Journey 37

Jigong:	One year has already gone by since Sheng Xian Tang undertook the writing of the Book "Diyu Youji". This old monk feels very glorious in escorting Yang Sheng to Hades so that he can see how the various sins committed by human beings are being investigated and dealt with in the various Prison in Hades. I have a feeling that the path is long and the burden making movement unpleasant. This Book will be very wonderful, strange and interesting one because when it is published and distributed (free of charge) it will be in accordance with the will of Heaven. The very fact that Sheng Xian Tang, through planchette writing, has published and distributed so many books to urge human beings to do good, has earned all of you great merit and fame, Yudi ( 玉帝 ) is so very pleased. By your thus doing I myself also feel very happy. This Book is already half written up there is still haft the journey to be covered. I sincerely hope that you folks will not tire but will see to it that the mission is accomplished successfully. When this Book is finally, published, more than three generations will be blessed. The time to tour again Hades has come; so Yang Sheng, quickly get up on the lotus flower platform.
Yang Sheng:	I accept your order. Dear Master, I must tank you very much because for the past one year, you had secretly protected and guided me in this work but I am rather dull, not being able to assimilate all your teachings but please do give me Divine Light so that I can benefit more through your guidance; further, because I have just returned from "Gan Xiu Tang Temple" ( 感修堂 ) my mental alertness is rather poor. Dear Master, can you please give me a few efficacious pills to pep me up?
Jigong:	From the look of things you are truly not up to the mark because of your various heavy commitments; but because you have great sincerity and you also know that I had on several occasions given you the efficacious pills from the start of writing the Book, your body has become stronger now. This is how the various deities had been taking care of you in secret. Now, I will give you another three pills to swallow quickly. So, prepare to tour Hades.
Yang Sheng:	I offer you 10,000 thanks; our dear Master has taken good care of me. Indeed, previously for some 4 or 5 years, I had been having severe stomach trouble but since undertaking to write this Book, through your kind guidance, I now find that the stomach trouble has disappeared; and today, after swallowing the 3 pills you have just given me, I suddenly find that I am energetic and very active. Again I thank you.
Jigong:	There is no more time to waste, so quickly get up on the lotus flower platform.
Yang Sheng:	Yes, Sir. I'm safely seated. We can now start.....
Jigong:	We have arrived, get down.
Yang Sheng:	Before us, what Prison is it? I can hear souls crying and screaming and I also can hear squeaking of rats.
Jigong:	Here is the Sixth Tribunal which controls the 16 Small Prisons one of which is in front of us and is called "Severing Kidney and Rat Biting Prison". The Officer and General are coming, quickly go and pay your respects.
Yang Sheng:	Yes, yes. I, Yang Sheng of Sheng Xian Tang now offer you my humble respects. I follow my dear Master here to get your assistance.
Officer:	Quickly, get up -- no need to stand on ceremony. We here have received the Order from Bian Cheng Wang informing us of your coming to obtain information for your Book "Diyu Youji" for human beings to read. Please follow me to the Prison for a look.
Yang Sheng:	Thank you, Officer, for your offer to help. I see there are many rats roaming the floor of this Prison causing pain on the sinful souls who are scattered on the floor with hands and feet bound. All these souls are screaming and struggling hard. Actually for what sins are they being punished?
Officer:	All these are male souls who when they were alive were lewd person or who broke the Rules of Buddhism. Both types were fond of the opposite sex thereby damaging morality. Here, their penis have been cut off and the Rats attack the remaining root of the penis in order to cut off the source of their sexual evil.
Jigong:	This punishment is very hard to bear; because when the Rats attack the remaining roots of the penis, the pain affects the heart terribly - there is no pain to compare with this pain. In colloquial language, 'if one cuts grass, but does not pull out the roots, the grass will grow again on return of spring'. These types of people relish sexual enjoyment (especially of a clandestine nature( and so they now have to undergo this punishment.
Officer:	I will summon some sinful souls for them to relate to you their sinful stories.
Yang Sheng:	Very good. These sinful souls have their hands and feet tied up and are lying helpless all over the floor while the Rats have a jolly good time biting their penis. Therefore, they roll on the floor in pain and screaming all the time. these Rats are as big as cats and look very fierce, their biting is like biting food.
Jigong:	Rats love biting sacks and enjoy eating groundnuts - these Rats here are actually enjoying their bites. I greatly sympathize with these souls but because their extreme greed for short-lived sexual pleasure, they are now suffering this punishment.
Officer:	I have brought two sinful souls. Look here sinful souls, listen carefully. This one is Jigong and the other is Sheng Xian Tang's Yang Sheng. They have received the Order to tour Hades so that they can write the Book "Diyu Youji" for human beings to read and do good deeds. Quickly tell them what sins you had committed on Earth so that they can include your sinful stories in this Book.
First Soul:	When I was living on Earth, I was a believer of "School Sage" (Sheng Men). I was a vegetarian and carried out ascetic practices. I was a married man and had children. Later in life, I got entangled with a woman ascetic practitioner - both of us broke the religious obligations of ascetic practice. When I died, naturally, my soul could not be admitted to Heaven; so I was sent to Hades instead, to appear before the "Magic Mirror" which reproduced every sinful action and deed of my life on Earth, not a single item was left out and I felt very ashamed. Then I was sent to the Sixth Tribunal. When Bian Cheng Wang saw me he became very angry and scolded me saying that I had entered through the door of the "School of Sages" and yet, although knowledgeable of the Laws, I had broken them. For my repeated offences, he sentenced me to the "Severing Kidney and Rat Biting Prison". At first they cut off my penis, then they bound my hands and feet and I was left lying on the floor to be bitten by the Rats. The pain was so great everyday that although I still have my voice, I find great difficulty in speaking. I hate myself tremendously because for an unfortunate sudden lapse of correct thinking through temptation, and repeated lapses thereafter, I had committed the sins of the flesh. My self-hatred will remain. I hope that hose good people who have entered through the door of the "School of Sages" will remain steady and will keep respect and follow the religious commandments, otherwise, like me, any merits they had earned earlier will not be taken into account after death.
Jigong:	Colloquial language says " vegetarian instinct extends down to the navel only but the lower portion of the body is not taken into account" - how true it is, therefore, the soldiers of Hades and the Rats here have the job of purifying the body. This is well-deserved punishment.
Officer:	Second Soul, quickly come out and tell your story.
Second Soul:	When I was in school (Form One) on Earth, I was quietly seduced by bad companies to visit prostitutes. Later on, when I had enough money, I went on my own. Often times, I brought my school-mates to prostitutes " to broaden" their field of vision. Thus, by my sexual exploits during my bachelor days, my body became weak; I subsequently contacted venereal disease and my friends likewise had a fair share of this disease. When I was you and alive, I fully enjoyed my sexual exploits but on death, my soul now has to undergo so much suffering - so much so, that no one can endure it or understand the extent of the pain. Now, to come to think about it, it is already too late to repent.
Officer:	When you were still young, you did not care to devote your time to your studies but went for sexual pleasure instead. Even before marriage, you frequented prostitutes; this shown that you did not follow the correct path and had no ambition. Not satisfied with getting into trouble yourself, you seduced your school mates, very much like encouraging them to get drowned. Your sins are very great, that is why your soul is sent to this Prison to be punished.
Yang Sheng:	IT is indeed a sorrowful sight. Inside this Prison there are so many sinful souls, but really for what other sins are they sent here to be punished?
Officer:	Everyday there are about 1,000 new souls sent here. There are several types of sins they had committed, viz: - Those who indulged greatly in womanizing. Those who patronized prostitutes before they got married. Those who indulged in enticing the opposite sex. Those who after marriage, took to clandestine sexual enjoyments. Those who after entering the door of "School of Sages" broke the Rules and took to secret sexual practices. Those who practiced incest. Those who rape women and also those who took turns to do so. All such people (types) are very lewd - extremely lewd; that is why they are sent here to be punished.
Jigong:	I would, therefore, urge human beings not to resort to unlawful sexual practices or to patronize prostitutes. The sins are very serious, especially so when committed by persons who follow ascetic practices. These types of sinful souls, after they have undergone punishments in the "Gouging Heart Prisons" of the Fifth Tribunal, will have to be sent to the Sixth Tribunal to undergo further appropriate punishment in this Prison. Nevertheless, another redeeming factor is, there is such a thing as merit in Heaven which has the power to mitigate the degree of punishment of sins if human beings, after reading this Book "Diyu Youji", repent and reform their misconduct and then print and distribute (free of charge), this Book to urge human beings to do good deeds and also not to indulge in either or all of the seven types of sexual sins mentioned by the officer earlier. This is Yudi's Order. Time is running short, so Yang Sheng, prepare to return.
Yang Sheng:	Thank you, Officer and Generals, for giving us so much assistance. We have to say goodbye and return.
Officer:	All Generals, line up and say goodbye to Jigong and Yang Sheng.
Jigong:	Yang Sheng, get up on the lotus flower platform to return to Sheng Xian Tang.
Yang Sheng:	I am safely seated, we can start..... I
Jigong:	We have arrived at Sheng Xian Tang. Yang Sheng, please get down. Soul, return to your body.