ལས་རྣམ་པར་འབྱད་པ 15

15

However, if you happen to leave sometime, head north!”¹⁷²

“ ‘On another occasion, Maitrāyajña left the city and continued wandering until he arrived at a city with a silver city wall and an orchard and a lotus pond that was pervaded by a pleasant fragrance. He saw flower petals scattered everywhere and many wreaths made from silk ribbons that had been put up as ornaments. From inside the city, eight goddesses appeared. Like before, after he had amused himself with them,¹⁷³ at some other time he left.

“ ‘After wandering and wandering, he arrived at a city with a lapis lazuli¹⁷⁴ city wall. Just as before, he saw flower petals scattered everywhere and many wreaths made from silk ribbons hung up as ornaments. From inside the city, sixteen goddesses appeared, and they, too, took him by the hand and led him inside, and with them, too, he amused himself for many hundreds of thousands of years.

“ ‘At a later time he left, and after wandering and wandering, he arrived at a city with a rock-crystal city wall, and he saw everything like before—from the scattered flower petals to the wreaths made from silk ribbons. From inside this city, thirty-two goddesses appeared, and they, too, took him by the hand and led him inside. As before, after he had amused himself with them, they ordered him, “Son of noble family, since you are a stranger in this land, you should not leave this city.¹⁷⁵ However, if you have to go, head north!”¹⁷⁶

“ ‘Immediately afterward, he left the house, faced north, and walked and walked. Eventually, he came to a thicket of thorns and saw a city with a black iron city wall. He approached, and as soon as he stepped inside, the city’s gates slammed shut. Looking up the city walls, he saw them rising higher, and he could hear a dreadful sound coming from beyond them. “What kind of place is this?” he thought, and he became terrified when he saw a man whose head was cut by a wheel made of sword blades that was rotating above his head.

“ ‘ “Hey, you! What is this?” he asked, and that hell being replied, “This is a personal hell.”¹⁷⁷

“ ‘Maitrāyajña asked, “What sins have you committed?”

“ ‘The man told his story: