I replied with gratitude, “I wish to carry Your Majesty’s gracious gift back to the human realm for my elderly father to enjoy.”
The Heavenly Emperor said: “Your filial piety is praiseworthy, but your father does not yet possess sufficient merit and blessings to partake of this fruit. You ought to eat this celestial fruit yourself. To complete the book The Inexorable Nether Laws and spread it throughout the mortal world will be the finest gift you could present to me.”
So I ate the immortal fruit with a heart full of gratitude. Fresh and juicy, the fruit delivered pure sweetness, making me feel light and at ease. I had never truly tasted such fresh, sweet fine fruit in the mortal world. Ayù’s body was immediately brimming with energy. I must earnestly write down all that I have seen and heard after returning. I am grateful for the Heavenly Emperor’s care and favor.
“Amitabha! Your humble subject Shangguan Yuhua bows in gratitude to the Heavenly Emperor. I am taking my leave now!”
The Magistrate could finally attend to his official duties, for I had occupied much of his time.
“Thank you, Magistrate!” I pressed my palms together and bowed to the Magistrate. Had I not been in a rush to return and write my account, I would have loved to sit and practice deep meditation amid such pure celestial surroundings. Yet time pressed on, so I departed riding a white lotus flower right away.
2 / The Origin of Writing The Inexorable Nether Laws (Part Two): Another Audience with Great Emperor Fengdu, the Supreme Ruler of the Netherworld
Grateful for the Buddha’s empowerment, Ayù departed by white lotus flower.
Amitabha! I pressed my palms together in greeting to the Magistrate: “Magistrate, I wish to know how the netherworld originally initiated the compilation of the classic The Inexorable Nether Laws.”
The Magistrate said, “Some time ago, an emergency assembly was convened in our netherworld. All the Kings of the Twelve Halls and every official received an urgent proclamation—a netherworld official dispatch issued by Great Emperor Fengdu, the Nether Sovereign Yama King. Great Emperor Fengdu, the Nether Sovereign Yama King, is the supreme ruler of our netherworld. There is only one Nether Sovereign Yama King, beneath whom stand the Twelve Halls Yama Kings. In times past, there were merely ten Yama Kings governing the ten halls of hell. Now, with newly expanded regions of hell established, two additional Yama Kings have been appointed. These Yama Kings of the Twelve Halls, twelve in total, each preside over all the greater and lesser hells beneath their respective halls. And all Twelve Halls Yama Kings take orders from Great Emperor Fengdu, the Nether Sovereign Yama King.