From the console darted countless sharp, blade‑like implements, unlike anything I had seen in the mortal world, resembling nails. They hurled themselves onto the female soul’s body. Pierced by these torture instruments, she collapsed in utter torment and fell unconscious. Even in her swoon, swarms of insects devoured her flesh. Her blood splattered everywhere across the ground and was eventually entirely drained away by the vermin. Due to karmic force, she regained consciousness once more, trapped in this endless cycle of suffering.
The male condemned soul endured matching retribution. Some condemned souls received blows to both sides of their mouths from iron bars studded with nails wielded by yakshas. Only a few strikes left their lips lacerated and bleeding. After beating a soul, a yaksha dragged them to another torture console. Horrifying black‑centipede‑like creatures emerged here to suck the blood from the soul’s mouth and slowly devoured their tongue. Flying needles then shot out to sew their mouth shut. Other souls were dragged toward consoles by yakshas with hooks piercing their mouths and heads, blood streaming non‑stop.
I then beheld a female condemned soul screaming in agony, caught by such hooks. This torture console hung suspended upon the wall. It emitted dreadful, ear‑splitting noises, from which tiny fiery‑red sharp projectiles flew forth. Upon touching the condemned soul’s mouth, a hissing sound echoed, and her mouth immediately melted away. Alas, such appalling, excruciating torment! The suffering was beyond imagining.
At this point, the Magistrate instructed one of the yakshas tasked with enforcing punishment to come and explain what transgressions landed sinful souls in the Cold Ice, Tongue‑Pulling and Body‑Shattering Hell.
The yaksha set aside its ferocious demeanor and spoke to me, “That female condemned soul you just saw, Ayù, out of jealousy in her mortal life, spoke false speech to slander a cultivator who strictly upheld precepts in purity. She deliberately undermined that cultivator’s propagation of the true Dharma. Because of her deceptive words, many people believed her lies and lost their fundamental faith in Buddhist practice, good deeds and moral precepts. For these false‑speech misdeeds, she fell into this hell upon death. The Nether Sovereign Yama King flew into great wrath and consigned her here for one kalpa of karmic retribution. Even after completing her term within this hell, she still has to undergo further punishment in other hells.
“This male condemned soul worked in the medical‑advertising trade in his mortal life. He earned large sums of ill‑gotten money within a short time by releasing false advertisements. Many living people trusted his deceptive ads and suffered harm to the internal organs of their bodies. Some developed lifelong chronic impairment of visceral functions; others endured a rapid deterioration of physical faculties, and some even died. They never suspected that they had been misled by his medical advertisements. For his false speech offences, the netherworld subtracted his blessings and lifespan, and he met a traffic accident that sent him prematurely to this hell for retribution.
“All condemned souls confined here fell due to false speech committed in their human lives. In the mortal world, they spoke falsehoods to slander those who propagated the true Dharma; they uttered malicious untrue words that harmed others’ lives and property; they incited others through lies to commit various precept violations; they peddled goods harmful to people’s body and mind under false pretences; they deceived others out of property or chastity through deceptive speech, and committed other evil karmic deeds. Countless cases of such misdeeds filled this hell and could not be recounted one by one. Those mentioned above were merely the more common offences that drew beings here.”
The Magistrate went on, “In short, any deliberate false speech spoken by people that harms others’ bodies, minds or lives will bring corresponding hell retribution. If readers chance upon this text, may they sincerely reform their past wrongs. They may also persuade others to recite the Buddha’s name, relying upon the empowerment of the Buddhas to eradicate the black karmic force generated by past false speech. One ought to preserve purity of body and mind at all times and teach others never to utter false speech. Every instance of false speech dims one’s innate radiance. When this innate radiance fades, misfortunes readily arise, and one may draw forth illnesses and successive calamities.
“Ayù, this shall conclude your visit for today. I must attend a meeting shortly. Come again tomorrow if the opportunity is suitable.”
“Amitabha! Gratitude to you, Magistrate! I shall head home at once to write down this account, and trouble you again after finishing this record.”