佛說觀佛三昧海經 5.27

5.27

The Buddha said to Ānanda: "What is meant by the hell of fifty billion copper pillars? As for the Copper-Pillar hell, there is a copper pillar resembling a great mountain, six hundred yojanas high. Below it is a fierce fire; above the fire is an iron bed, and on it are knife-wheels. Between the knife-wheels are iron-beaked insects, with iron crows beside them. In this world there are foolish sentient beings who, with abundant greed and delusion, are defiled by impure attachments, commit sexual misconduct, and engage in impure acts in improper places and at improper times. If there are bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, brāhmaṇas, or other celibates who transgress pure conduct at improper times and in improper places, up to anyone who commits sexual misconduct and performs impure deeds, when such sinners are about to die, their entire body arches stiffly and twitches uncontrollably, like a drawn bow unable to sustain itself, and they at once have this thought: 'If only I could obtain a solid, large pillar of copper or iron to bind this body so that it does not shake!' The rākṣasa hell-wardens immediately arrive, transformed into young servants holding an iron staff, and approaching the sinner, say: 'Elder! Your body is now stiff while all other things are weak; you should grasp this staff.' His heart rejoices, and with breath cut off his life ends. In the time it takes to brandish a staff, he is born atop the copper pillar. Fierce flames blaze and incinerate his body; terrified, he looks down and sees a beautiful woman on the iron bed—if a woman, she sees a handsome man—and love and lust arise. From atop the copper pillar they wish to throw themselves to the ground; the copper pillar pierces the body, iron ropes ensnare the neck, and iron-beaked insects peck and devour their flesh. Falling onto the iron bed, fire erupts simultaneously from the six sense organs of both men and women; iron-beaked insects enter through their eyes and exit through their genital organs. If one has defiled the precepts, there are separately nine hundred million smaller insects, like carbuncle worms with twelve mouths, flames shooting from their mouths as they bite and devour the body. As retribution for this sexual misconduct, in a single day and night they undergo nine hundred billion births and nine hundred billion deaths. When the punishment is ended, they are born among doves and pigeons, receiving the bodies of doves and pigeons for five hundred lifetimes; they are reborn among dragons for five hundred lifetimes, and later reborn among humans without sex organs, with two sex organs, or with indeterminate sex organs, or with the bodies of eunuchs for five hundred lifetimes. Even if they gain human form, their wives will not be chaste and virtuous, their children will not be filial or affectionate, and their male and female slaves will be disobedient. After this has passed, they encounter a kalyāṇamitra and generate bodhicitta." The Buddha said to Ānanda: "What is meant by the hell of fifty billion iron mechanisms? As for the Iron-Mechanism hell, there is an iron bed exactly four hundred yojanas in length and breadth, upon which are mounted trigger-latches; between the latches are ten trillion iron crossbows, and the arrowheads of the iron crossbows have ten billion sharp blades. In this world there are foolish sentient beings who, out of greed and desire, are unfilial toward their parents, disrespectful toward their teachers and elders, disobedient toward good teachings, who kill living beings, and who devour deceitful persons. When the sinful retribution of such a person is about to bring about death, his body trembles, and fluids spontaneously flow from all six orifices of his body. Such a sinner sees his own bed as tūla-cotton, and immediately has this thought: 'When will I get a firm, cool place to lie down and sleep? Would that not be pleasant!' When he has this thought, the rākṣasa hell-wardens raise up a bed with forks, spread a large woolen rug over it, and approach the sinner. Seeing it, the sinner is overjoyed and wishes to lie upon the rug; with breath cut off, his life ends, and he is born upon the iron mechanism. Ten trillion iron latch-triggers move from below, the iron latches rise and fall, and countless iron crossbows are all drawn at once, each iron arrow shooting through the sinner's heart, so that in a single day and night he undergoes six hundred billion births and six hundred billion deaths. When such a sinner has finished undergoing punishment, he is born among animals for five hundred lifetimes, and is reborn among humans, poor and base, driven and ordered about by others, frequently falling into penal confinement and constantly enduring beatings. After this has passed, he encounters a kalyāṇamitra and generates bodhicitta."