Gratitude to the Yama King! Gratitude to the Magistrate! Amitabha!
11 / The Magistrate Replied Gravely: “Our Nether King Has Noticed that an Excessive Amount of Evil Energy Has Been Unleashed from the Mortal World!”
Grateful for the empowerment of all Buddhas! I nearly failed to write this account today. These days, numerous obstacles have arisen to hinder my journey to the hells; trouble came one after another. First, my computer malfunctioned and I could not type. Later, non-human beings took advantage of my sleep to disturb me severely, draining my vital energy. I began to develop a fever, headache and extreme exhaustion. By this morning, I was fully afflicted with cold symptoms. Whenever I catch a cold, if I diligently recite mantras, it takes at least seven days to recover; otherwise, the illness lingers for half a month.
Just now, I used mental concentration to affirm that I must not fall ill today. I must journey to the hells and finish writing this record. I trusted I could accomplish this. I sat down and recited the Mahāmāyūrī Mantra. After roughly thirty minutes, my fever subsided, my runny nose stopped, my throat pain eased, and my headache faded. The symptoms of the cold started to abate. I am infinitely grateful for the blessings of Mahāmāyūrī and all Buddhas of the ten directions. I shall devote all my strength to this sacred work to repay the kindness of the Buddhas, lest I prove unworthy of their empowerment.
I set forth riding upon a white lotus flower. “Magistrate, Amitabha!”
Today the Magistrate took me to witness one of the hells of sexual misconduct — the Sword Blossom Hell for Yin Souls.
I asked the Magistrate: “What is the Sword Blossom Hell for Yin Souls?”
The Magistrate answered with a solemn countenance: “This hell is established for beings who indulge in masturbation and sexual misconduct while their mortal lifespans are not yet exhausted, including men who deliberately change female partners daily or frequently, growing arrogant in their deeds, as well as women who deliberately change male partners daily or frequently, priding themselves upon such conduct.
“These beings who transgress the precept against sexual misconduct and wallow in lust gravely disrupt the balanced vital qi of yin and yang between heaven and earth. Each time they engage in licentious acts, their minds emit abundant evil lustful qi. This wicked energy attracts ghosts, nature spirits and similar beings, who silently harm these people without their awareness. When such evil qi accumulates and grows overwhelmingly powerful, countless disasters will inevitably manifest in the mortal realm to offset this negative energy and restore cosmic equilibrium.
“Humanity gravely violates the natural laws of the cosmos, yet mortal lands impose no legal sanctions for such deeds. Laws in some Western nations even legalize cohabitation between men and women and the like. Those who drafted such legislation shall reap boundless karmic retribution in the hells. They cannot be freed from their karmic retributions in the hells until such laws are completely repealed in the mortal world. As the saying goes: ‘Bodhisattvas fear the causes, while ordinary beings fear the retributions.’ We must ensure every deed we perform each day conforms to the law of karma. We ought to be constantly vigilant. Never allow momentary negligence to attract evil retribution in future lifetimes. The King of the Netherworld has observed that an overwhelming surplus of evil qi has been unleashed upon the mortal realm, and many of these evil deeds are committed by underage youths. As a result, the King has ordered more new hells to be constructed within the Netherworld to punish these pre-terminal beings who transgress the precepts. It is hoped that by seizing the yin souls of mortals and bringing them to the hells to undergo punishment, worldly people may be warned, their karmic offenses alleviated, and the duration of torment awaiting them after their lifespan ends may be reduced.”