経に再度敗れた後、平知盛が戦乱を「潮（うしお）にて水に渇（かっ）せしは、これ餓鬼道。・・・」と六道に例えて述べるくだりは、仏教思想の影響の強い平家物語色を感じられる場面である。