經律異相 50.12

50.12

Regarding the Fire-Cart Hell: each copper cauldron is exactly forty yojanas in length and breadth, filled with fire. Below are twelve wheels, and above are nine thousand four fire-wheels. There are sentient beings who, having become disciples of the Buddha, or serving Brahmā and the ninety-six heterodox ways, or being householders, deceitfully misled others, practiced wrong livelihood, and acted with flattery and deceit. When such a sinner is about to die, the wind element stirs first, and their body becomes cold as ice. They then think: 'When shall I obtain a great blaze of fierce fire? Sitting inside it would forever dispel this cold illness.' Having thought this, the hell-warden rākṣasa transforms into a fire-cart resembling a golden lotus flower. The hell-warden sits atop it in the image of a young boy, holding a white whisk, dancing and beating a drum as he arrives. The sinner develops attachment [and thinks]: 'If I sit atop this, the joy will be unspeakable.' Their breath ceases, their life ends, and they are carried upon the fire-cart. Their limbs and joints catch fire, and their body is scorched and falls apart. The hell-warden cries out, 'Live!' and at the sound they revive. The fire-cart runs over their body eighteen times, crushing their body like dust. From the sky rains boiling copper, sprinkling all over their body, and they immediately revive. Going back and forth like this, they go up to the edge of the boiling broth and fall down into the cauldron. Run over by the fire-cart, in one day and one night they die ninety billion times and are born ninety billion times. When this person's punishment is completed, they are born into a poor and base family, driven by others, bonded to others, and without autonomy. Only after paying off their gain and support for a long time do they attain release. Due to the merit of their former wholesome aspiration upon going forth, they meet a good friend who preaches the Dharma to them; their mind opens and understands, and they become an arhat.