法苑珠林 91.84

91.84

The travel account of Wang Xuance of the Tang dynasty says: According to the laws of Magadha, when someone commits a crime, they do not subject them to beatings or torture, but merely weigh them with a divine balance. The method of weighing a person is to place an object of weight similar to the person at one end of the balance, while the person stands at the other end. When both ends balance evenly, a talisman is also made, and its weight is likewise equalized with another object. The talisman is then tied around the person's neck, and the additional object that was weighed is added to the first object. If the person is innocent, the end with the objects will become heavier; if the person is guilty, the end with the objects will become lighter. Based on this difference in weight, punishment is assigned according to good and evil: gouging out eyes, severing wrists, chopping off fingers, or amputating feet—the punishment is carried out in accordance with the severity of the offense. For minor offenses, debtors, and the like, both their feet are shackled as punishment for their crimes.