法苑珠林 7.48

7.48

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.'"