法苑珠林 7.12

7.12

As the *New Vibhāṣā-śāstra* says: Question: Where are the hells located? Answer: For the most part, beneath this Jambudvīpa. How are they arranged? Some say: Going down forty thousand yojanas from this continent reaches the bottom of the Avīci hell. The Avīci hell is twenty thousand yojanas in length, breadth, height, and depth. In the nineteen thousand yojanas next above, the other seven hells are established. That is, next above is the Hell of Extreme Heat (Pratāpana); next above is the Hell of Heat (Tāpana); next above is the Hell of Great Screaming (Mahāraurava); next above is the Hell of Screaming (Raurava); next above is the Hell of Crushing (Saṃghāta); next above is the Hell of Black Cords (Kālasūtra); next above is the Hell of Reviving (Saṃjīva). Each of these hells is ten thousand yojanas in length and breadth. In the remaining one thousand yojanas next above, five hundred yojanas are white clay, and five hundred yojanas are mud. Some say: Going down from this mud, there is the Avīci hell located in the center, and the other seven hells surround it all around, just as villages surround a great city. Question: If so, how can the explanation in the *Prajñapti-śāstra* be reconciled? As it says, Jambudvīpa has a circumference of six thousand and three and a half yojanas; the size of each hell is vast, so how can they be accommodated beneath this continent? Answer: This Jambudvīpa is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, like a heap of grain; therefore, it can accommodate them. For this reason, the scriptures say that the four great oceans become deeper the further one enters them. Furthermore, each great hell has sixteen adjuncts [utsada]: each has four gates, and outside each gate there are four adjuncts. First is the adjunct of burning embers, where burning embers submerge one to the knees. Second is the adjunct of corpse filth, which is filled with mud of corpse filth. Third is the adjunct of sharp blades, which has three further types: first is the road of knife blades, where knife blades are laid facing upward to form a path; second is the forest of sword leaves, where the leaves are purely sharp sword blades; third is the forest of iron thorns, where there are sharp iron thorns sixteen finger-breadths long. Although the three types, such as the road of knife blades, differ, they are identical in being iron forests, and are therefore subsumed as one adjunct. Fourth is the adjunct of the fiery river, which contains boiling saline water. Together with the main hell, they make seventeen. Thus, the eight great hells together with their retinue comprise one hundred and thirty-six places. Therefore, the scriptures say that there are one hundred and thirty-six narakas. Thus, the *Dīrgha-āgama* says: The great hells total eight in number. Each of these eight hells is surrounded by sixteen small hells, just as the four continents are surrounded by eighty thousand continents. Outside the eighty thousand continents there is also a great ocean; outside the ocean there is again a Great Vajra Mountain; outside that mountain there is another mountain also named Vajra (the *Loutan jing* calls them the Great Iron Enclosure Mountains). Between the two mountains, the majestic light of the sun and moon and the heavenly deities does not shine at all. The eight great hells are: first, Saṃjñā; second, Kālasūtra; third, Crushing; fourth, Screaming; fifth, Great Screaming; sixth, Burning; seventh, Great Burning; eighth, Avīci (the variations in names between the *Loutan jing* and other scriptures are merely due to differences in translation; their general sense is the same). Regarding the sixteen [subordinate hells] of the first, the Saṃjñā Hell: The sentient beings therein grow iron claws on their hands; turning on one another in wrath, they claw at each other, and flesh falls with each stroke of their hands. Thinking themselves to be dead, it is therefore named 'Saṃjñā' (Thought). Furthermore, the sentient beings therein harbor murderous thoughts; holding knives and swords in their hands, they chop and stab each other, skinning, flaying, and slicing so that their bodies are shattered upon the ground. Thinking they are dead, a cold wind blows and they immediately revive and rise again. They think to themselves: 'I have now revived.' Having endured retribution for a long time, they exit the Saṃjñā Hell, and in their panic, seeking salvation, without realizing it they suddenly arrive at the Black Sand Hell. A fierce hot wind suddenly arises, blowing burning black sand that clings to their bodies, burning through skin and penetrating bone. Flames ignite within their bodies, swirling round and round, scorching their bodies until rotten. Because their sins are not yet exhausted, they are kept from dying. Having endured suffering for a long time, they exit the Black Sand Hell and arrive at the Boiling Excrement Hell. There, boiling excrement and iron pellets spontaneously fill the area ahead; wardens drive the sinners, forcing them to grasp the iron pellets, which burn their hands and bodies. They also force them to take them in their mouths, passing from throat to belly, penetrating all the way through, leaving nothing unscorched. There are iron-beaked worms that gnaw the flesh to the marrow. The bitter venom is boundless, but because their sins are not yet exhausted, they likewise cannot die. Having endured suffering for a long time, they exit the Boiling Excrement Hell and arrive at the Iron Nails Hell. The hell wardens throw them down face up on hot iron, stretch out their bodies, and drive nails into their hands and feet, driving a full five hundred nails throughout their entire bodies. Groaning in bitter venom, they still do not die. Having endured suffering for a long time, they exit the Iron Nails Hell and arrive at the Iron Hunger Hell. They are immediately thrown onto hot iron, and molten copper is poured into their mouths, passing from throat to belly, penetrating all the way through, leaving nothing unscorched. Because their remaining sins are not yet exhausted, they still do not die. Having endured suffering for a long time, they exit the Hunger Hell and arrive at the Thirst Hell. They are immediately thrown onto hot iron, and red-hot iron pellets are put into their mouths, burning their lips and tongues, penetrating all the way through, leaving nothing unscorched. Weeping in bitter agony, having endured suffering for a long time, they exit the Thirst Hell and arrive at the Single Copper Cauldron Hell. With furious glares, the hell wardens seize the sinners by the feet and throw them headfirst into the cauldron. Surging with the boiling broth, they tumble up and down, their bodies decomposing and cooked through. All myriad sufferings come upon them, yet they are made not to die. Having endured suffering for a long time, they exit the Single Copper Cauldron and arrive at the Many Copper Cauldrons Hell. Seizing the sinners by the feet, they throw them headfirst into the cauldrons; surging with the boiling broth, tumbling up and down, their whole bodies decompose. Taking them with iron hooks, they cast them into other cauldrons. Crying out in bitter grief, they are made not to die. Having endured suffering for a long time, they exit the Many Copper Cauldrons Hell and arrive at the Stone Mill Hell. Seizing those sinners, they throw them down on hot stones, stretch out their hands and feet, and press great hot stones upon their bodies, turning and grinding them until bones and flesh are crushed to pulp. Searing in bitter pain, they are made not to die. Having endured suffering for a long time, they exit the Stone Mill Hell and arrive at the Pus and Blood Hell. Pus and blood boil and surge; the sinners run back and forth within it, scalded until their bodies, heads, and faces are rotten and ruined. Furthermore, they scoop up the pus and blood to eat, which burns all the way through. The bitter venom is unbearable, yet they are made not to die. Having endured suffering for a long time, they then exit the Pus and Blood Hell and arrive at the Measuring Fire Hell. There is a great blaze, its flames blazing intensely; they drive the sinners, making their hands hold hot iron peck-measures to measure the blaze. Scorching their entire bodies in burning, venomous pain, groaning and wailing, they are made not to die. Having endured suffering for a long time, they exit the Measuring Fire Hell and arrive at the Ash River Hell. It is five hundred yojanas in length, breadth, depth, and shallowness. The ash-broth surges and boils, its foul vapors billowing; swirling waves crash against one another with terrifying roars. From bottom to top, iron thorns crisscross. On the riverbanks is a forest of sword trees, whose branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits are all knives and swords. The sinners enter the river, rising and falling with the waves, churning and sinking; iron thorns pierce their bodies, penetrating through inside and out, pus and blood flowing forth. Sufferings are myriad, yet they are made not to die. Then they exit the Ash River onto the bank and arrive at the sword-tree forest. Cut and pierced by swords, their bodies are wounded and ruined. Furthermore, jackals and wolves come to bite the sinners, eating their flesh raw. Running up the sword trees, the sword blades at that time point downward; when climbing down the sword trees, the sword blades point upward. Hands raised are severed, feet stepping are cut off, and skin and flesh drop away, leaving only white bones held together by sinews. At that time, there are iron-beaked crows upon the sword trees that peck their heads and eat their brains. Crying out in bitter grief, they are made not to die. Returning into the Ash River, sinking with the waves, iron thorns pierce their bodies with myriad kinds of bitter venom; their skin and flesh rot away, pus and blood flowing out, with only white bones floating on the surface. A cold wind blows and they immediately rise up again. Drawn by their past retributions, without realizing it they suddenly arrive at the Iron Pellets Hell. There are red-hot iron pellets; hell demons drive them to grasp them, their hands and feet rotting away and their entire bodies catching fire. All myriad poisons come upon them, yet they are made not to die. Having endured suffering for a long time, they then exit the Iron Pellets Hell and arrive at the Adze and Axe Hell. Seizing these sinners, they throw them down on hot iron, and with hot iron adzes and axes, they chop off their hands, feet, ears, nose, tongue, and body. Crying out in bitter venom, they are still not allowed to die. Having endured retribution for a long time, they exit the Adze and Axe Hell and arrive at the Jackal and Wolf Hell. Packs of jackals and wolves vie to come and gnaw on them, their flesh falling away, bones wounded, pus and blood flowing forth. Sufferings are myriad, yet they are made not to die. Having endured suffering for a long time, they then exit the Jackal and Wolf Hell and arrive at the Sword Tree Hell. Entering that sword forest, a fierce wind arises, blowing the sword leaves down onto their bodies; heads, faces, and bodies are all wounded and ruined. There are iron-beaked crows that peck out both their eyes. Wailing in bitter pain, they are made not to die. Having endured suffering for a long time, they then exit the Sword Tree Hell and arrive at the Cold Ice Hell. A great cold wind blows upon their bodies; their entire bodies are frostbitten, skin and flesh falling away. Screaming in bitter venom, only then do their lives end. If one performs unwholesome deeds with the body, and likewise with speech and mind, one falls into this Saṃjñā Hell, bristling with horror and fear. The second, the Kālasūtra Great Hell, has sixteen small hells surrounding it on all sides, each five hundred yojanas in length and breadth. Why is it named Kālasūtra (Black Cords)? Those hell wardens seize those sinners, throw them down face up on hot iron, stretch out their bodies, and use hot iron cords to mark them straight. Then, using hot iron axes along the cord lines, they chop the sinners into hundreds and thousands of pieces. Furthermore, they use iron cords to mark them and saw them with saws. Furthermore, they suspend hot iron cords crisscrossing boundlessly, and drive the sinners to walk among the cords; a fierce foul wind suddenly arises, blowing the iron cords to entwine their bodies, burning through the skin, piercing the flesh, scorching the bones, and boiling the marrow. Sufferings are myriad, but because their remaining sins are not yet exhausted, they are made not to die. Therefore it is named Kālasūtra. Having endured suffering for a long time, they then exit the Kālasūtra Hell, reaching the Black Sand Hell and on through to the Cold Ice Hell, only after which does life end; it cannot be recounted in full. The endurance of painful suffering in the remaining sixteen hells follows the same method as before, yet the suffering endured is even heavier. Because of harboring evil intentions toward parents, the Buddha, and the Śrāvakas, one immediately falls into the Kālasūtra Hell; the pain and suffering cannot be calculated. The third, the Crushing Great Hell, also has sixteen small hells surrounding it, each five hundred yojanas in length and breadth. Why is it named Crushing? There are great stone mountains facing each other in pairs. When people enter between these mountains, the mountains spontaneously come together and crush their bodies, grinding flesh and bones to pulp, after which the mountains return to their original places. Sufferings are myriad, yet they are made not to die. Furthermore, there are great iron elephants with their whole bodies ablaze, bellowing as they charge, trampling the sinners and rolling over them, crushing their bodies to pulp with pus and blood flowing out; wailing in grief, they are made not to die. Furthermore, they seize the sinners, lay them on great stones, and crush them with great stones. Furthermore, they take the sinners, lay them on the ground, and pound them with iron pestles from feet to head, skin and flesh ground to pulp, pus and blood flowing forth. All myriad poisons come upon them, but because their remaining sins are not yet exhausted, they are made not to die. Therefore it is named Crushing. Having endured suffering for a long time, they then exit the Crushing Hell, reaching the Black Sand Hell and on through to the Cold Ice Hell, after which life ends. If one merely creates the three unwholesome karmas and does not cultivate the three wholesome practices, one immediately falls into the Crushing Hell; the pain and suffering cannot be calculated.