法苑珠林 5.18

5.18

Furthermore, the *Nirvāṇa-sūtra* says: Although one may attain the body of a Brahmā heaven up to the heaven of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, at the end of life one falls back into the three bad destinies. Although one may have the body of the Four Heavenly Kings up to the Paranirmitavaśavartin heaven, at the end of life one is born into the destiny of animals, becoming lions, tigers, rhinoceroses, jackals, wolves, elephants, horses, cattle, donkeys, and the like. Therefore we know that when heavenly retribution is exhausted, the body undergoes great suffering. Since there is such peril, one must open one's sincerity, list these karmas, and repent so as to suppress and extinguish them. If a person commits sins and finishes receiving their retribution, and later cultivates goodness so that they are born in heaven, due to the remaining misfortunes of the past they still subtly experience them in heaven. Thus the *Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra* says: If in a previous life one had the karma of stealing, at that time one will see the heavenly maidens take the adornments one wears and offer them to other devaputras. If in a previous life one had the karma of false speech, when the heavenly maidens hear one speak, they will generate inverted understanding, thinking it is abusive speech. If in a previous life one gave liquor to a person observing the precepts, or broke the prohibitions and drank liquor oneself, or made yeast and fermented alcohol, at the end of life one's mind will be muddled and confused, losing right mindfulness and falling into hell. If in a previous life one had the karma of killing, one's lifespan will be short and life will end quickly. If in a previous life one had the karma of sexual misconduct, one will see all the heavenly maidens abandon oneself to enjoy one another's company with other devaputras. These are called the five signs of decay. Because of these five kinds of flaws in keeping the precepts, bound by the net of karma, one receives this karmic retribution. Furthermore, Śakra, Lord of the Devas, also observed the fruits of karma in his palace: in the eighteen compartments of the Great Screaming Hell, the karmas of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and false speech cause one to fall into this hell and fully undergo all sufferings. Emerging from hell, one is born among the hungry ghosts, where the lifespan is long. Dying among the hungry ghosts, one is born among animals, mutually harming one another. Dying among animals, if born among humans, one's bodily complexion will be haggard and devoid of majestic power. If there is remaining karma allowing birth in heaven, one's bodily size and appearance will all be diminished and inferior; the radiance of all one's precious adornments will be faint and meager; one will not be loved or respected by heavenly maidens; the heavenly maidens will be unfaithful and abandon one for other heavens; one's wisdom will be slight and the mind will not be upright; one will be ridiculed by other devaputras; and when the heavenly hosts fight with the asuras, one will be killed by others—all on account of remaining karma.