2 / Everything Was Written Down Long Ago! — Secrets of Human Destiny and the Adjustment of Lifespans: Revealing Heavenly Mysteries from the Register of Life and Death
Grateful for the empowerment of the Buddha! I departed riding a white lotus flower.
“Amitabha!” Ayù pressed her palms together in greeting to the Magistrate. “Magistrate, I wish to ask several questions today. Legend has it that some mortals can go to the netherworld to consult the Register of Life and Death. Is this true? Does the Register of Life and Death truly exist? What kind of record is it? I have heard fortune-tellers for the living can predict matters recorded within it. Is a person’s livelihood and sustenance — all they will eat and wear — predetermined before birth? If a person’s lifespan is fixed at birth, can practices such as maintaining physical health, regular daily routines, moderate diet, and frequent exercise extend the allotted years of life? Or can the predetermined lifespan never be altered? Can destiny be changed? Is it possible to attain longer life through prayers for longevity? Are there limits to how much lifespan may be increased or reduced? Thank you, Magistrate!”
The Magistrate replied, “Truly, some mortals in the human world can come to the netherworld to consult the Register of Life and Death. Naturally, those capable of such a journey are no ordinary people; they must possess special karmic affinities. Mortals whose lifespans have not yet ended cannot enter the netherworld. Broadly speaking, there are two categories of living beings who arrive in the netherworld. The first type of mortal people come driven by karmic force. These beings committed various evil deeds worthy of hellish retribution while alive. Drawn by their karmas, they arrive involuntarily. In summary, their misdeeds fall into three categories: bodily, verbal and mental karma. Bodily karma covers the three major transgressions: killing, stealing and sexual misconduct. Verbal karma includes four offences: false speech, frivolous speech, harsh speech and divisive speech. Mental karma consists of three poisons: greed, anger and ignorance.
“The mortal beings mentioned above who commit the three evil deeds of bodily karma, four evil deeds of verbal karma, and the three evil deeds of mental karma will have their souls return to the netherworld once their lives end. I have only outlined this briefly; there exist numerous detailed subdivisions which I shall not elaborate on here. Additionally, there are also mortal beings whose deeds in life are mixed — neither purely good nor purely evil. Upon passing away, they will be reborn in the common ghost quarters in the ghost path. They also belong to this first category.
“The second type of mortal people arrive empowered by the Buddhas’ power, vows, blessings and virtues. Such mortals are invariably cultivators bearing special missions within the human world. These cultivators uphold pure precepts diligently, deliver suffering beings as conditions arise, and guide sentient beings to attain freedom from affliction. They propagate the true Dharma far and wide to rescue all beings. When such cultivators need to save sentient beings, they may go to the netherworld to consult the Register of Life and Death, yet occurrences of this kind are extremely rare.
“The Register of Life and Death falls under the jurisdiction of magistrates of the netherworld and is usually held in their hands. It records the weight of each being’s karmic blessings: how much one eats and wears, lands, houses, wealth, parents, siblings and relatives, illnesses, disasters, tribulations, as well as one’s lifespan in thorough detail.
“For instance, it records precisely the year, month, day, hour and minute when a person’s life shall end, and the place of passing. These entries are written before rebirth into the human realm and cannot be altered arbitrarily. Any revision requires data provided by the attendant deities accompanying each being, followed by approval from the supreme Yama King of the netherworld.
“Fortune-tellers among mortals can perceive matters documented within the Register of Life and Death. With a person’s accurate Four Pillars and Eight Characters of birth, fortune-tellers may foretell auspicious and calamitous events throughout the person’s lifetime. Still, they are only able to foresee destiny, never change it. Many individuals in the human world claim they can change fate, wealth, marriage, careers and more. The majority of these claims are merely commercial tactics devised to amass money. Numerous people are shocked when fortune-tellers accurately recount their past events or the number of family members, and mistakenly believe they have met an accomplished master. Aside from some fortune-tellers proficient in esoteric calculations who can predict a person’s prosperity and adversity, in many cases the fortune-tellers are possessed by spirits.
“Souls possess spiritual powers such as mind reading. They can perceive the thoughts and ideas of the querent, as well as some past events the querent has experienced. Nevertheless, those who seek divination are unable to tell the difference. They rejoice at having met a so-called master and submit unconditionally to the fortune-teller. Afterwards, they pay for a series of services claimed to alter their fortune: enhancing interpersonal luck, career prospects, marital fate and health, alongside setting up feng shui formations, all in pursuit of a full elevation of their destiny. Little do they know they squander vast sums of money and considerable time, yet their predetermined destiny remains wholly unchanged. Disasters still come, illnesses still afflict them, and ultimately, they will still die.