Voyages to Hell

translated by

Nguyen Khang & Bui H.Huu

CHAPTER 2

VISIT TO “PURE HEART” POND AND THE FRONTIER BETWEEN LIVING AND DEAD WORLDS

Buddha Tse Kong who manifested on August 19th, 1976. Leap year of the Dragon (1976).

Man’s original state was a pure and precious pearl
Which now sinks into the muddy earthly world.
Know that his profane body can return to Buddha’s
And with clairvoyant eye, he can rediscover his true self.

Buddha Tse Kong:     Young man, get yourself ready for another trip to hell. 

Yang Ts’ien:      I’m just back from my trip to Tchang Houa. I feel terribly weary, Master. All I need is a good nap. Can’t we postpone that trip to another day? 

TK:     You, lazy boy! As a man of religious faith, you can’t shrink from duty after enduring some hardship. How can you acquire great courage that way? 

YT:      I’m really wrong. I ask your forgiveness Master. I’m ready for the trip. 

TK:      Ascend the lotus dais. Shut your eyes...Open them and alight. 

YT:      Master, why do you lead me to this place? I see before me a big limpid pond that is like a mirror reflecting the sky of an emerald blue. From the bottom of the pond, I see the sudden appearance of three words, “Pure-Heart Pond”. 

TK:      On our last visits to hell you couldn’t see everything due to your profane eyes and body. Today, I brought you here for the opportunity to bathe in this pond to eliminate all the dirty earthly desires. After this bath, your “carnal” eyes will become clairvoyant and you will be able to behold the scenery of hell. 

YT:      But, Master, I dare not plunge into it because it is now autumn and the water of the pond is extremely cold. It’s too dangerous. I might catch a bad cold. 

TK:      What a strange idea! You want to visit hell but you are afraid of getting cold! Well, I’m going to push you in, and you’re going to make a splendid dive! 

YT:      Help! Help! I can’t swim. Have you the heart to drown me? Ah! Ah! Ah! 

TK:      I immerse you for a few minutes to make you more awake.  UP CAME THE GENERAL GENIUS-PROTECTOR OF THE POND. 

The General:    May I extend to you my respectful greetings, Venerable Buddha Tse Kong. I have failed to be polite by not having welcomed you decently.  I humbly apologize, sir.  May I ask why you pushed that young man into the pond?

TK:      You don’t know, General? At this time, the people on earth are living in the harbor of illusions and wrapping themselves in the obscurity of ignorance. They have buried their lucid souls of pre-reincarnation times. Today, I’ve just pushed this profane youth into the pond in order to wash away the impurities that obstruct his clairvoyance. His precious pearl will shine better again, so he will be able to see more clearly. 

The General:   That’s very good! But... Please allow me to rescue him or he may drown. 

TK:      Yes, make it quick! Otherwise, he’ll sink to the bottom of the pond. 

The General:   Here he is, up on the bank. He is breathless, though. How will you revive him, Venerable Buddha? 

TK:      Don’t worry. Now that he’s cleansed of all mud stains, he’s to be resuscitated. A simple blow of this rush fan of mine will revive him. Look and see what I’m going to do. 

The General:    He’s back to consciousness and opens his eyes. 

YT:      Master! Why did you push me into the pond? 

TK:      Earthly man is used to being passive and full of ornamental phrases. Well, your pearl is still a big mass which was not refined and polished. I cannot help bringing it out and cleansing it. 

YT:      I’m deeply grateful to you for the teachings you’ve just given me. At present, I feel fit and well and my mind is pretty lucid. By the way, who is that gentleman in the uniform of a general? 

TK:      He’s the general in charge of guarding this pond. Strangers who do not have special authorization are not permitted to bathe in this pond. This expanse of water is also called “Pool for Fairies and Gods”. Only three categories of immortals are permitted to bath in it. Profane folks are forbidden to come here. You should consider yourself to be very lucky today. 

The General:    Venerable Buddha, what noble intention induces you to bring this young man here? 

TK:      As the Temple of the Sages follows the celestial order to prepare a book entitled “Voyages to Hell”, I have the mission to guide Yang Ts’ien to the Kingdom of Darkness. If this young mortal still had his profane spirit, it would be difficult for him to see things clearly. That’s why I took him to this pond to wash his eyes so that he can make a more effective visit to hell. 

The General:     That’s what it’s all about! Wonderful, indeed. 

TK:      I say good- bye to you, General! Our time for this visit is short. Yang Ts’ien, come to the lotus dais. 

YT:      Where are we going now, Master? 

TK:      No need to ask questions. You’ll know when we arrive. Quickly shut your eyes...Now, open them. We have arrived. Get off the lotus. 

YT:      Why isn’t this road paved? The winds blow up clouds of dust that darken the sky. They have blind me, and I trip every other pace. 

TK:      Here is the gate that separates the world of demons from that of men. 

YT:      Oh! From the far side, I see many people coming, crying and lamenting. 

TK:      They’re the souls of dead men just arriving in hell. 

YT:       Venerable Master, ahead of us, I see a signboard with these words “Frontier Between The Living and The Dead”. What is this place? 

TK:      Well, it is the frontier between the two worlds. 

YT:      I also see two large palaces. May we go and visit them, Master? 

TK:      Sure, sure. Let’s hurry. 

YT:      Above the doors of the two palaces, I read these inscriptions “Soul Reception Hall, Section 1, Section 2”. There are over ten rooms all together. 

TK:      Let’s go inside. 

The Mandarin in charge of soul reception:       Welcome to our palace, Venerable Buddha Tse Kong and Mr. Yang Ts’ien, the leading-scrible of the mediumnistic altar oracles of the Temple of the Sages in Tai Chu. We are highly honored with your visit of which the Celestial Edict informed us on August 15th. We knew that the honorable emissaries would come to hell to collect information in order to write the book “Voyages to Hell”. 

TK:     We are rather late for our return to the Temple. With your permission, we shall come back for another visit. 

The Mandarin:     As you wish, gentlemen. Our respectful salutations. 

TK:     Yang Ts’ien, get ready for the return trip. Let’s leave this place and mount the lotus dais. Keep your eyes closed. 

YT:      Order executed, sir. 

TK:      Back we are. Yang Ts’ien, come down and let your soul be reinstated in your body.

Back ] Next ]

Home

 

CONTENTS

Forward
Introduction
Preface
Summary
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Celestial Edict
Postface

www.voyagestohell.com