The soul sobbed: “Wuu… wuu… wuu… I can force myself to recite Buddha despite the pain, by bearing it as I do now during our conversation. But once the punishments resume, unbearable agony overwhelms me nonstop. Dizzy and delirious, I cannot utter the Buddha’s name at all. Wuu… wuu… wuu… May all people in the world shun angling forever and avoid falling into hell. Do not repeat my mistakes, trapped in endless torment long after death! Wuu… wuu… wuu…”
The Magistrate: “Very well. Given the constraints of time, I note that you cooperated fully by recounting your experiences for Ayù’s book The Inexorable Nether Laws. You have also brought forth a good vow, hoping all people will refrain from angling and avoid damnation in hell. I shall record one meritorious deed to your name and grant you permission to attend one Dharma-talk given by Earth Store Bodhisattva, so your torments may be temporarily suspended.”
The Solitary Soul Yaksha: “Understood, Magistrate. I shall take him there at once.”
Ayù: “May I inquire why this soul is permitted to hear the Bodhisattva’s Dharma-talk immediately? Other condemned souls I interviewed endured far greater agony and terror. Why did you not record a meritorious deed for them?”
The Magistrate: “Ayù, hell manifests from the black karma created when living beings transgress moral precepts. Souls fall into hell drawn by their own deeds. This man practiced Buddha recitation in one of his past lives, though his practice lacked diligence. He performed many acts of charity back then but failed to dedicate the meritorious virtues in accordance with the Dharma. The fruits of those good deeds ripened into his wealth and prosperity in this lifetime. Tragically, he squandered his blessing rewards prematurely and fell into hell.
“Karmic ties bind you two together. Your interview stirred his desire to escape suffering and prompted his sincere good vow. It is his own wholesome thought that earned him this recorded merit; I show no personal favoritism. ‘If one wishes to fully understand all Buddhas of the three periods of time, one should contemplate the nature of the Dharma realm: Everything is created by the mind only.’”
The Magistrate: “It grows late, Ayù. A full night has passed in the mortal world. You may return home now. Do come back soon.”
I pressed my palms together and bowed to the Magistrate. “I am deeply thankful to you. I shall certainly visit again as soon as I can.”
19 / Ayù Pays Homage to the City God
Grateful for the empowerment of the Buddha, I departed riding a white lotus flower.