Voyages to Hell

translated by

Nguyen Khang & Bui H.Huu

CHAPTER 58

VISIT TO THE 10TH PALACE - OBSERVATION OF THE SIX CATEGORIES OF REINCARNATED SOULS

Buddha Tse Kong who manifested on June 3rd, 1978. Year of the Horse 

Neglect of your body causes much pain
Do regenerate, and care for yourself
Or furs and horns will close your soul in
With cold or heat, the feeble creature trembles.

Buddha Tse Kong:   If humans fail to regenerate and allow themselves to commit cruel acts, they will be reincarnated into the forms of animals or fowls and will suffer for thousands and thousands of existences. Let them organize themselves decently, observe the rules of morality, and live an upright, virtuous life. Wicked, dishonest men will be reincarnated into the forms of animals with fur and horns, worse still, they can be transformed into insects and worms living miserably in the mud and stagnant water, exposed to the caprices of inclement weather. Yang Ts’ien, en route to hell. 

Yang Ts’ien:   Yes, Master. 

TK:      Look, son! A prater talks too much, and he ventures to commit errors. The best thing would be to talk as little as possible. Prattle isn’t as good as money. 

YT:      I certainly agree, Master. I am ready for the departure. 

TK:      Here we come. We’re going to visit the 10th Palace again, and I want you to see with your own eyes what the six categories of to-be-reincarnated souls are like. Here comes the King of Gate. 

YT:      We present to you our greetings, Sir. 

The King:   Welcome to you, gentlemen. Last time, you visited the Inn of the Lady Meng. This time you are going to witness the process of transmigration. Follow me, please. 

YT:      You are taking your own time to guide and give us explanations again. We are deeply grateful, Sir. 

The King:    The pleasure is mine. If living men don’t renounce evil for good, it will be deplorable for them to pass by the wheel of reincarnation and live a new existence on earth. 

YT:      What is that river with a red color and whirling waves? 

The King:    Its name is Crimson River. Its current is derived from the semen and blood of human beings in their sexual intercourse. Its red waves represent the ardent fire of carnal cravings among humans. 

YT:      On the opposite bank, I see something resembling a big wheel turning constantly. 

The King:   That’s the Reincarnation-Wheel, alias the Wheel on the Crimson River. It rotates incessantly between wind and water. 

YT:      And that bridge next to the wheel, what is it used for? 

The King:    Ours is the place where reincarnation into new existences on earth are effected. The boundary of hell is terminated right here. This bridge is the junction-point of the roads leading to different directions. Beyond it, there are six other bridges of gold, silver, jade, stone, wood and bamboo: 

  1. The Gold Bridge is passed over by humans who have accomplished great merits in their life on earth. After an observation tour by the Palaces of Hell, they will be authorized to take this bridge to go to paradise.
  1. The Silver Bridge is reserved for the people having tolerable merits. After their death, they are sent to the center of perfection in hell for furthering their religious studies and perfecting their regeneration. Once they have passed their examination and learned the canonical books thoroughly, they are authorized to come to the Styx (Cascade of Nine Streams) for purification of their vital energy. Then, they will pass over this bridge to go to the world to assume the function of geniuses. They will be venerated by thousands of people in their temples where joss sticks are constantly lighted.
  1. The Jade-Bridge is used by humans who performed considerable actions of charity. They are investigated by the Palaces of Hell and authorized to reincarnate into children of honorable and wealthy families.
  1. The Stone Bridge: The people with an equal number of merits and sins are to be reincarnated into ordinary people. This bridge is for them.
  1. The Wooden Bridge: People who in their lives committed grave sins of immorality.
  1. Robbery, theft, slaughter, lewdness, and cruelty will pass over this bridge of bamboo, and will reincarnate into the forms of beasts such as the viviparous (animals), oviparous (fowls, birds) aquatic creatures (fishes, crustaceans) or insects.

YT:      Thank you, Sir. Your explanation is quite clear. I notice that there are only a few travelers passing by the Gold and Silver Bridges. On the other bridges, however, the passersby are so numerous; they jostle each other to make their way as if they fear missing their crossing. 

TK     As a dictum has it, “I take the Wooden Bridge which is reserved for me. The others take their respective paths toward the living world”. Each one takes his proper path to reincarnation. They have eaten the amnesiac porridge that erases their former life from their minds. The absorption of this porridge puts them in a state of semi-consciousness, and they jostle each other on the paths allotted to them. Some souls wear costumes of Mandarins, others carry the tools and implements of their work, others have their inkstands and brush-pens. There are also simpletons and souls wearing animals’ furs and horns. Everyone manifests an ardent yearning to go to the terrestrial world. 

The King:   They have lost their good sense, just like those men going blindly, with weapons in hand, to the war without knowing whether they will be killed or not. The spectacle of the world is identical with the pitfall that man is running into. The reincarnating phenomenon is just the same. 

YT:      While in their state of semi-consciousness, they rush blindly toward the Bridges of Jade, Wood, and Bamboo to approach the Reincarnation-Wheel. I even see some of them fall off the bridge and disappear in the waves. I wonder what will become of them? 

The King:    Humans should listen carefully to what I am going to explain to them: all creatures are created by the fertilization of the vital breath energy from Yin and Yang. The Reincarnation-Wheel is the pattern of a mixture of the Yin and Yang among humans. When a male and a female are in a state of sexual excitement, their spirits rise in ecstasy, their over brimming sperm and blood are similar to the waves of the Crimson River that push and revolve the Reincarnation Wheel, like a river-current turns the irrigation system with its force. The semi-conscious souls are sucked in by the wheel, following their assigned destinies. In the world, the semen and blood of the two sexes in intercourse form a fetus in the womb of the mother: the vital essence impregnates the embryo until it is born to life, nine months later. At the moment the Reincarnation Wheel heaves it into existence, a wailing is heard from within the wheel of the Crimson River, meanwhile the infant is born, together with spilling blood and water, and its synchronizing cries symbolize its fright when awakening in a totally strange world. That’s the way reincarnation operates. As regards to the four categories of creatures, namely the viviparous, the oviparous, the aquatic creatures and insects, their birth takes place according to the time that their embryos are nurtured in the Reincarnation Wheel. The incessant rotation of the wheel often gives the pregnant woman a sensation of nausea. These are the moments when the fetus feels dizzy, like passengers feeling uneasy in a jerky carriage in movement or aboard a plane in flight. 

YT:      I see clearly now, Sir. Without your explanation, I think that humans can never be aware of these realities. Human sciences are knowledgeable on the process of pregnancy, and humans can write detailed books on conception, but they ignore completely the process of reincarnation. I am very fortunate to be able to understand this matter, and my revelations will make the most skeptical readers reconsider their doubts. 

The King:    Indeed, Yang Ts’ien. You believe it, because you see it. For the rest of humans, they begin to know things only when it is too late for them to explain the facts publicly. Now, this wheel has the form of the octagonal diagram Pa-Kua, with a circle at the center representing the Great Extreme or the Infinite (Wu-Ki). The Infinite gives birth to the Great Extreme which in turn puts into motion the two polar principles Yin and Yang which fertilize heaven and earth and engender all living creatures and things. The same principle and law governs the Reincarnation Wheel that turns and multiplies indefinitely. Inside the wheel, there are six holes for the reincarnated souls. The first hole is for the souls to be reincarnated into high-ranking dignitaries, noblemen, and titled persons. The second hole is for future intellectual men, husbandmen, industrialists, and merchants (including poor people, orphans, widows and widowers). The third hole is for the souls to be transformed into animals (buffalos, horses, dogs...) the fourth hole will make fowls of the souls. The fifth hole is for fish, mollusks and crustaceans. The sixth hole is for insects. It is thus depending upon their merits and sins for the souls to be categorized among the six above cited groups. 

TK:      That action is comparable to factories in the world. Manufactured products differ as consistently as raw materials, which are employed to produce them. As a matter of fact, good timber is utilized for solid construction, whereas wood of average quality is used for fuel. The same thing happens in the process of reincarnation. Honest men are bound to come from a good hole of the reincarnation wheel. By the way, the consumer goods of key necessities produced by humans should be made better from day to day, if their producers don’t want to be reincarnated with a negative karma. 

YT:      These are the six categories of to-be-reincarnated souls, as far as I can see. Now, what about the six ways of transmigration, Sir? 

TK:      They are the ways to the worlds of deities, human beings, combatant devils (asuras), hungry devils, hell and brute. Classification of these ways is based on the categories of creatures and their degree of evolution. The way to the world of deities or of paradise is the one for Gods, Buddhas, Saints and Genii. After they practice spiritual perfection and attain enlightenment, the regenerated men will rise directly to paradise without having to consume the amnesiac porridge and to pass to the reincarnation wheel. Humans should be aware of this fact if they desire to avoid a new reincarnation onto the earth. Among the highly evolved immortals, there are compassionate personalities who endeavor to bring salvation to mankind. They voluntarily incarnate into the living world to teach and guide humans. They are pontiffs, masters, and initiators of religions who really are gods or Buddha wearing the form of human beings. Whence this saying, “Highly evolved beings never forsake mankind”. From ancient times to the present, a great number of Gods and Buddhas have come down to earth to teach and show the path of salvation to human beings. They renounce the kingdom of immortals, where neither birth nor death exists, for the terrestrial world and even for hell. They are said to be “returnees” rather than “reincarnated” into the world. In reality, there exist 3000 worlds but only six ways of transmigration, which lead the reincarnated souls to all of them. More accurately, we should say there are thousands of ways of transmigration. The spiritual essence of the souls in all worlds commune together, as being of the same source. They are scattered to thousands of directions, and then from these, will converge to the same source. Humans must retain this truth. Yang Ts’ien, what you have seen this day is the picture of the six main ways of transmigration. 

The King:   All in all, the process of reincarnation operated by the 10th Palace is readily explained in the “Voyages to Hell”. I hope that humans will read, understand and practice for self-improvement. Reincarnation to new existences is decided by hell, but it is up to human beings to cope with the predestined paths. If they don’t try to improve themselves and progress on the virtuous path, they will lose their physical bodies some day, and thousands of existences will be required before recovering their original state. Now, I say goodbye to Buddha Tse Kong and Mr. Yang Ts’ien, and wish you good luck in completing your book for the sake of mankind. 

YT:      We are really touched by your sayings, Sir, and thank you greatly for your teachings. The blessed readers of the book will be enlightened and awakened from ignorance and errors. Goodbye, Your Majesty. Master, we must go home! 

TK:      We have so far visited the 10 palaces of hell. The burden of our mission has been lightened by half. You have had much pain, Yang Ts’ien. On August 15th, of this autumn, your book will be published. The satisfaction of the Three Councils will be indescribable. I advise all people on earth to have this book printed and widely distributed in order to spread the truth and enhance the genuine Tao. Such is my vocation. Following the sinister visits to the Palaces of Hell, here appears the resplendent halo. I hope that human will understand the realities revealed in the book. They will eliminate their narrow minds and open their hearts mercifully to expend joy all over the world. The way to paradise will open itself for them. Here is the temple. Alight and enter your body!

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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

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