佛說觀佛三昧海經 5.24

5.24

佛告阿難：「云何名灰河地獄？灰河地獄者，長二百由旬廣十二由旬，下有利刀、岸上劍樹，滿中猛火厚十二丈。復有融灰以覆火上，厚四十丈。世間自有無慚眾生，偷盜父母、偷盜師長、偷盜善友兄弟姊妹。如是癡人無有慚愧，不識恩養心無反復，貪利欲得不識殃禍，不順師教。此人罪報欲命終時，氣滿心腹喘息不續，即作是念：『我心如泥氣滿胸中，得一微火爆我身者不亦快乎！』獄卒羅剎應念即至，化作妻子，手擎火爐微灰覆上，至罪人所。是時罪人心大歡喜，以歡喜故氣絕命終生灰河中。諸劍樹間有一羅剎，手執利劍欲來傷害，是人恐怖走於灰河，舉足下足刀傷其脚，劍樹雨刀從毛孔入，羅剎以叉叉其心出，躄地悶死尋復還活。是人偷盜師長父母罪因緣故，一日一夜五百億生五百億死，飢渴逼故張口欲食，劍樹雨刀從舌頭入，劈腹裂胸悶絕而死。由前聞佛法僧名故，罪畢之後得生人中貧窮下賤，覺世非常出家學道，世無佛時成辟支佛，世若有佛成阿羅漢。」

The Buddha said to Ānanda: "What is meant by the River of Ashes hell? As for the River of Ashes hell, it is two hundred yojanas long and twelve yojanas wide. Below it are sharp blades, and on its banks are sword-trees. It is filled with fierce fire twelve zhang deep, over which molten ash covers the fire to a depth of forty zhang. In this world there are shameless sentient beings who steal from their parents, steal from their teachers and elders, and steal from good friends, brothers, and sisters. Such foolish people have no shame or remorse; they do not recognize the debt of their upbringing, have ungrateful minds, covet profit and desire gain, do not perceive calamity, and disobey the instructions of their teachers. When such a person is about to die from the retribution of these sins, breath fills his heart and belly, his panting becomes discontinuous, and he at once has this thought: 'My heart is like mud, and breath chokes my chest; if only I could obtain a slight fire to warm and dry my body, would that not be pleasant?' In response to his thought, the rākṣasa hell-wardens immediately arrive, transformed into a wife and children, carrying in their hands a brazier covered with a thin layer of ash, and approach the sinner. At that time the sinner is overjoyed; because of this joy, with breath cut off, his life ends, and he is born into the River of Ashes. Between the sword-trees stands a rākṣasa holding a sharp sword, coming to harm him. Terrified, this person runs into the River of Ashes. Lifting and lowering his feet, the blades wound his feet. The sword-trees rain knives that penetrate his pores. The rākṣasa uses a fork to skewer and rip out his heart; he collapses to the ground and dies of anguish, only to revive immediately. Due to the causal condition of the sin of stealing from teachers, elders, and parents, in a single day and night he undergoes five hundred billion births and five hundred billion deaths. Driven by hunger and thirst, he opens his mouth wishing to eat; the sword-trees rain knives that enter the tip of his tongue, splitting his belly and tearing his chest, so that he faints and dies. Because he previously heard the names of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, after his punishment ends he gains rebirth among humans, poor and base. Awakening to the impermanence of the world, he leaves home to study the Way: when there is no Buddha in the world, he becomes a pratyekabuddha; if there is a Buddha in the world, he becomes an arhat."