CHAPTER 11VISIT TO THE PRISON WITH THE LAKE OF MIRE EXCREMENT AND URINE Buddha
Tse Kong who manifested on September 3rd, 1976. Leap year of Dragon
(1976)
Buddha
Tse Kong: In a man’s life, his birth into this
world, and his death, are two most important events. He cannot escape
them, which made Chuang Tzu say: “I did not desire to be born into
this world, but I was born all the same. I hate to die, but I shall die
anyway, when my destiny wants me to.” Through aware of the fact that
man can control neither birth nor death, we should not believe that he
is devoid of means for mastering life and death. Every problem arises
from his ignorance of where he originated, and where he will go after
death. Frightened and anxious in his perplexity, he refers every
incident of his life to the power of the King of Hell who he thinks will
determine his destiny. Thence, this saying: “If the King of Hell wants
you to die at midnight, it is impossible for you to live till next
morning.” We are now living in a period of salvation. If only men
understand the truth and follow the way of the Tao, and make efforts to
regenerate, they will overcome death and eliminate reincarnation. Men
should cherish their bodies and life on earth. It is not too late for
them to awaken and lead a life of spiritual perfection. Say, Yang
Ts’ien, be ready for our trip. Yang
Ts’ien: You have
attempted to teach of the results of sin and to instill morality in men.
Your gesture is really touching, Master. TK:
My responsibility depends on how men behave. The deities, whose
compassion is immense, impose on themselves the task of salvaging
mankind from woes. Now, come quickly on the dais. YT:
I’m settled. Let’s go, Master. TK:
Here we are, at the 2nd Gate, son. YT:
May I ask why do you take me to this place tonight? TK:
First, it’s to present our greetings to the King of the Palace,
then to visit the prison. YT:
Here is His Majesty the King coming out of his Palace. May I
extend my respects to the King and his Mandarins? The
King:
May I invite Buddha Tse Kong and Mr. Yang Ts’ien to come into
the Palace for a little rest. TK:
I don’t think there is any need as time is short. May you take
Yang Ts’ien to visit the prisons instead? The
King:
As you say. Let’s all go! The
General: At
your request, Sir. If you don’t mind following me? YT:
Oh my Lord! How nauseous and fetid the air is here. It smells of
feces and urine. The
General:
Before us is the prison with the Lake of Mire, Excrements and
Urine. The stench comes from there. I’m really sorry. YT:
The stench is increasing as we are approaching. My breath is
going to fail. I just can’t breathe, Master. I refuse to go any
farther. TK:
Don’t be alarmed. I’ve brought along this precious object.
Take it! YT:
What on earth is this, Master? TK:
It’s a cage to filter dust. Wear it as a headpiece, then
everything will be fine. The air is purified and all stench dissipates. YT:
Isn’t it a miracle! The odor is gone! Now, I see before me a
board with these words: Prison with the Lake of Mire, Excrements and
Urine. From the lake of the prison I hear wailing and laments. I see
human heads jerking up and down, and human arms groping on the water, as
if people were swimming. The
General: We
have arrived at the prison. Let’s come nearer. YT:
Yes, let’s go. Master, why don’t you smell that dreadful
odor? TK:
The smell doesn’t exist for me. I’ve become a buddha and it
can’t penetrate my sense of smell which is different from yours.
You’re a profane man, you still get affected and deceived by sound,
beauty and scent. YT:
This lake looks like an immense sea whose shore lies out of
sight. In its waters, I see people of all ages and sexes: young and old,
men and women, who submerge and emerge from the water filled with
excrement and urine. Everytime they open their mouths to utter a cry,
they swallow a quantity of that fetid mixture. How horrible and how
nasty! I feel like vomiting, Master. TK:
Control yourself, son. Don’t let the stench affect your spirit. YT:
I can’t understand what those people have done to suffer such
torment? The
General: They
are people of a variety of classes: courtesans who prostituted their
chastity of money, female brothel-keepers who led the girls of honest
families astray by selling their virginity to pleasure seekers, usurers
charging prohibitive interest, and eaters of placenta for fattening.
Their feet were not soiled by the dust of labor, making a living only by
deceitful words and by tricking others. Also, there are those people who
were excessively lustful; false witness who said black was white;
bankers embezzling money; shareholders vanishing with the funds of
commerce; mandarins and government officials accepting bribes; middlemen
earning colossal profits; and building contractors exploiting workers
and stealing materials. In a word, all those who had a soiled,
contaminated body and a filthy mouth are condemned to this prison, so
they can taste the flavor of this stinking mixture. They suffer,
breathing the stench of excrement and urine every time they open their
mouths. Meanwhile, they are tormented by hunger and thirst, being given
no foodstuffs of any kind. Those who fed foul things are now paid with
the same. They are victims of the law of causality,
and are deservedly suffering its consequences. They are immersed in this
layer of excrement and urine, and the more they seek to evade it, the
more they sink to the bottom. YT:
How pitiable they are! In the terrestrial world, people are being
provided with ultra-modern toilets that are free of odors, and they also
have chemicals to destroy the refuse. Wealthy people even spray perfume
to chase the stench. But some people’s greed leads them to earn foul
money, and their handsome appearance often masks a heart filled with
feces and urine. If they are condemned to this prison, it is only
justice done. TK:
You’re right, Yang Ts’ien. Some humans wear fine makeup and
beautiful garments, they have a neat, decent appearance, but their
hearts are full of guile and intrigue. Those speculators and hoarders,
for instance, should be classed together with excrements and urine.
Though they may lead a temporarily easy life, they will live a different
life in hell, feeding on foul things, day in day out. The
General:
We shouldn’t be pitying them. These people are no better than
latrine-worms which feed on excrement
for growth. We advise men on earth to live with integrity and
uprightness. They should never use stratagems and tricks to take
advantage of other people in monetary affairs. Those who exercise
dishonest trades to gain foul money will have to come to this place
after their death. They will be judged according to their crimes. At
least, they will have to endure punishment until their skin and flesh
are disintegrated. Upon completion of their sentences here, they will be
transferred to other palaces for judgment of their remaining crimes. YT:
This prison is horrible, indeed. TK:
Well, time goes fast, and it is enough for today, Yang Ts’ien.
Let’s prepare for the return. General, we feel much obliged for your
instructions. Please, convey my thanks to His Majesty for his warm
welcome. YT:
Shall I take off my headpiece, Master? TK:
Wait until you are on the dais, otherwise, you can’t tolerate
the smell. YT:
Here am I on the lotus dais! TK: Take off the headpiece, son. We’ll return to the temple. The wind is icy in the World of Darkness, the stench is prevailing, the world’s desires are thickening a thousand leagues high, burying a great number of heroes and men of character. I advise human beings to regenerate so they can avoid the spectacles of hell. Here we are. Yang Ts’ien, go regain your body. |
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