“Amitabha! I, Ayù, press my palms and pay homage to you, Magistrate. I wish to ask you about the following question: If mortal beings commit double tongue, do they fall into hell to receive retribution?”
The Magistrate said, “When mortals commit double tongue in grave measure, they do fall into hell for retribution. Double tongue, which roughly corresponds to divisive speech in the narrow sense, means that a person tells conflicting versions of the same incident to two or more people, with malicious intent to alienate others, damage interpersonal relationships, and incite quarrels and fierce conflicts between them.
The karmic laws of cause and effect in the nether realm lay primary weight upon one’s thinking — that is, the mental process prior to any outward action. This thinking drives all one’s words and bodily acts. When one devises in mind how to maliciously utter double tongue, one already plants the shallow karmic causes and conditions for torment in hell. Double tongue keeps company with greed, anger, ignorance and false speech.
There are grave and mild degrees for committing double tongue. Those who commit grave double tongue inflict harm and damage upon all manner of physical and mental benefits of mortals; they surely fall into hell to receive retribution. As for those who commit mild double tongue: some act solely for the interests of both opposing parties and seek no personal gain for themselves. Out of a wish to help others, they deliver different versions of events suited to each party’s temperament. Their starting point is to bring harmony among beings, yet they play the role of one who engages in double tongue. Such persons fall under the category of mild double tongue offenders. Those who commit mild double tongue may purify themselves through sincere repentance during their earthly life and need not descend into hell for punishment. The content of this repentance matches the explanation given earlier concerning repentance for expedient false speech. The only difference is that one substitutes double tongue in place of expedient false speech; every other part of the repentance remains identical.
Many people commit double tongue in the present age. Even young children pick up divisive speech (double tongue) and false speech from their elders. This constitutes one major factor behind the decay of public morals. Language serves as a vital tool of communication for communal living. Verbal instructions are less powerful than personal example. Parents must set a good example by matching their deeds to their words. In this way, children will naturally gradually follow suit and cultivate goodness within themselves.
At the beginning of man, human nature is good. Good example‑setting must begin with each one of us. If all people abide by laws and refrain from violating the karmic law of cause and effect set by the nether realm, mankind shall surely be saved and disasters shall be postponed. Heaven cherishes all living beings; it always leaves a glimmer of hope for beings who sincerely repent, permitting them to reform gradually. The great peril lies in people failing to give rise to the mind of repentance.
“Ayù, I now take you to visit the hells where those who commit double tongue in their earthly lives endure punishment.” For the sake of time, we travelled swiftly to the northernmost section of the False‑Speech Hell‑Zone and landed before a signpost indicating that the Left‑Right‑Rushing‑Hell lay to the left, and the Black‑Needle Tongue‑Piercing and Mouth‑Sealing Hell lay to the right. Which of the two should we visit? With the mind‑eye empowered by the Buddha’s blessings, I observed how these two hells differed. It turned out the hell on the left was larger and held more suffering sentient beings; yet the hell on the right was more wretched. Let us head for the left one.
As it happened, the Magistrate also wished me to witness the Left‑Right‑Rushing Hell. We arrived there speedily. The Magistrate informed the yaksha at the gate of my mission. The gate swung open. Alas! It was another vast hell. Let us observe what lay before us. Within my field of vision, condemned souls were divided into two groups, left and right. Many souls on the left ran frantically left and right in helpless agony, blood streaming from their mouths. No matter how they fled, they could not escape the tongue‑hunting pursuit of the computers.
Within this hell, fierce yakshas wielded iron hammers, long swords and spears to keep order among the condemned souls, preventing them from straying outside the range of the torment‑dealing computers. Every soul was precisely tracked by implements shot forth from these computers, each computer automatically assigned to punish souls within its fixed zone. Whenever any condemned soul entered a computer’s range, the unit shot forth five nail‑shaped blades. First, the nails drew the tongue outward, and then they severed the condemned soul’s tongue.
Take a look at this newly‑arrived suffering female soul. Terror colored her countenance, and her legs lacked strength to walk. A ferocious yaksha prodded her into the torment zone with his spear. Her back throbbed in agony and bled. The computer immediately emitted two beeps, called out the condemned soul’s name, then instantly fired nail‑shaped blades aimed at the female soul’s mouth. Bearing the pain in her back, she cried out and fled left and right.