To prevent harsh speech, one must first maintain a calm and stable state of mind. To sustain such calmness and stability, one needs to reflect upon oneself, constantly examining whether one acts wrongly or uses improper words. In the present‑day human world, social mores are unsettled, and genuine peace of mind is hard to preserve. Temptations and outer obstacles abound. Yet no matter how difficult circumstances become, we must break through these obstacles and refrain from harsh speech. If we fail to overcome them and commit harsh‑speech offences, we will fall into hell after the end of our lifespan. In the end, we ourselves, not others, endure the resulting suffering.
The compassionate Buddha, during his earthly sojourn, foresaw the manifold obstacles that living beings would encounter when seeking liberation from the sea of suffering in the Dharma‑Ending Age. Living beings would find it difficult to arouse right mindfulness for cultivation and practice. For this reason, the Buddha specially transmitted the cultivation of Buddha‑recitation, so that living beings may attain liberation with ease. We need only recite the Buddha’s name simply and persistently each day, and adopt a vegetarian diet. Relying upon the empowerment of the Buddha for gradual inner transformation, we slowly purify the body and mind, maintain calmness of thought each day, and instantly turn our everyday negative, deluded thoughts into good thoughts of reciting the Buddha’s name. Through these good thoughts of Buddha‑recitation, good habits take shape. These good habits then replace our various unwholesome past habits. In this way our destiny slowly transforms, our future gradually moves toward brightness, and we shall regain the radiance of our innate spiritual nature.
Those who commit harsh speech see their bodily aura turn red at the very least. Those guilty of severe harsh‑speech offences have their aura shift from red to dark‑red. Those who remain unrepentant and keep committing harsh speech have their aura slowly turn from dark‑red to black. Black signifies extremely grave harsh‑speech karma, which draws all sorts of adverse events. Sentient beings with a red bodily aura already suffer poor interpersonal relations, low spirits and quick‑flaring tempers, while sentient beings with dark‑red bodily radiance most readily attract living beings from the ghost realm to draw near. Those living beings of the ghost realm carry strong anger and readily fly into rage. As soon as worldly people fly into a rage, anger‑inclined ghosts hasten forth in response. Added to these are the karmic foes, beloved ones and creditors from the ghost world — every person has some of these, only differing in number. They fan the flames beside the angry mortal. As soon as anger arises, these wrath‑inclined ghosts urge the person to grow angrier still, to speak even more excessive and cutting words. The mortal then flies into unbridled fury against their will, and the karmic force of harsh speech spirals out of control.”
“Thank you, Magistrate! Your words are most enlightening. They finally explain why, before I took up Buddhist practice, I lived in disharmony with my family. I would inexplicably endure scolding and manipulation. Time and again my family members suddenly turned vicious, filling me with great fear. That fear faded only gradually after I began my Buddhist cultivation.”
The Magistrate said, “Indeed, Ayù. Part of your experience stems from such influences. Another factor is that this family member has taken rebirth from the demon realm. In this lifetime, this being holds one single aim: to obstruct your spiritual cultivation and stop you from upholding the true‑Dharma work. You must repay resentment with kindness, cultivate diligently, and observe pure precepts to gradually transform this person. When this person’s conduct grows overly fierce, you may withdraw appropriately. Paradoxically, this person’s violent behavior has forged in you a strength of character uncommon among ordinary people. Moreover, you ought to give thanks for the hardships they impose, which temper your resolve in cultivation. They test whether you can uphold the unshakable Bodhicitta for liberation from birth and death amid adversity.”
“I understand. Thank you for your instructive words, Magistrate! I shall hold fast to the solutions you teach: Repay resentment with kindness, practice diligently, observe pure precepts, and gradually transform my family members. I shall surely put these teachings into practice.”
“Press onward, Ayù. Now I shall take you to view the Harsh Speech Hell. Near the Ice‑Cold Tongue‑Pulling Body‑Shattering Hell lie several False Speech Hells. Temperatures there rise somewhat; they are not so bitterly cold, yet suffering remains excruciating. Today we visit the second section of the False Speech Hell zone, where it is not cold.”
We arrived swiftly. As we were about to land, the Magistrate pointed and said, “That place lies ahead.” I looked downward. We saw two terrifying large‑headed serpents lying coiled. Their heads were enormous and frightening. Fortunately they did not move. I had never seen serpents with such huge heads. One was an enormous dark‑red large‑headed serpent and the other an enormous black large‑headed serpent, their jaws stretched wide open. The jaws of that terrifying dark‑red large‑headed serpent formed the very gate of this hell. Beside the gate stood many other fearsome serpents of somewhat smaller size. They were not truly small; they only seemed diminutive next to those two colossal ones. These serpents were red, black and green. This hell was constructed in the likeness of serpents.
Upon the gate were inscribed the words “Venomous‑Snake Gut‑Piercing Hell”. Ah! After the venom took effect, piercing torment followed. A yaksha saluted the Magistrate, then opened the gate and led us inside. Even before we entered, dreadful sounds reached our ears: hisses, screams and cracking noises as though something was being bitten through, intermingled with the long, mournful sound of the wind. Dreadful noises abounded here, all blending together into a harsh din that grated painfully upon the ears. As we stepped inside the gaping jaws of the huge serpent, one yaksha instructed me not to venture too far inward and told me to observe from the side, warning of numerous mechanical devices within. This hell was also equipped with many computers. Ferocious yakshas busily operated these numerous computers to inflict punishments upon the condemned souls. It was clear that there were not enough workers on duty. The yakshas moved quickly and skillfully at their consoles. Without the aid of the computers, the yakshas would surely have been far more overburdened. Just as the Magistrate had earlier stated, female condemned souls made up the greater number within this Harsh‑Speech Hell. Upon arriving here, I felt immense pressure in my head and mind. My head ached, and an indescribable inner distress welled up within me. Still, I pressed on with the observation. When I beheld the suffering condemned souls, my own headache felt trivial by comparison.
Many condemned souls here were bitten upon their mouths and tongues by dark‑red venomous serpents flying out from the computers. Every computer emitted dreadful, utterly grating noises. When bitten on the mouth and tongue by the serpents, the condemned souls’ whole bodies turned black and purple from poison, and they collapsed to the ground in agony. Some screamed aloud, while others fell unconscious without a sound. Then the serpents blasted terrifying sounds into the souls’ ears to rouse them. Once the souls regained consciousness, sharp blazing‑hot hooks instantly flew up from the ground and fastened onto both their ears. With a hissing sound, their ears melted away at once. At the same time, the serpents dragged the souls’ tongues and intestines out and cast them upon the ground. Next, smoking boiling water gushed forth from some computers to scald the tongues and intestines until they shrunk to a tiny size. From other computers, hard ice chunks flew out, smashing the tongues and intestines to mangled pieces amid sprays of blood.