諸經要集 18.13

18.13

The second great hell, Kālasūtra, has sixteen small hells surrounding it on all sides, each five hundred yojanas in length and breadth. Why is it called Kālasūtra (Black Rope)? Those hell wardens seize the sinners, throw them onto hot iron, stretch out their bodies, and snap hot iron ropes [like carpenters' cords] to mark straight lines. Hot iron axes follow the lines of the ropes to chop the sinners into hundreds and thousands of pieces. Furthermore, they snap iron ropes and saw through them. Furthermore, countless hot iron ropes are suspended in a crisscross web, and they drive the sinners to walk among the ropes; a foul wind violently arises, blowing the iron ropes across and through their bodies, burning the skin, piercing the flesh, charring the bones, and boiling the marrow. They suffer myriad agonies, yet because the remainder of their sins is not exhausted, they are caused not to die; hence it is named Black Rope. After long suffering the pain, they finally exit Kālasūtra and arrive at the Black Sand Hell, and so forth down to the Cold Ice Hell, after which their lives end. It cannot be recounted in full. The sufferings undergone in the remaining sixteen hells follow the same pattern as before, yet the suffering endured is even more severe. Through evil intentions directed toward parents, the Buddha, and śrāvakas, one falls into the Kālasūtra Hell, the agonizing pain being beyond calculation.