| Jigong: |
In
this world there are people who are not capable of achieving any
meritorious deeds or attaining any success in anything, yet when they
see others progress of achieve fame, they become jealous. To hide their
own weakness of failure, they take to criticizing and finding fault with
the achievements of others. They take pleasure in pointing out the weak
points of others. They also like to run down the religious beliefs of
others. When such people die, their souls will be sent to the Gouging
Heart Prison. ( to extract their dirty hearts for being jealous of the
success of others and for bad-mouthing religious beliefs of others), for
purification.
|
| Yang Sheng: |
I
obey your order, Master, I am safely seated and so we can start. .....
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| Jigong: |
We
have arrived, quickly get down.
|
| Yang Sheng: |
Truly,
we can see the Gouging Heart Prison right in front of us.
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| Jigong: |
Today,
to save time and not to disturb Sen Luo Wang, we will go straight to the
16 small Gouging Heart Prisons. The Officer has opened the gate to
receive us.
|
| Yang Sheng: |
We
will enter.
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| Officer: |
Welcome
to Jigong and Yang Sheng for coming here again today. Do not enter and
have a look.
|
| Yang Sheng: |
This
Prison's punishment is really very frightening and severe. Starting from
the First Tribunal to this Tribunal, I have heard of nothing except
extreme grief and deep sorrow, particularly so, on reaching this Gouging
Heart Prison where the suffering of the souls gets more intense.
|
| Officer: |
The
heart of a person is under the direct control of himself. The gouging
heart punishment is so terrible that there is no other suffering to
compare with. The injured heart can cause fright to the six roots;*
therefore the soul's suffering is so terrible that no pen can describe
it.
|
| Jigong: |
Let
us go inside to gather more data from the souls for our Book.
|
| Officer: |
Please
remain outside the Prison proper while I bring a few souls out for you
to interview them. I will instruct the Generals to suspend temporarily,
the process of punishing the souls and to use the "revival
fan" to fan and review some so as to bring them back to their
original form.
|
| General: |
Yes,
Sir.
|
| Officer: |
Quickly,
untie the bondage of 3 souls for them to come here and relate their
sinful stories to Jigong and Yang Sheng.
|
| General: |
I
have let 3 souls out. Here, souls quickly follow the Officer out of the
gate.
|
| Officer: |
This
is Jigong Huofo and Sheng Xian Tang's Yang Sheng. They have received an
Order form Heaven to write a Book about Hades in order to teach human
beings to do good deeds. Quickly tell your sinful stories so that they
can incorporate them in the Book. Quick! Quick!
|
| First Soul: |
When
I was alive I was working as a government servant. Because I was not
able to earn a good record and promotion I became jealous when I saw
fellow workers get promotion to higher positions in government service,
I thought that my immediate superior, by overlooking me, had treated me
unfairly; therefore I began thinking of taking revenge on those
colleagues who got promotion. I told my superior officer untrue stories
about my colleagues and at every opportunity I carried tales. Four
years ago, I contacted cancer of the liver and then died. The Soldiers
of Hades brought my soul before the Magic Mirror where all my sinful
deeds when I was alive, were reflected. My souls was then sent to the
Fifth Tribunal where Sen Luo Wang being very angry, scolded me saying:
"You were incapable, you lacked modesty, you were jealous of the
ability and attainments of your colleagues; you carried tales about
them. This shows that you had a poisonous heart"/ He accordingly
sentenced me to this Prison to suffer. During the day and even at night,
the Soldiers of Hades came to punishment by gouging out my heart. The
pain is so great that I have a feeling as if my liver and intestines are
being severed. When I was alive, I did not believe in retribution and
now that I am dead, I am undergoing so much punishment and suffering.
|
| Jigong: |
Human
beings must understand that they should never have a jealous heart. You,
by being jealous, had destroyed the close relationship of society which
can be likened unto 'a horse which injured the mob', i.e. one who acted
in a way detrimental to public welfare. You chaps would have learned
from the ways of virtuous and wise men thereby gaining knowledge and
progress, otherwise, you will be subjected to your present fate: having
your heart gouged out and undergoing such great suffering.
|
| Officer: |
Second
Souls, quickly speak out and say what sins you had committed when you
were alive.
|
| Second Soul: |
When
I was living, I was an ardent believer of Buddhism; I read a lot of
literature on Buddhism. Following this, I came to look upon people of
other religions as heretics and despised them. To those who believed in
Taoism, I told them that their religion was of a lower order, far
beneath that of Buddhism and that after death, they had no chance of
going to Paradise. Some of my friends gave me literature transcribed
from planchette writing but I refused to look at them saying that these
were writing from a heretical religion. By running down other religions,
I though that I understood what Buddhism stood for and that I was very
intelligent. How was I to know that after death I was not to be accepted
by Western Paradise instead, was cast into this Prison? When I died, my
soul did not see any Buddhist representative to receive me; instead two
evil spirits arrested me and brought me to the Fifth Tribunal. When Sen
Luo Wang saw me, he was very angry and scolded me:
" You were a devotee
of Buddha and also having gone through the usual Buddhist penance, did
not have a heart for others and the religion of others, but hated and
belittled other religions. You did not understand that the laws of
Buddhism stand for the equality of all religions. If any religion
teaches morality and discourages evil deeds, then that is a true and
proper religion. You thought that the laws of Buddhism were boundless,
but so are the laws of other true religions. Why did you always
indulge in self-praise and consider yourself as being cleverer and
more intelligent than others"?
Because of my egoism,
self-exultation and swollen-headedness, I always despised others and
looked down upon them, not knowing that I had gone against what Buddhism
stands for, I sincerely hope that fellow Buddhists will not follow my
bad example because my efforts to become a good Buddhist were channeled
in the wrong direction.
|
| Jigong: |
It
was a pity that, unknowingly, you went against your conscience in trying
to defend and promote Buddhism. Now that you have experienced the
gouging of your heart, after you have served your sentence here, you
will have to undergo further punishment by way of the extraction of your
tongue.
|
| Officer: |
Third
Soul, quickly tell what sins you did when you were on Earth.
|
| Third Soul: |
I
was the leading planchette handler of a certain temple. At the
beginning, I was very sincere and honest in handling the planchette and
the deities gave me much inspiration. Later, when the temple management
did not give me due respect and consideration, I asked myself what was
the purpose of my sincerity in being and leading planchette handler?
Accordingly, I told the management that planchette writing was a fake
and was directly under the control of the handlers; therefore they
should not believe in deities. When they heard this they lost faith and
stopped frequenting the temple to pray to deities. I, too, stopped going
to the temple. After seven years, I fell sick and later on, died. The
Soldiers of Hades brought my soul to the Fifth Tribunal and Sen Luo Wang
scolded me:
"You were a leading planchette handler and although you were
not given due respects by the management of the temple, you should not
have said that planchette writing was a fake, thereby offending the
deities. You, therefore, had committed grievous sins and I have no
option but to sentence you to the Gouging Heart Prison for a term of
15 years; this is to punish you for your evil heart in offending the
deities. After you have severed the sentence, you will have to be sent
to another Prison to your other sins".
Ah, it is already too late for me now to repent! Can I ask a favour
from Jigong?
|
| Jigong: |
Planchette
writing actually represents deities' communication and nothing bad
should be spoken about it. The main and most important purpose of
planchette writing is to teach people to do good and to lead an ascetic
life. The permission of Yu Huang, the Jade Emperor must first be
obtained before any planchette writing session can be held. Therefore,
to belittle planchette writing is also insulting deities and is a very
great sin which cannot be pardoned. As out time is rather limited. Yang
Sheng, please prepare to return to Sheng Xian Tang.
|
| Yang Sheng: |
Thank
you, Officer and General, for your kind assistance. I am afraid we have
to say goodbye now.
|
| Officer: |
We
are much honored to have you with us and we are very glad to be of some
assistance. Please come again.
|
| Jigong: |
This
Gouging Heart Prison is very important and so we will have to visit you
again.
|
| Yang Sheng: |
I
am safely seated on the lotus flower platform, dear Master, we can
start. .....
|
| Jigong: |
We have arrived at Sheng Xian
Tang.
Yang Sheng, get down.
Soul, return to your body. |
|
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*
Note: The six roots are:-
| 1.
Ear |
2.
Eyes |
3.
Tongue |
| 4.
Nose |
5.
Body |
6.
Mouth |
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