法苑珠林 7.48

7.48

如起世經云。佛告諸比丘。有三天使在於世間。何等為三。一老二病三死。有人放逸三業惡行。身壞命終生地獄中。諸守獄者。應時即來。驅彼眾生至閻摩王前。白言。大王。此等眾生昔在人間縱逸自恣。不善三業。今來生此。唯願大王善教示之。王問罪人。汝昔人間第一天使。善教示汝善呵責汝。豈得不見出現生耶。答言。大天。我實不見。王重告言。汝豈不見為人身時。或作婦女。或作丈夫。衰老相現齒落髮白。皮膚緩皺黑黶遍體。狀若胡麻膊傴背曲。行步跛蹇足不依身。左右傾側頸細皮寬。兩邊垂緩猶若牛𩑶。脣口乾枯喉舌燥澁。身體屈弱氣力綿微。喘息出聲猶如挽鋸。向前欲倒恃杖而行。盛年衰損血肉消竭。羸瘦尫弱趣來世路。舉動沈滯無復壯形。乃至身心恒常顫掉。一切支節瘦懈難攝。汝見之不。答言。大天。我實見之。時王告言。汝愚癡人無有智慧。昔日既見如是相貌。云何不作如是思惟。我今具有如是老法未得遠離。可作善業使我長夜利益安樂。彼人復答言。大天。我實不作如是思惟。以心縱蕩行放逸故。王又告言。汝愚癡人不修善業。當具足受放逸之罪。此之苦報非他人作。是汝自業。今還聚集自受報也。

As the Lokasthiti-sūtra says: The Buddha addressed the monks: "There are three divine messengers in the world. What are the three? The first is old age, the second is sickness, and the third is death. There are people who are heedless in the evil conduct of the three categories of karma; when their bodies break up at the end of life, they are born in the hells. The hell-wardens immediately come, driving those beings before King Yama, and address him, saying: 'Great King! These beings formerly indulged themselves heedlessly in the human realm and were unwholesome in the three categories of karma. Now they have come and been born here. We only pray that the Great King will kindly instruct and guide them.' The king asks the sinner: 'Did you not see the first divine messenger appear and take birth in the human realm formerly to kindly instruct you and kindly rebuke you?' He replies: 'Great Deva, I truly did not see it.' The king addresses him again: 'When you had a human body, whether as a woman or as a man, did you not see the marks of decline and old age appearing—teeth falling out, hair turning white, skin slack and wrinkled, black moles over the entire body like sesame seeds, shoulders stooped and back bent, walking lame with the feet not supporting the body, tilting to the left and leaning to the right, neck thin and skin loose, hanging down on both sides like an ox's dewlap, lips and mouth dry, throat and tongue parched and rough, body bent and weak, breath and vitality extremely feeble, gasping with a sound like pulling a saw, leaning forward as if about to fall and walking relying on a cane, the prime of life decayed and ruined, blood and flesh withered and depleted, emaciated and frail, heading toward the road of the next world, every movement sluggish without any vigorous form, even the body and mind constantly trembling, and all limbs emaciated, lax, and difficult to control? Did you see this or not?' He replies: 'Great Deva, I truly saw it.' Then the king addresses him, saying: 'You foolish person without wisdom! Formerly, having seen such appearances, why did you not reflect in this way: "I now possess such a nature of old age and have not yet escaped it. I ought to perform wholesome deeds so that I may attain benefit, peace, and bliss through the long night"?' That person again replies: 'Great Deva, I truly did not reflect in this way, because my mind was dissipated and I practiced heedlessness.' The king addresses him again: 'You foolish person did not cultivate wholesome karma; you must fully endure the retribution for heedlessness. This bitter retribution was not created by others; it is your own karma. Now it has accumulated, and you must receive the retribution yourself.'"