Dharma Torch

Translated by the Tripiṭaka Master An Shigao from Arsacid of the Later Han Dynasty

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was staying on Vulture Peak in Royal Abode City, together with Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas and assemblies of Śrāvakas. There were also bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, upāsikās, and many devas, nāgas, spirits, and divine beings, all gathered together in one place. At that time, the Bodhisattva Faithful Marks addressed the Buddha, saying: “World-Honored One, at present there are hells, hungry ghosts, animals, and slaves, as well as poverty and wealth, nobility and lowliness. Their kinds are many and diverse. I ask the World-Honored One to explain in detail the wondrous Dharma. When beings hear the Dharma spoken by the Buddha, it is like a child gaining a mother, illness gaining medicine, emaciation gaining food, and darkness gaining a bright lamp. The World-Honored One’s teaching of the Dharma benefits beings in just this way.”

At that time, the World-Honored One observed that the proper moment had arrived. Seeing that this Bodhisattva was earnest and diligent in exhorting him, he emitted from between his brows a ray of white hair-mark light that illuminated the entire world. The hells obtained respite, and suffering was transformed into peace. All beings who were undergoing punishment followed the Buddha’s light and came to the Buddha’s dwelling place. They circumambulated the Buddha seven times and bowed their heads in homage to the Buddha. They implored the World-Honored One to expound the Buddha Dharma, so that beings might obtain liberation.

At that time, the Bodhisattva Faithful Marks acted as the initiator on behalf of beings and stepped forward to say to the Buddha: “World-Honored One, there are some beings who undergo punishment and are chopped and pounded by jailers, their bodies cut apart from head to foot, even up to the crown of the head. After the cutting is finished, a skillful wind blows and they come back to life, only to be cut again. What kind of offense causes this?”

The Buddha said: “Because in former lives they did not believe in the Three Jewels, were not filial toward their parents, and acted as butchers or executioners, cutting and killing beings, they therefore suffer this kind of punishment.”

“Second, there are also beings whose bodies develop stubborn diseases. Their hair falls out, their entire bodies rot and decay, and they dwell like birds and beasts in places where human traces do not reach. They defile relatives and friends, and others are unwilling to see them. This illness is called leprosy. What kind of offense causes this?”

The Buddha said: “Because in former lives they did not believe in the Three Jewels, were not filial toward their parents, destroyed stupas and monasteries, robbed renunciants, killed sages, harmed teachers and elders, never repented, were ungrateful, constantly engaged in base and illicit conduct, and indulged in sexual desire without regard for rank or status and without any restraint, they therefore suffer this kind of punishment.”

“Third, there are also beings whose bodies are long and large, yet they are deaf and foolish, without feet, able only to writhe and crawl. They can only eat dirt to sustain their lives. Their bodies are devoured by various small insects, and they constantly endure such unbearable suffering. What kind of offense causes this?”

The Buddha said: “Because in former lives, when they were human, they were arrogant and self-important, did not accept good words or wholesome counsel, were not filial toward their parents, and opposed the ruler of the state. Or they acted as emperors, great ministers, or officials of all ranks, relying on power and authority to plunder the common people, acting without reason, causing the people to suffer exhaustion and distress, sighing as they went along. Therefore, they suffer this kind of punishment.”

“Fourth, there are also beings who are blind in both eyes and cannot see anything at all. They may collide with trees or fall into ditches and pits, and thus lose their lives. After death, when they obtain another body, it is still the same. What kind of offense causes this?”

The Buddha said: “Because in former lives they did not believe in the retribution of offenses and blessings, obstructed the Buddha’s radiance, sewed shut the eyes of hawks, confined beings in cages, or tied them up and placed leather sacks over their heads so that they could not see, they therefore suffer this kind of punishment.”

“Fifth, there are also beings who stammer or are mute, having mouths yet unable to speak. If they have something to say, they close their eyes and gesture with their hands, yet still cannot express themselves clearly. What kind of offense causes this?”

The Buddha said: “Because in former lives they slandered the Three Jewels, treated the noble path with contempt and defamation, discussed the merits and faults of others, picked apart others’ strengths and weaknesses, falsely accused the good, and harbored hatred and jealousy toward the worthy, they therefore suffer this kind of punishment.”

“Sixth, there are also beings whose bellies are large and whose necks are thin. They cannot take in food, and if they do obtain food, it turns into pus and blood. What kind of offense causes this?”

The Buddha said: “Because in former lives they stole the food of the Sangha, or secretly ate the offerings of great assemblies. They were stingy with their own wealth, greedy for the money of others, constantly gave rise to malicious intentions, administered poison to others, and obstructed their breath. They therefore suffer this kind of punishment.”

“Seventh, there are also beings who are constantly burned by jailers with fire. Iron nails are driven into all the joints of their bodies. After the nailing is finished, fire naturally arises and burns their bodies, so that their entire bodies are scorched and burned away. What kind of offense causes this?”

The Buddha said: “Because in former lives they acted as acupuncture doctors, piercing people’s bodies yet failing to cure their illnesses, deceiving them to obtain money, causing them to suffer pain in vain and fall into distress. They therefore suffer this kind of punishment.”

“Eighth, there are also beings who are constantly in boiling cauldrons. Ox-headed jailers use tridents to spear the offenders and place them into boiling cauldrons to be cooked until they rot. When blown by the wind, they come back to life, and are then boiled again. What kind of offense causes this?”

The Buddha said: “Because in former lives they believed in perverted views, made sacrifices to spirits and ghosts, slaughtered beings, scalded off their hair with hot water, and fried and boiled them in hot cauldrons in numbers beyond calculation. They therefore suffer this kind of punishment.”

“Ninth, there are also beings who are constantly burned by fire in cities of flames. They see the four city gates all standing open, but when they run toward them, the gates close. Although they run east and west, they still cannot avoid being burned up by the fire. What kind of offense causes this?”

The Buddha said: “Because in former lives they burned mountains and forests, boiled chickens with fire, burned villages and fields, and burned and cooked beings, causing bodies to rot and skin to peel away. They therefore suffer this kind of punishment.”

“Tenth, there are also beings who are constantly in snowy mountains, where cold winds blow until their skin and flesh split apart. They seek death but cannot obtain it. What kind of offense causes this?”

The Buddha said: “Because in former lives they blocked roads to commit robbery, stripped others of their clothing in winter and let them freeze to death. Or they flayed the skins from cattle and sheep while alive, causing them unbearable suffering. They therefore suffer this kind of punishment.”

“Eleventh, there are also beings who are constantly on mountains of knives and trees of swords. If they move their bodies, they are cut and slashed, and the joints of their four limbs are severed. What kind of offense causes this?”

The Buddha said: “Because in former lives they took slaughter as their livelihood, steaming, boiling, and killing beings, separating bone from flesh, cutting bodies into small pieces from head to foot, and hanging them up high to sell by weight. Or they hung beings alive, causing unbearable suffering. They therefore suffer this kind of punishment.”

“Twelfth, there are also beings whose five faculties are incomplete. What kind of offense causes this?”

The Buddha said: “Because in former lives they used falcons and hunting dogs to hunt birds and beasts, cutting off some heads, cutting off some feet, or forcibly breaking the wings of birds while alive. They therefore suffer this kind of punishment.”

“Thirteenth, there are also beings whose hands and feet are contracted, whose legs are crippled and backs bent, whose waists and hips do not function properly, so that they are unable to labor. What kind of offense causes this?”

The Buddha said: “Because in former lives they used slings and similar devices to hunt birds and beasts, dug pits so that beings fell into them, suffering broken heads and shattered feet, with injuries in more than one place. They therefore suffer this kind of punishment.”

“Fourteenth, there are also beings whose bodies are constantly bound by jailers with handcuffs, leg irons, and other instruments of punishment, from which they cannot be freed. What kind of offense causes this?”

The Buddha said: “Because in former lives they used nets to capture beings, confined them in cages, or tied them up and raised them, causing hunger and hardship. Or they allowed them to grow large and then slaughtered them, greedy for money and wealth. Innocent beings were subjected to confinement, their resentment surging upward, unable to act freely. They therefore suffer this kind of punishment.”

“Fifteenth, there are also beings who are mad, or wildly deluded, or dull and foolish, unable to distinguish good from bad. What kind of offense causes this?”

The Buddha said: “Because in former lives they drank alcohol to the point of intoxication and confusion, committing thirty-six kinds of faults, they later obtained a body of ignorance, like a drunken person, unable to distinguish noble from base or good from bad. For eighty thousand kalpas they fell into the boiling excrement hell, where jailers chopped and pounded them. They could not obtain death, nor could they obtain life. Utterly destitute and exhausted, they endured suffering through long nights. This was due to the fault of craving alcohol. After the painful retribution was exhausted, they obtained a human body, yet were disabled and crippled, despised by others. They were constantly implicated in the misfortunes of others and never had times of joy. Because of the faults committed through craving alcohol, they therefore suffer this kind of punishment.”

“Sixteenth, there are also beings whose bodies are very small, yet whose genital organs are very large. Carrying them causes bodily exhaustion, and walking, standing, sitting, and lying down all become obstructed. What kind of offense causes this?”

The Buddha said: “Because in former lives they made their living through trade, praised their own goods, disparaged the goods of others, shorted weight and measure, and deceived people. They therefore suffer this kind of punishment.”

“Seventeenth, there are also beings who do not possess male organs and are born as yellow-gate persons, unable to take a wife. What kind of offense causes this?”

The Buddha said: “Because in former lives they delighted in castrating elephants, horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, and dogs, in numbers beyond calculation, causing these beings unbearable suffering, dying and then reviving. They therefore suffer this kind of punishment.”

“Eighteenth, there are also beings who from birth to old age have no sons and live in loneliness and hardship. What kind of offense causes this?”

The Buddha said: “Because in former lives they were coarse, violent, and cruel, and did not believe in the retribution of offenses and blessings. During the season when birds laid eggs and incubated them, they carried containers along riverbanks and collected the eggs of parrots, swans, geese, and other birds, bringing them home to boil and eat. The birds lost their offspring and cried out in grief, blood flowing from their eyes. They therefore suffer this kind of punishment.”

“Nineteenth, there are also beings who from childhood are lonely and destitute, without parents or siblings, serving others as servants and sustaining life through hardship. After growing to adulthood, they encounter sudden calamities and are seized by the authorities and thrown into prison. No one visits them, and their hunger and poverty leave them with nowhere to voice their suffering. What kind of offense causes this?”

The Buddha said: “Because in former lives they delighted in capturing condors, vultures, hawks, kites, bears, brown bears, tigers, leopards, and the like, placing them in yokes and raising them in confinement, causing these beings to live in loneliness. Their parents and siblings constantly worried and longed for them, crying out in grief, moving others to sorrow. They were unable to provide for them and constantly endured the suffering of hunger, reduced to skin and bones, seeking death yet unable to die. Therefore, they suffer this kind of punishment.”

“Twentieth, there are also beings whose bodies are extremely ugly: their skin is pitch-black, their eyes are bluish, their faces are covered with lumps, their noses are flat, their eyes are red and yellow, their teeth are incomplete, their breath is foul, their bodies are short and thick, bloated with large bellies, their waists and legs do not function properly, their waists bent and backs hunched. They waste clothing, consume much food, and are afflicted with scabies, leprosy, poisonous sores, pus, blood, swelling, and edema. All kinds of malignant diseases gather in a single body. Although they try to please others, others pay them no attention. If someone else commits an offense, they are implicated and suffer sudden calamities. They never see the Buddha, never hear the Dharma, and never know the Sangha. What kind of offense causes this?”

The Buddha said: “Because in former lives, as children they were unfilial toward their parents; as ministers they were disloyal to the ruler; as rulers they did not respect or care for their subordinates. Friends regarded them as untrustworthy, neighbors were unwilling to associate with them, and the court did not assign them offices. They acted as they pleased, with inverted intentions and no sense of order. They did not believe in the Three Jewels, killed rulers and teachers, attacked states, plundered the people, breached cities and fortresses, and engaged in theft and robbery. Their evil actions were not of one kind alone. They praised themselves and disparaged others, bullied the lonely, widowed, and elderly, slandered sages, treated elders with contempt, deceived the lowly, and committed every kind of offense without exception. All these evil karmas ripened together, and therefore they suffer this kind of punishment.”

At that time, all the beings undergoing punishment, upon hearing these words spoken by the Buddha, cried out in grief, their wailing shaking the great earth, their tears falling like rain. They addressed the Buddha, saying: “We beseech the World-Honored One to remain in the world for a long time and teach the Dharma, so that people like us may obtain liberation.”

The Buddha said: “If I were to remain in the world for a long time, those with shallow merit would not plant wholesome roots. Thinking that I am always present, they would not contemplate impermanence. Virtuous men, it is like a child: if the mother is always by the child’s side, the child does not give rise to the thought that she is hard to encounter. When the mother leaves, longing and yearning arise. When the mother returns, the child then rejoices. Virtuous men, I am now just like this. Knowing the good and evil karmic conditions of beings, and the beauty and ugliness of their retributions, I therefore enter Parinirvāṇa.”

At that time, the World-Honored One then spoke verses for these beings undergoing punishment, saying:

“Flowing water is never constantly full; blazing fire does not burn for long.

The sun rises and in an instant sets; the moon becomes full and then wanes.

The impermanence of the noble and wealthy is even more severe than these.

One should diligently and energetically apply the mind and bow in reverence to the Unsurpassed Honored One.”

After the World-Honored One finished speaking these verses, the beings undergoing punishment said to the Buddha: “World-Honored One, what kinds of wholesome practices should be cultivated in order to leave these sufferings?”

The Buddha said: “One should diligently be filial to one’s parents, respect teachers and elders, take refuge in the Three Jewels, and earnestly practice generosity, precepts, patience, diligence, meditative concentration, wisdom, loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. Regard foes and kin equally, with no distinction from oneself. Do not bully the lonely, widowed, or elderly. Do not despise the lowly. Care for them as you would for yourself. If you are able to cultivate in this way, then you have already repaid the Buddha’s kindness and will forever depart from these sufferings.”

After this sūtra was spoken, the Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas then realized Anuttarā-Samyak-Saṃbodhi. The Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas also attained the six supernormal powers and the three knowledges, fully perfected the eight liberations, and some attained purity of the Dharma eye. If there are beings who hear this sūtra, they will not fall into the three evil destinies or the eight difficulties. The hells obtain respite, and suffering is transformed into peace.
At that time, the Bodhisattva Faithful Marks addressed the Buddha, saying: “What is the name of this sūtra? How should it be upheld?”

The Buddha told the Bodhisattva Faithful Marks: “Virtuous man, this sūtra is called The Sūtra on The Retribution of Sinful Karma and the Transformation of Beings in Hell. You should uphold it and disseminate it widely. Its merit is immeasurable.”

When the great assemblies of devas heard this sūtra, they rejoiced greatly, prostrated with the five limbs to the ground, paid homage to the Buddha, and practiced in accordance with the teaching.