Cultivators should sever these eleven causes and conditions so that they may attain the Way swiftly.
Sutra of Verses on Contemplating the Inner Body
11 / The Blessings and Long Lifespans Hard Earned by People Are Wasted Away for Nothing by Smoking!
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. I wished to ask the Magistrate: “Today I would like to ask about smoking. Cigarette advertisements can be seen in many cities. In some moderately prosperous cities, regulations are relatively better; advertisements carry warnings that cigarettes contain nicotine and that smoking harms health, or smoking is prohibited in public areas. By contrast, in some underdeveloped cities, ashtrays are placed on tables in restaurants and hotels, and smokers can be spotted everywhere. Under the laws of the netherworld, does smoking incur any transgressions and punishments?”
The Magistrate stated, “Smoking brings countless harms and no benefits at all. To name but a few consequences: it directly ruins one’s health, diminishes blessings and shortens lifespan, drains wealth, makes one unpleasant to others, generates foul breath, dims one’s spiritual radiance, frequently brings hidden ailments, and weakens one’s vital energy. Additionally, it pollutes the environment and harms the health of surrounding people. Dharma practitioners who smoke will drive away the Dharma protectors and be unable to be born in a pure land.
“Smoking does attract punishments according to the Nether Laws. Mortals who smoke suffer depletion of their blessing rewards. This loss of blessings falls into two categories. The first is damage to the organs and functions of one’s present physical body. Smoking accelerates the deterioration of vital organs including the lungs, liver, brain, eyes, nose, bronchial tubes, and arteries throughout the body. In severe cases, it triggers long-term chronic illnesses of the internal organs. Ailments caused by smoking can gradually improve once one quits smoking. Moreover, the blessings and lifespan previously lost due to smoking may be recovered through repentance, accumulating blessings, and persuading others to give up smoking.
“The second is the fading of one’s innate spiritual radiance. This loss carries far-reaching impacts. Humans ought to continuously cultivate and elevate the radiance of their innate spiritual nature. Once this radiance fades, one’s existence will inevitably drift toward darkness, which brings suffering. No one wishes to endure suffering; all living beings yearn for happiness. Smokers suffer poor physical health and generally live shorter lives than non-smokers. Smoking among young men and women may cause infertility. For young women in particular, smoking leads to menstrual disorders. When menstruation arrives, they may suffer abdominal pain, soreness in the waist and back, headaches, mood swings, chills, fever and other discomforts. Many people dismiss these symptoms as normal, yet they are actually induced by smoking. If they break free from tobacco addiction, their menstrual conditions will surely improve.
“Of course, there are individual cases unrelated to smoking. Women’s conditions during menstruation are also connected with their karmic forces from past lifetimes. For some women, menstruation is especially agonizing. Though they have never smoked, their menstrual periods become times of extreme suffering. They endure severe dysmenorrhea, and no matter what medical treatment or medicine they receive, there is scant improvement. They can only wait for the painful monthly cycle to pass naturally. Such suffering serves to wear away their karmic obstacles. There is another condition: certain women suffer prolonged menstrual bleeding for years, perpetually troubled and inconvenienced by persistent haemorrhage that never heals, even with medical care.
“These two types of female ailments arise from residual karmic retribution stemming from heavy karmas of killing and sexual misconduct in past lives. Women afflicted with such conditions must resolve to repent the evil deeds committed in their past lifetimes and purify their minds to eliminate these karmic offences. Additionally, they should adopt a vegetarian diet, recite the Buddha’s name, perform good deeds and accumulate virtue, alongside appropriate nourishment suited to their physical condition. After a period of earnest practice, their condition may improve. Women with such illnesses must first resolve to eradicate evil karmas created in past lives and repent daily for misdeeds committed in former lifetimes. Through the power of repentance, coupled with the immense empowering force generated by daily Buddha recitation, as well as the power of meritorious virtues accumulated through virtuous deeds, three forces converge: the power of repentance, the power of the Buddha, and the power of meritorious virtues. If a woman perseveres in practising all of the above each day, these three forces will gradually dissolve her karmic obstacles and restore her physical health.