法苑珠林 70.31

70.31

Fourth is divisive speech, harsh speech, false speech, and frivolous speech, slandering the innocent and disparaging the Three Honored Ones. This brings floggings with canes and leads to the extermination of one's clan. At death, one enters hell: the ghosts and spirits in hell pull out their tongues, plow them with oxen, and pour molten copper down their throats; they seek death but cannot die. Only when the offense is completed do they emerge, becoming animals that constantly graze on grass and thorns. If they later become humans, their words are not believed, their mouths constantly reek of foul odors, they are frequently subjected to slander and curses, when lying down they constantly have bad dreams, and though they have mouths, they cannot consume the supreme taste of the Buddha's sūtras. Seeing this, I did not dare engage in harsh speech again; this was my fourth teacher. The Buddha then spoke a gāthā, saying: