經律異相 49.38

49.38

The great Avīci hell has sixteen minor hells, each five hundred yojanas in extent. Seizing those sinners, they strip off their skin from feet to crown, and immediately wrap the sinners' bodies with their own skin. Placing them on the wheels of fire-chariots, they roll over the hot iron ground, going back and forth all around so that their bodies are shattered and pulped, their skin and flesh drop away, and myriad afflictions arrive at once, yet it makes them not die. Furthermore, there is an iron city ablaze with fire on all four sides; the eastern flames reach to the west, the western flames reach to the east, and it is likewise for south, north, above, and below. The flames blaze and whirl about, leaving no empty space; dashing back and forth, it scorches their bodies so that skin and flesh are charred and rotted, in bitter pain and misery, with myriad afflictions arriving at once. When the sinners have been inside for a long time, the gate finally opens; those sinners scramble and run toward it, flames shooting forth from every joint of their bodies. As they run, about to reach the gate, the gate spontaneously shuts. Because their remaining retribution is not yet finished, it makes them not die. Furthermore, whatever the sinners therein raise their eyes to see, they see only foul forms; their ears hear only evil sounds, their noses smell only foul odours, their bodies touch only bitter pain, and their minds think only of evil phenomena; within the snap of a finger, there is no moment without suffering. Hence it is called the Avīci (Uninterrupted) hell. Having endured suffering for a long time, their life ends. One who performs heavy sinful deeds is born into the evil destinies, [transiting through these hells] up to the Cold Ice hell, only then does their life come to an end. For the karma of heavy sinful deeds born into the evil destinies, one falls into the Avīci hell, its retribution beyond reckoning. The eight great hells each have sixteen minor hells.