經律異相 50.18

50.18

As for the Hell of the Thorn Forest: It spans eight thousand yojanas and is filled with iron thorns. At the tip of each thorn there are twelve swords. Upon the trees there are also large, red-hot iron hooks. Because of harsh speech, divisive speech, frivolous speech, and unrighteous speech, joking without restraint, speaking falsely of right and wrong, speaking of the faults in the sūtras, and slandering masters of treatise and debate, when the retribution for such sins arrives and his life is about to end, his throat is parched and his tongue is dry. He then forms this thought: 'If I could obtain a sharp thorn to pierce my neck and draw blood, causing manifold streams of water to flow through my veins, would that not be pleasant?' The warden rākṣasas transform into his parents, holding a bright pearl in their hands; from the tip of the pearl thorns sprout, and they hold it toward his mouth as if water were about to drip. The sinner rejoices; his breath ceases and his life ends. In the time of a flash of lightning, he is born amid the thorn forest. The warden rākṣasas hold iron hooks in their hands and pull out his tongue. Eight thousand iron oxen with large iron plows plow and tear his tongue apart. In a single day and night, there are six hundred deaths and births. After this has passed, he manages to be born among humans with narrow shoulders, a wrinkled face, and a stutter in his speech. Such a sinner's body develops various sores, with pus and blood overflowing, and for five hundred lifetimes he is loathed by people. After this has passed, although he speaks, people do not believe or accept it. Meeting a good spiritual friend, he gives rise to the bodhicitta.