32.4 （四）天使

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was at Anāthapiṇḍada's Park in the Jeta Grove near Śrāvastī.

At that time, the World-Honored One told the bhikṣus, "It is like a house with two doors facing each other. If someone is inside and someone else is above, they can see all the comings and goings of those below. I am also like this. With the divine eye, I see the various beings, those who are born and those who die, those in good destinies and those in bad destinies, those with good appearances and those with bad appearances, those who are good and those who are ugly, according to the seeds they have planted through their actions.

If there are sentient beings who perform good actions with their body, speech, and mind, do not slander the sages, practice the Dharma of right views and are in accord with right views, then when their body perishes and their life ends, they will be reborn in the good realms of the heavens. This is called sentient beings practicing goodness. If there are sentient beings who practice these good dharmas and do not engage in unwholesome actions, then when their body perishes and their life ends, they will be reborn among humans. If there are sentient beings who engage in unwholesome actions with their body, speech, and mind, and do unwholesome deeds, then after their body perishes and their life ends, they will be reborn in the realm of hungry ghosts. If there are sentient beings who engage in unwholesome actions with their body, speech, and mind, slander the sages, and are in accord with wrong views, then after their body perishes and their life ends, they will be reborn in the animal realm. If there are sentient beings who engage in unwholesome actions with their body, speech, and mind, do unwholesome deeds, slander the sages, then after their body perishes and their life ends, they will be reborn in the hells.

At that time, the jailers will bring the criminal before King Yama and say, 'Great King, you should know that this person committed evil deeds with their body and mind in their previous life. After their body perishes and their life ends, they will be reborn in this hell. Great King, please examine this person's crimes and punish them accordingly.' Then King Yama will privately ask the person about their crimes and say, 'Tell me, man, didn't you see people being born as humans in your previous life? When they were in the womb, they were extremely distressed and in great pain. When they grew up, they were nurtured and breastfed, and their bodies were bathed.' The criminal will reply, 'Yes, Great King, I did see it.' King Yama will say, 'Tell me, man, don't you know the essential practice of birth? The body, speech, and mind should cultivate good practices.' The criminal will reply, 'Yes, Great King, as you instruct. But I was foolish and deluded, and did not distinguish between good and bad practices.' King Yama will say, 'As you say, the matter is no different. I also know that you did not perform good deeds with your body, speech, and mind. But today, I will investigate your crimes of negligence. This is not done by your parents, nor by the king or ministers. You committed the crimes yourself, and now you will receive the retribution.

"At that time, King Yama will first ask about the crimes and then order the punishment. Next, the second messenger will ask the person, 'When you were a human, didn't you see an old person whose body was extremely weak, walking with difficulty, their clothes dirty, their movements unsteady, breathing with groans, and no longer having the mind of youth?' The criminal will reply, 'Yes, Great King, I have seen it.' King Yama will say, 'You should know for yourself: "I too have this law of aging. Being disgusted with old age, I should cultivate good practices."'" The criminal will reply, 'Yes, Great King, at that time, I really did not believe it.' King Yama will say, 'I truly know that you did not perform good deeds with your body, speech, and mind. Now I will punish your crimes to prevent you from committing them again in the future. The evil you have done is not done by your parents, nor by the king, ministers, or people. You yourself have committed the crimes, and you will now receive the retribution.

At that time, King Yama, having instructed with the second messenger, will again instruct with the third messenger, saying to the person, 'When you were a human, didn't you see a sick person lying in their own excrement and urine, unable to get up on their own?' The criminal will reply, 'Yes, Great King, I have seen it.' King Yama will say, 'Tell me, man, don't you know for yourself: "I too will have this illness, and I cannot escape it"?' The criminal will reply, 'Yes, Great King, I really did not see it.' King Yama will say, 'I also know that you are foolish and deluded, not understanding. Now I will punish your crimes to prevent you from committing them again in the future. This is not done by your parents, nor by the king, ministers, or people.

At that time, King Yama, having instructed with the third messenger, will again instruct with the fourth messenger, saying to the person, 'Tell me, man, when the body is like a withered tree, the wind gone, the fire extinguished, and without any thought or feeling, surrounded by the five relatives crying out in grief, what do you think?' The criminal will reply, 'Yes, Great King, I have seen it.' King Yama will say, 'Why didn't you think: "I too cannot escape this death"?' The criminal will reply, 'Yes, Great King, I really did not realize it.' King Yama will say, 'I also believe that you did not realize this truth. Now I will punish your crimes to prevent you from committing them again in the future. This unwholesome crime is not done by your parents, nor by the king, ministers, or people.

At that time, King Yama, having instructed with the fourth messenger, will again instruct with the fifth messenger, saying to the person, 'Tell me, when you were a human, didn't you see thieves breaking through walls and houses to steal others' wealth, or burning them with fire, or hiding them on roads? If you were caught by the king, they might cut off your hands and feet, or take you to be killed, or lock you in prison, or bind you in chains and take you to the marketplace, or make you carry sand and stones, or hang you upside down, or shoot you with arrows, or pour molten copper over your body, or roast you with fire, or peel your skin and make you eat it, or open your belly and stuff it with grass, or boil you in hot water, or cut you with a knife and crush your head with a wheel, or trample you to death with an elephant's foot, or impale your head until you die?' The criminal will reply, 'I have indeed seen it.' King Yama will say, 'Why did you privately steal others' things, knowing that there would be consequences? Why did you commit the crime?' The criminal will reply, 'Yes, Great King, I was indeed foolish and deluded.' King Yama will say, 'I also believe what you say. Now I will punish your crimes to prevent you from committing them again in the future. This crime is not done by your parents, nor by the king, ministers, or people.

At that time, King Yama, having questioned the criminal, will order the jailers, 'Quickly take this person to the prison!' The jailers, having received the king's order, will take the criminal to the prison. The left side of the hell is extremely fiery, with iron walls, iron fences, and an iron floor. There are four city gates that are extremely foul-smelling, like excrement and urine that have stained the place. There are knife mountains and sword trees surrounding on all sides, and it is further covered with an iron net.

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

The four walls and four city gates are wide and long
truly solid. Covered by an iron cage, there is no hope
of escape. At that time, on the iron ground, the fire
burns extremely fiercely. The walls are a hundred yojanas square, all
burning with one color. In the center are four pillars, truly
terrifying to behold. On the sword trees above, iron crows perch
The foul-smelling place is truly difficult to dwell in, seeing it
one's hair stands on end. The various frightening implements are divided
into sixteen sections.

Bhikṣus, you should know that at that time, the jailers beat that person with various kinds of painful implements. When that criminal raised his foot to step into the prison, the flesh and blood were all gone, leaving only bones. At that time, the jailers took that criminal and again chopped up his body with sharp axes. The pain was immeasurable, and he could not die. He must wait until his crimes are exhausted before he can escape; he must make sure to eliminate all the evil karma he created in the human realm before he can be released.

At that time, the jailers led that criminal up and down the sword tree. When the criminal was on the tree, he was eaten by the iron crows, who pecked at his head to eat the brain, or took his hands and feet to break the bones and eat the marrow. However, the crime was not yet finished. If the crime was finished, he could then be released.

At that time, the jailers took that criminal and made him sit on a hot copper pillar. Because he enjoyed licentiousness in his previous life, he incurred this crime. The crime pursued him, and he could not escape. At that time, the jailers pulled the tendons from his heels to his neck and dragged him forward; or made him ride in a cart, advancing and retreating without control. The suffering he endured was immeasurable. He must wait until his crimes are exhausted before he can be released.

At that time, the jailers took that criminal and placed him on a burning mountain, driving him up and down. At that time, he was completely burned to a crisp before he could be released. At that time, the criminal, for this reason, sought death but could not find it. He must wait until his crimes are exhausted before he can be released.

At that time, the jailers again took the criminal, pulled out his tongue and threw it behind his back. The suffering he endured was immeasurable, and he sought death but could not find it. At that time, the jailers again took the criminal and placed him on a mountain of swords, either cutting off his legs, head, or hands. He must wait until his crimes are exhausted before he can be released.

At that time, the jailers again covered the criminal's body with hot iron sheets, like wearing clothes when alive. At that time, the pain was unbearable, all due to greed and desire, which led to this crime. At that time, the jailers again made the criminal perform five kinds of labor, driving him to lie down, taking iron nails to nail his hands and feet, and then nailing his heart with a single nail. The suffering he endured was truly indescribable. He must wait until his crimes are exhausted before he can be released.

At that time, the jailers again took the criminal, turned him upside down, and lifted him into a cauldron. At that time, his body was completely rotten when it reached the bottom. When it returned to the top, it was also completely rotten. When it reached the four sides, it was also completely rotten. The pain was unbearable. It was like boiling small beans in a large pot, either up or down. Now this criminal was also like this, both visible and invisible, rotten. The suffering he endured was immeasurable. He must wait until his crimes are exhausted before he can be released.

"Bhikṣus, you should know that sometimes, after many years in that hell, the eastern gate opens. At that time, the criminals again go to the gate, and the gate naturally closes. At that time, those people all fall to the ground, suffering unbearable pain. Sometimes, they each blame each other, saying, 'It is because of you that we cannot leave the gate.'"

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke this verse:

The foolish are always joyful, like the gods in the
Ābhāsvara Heaven; the wise are always sorrowful, like prisoners in jail.

At that time, the great hell had passed through hundreds of thousands of years, and the northern gate opened again. At that time, the sinners again went to the northern gate, and the gate closed again, requiring them to extinguish their sins before they could leave. At that time, those sinners again passed through hundreds of thousands of years before they could leave. The sins committed among humans must be completed. At that time, the jailers again took the sinners and chopped their bodies with iron axes, making them experience those sins again. Requiring them to exhaust the suffering of their sins, they could then leave.

Bhikṣus should know that sometimes the eastern gate opens again. At that time, the sentient beings again go to the eastern gate, but the gate closes again and they cannot leave. Even if they can leave, there is a large mountain outside that they go to. When they enter the mountain, they are crushed between two mountains like sesame oil, suffering unbearably. They must exhaust their suffering before they can leave. At that time, those sinners can proceed further and encounter the hot ash hell, which is tens of thousands of yojanas long and wide, where they suffer unbearably. They must exhaust their karmic causes before they can leave. Proceeding further, there is the knife-stabbing hell. At that time, the sinners again enter this knife-stabbing hell, and a strong wind arises, destroying the sinners' bodies, sinews, and bones, causing them to suffer unbearably. They must exhaust their sins before they can leave.

Next, there is the great hot ash hell. At that time, the sinners again enter this great hot ash hell, their bodies melting and suffering immeasurably. They must exhaust their sins before they can leave. At that time, although the sinners can leave this hot ash hell, they again encounter the sword hell, which is tens of thousands of miles long and wide. At that time, the sinners enter this sword hell, suffering unbearably. They must exhaust their sins before they can leave.

Next, there is the boiling excrement hell, where tiny worms enter the bones and marrow to eat the person. Although they can leave this hell, they encounter jailers ahead. At that time, the jailers ask the sinners, 'Where do you want to go? Where do you come from?' The sinners reply, 'We do not know where we come from, nor do we know where we should go. But we are extremely hungry and thirsty now, and want to eat.' The jailers say, 'We will provide for you.' At that time, the jailers make the sinners lie down and give them a large hot iron ball to swallow. The sinners suffer unbearably. When the hot iron ball passes through the mouth, the intestines and stomach are burned, causing immeasurable suffering. They must exhaust their sins before they can leave.

However, the sinners cannot bear this pain and return to the boiling excrement hell, sword hell, and great hot ash hell, going through these hells again. At that time, those beings cannot bear the suffering and turn back to the boiling excrement hell. At that time, the jailers say to those beings, 'Where do you want to go? Where do you come from?' The sinners reply, 'We do not know where we come from, nor do we know where we should go.' The jailers ask, 'What do you need now?' The sinners reply, 'We are extremely thirsty and want to drink water.' At that time, the jailers make the sinners lie down and pour molten copper into their mouths, causing it to pass through. The suffering they experience is immeasurable. They must exhaust their sins before they can leave.

Bhikṣus should know that at that time, the suffering of the sinners was immeasurable. Even if the sinners saw forms with their eyes, their minds were not delighted. Even if they heard sounds, smelled fragrances, tasted flavors, or had their bodies touched, their minds were always angry. The reason for this was that they did not create the results of good conduct in the past, but always committed evil karma, thus incurring these sins.

"At that time, King Yama instructed those sinners, 'You have not obtained good benefits. In the past, you received human blessings in the human realm, but your bodily, verbal, and mental conduct did not accord with it. You did not give generously, be kind and loving, benefit others, or benefit equally. For this reason, you now suffer this pain. This evil conduct was not done by your parents, nor was it done by the king or ministers. All beings whose bodies, speech, and minds are pure, without defilement, are like the Heaven of Brahmā's Assembly. All beings who commit evil deeds are like those in hell. Your bodies, speech, and minds are impure, thus causing these sins.' Bhikṣus should know that King Yama then thought, 'When will I be free from this suffering and be reborn as a human? Having obtained a human body, I will then be able to leave home, shave my beard and hair, wear the three Dharma robes, leave home, and study the path.' King Yama still had this thought. How much more so for you who have now obtained a human body and become monks! Therefore, bhikṣus, you should always be mindful of practicing bodily, verbal, and mental conduct, without any deficiency; you should eliminate the five fetters and cultivate the five faculties. Thus, bhikṣus, you should train in this way."

At that time, the bhikṣus heard what the Buddha said, and joyfully received and practiced it.