念佛鏡 1.71

1.71

答：「阿鼻地獄者，《觀佛三昧經》說：『縱、廣正等八千由旬，七重鐵城、七重鐵網，有七鐵幢，八萬四千劍林，八萬四千熱湯，銅狗、鐵蛇、鐵烏滿此獄中，一人入獄，亦皆遍滿；多人入中，亦復不窂。一墮此獄，長時受苦，無有出期，無有間隔，經八萬大劫，然後得出，復墮畜生。由謗念佛法故，墮地獄中受無間苦。若不迴心念佛，無間等罪無由得出；若能志誠念佛，無間等罪並皆消滅。』又准《法華經》中『見有讀誦、書持經者，輕賤、憎嫉而懷結恨，即墮無間地獄。』何況謗念佛之人，其人罪重，於謗誦經、讀經書經人，百千萬倍。所以大行和上，違情能忍、打罵莫報，恐招罪故。《遺教經》云：『劫功德賊，無過嗔恚，甚於猛火，常當防護，無令得入。』猛火能燒世聞諸珍寶，嗔心猛火能燒七聖財，是故念佛之人亦須忍辱。又《華嚴經》云：『一念嗔心起，百萬障門生。』又准《觀經》『讚歎他好，自得功德，以罵他惡，自得罪報。』何以得知？《報恩經》云：『均提沙彌為罵上座，音聲如狗吠。』均提沙彌由一惡言，五百生中常作狗身。故知罵他，還自得罪。又《雜阿含經》中說：『有一人讚歎修道人善事勝妙，五百生中常得端正，形貌殊好，口氣常香，遍體香潔，如優鉢羅華香氣，逆風四十里聞香。』故知讚他並得善報，念佛人兼須讚善。准《法華經》云：『不說他人好惡、長短。』唯專念佛，速生淨土，不果沈淪。」

Answer: "Regarding Avīci Hell, the Guanfo sanmei jing says: 'It is eight thousand yojanas in both length and breadth equally. It has sevenfold iron walls and sevenfold iron nets. There are seven iron banners, eighty-four thousand forests of swords, eighty-four thousand caldrons of boiling liquid, and copper dogs, iron serpents, and iron crows fill this hell. When one person enters the hell, they completely fill it; when many persons enter it, it is also not crowded. Once fallen into this hell, one suffers torment for a long time with no time of release and no interruption; only after passing through eighty thousand great kalpas can one emerge, whereupon one falls again among animals. Because of slandering the Dharma of buddhānusmṛti, one falls into hell and undergoes uninterrupted torment. If one does not turn one's heart to buddhānusmṛti, one will have no way of escaping such sins of uninterrupted torment; but if one can practice buddhānusmṛti with sincere devotion, all sins of uninterrupted torment will be extinguished.' Furthermore, according to the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra, 'If one sees those who read, recite, write, or uphold this sūtra, and holds them in contempt, hates, envies, and bears enmity toward them, one will immediately fall into Avīci Hell.' How much worse is it to slander a person of buddhānusmṛti! Such a person's sin is hundreds of thousands of times heavier than slandering those who recite, read, or copy sūtras. Therefore, Preceptor Daxing was able to endure what went against his inclinations, neither returning blows nor curses, for fear of incurring sin. The Yijiao jing says: 'Of the thieves who plunder merit, none surpasses anger. It is worse than a fierce fire; one must constantly guard against it and not allow it to enter.' A fierce fire can burn all the world's precious treasures, but the fierce fire of an angry mind can burn the seven noble treasures. For this reason, practitioners of buddhānusmṛti must also cultivate forbearance. Furthermore, the Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: 'When a single thought of anger arises, a million obstacle gates are born.' Also, according to the Guan jing, 'By praising the goodness of others, one obtains merit oneself; by cursing the evil of others, one obtains retribution for sins oneself.' How do we know this? The Baoen jing says: 'The novice Juntika reviled a senior monk, saying his voice sounded like the barking of a dog.' Because of that single wicked utterance, the novice Juntika constantly assumed the body of a dog across five hundred lifetimes. Thus we know that by cursing others, one brings sin back upon oneself. Furthermore, the Samyuktāgama says: 'There was a person who praised the superior and marvelous good deeds of a practitioner of the Path, and for five hundred lifetimes he was always handsome, with an exquisite appearance, an ever-fragrant breath, and a body completely fragrant and pure like the scent of an utpala blossom, whose aroma could be smelled forty li against the wind.' Thus we know that praising others invariably brings good retribution; practitioners of buddhānusmṛti must additionally praise the good. According to the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra: 'Do not speak of the good or bad, strengths or weaknesses of others.' Simply focus exclusively on buddhānusmṛti, quickly attain rebirth in the pure land, and do not fall into sinking and suffering."