法苑珠林 7.19

7.19

Furthermore, the Qishi jing states: The Buddha told the bhikṣus: “In the great Avīci hell, there are also sixteen minor hells as attendants surrounding it, each five hundred yojanas wide. As for all the sentient beings who are born there, emerge, or dwell there, due to the fruit of their evil karma, hell wardens are naturally produced. Each grasps the bodies of those sentient beings in that hell with both hands and flings them down upon the blazing, hot iron ground. The flames shoot straight up, exclusively fierce and raging, with [the beings'] faces pressed against the ground. [The wardens] then take sharp knives, and from above the ankles, cut out their sinews and pull them with their hands, drawing them out continuously all the way to the sinews of the crown of the head, piercing through to their heart and marrow with agony difficult to describe. Having pulled them in this way, they hitch them to iron carts and make them gallop and run. Those carts are exceedingly hot, their radiant flames blazing fiercely. The paths on which they run are purely blazing, perilous roads of hot iron, where they go on and on, never pausing for an instant according to the hell wardens' intent. Whichever direction [the wardens] wish to go, they immediately go as they please. Wherever they go, the hell wardens drag them along, never releasing them. Wherever they pass, the sinners are melted down, with no flesh or blood remaining on their bodies. Whatever actions they performed in the past when they were humans or non-humans, they must experience it all. Due to the retribution for unwholesome deeds, a great mass of fire suddenly arises from the eastern direction, blazing red with extremely fierce flames, intensely radiant in every part. The southern, western, and northern directions, the four intermediate directions, above, and below are each likewise surrounded by great masses of fire, which gradually press close, inflicting all manner of bitter agony. From the eastern wall, a great flame shoots straight toward the western wall, stopping when it reaches it. From the western wall, a great radiant flame shoots straight toward the northern wall. From the northern wall, a great radiant flame shoots straight toward the southern wall. From below to above, and from above to below, intersecting horizontally and vertically, crossing and shooting upward and downward, the blazing radiant light is dazzling, with surging flames colliding with one another. At that time, the hell wardens take the sinners and hurl them into the six kinds of great masses of fire, until they undergo extreme, severe suffering, yet their lives do not end. Their unwholesome karma not yet finished and not yet exhausted, they endure it in full throughout that time. The sentient beings in this great Avīci hell, due to the karmic retribution of their unwholesome actions, after undergoing all manner of suffering for an immeasurable time on this long road, the four gates of the hell open again. When the gates open, the sentient beings, hearing the sound and seeing them open, run toward the gates, thinking: ‘We must surely escape now!’ When those people run swiftly like this, their bodies blaze even more fiercely, just as when a strong man holds a dry grass torch and runs against the wind: the torch, already alight, blazes even more vigorously. As those sentient beings run on and on, their bodies blaze even more intensely. When they wish to raise a foot, their flesh and blood scatter; when they wish to set down a foot, their flesh and blood regenerate. When they reach the hell gates, the gates close again. Unable to get out, their minds are bewildered and distracted. Falling face down on the ground, the skin of their bodies is completely burned; next, their flesh is burned; again, their bones are burned, piercing through to the marrow, with smoke and flames blazing through. The smoke billows and the flames blaze intensely; smoke and fire mingle, and the tormenting heat is redoubled. Those people undergo extreme, severe suffering therein; their evil karma not yet extinguished, they experience it all. In this great Avīci hell, at all times, there is not even a finger-snap of brief peace and happiness. In this manner, in succession, they fully endure this suffering.” The World-Honoured One told the bhikṣus, saying: “You should know that between those worlds there are separately ten hells. What are the ten? First, the Arbuda hell; second, the Nirarbuda hell; third, the Ahaha hell; fourth, the Hahava hell; fifth, the Aṭaṭa hell; sixth, the Saugandhika hell; seventh, the Utpala hell; eighth, the Padma hell; ninth, the Puṇḍarīka hell; tenth, the Kumuda hell. For what cause and reason is it called the Arbuda hell? The physical forms of these sentient beings are like foam bubbles; therefore, it is called the Arbuda hell. Furthermore, for what cause and reason is it called the Nirarbuda hell? The physical forms of these sentient beings are like lumps of flesh; therefore, it is called the Nirarbuda hell. Furthermore, for what cause and reason is it called the Ahaha hell? When these sentient beings are pressed by severe and acute suffering, they wail and say: ‘Ahaha, ahaha, such great suffering!’ This is called the Ahaha hell.