| Jigong: |
The present day trend of human beings is towards science
and they do not believe in temples, spirits, faith and religious
beliefs. They do not understand the substance and composition of eternal
life. To go to Paradise or Hades depends on the actions, intentions and
deeds of oneself. Paradise is not far and can be reached as quickly as
the turning of one's head. Hades, however, is not so near as Paradise
and can be avoided through ascetic practices. Inside, Wang Si Cheng
there is a lot of sufferings and the surroundings are very gloomy. Yang
Sheng, today, we will tour Hades again; step on the lotus flower
platform.
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| Yang Sheng: |
Dear Master, I am already prepared. Let us proceed.....
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| Jigong: |
We have arrived.
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| Yang Sheng: |
IT looks as if we had previously visited this place. Why
is it that we suddenly enter this place Wang Si Cheng just like this,
unlike the previous visit when we had to enter stage by stage.
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| Jigong: |
Because we possess the "Four Virtues of
Buddhism", we can enter this place without the gate of Wang Si
Cheng having to be opened for us. When we first came here, you had to
pass through so many procedures so that the gate could be opened and we
could enter. But, now as we cannot afford to waste time such procedures
have to be scrapped and so you find yourself here inside very quickly. I
hope that human beings on Earth will realize that through ascetic
practices they need not have to pass through the sufferings of Hades and
can move about freely like me.
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| Yang Sheng: |
Dear Master, what you say is according to Buddhist
teaching, which I fully accept. I see that the Officer of Guard and
General are approaching.
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| Jigong: |
Quickly go and pay your respects to them.
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| Yang Sheng: |
I humbly pay my respects to both of you, Officer of Guard
and General. I thank you very much for conducting me previously and this
time we have to bother you again.
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| Officer: |
No bother, we are pleased to entertain you again. What you
have seen here you should record in a book for human beings to read so
that they can understand and realize that it is to their advantage and
future well-being to do good deeds whenever possible.
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| Yang Sheng: |
Thank you very much, Dear Master, let us follow them.
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| Jigong: |
As I have some business to do just now, you can follow the
Officer and General around.
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| Yang Sheng: |
Where are we going? Later on, who is going to bring me
back?
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| Jigong: |
Do not worry. When the time comes, I will bring you back.
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| Yang Sheng: |
These buildings contain so many young souls, some of them
have so long unkempt hair and they look very miserable. They are looking
at us. I will ask the Officer why they are being detained here.
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| Officer: |
When on Earth, these young male and female made love
privately with one another and when not successful, committed suicide by
killing themselves in various manners, When dead, their souls are
brought here. I hope the youngsters will not be infatuated, by
committing suicide it is not the end of everything on Earth and that
their souls will be married in Hades.
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| Yang Sheng: |
Here I see so many people, some without hand or leg, some
with broken heads, some with bodies covered with blood, all moaning
loudly. It is a pity to see them in this condition.
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| Officer: |
When these people were on Earth they were knocked down by
vehicles. They were not really due to die yet but because of accidents
they died and so their souls are sent here to wait until they are
destined to die a natural death then only will their souls be sent to
the Tribunals for "trial". This shows that there is fairness
on Earth and in Hades.
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| Yang Sheng: |
Where is this fairness? It is already too bad that a
person should die as a result of accident, his soul has suffered and now
being sent here to Wang Si Cheng for detention to wait until the natural
life span to die and then to be tried again. I see that there is no
benevolence and justice in this method of treatment and punishment.
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| Officer: |
You know only just a little but there are a lot more which
you don't know. It is not true that all the souls here belong to
accident victims. Some of them were already due tot ide a natural death
but because of what they had done in the previous life, they now had to
die suddenly through accident. That is why so many human beings blame
Heaven when some good people die through accident. Good in Heaven is
unjust, they say, by punishing some good people. I want to ask why Yan
Hui ( ) who was very smart and was kind-hearted, should die when
still in his prime of youth? And again, Buddha was a very pious person,
why did he have to experience so much suffering? That means that Heaven
has no eyes to see properly. You do not understand that this is all the
will of God which is to test the moral nature of the person. The body or
flesh is finished but the spirit still lives.
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| Yang Sheng: |
It seems that the three existences (past existence,
present existence and future existence) must obey the Law of Cause and
Effect - Karma. Why then must there be such things as accidental deaths
of various types. This does not stand to reason. Based on this, human
beings will not believe in Karma. Please, therefore, Officer of Guard,
explain clearly to me because I am rather slow.
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| Officer: |
From the beginning of time, there has been a chain of
three cycle cause and effect (Karma) rotation inhuman existence and
these Karmas have been continuing and will continue in human life time.
Buddha himself had also mentioned this Karma. The meaning of "past
existence" is not the immediate past existence but the accumulation
of all the three cycle past existences of each individual. Take the case
of a present short three cycles existence for consideration. Life is
governed by 70% past existence and 30% present existence.
Therefore, the life span of an individual cannot be changed but his luck
can be changed depending upon his behavior and everyday actions.
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| Yang Sheng: |
Oh,
I did not know it is like this. As a matter of fact, human beings
believe that everything is destined by Heaven and therefore, it is a
case of live and let live but actually it should not be this way of
thinking. I observe that inside the prison just opposite, there are many
souls in despair; why are they here.
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| Officer: |
All
of these souls, when on Earth, died because of fighting, murdering and
slaughtering one another.
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| Yang Sheng: |
I
am not very clear; they murdered people, all must die anyway, according
to their Karma and why then should their souls be sent here to Wang Si
Cheng?
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| Officer: |
According
to your reasoning it is correct but some of those who died through
fighting were in accordance to the law of retribution as demanded in
their Karma; and also there were others who did not practice moral and
ascetic deeds thus causing others to fight and murder one another,
thereby bringing about accidental deaths. I therefore entreat all human
beings to understand the doctrine of retribution that this is not the
matter of revenge in existence. Grievances, if any, must be dissolved
and not be prolonged. If it is true that you have some grievance, you
should not prolong that grievance but must try your very best to forget
it or lessen it. Then, only will you attain much merit. If there is no
greed on Earth, the situation will be like in the Heavens where there is
no selfishness and then there will be no cause or effect. We must
understand that to live is not any easy matter. For example, parents
have to encounter many obstacles, hardships and sacrifices to bring up
their children. So, therefore, everyone must have a sense of morality
and must do good whenever possible. Present day human beings are very
fond of womanizing, thinking that females owe males a "flower
debt" in the previous life. That is why females must repay and
males must womanize, they think. It cannot be argued that this action is
to offset the previous Cause and Effect. The true meaning of retribution
according to Karma is the happening of actions unintentionally;
therefore the present intentional action or womanizing on purpose, is a
great sin which will have to be repaid in the future existence.
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| General: |
Everything
the Officer of Guard has just said is all very true. The reason why
human beings do not believe or follow is because they think that only
those who are born with "immortal bones" need not have to
practice morality. Another argument they give is that if one is fated to
be rich, it will not be necessary for him to work anymore for money.
This is all wrong thinking.
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| Jigong: |
I
have not returned from my mission. What the Officer of Guard and the
General have said are all very true and correct. They have explained the
illusion and have awakened human beings from their wrong thinking. In
the beginning, from time immemorial all souls were indeed very good and
saintly but through the process of innumerable transmigrations of souls,
on rebirth became involved in earthly sins. That is why present day
human beings cannot return to the original pure state of their souls.
Let this be a warning to all human beings to try and do good with the
expectation to be reborn into a better life, otherwise they will have to
undergo six stages of transmigration of souls (reborn). Saints and
ghosts are the product of human beings' thinking, not destined by
Heaven. Now, after seeing the inside of Wang Si Cheng, you are convinced
of the need to do good whenever possible. Time to return has come and
so, Yang Sheng prepare to depart. We are very grateful to Officer of
Guard and to General for helping us to compile the Book which we have
been commissioned to write. We have to take the example existing in Wang
Si Cheng to dispel the wrong belief of present day human beings about
doing good deeds.
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| Yang Sheng: |
The
doctrine is very deep like the depth of the ocean. If Officer of Guard,
General and dear Master had not explained in great length the advantages
of morality and doing good deeds, human beings will still be in the
dark. I hope that dear Master will every now and then educate human
beings by giving such kind of lessons and lectures so that they can
remember to do good deeds. Even until when they die they still do not
understand the meaning of the doctrine of good deeds.
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| Jigong: |
This
is my duty and I have constantly taught and educated them in the
doctrine of doing good deeds. Sheng Xian Tang also has Heaven's decree
to save all human beings so that they will understand and follow the
true religion. Quickly, prepare to go home.
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| Yang Sheng: |
Yes,
I am steadily seated on the lotus flower platform. Let us go back now,
dear Master.....
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| Jigong: |
We
have now arrived at Sheng Xian Tang. Yang Sheng, you can get down now.
Soul, return to your body. |
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