經律異相 50.24

50.24

The Sharp Stones Hell: there are twenty-five stone mountains. On each stone mountain are eight pools of water, and in each pool of water are five poisonous dragons. If monks, nuns, novice monks, novice nuns, śikṣamāṇās, upāsakas, upāsikās, or followers of the ninety-five kinds of brahmacārin teachings break minor precepts, remain unrepentant for a long time, and lack remorse in their minds, then when life is about to end, the qi beneath their hearts swells, their abdomens distend like drums, they choke and vomit their food and drink, and cannot swallow water or gruel. They then think: 'If I could get a sharp stone to plug my throat, wouldn't that be wonderful?' At that time, a hell warden transforms into a skilled physician, plucks a sharp stone, makes it into a large medicinal pellet, places it in their mouth, and tells them: 'Close your mouth.' Joy arises in their mind; when breath ceases and life ends, they are born among the stone mountains. Innumerable sharp stones enter through their back and exit through their chest. The hell warden again uses an iron fork to pry open their mouth and stuff stones inside. In a single day and night they experience sixty billion rebirths. This is the retribution in their current rebirth. When life here ends, they fall into the Black Rope Hell. The Black Rope Hell has eight hundred iron chains and eight hundred iron mountains. High iron pillars are erected with chains tied at both ends. The hell wardens rush and press them, forcing them to run upon the burning iron ropes; unable to endure it, they fall down into boiling caldrons. Scrambling to rise in desperate thirst, they drink molten iron and swallow stones as they run. In a single day and night they undergo this suffering ten thousand times. When their punishment is finished, they are reborn in the human world as a servant. Meeting a good friend who explains the true Dharma to them, they attain arhatship.