法苑珠林 7.17

7.17

第八無間地獄。亦有十六小地獄圍繞（大小同前）何名阿鼻地獄。此云無間地獄。何名無間。獄卒捉彼罪人剝取其皮從足至頂。即以其皮纏罪人身著火車上。輪碾熱地周迴往反。身體碎爛皮肉墮落。萬毒並至故使不死。又有鐵城四面火起。東焰至西西焰至東。南北上下亦復如是。焰熾迴遑間無空處。東西馳走燒炙其身。皮肉燋爛苦痛辛酸。萬毒並至。罪人在中久乃開門。其諸罪人奔走往趣。身諸支節皆火焰出。走欲至門門自然閉。餘罪未畢故使不死。又其中罪人舉目所見。但見惡色。耳聞惡聲。鼻聞臭氣。身觸苦痛。意念惡法。彈指之頃無不苦時。故名無間地獄。久受苦已從無間出。乃至寒氷地獄爾乃命終。為重罪行生惡趣業。故墮無間地獄。受罪不可稱計。名八大地獄。各歷十六。受罪如前。

Eighth is the Uninterrupted Hell (Avīci). It is also surrounded by sixteen minor hells (their sizes being as previously described). Why is it named the Avīci Hell? Here it is translated as the Uninterrupted Hell. Why is it called Uninterrupted? The hell wardens seize those sinners and strip off their skins from foot to crown, then wrap the sinners' bodies in their own skins and place them upon fiery carts. The wheels grind them over the burning ground, turning back and forth; their bodies are pulverized and rotten, their skin and flesh sloughing off, with ten thousand poisons arriving all at once, yet they are made not to die. Furthermore, there is an iron city with fires arising on all four sides: eastern flames reach to the west, western flames reach to the east, and north, south, above, and below are likewise. The blazes surge and churn, leaving no empty space between. Racing east and west, their bodies are scorched and burned, their skin and flesh roasted and festered in acrid, agonizing pain, with ten thousand poisons arriving all at once. When the sinners have been inside for a long time, the gates finally open; those sinners rush and scurry toward them, flames bursting forth from all their limbs and joints. When they run and are about to reach the gates, the gates close of themselves. Because the remainder of their sins is not yet exhausted, they are made not to die. Moreover, whatever the sinners inside raise their eyes to see, they see only hideous forms; their ears hear only dreadful sounds; their noses smell only foul stenches; their bodies touch only agonizing pains; their minds think only of evil phenomena. In the space of a finger-snap, there is no time without torment; hence it is called the Uninterrupted Hell. Having suffered torment for a long time, they exit Avīci and proceed up to the Cold Ice Hell, only then reaching the end of their lives. It is due to deeds of grave sin, creating karma destined for the evil destinies, that one falls into the Uninterrupted Hell, receiving retribution beyond reckoning. These are called the eight great hells, each passing through sixteen [minor hells], with punishments received as described above.