| Jigong: |
There are quite a number of
people who are uninterested in gainful and employment for their own
advancement but rather prefer to spend their time in gambling to pass
their days. Originally, these people were good people but because of
their bad contacts they became useless and squandered their time and
property and ultimately became detestable. of late there had been a
series of thefts and robberies and swindlings, all due to such bad hats
requiring easy money. Gambling is a very bad habit and I would advice
human beings not to indulge in this vice. Of all vices, lewdness is the
most serious one because some people do not understand the meaning of
shame; also, women are included in this group. Some women, do now know
what shame is; some stealthily leave their homes without the knowledge
of their husbands in order to have sexual enjoyment. This is more or
less like the sin of gambling. That is why there are now so many sinful
souls in Hades. Today I will bring Yang Sheng again to visit the 16
Gouging Heart Prison.
Yang Sheng, quickly get up on
the lotus flower platform and we will start.
|
| Yang
Sheng: |
I'm
safely seated dear Master, we can start. .....
|
| Jigong: |
We
have arrived. Yang Sheng, get down.
|
| Yang
Sheng: |
I
have come down. Today, I observe that there is a great change in the
outlook of the souls here - many of them are in high spirits; why is it
so?
|
| Jigong: |
it
is because this is the period of the Festival of the Hungry Ghost when,
in the human world, people pray to and offer food to the hungry ghosts
in connection with the ritual of relieving souls out of Purgatory; those
souls whoa re not too sinful have the privilege of enjoying themselves
by eating the various food offerings and collecting burnt paper money.
|
| Yang
Sheng: |
Oh,
is that so? I see that the officer is coming to welcome us.
|
| Officer: |
Welcome
to both of you, Jigong and Yang Sheng. This happens to be the period of
the Festival of the Hungry Ghosts; that is why you see so much activity
here where the less sinful souls are allowed their annual freedom to
visit the human world, so please tolerate this slight confusion.
|
| Jigong: |
Please
do not stand on ceremony; we have disturbed you so many times and I wish
to apologize to Officer and Generals for any inconvenience caused.
|
| Officer: |
We
have received the Order saying that both of you are visiting us for the
purpose of writing the Book, "Diyu Youji". to educate human
beings to do good deeds; this is indeed very meritorious and
consequently you deserve every assistance. I would invite you to come
inside to have a look.
|
| Yang
Sheng: |
Thank
you very much. I observe that in this Prison, there are many sinful
souls who are wailing loudly without stop.
|
| Jigong: |
In
this Gouging Heart Prison are imprisoned those souls who had committed
great sins; that is why the amnesty on the Festival of the Hungry Ghost
is not extended to them to visit the human world and partake of the
feasts, etc.
|
| Officer: |
Today, I will bring out two
sinful souls so that they can tell you their sinful stories
themselves.
Look here, sinful souls, this
is Jigong Huofo and the other is a human being of Sheng Xian Tang, named
Yang Sheng. They have received the Order from Yu Huang to visit Hades to
collect data and stories on what goes on here in Hades for the purpose
of writing the Book to urge human beings to do good deeds. I want both
of you, sinful souls to relate your stories to them and remember not to
hide any important facts.
|
| First
Soul: |
Alright,
I will relate my story. When I was alive on Earth, I was very active in
doing business, traveling very often, living mostly in hotels. In due,
course, I met undesirable people who introduced me to gambling. At first
the gambling was just pastime but eventually I got myself deeply
involved and I gambled everyday. If I did not gamble even for one day,
my hands became itchy and my heart also itched, yearning to gamble. In
spite of the fact that I was active in my business thereby, earning good
money, the gambling urge made me gamble daily and heavily until I lost a
lot and was forced to borrow money from friends and business contacts
throughout the land. I was deeply in debt, so much so, that I could not
even give my family money for their up-keep. when I was 43 years old,
one day while riding a motorbike under the influence of alcohol, I met
with an accident resulting in my death. My souls was brought to Hades
and then only, did I realize that my life-span had been shortened by 5
years. My earthly activities were investigated from the 1st Tribunal to
the 4th Tribunal and subsequently I was transferred to the 5th Tribunal
where Sen Luo Wang, on seeing me, became very angry. He sentenced me to
this Gouging Heart Prison for a term of 13 years. Every day my heart was
gouged out, the reason being that was my heart was very fond of
gambling, it has to be so treated. I wish to advise human beings not to
gamble heavily because heavy gamblers who take to gambling as a means of
livelihood are greatly detested here, and in the 5th Tribunal with Sen
Luo Wang as Head, heavy gamblers are punished with 100 strokes on the
buttocks, and then only will their sins be further investigated, the
reason being that heavy gamblers sat at the gambling sessions daily
until their buttocks became hardened through lack of exercise. Firstly,
I now feel very shameful and secondly, my back side is very painful. Aya,
aya! I am feeling very sore at my back side and so I beg Jigong to
kindly help me out of my present suffering.
|
| Jigong: |
Those
who indulge in heavy gambling have hands which 'have no gratitude'; now,
since your hands 'have no gratitude' with what hands do you want to
plead with me?. It is better for you to meekly endure your present
punishment and stop pleading with me to help you out.
|
| Officer: |
You
had better forget about pleading for mercy; it is better, in the first
place, to correct or cure your gambler's heart, then only will you be
sent to the "Branding Iron Prison" to burn your sinful
gambling hands. When you were alive, who told you to gamble so heavily
that after death your soul will have to meet with so much suffering? You
asked for it yourself, no one asked you to gamble so heavily, therefore,
you must face the consequences of your own actions. Second soul, come
out and relate the events of your dirty life on Earth; do not miss or
hide any important detail.
|
| Second
Soul: |
There
are so many people here; I am ashamed to speak out. .....By nature I was
very unprincipled and even after my marriage there was no improvement
because I continued to have affairs and association with the opposite
sex. In my life0time, I associated with no less than 5 males friends and
enjoyed their company very much, all without the knowledge of my
husband. when I was 54 years old, I had a heart attack, resulting in my
death. My soul was brought by the Black and White General to face the
Magic Mirror which showed very disgraceful episodes of my sinful life on
Earth. I had no alternative but to admit everything and so I was
sentenced to the Gouging Heart prison for a term of 20 years, where I
have to suffer daily by my heart being gouged out. I beg Jigong to
intercede on my behalf so that I need not have to suffer so much.
|
| Jigong: |
You
being a woman, did not honor, safe-guard or respect your woman virtues,
by stooping so low as to become loose in morality and craved only for
your own vanity; how can I ever intercede on your behalf? You never
performed any good deeds; how can I help you?
|
| Officer: |
Jigong,
don't let her bother you. When she was alive, she wanted enjoyment,
pleasure and fun, therefore, now she has to have her heart gouged out.
She asked for it and so has to receive the penalty for her own sins. If
you want to Saints to help you, you should have 'dropped your butcher's
knife' when you were still living. If you had done so, your pleadings to
the Saints will surely be answered.
|
| Jigong: |
Officer,
what you had just said is very correct. those who gamble heavily and
those who have lewd hearts would quickly change their bad practices and
forthwith lead a new life and quickly perform benevolent deeds and moral
practices. If these gamblers and 'loose' women can go to temples and
promise in front of the Deities that they will print and distribute the
Book "Diyu Youji" to advise human beings to do good deeds,
then only will the Deities intercede on their behalf to lighten their
sins.
Time is running short; so Yang Sheng, prepare to return.
|
| Yang
Sheng: |
Yes,
Sir. Thank you, Officer and Generals, for your kind assistance. We have
to return.
|
| Officer: |
Generals,
line up and say goodbye to Jigong and Yang Sheng.
|
| Jigong: |
Yang
Sheng, quickly step on the lotus flower platform to return.
|
| Yang
Sheng: |
I'm
safely seated, dear Master; we can now start.....
|
| Jigong: |
We have arrived at Sheng Xian
Tang.
Yang Sheng, get down.
Soul, return to your body. |
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