After crossing this rounded arch bridge, we saw the official mansion straight ahead — the Mansion of Great Emperor Dongyue. The aura of an official residence permeated the place. Yakshas continuously patrolled back and forth upon the bridge; all of them bowed when they saw the Magistrate. With the Magistrate leading the way, we did not need to hunt for signposts, making our journey simple and swift. Travelling within the hells was in fact extremely fast, unlike the mortal world where people trudged slowly with every step pressed against the ground. Sometimes when the Magistrate strode forward rapidly, I also had to quicken my pace. We travelled by the power of our mind, our feet never touching the ground. The hells were truly boundlessly vast. This path was one I had never traversed before, yet I had no wish to memorize the roads of hell. May all sentient beings suffering in hell hear the true Dharma, cultivate the true Dharma, and attain transcendence soon to escape the torments of hell. Now we beheld the Mansion of Great Emperor Dongyue. At the entrance stood Yakshas holding great broadswords, upright before the large double red doors. The Yakshas smiled and bowed to the Magistrate, then pushed open the doors and let us enter on our own.
Upon entering, another ghost official greeted the Magistrate with a smile. He led us through a corridor beside a small garden until we reached the Judgment Hall. It seemed the Magistrate was well acquainted with all the Yakshas serving in the Emperor’s mansion. This Judgment Hall was noticeably smaller than the supreme Judgment Hall of the Nether Sovereign Yama King. The atmosphere here carried a stronger ancient flavour; the building featured huge ancient red iron gates. All the furniture and interior decor were antique in style. The paintings hanging on the walls depicted figures of ancient people. Ancient weapons lined the lower sections of the walls on both sides. Facing the main entrance, above the centre hung a horizontal inscribed board bearing four characters: Great Emperor Dongyue. A Yama King was seated there; I thought he must be Great Emperor Dongyue. Great Emperor Dongyue wore the robes of a Yama King. His complexion was ashen grey, and he wore an imperial crown. Black radiance emanated from his eyes. Ah! Once more I beheld a Yama King whose countenance was exceedingly stern, bordering on ferocity. The four characters “Great Emperor Dongyue” were also inscribed upon the Yama King’s desk.
“This humble commoner, Shangguan Yuhua, prostrates to Emperor Dongyue!”
Great Emperor Dongyue said: “Shangguan Yuhua, rise. You are welcome here. Speak forth whatever questions you may have without reserve.”
Ayù replied: “Yes, Great Emperor and Yama King. This humble commoner wishes to ask several questions. First: I have heard that the hells have reached saturation. If immoral sexual conduct continues to run rampant among mortals and the hells become completely full, meaning there are no new hells available for those guilty of sexual transgressions, does this signify that upon the end of their mortal lives, they can temporarily evade hellish punishment and await incarceration until space frees up in the hells? Or will beings currently suffering in hell be released ahead of schedule to make room for newly arrived condemned souls to receive their retribution? Second: For those who have committed many offences of immoral sexual conduct, whose blessings and lifespan are reduced in accordance with the laws of the netherworld, is there any way for such beings to completely avoid falling into hell upon the end of their mortal lives due to these transgressions? Third: What method can permanently put an end to the act of immoral sexual conduct?”
Great Emperor Dongyue said: “Alas! A powerful aura of immoral sexual conduct from the mortal world rises straight up to the Heavenly Emperor’s great hall. Immoral sexual acts have severely disrupted the balance of the righteous vital energy of nature. If humankind continues to upset this balance of natural righteous vital energy, all manner of natural disasters will occur. For instance, weather grows unstable with sudden drastic shifts — sunshine one moment, rain the next. Temperatures may swing wildly within a single day; one can experience weather akin to all four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter in merely twenty-four hours. Tsunamis, floods, fires, earthquakes and widespread pandemics on earth serve as warnings.
Ayù! Reflect upon why all these tragic events take place on Earth in Jambudvīpa. They undoubtedly stem from collective karmic causes created by humankind. Therefore, I hope that The Inexorable Nether Laws can swiftly awaken deluded people in the mortal world, help save people’s minds and improve social morality, and encourage all beings to abide by their duties and uphold the moral duties of the five human relationships. I hope it will reverse the disasters that the aura of sexual misconduct brings to the human world, ease overcrowding in the hells, and spare the human world frequent large-scale disasters in the near future. If the current rampant spread of immoral sexual conduct among humankind persists, overwhelming large-scale disasters will follow one after another before long. All beings guilty of immoral sexual conduct or other crimes cannot escape the ruthless, inescapable karmic net of the nether laws. They will all be gathered by this unyielding net amid major disasters and fall into hell to endure boundless torment.
Though the hells of this nether realm are saturated, the authorities of the netherworld will seek space in other regions to construct new hells. Even if these hells are destroyed, if the sinful karmas of the living beings therein remain unexpiated, we will transfer these living beings to other hells to continue receiving punishment. Only when all their sinful karmas are fully erased may they leave hell. There exist only two circumstances through which the living beings in hell may depart. First, when their karmic punishment in hell reaches its end, that is, once their evil karmic retribution from hell is exhausted, they may then undergo successive rebirths into forms that correspond to their residual karmic effects from hell.
The netherworld also contains a Dharma Hall where Earth Store Bodhisattva compassionately delivers teachings. If any soul-entity dwelling within the great hells generates even a single sincere thought of repentance, Yakshas can escort the soul-entity to listen to the Bodhisattva’s merciful discourses. Empowered by the blessings of the Buddha, their good roots will awaken, allowing them to ascend to favourable realms. Most terrifying of all is that those living beings in hell do not resolve to repent their past wrongdoings. They remain deluded, sink into degradation and suffering, and even continuously deepen their manifold karmic transgressions.
When living beings bring forth a single sincere thought of genuine repentance, it is sufficient to dissolve the boundless karmic transgressions they have created. The unrelenting laws of the netherworld never bind any living being who truly repents from the bottom of their heart. Most beings released from hell are reborn into the animal realm as lowly, small creatures with limited cognition. Even if they are reborn as humans, they tend to become people with meager blessings, incomplete five faculties or other impairments.