Women of fine breeding and virtuous repute, literate and learned, pass quiet days in their boudoirs or sit late into the night by dim oil lamps. Once they open such obscene books, their minds and souls are utterly unsettled. Unable to restrain raging carnal desire, they recklessly engage in illicit trysts and elopements. Such lewd writings bring grave harm: chaste wives lose their integrity, and pure maidens forfeit their virginity. Sharp-witted scholarly youths, well-versed in letters, likewise have their thoughts polluted upon reading these works. Some indulge unrestrained self-abuse; others grow lecherous-eyed and yield to improper liaisons. Minor consequences include depleted vital essence leading to premature death in youth; graver outcomes consist of violating ethical kinship codes, making oneself despised and rejected by educated society. Worse still, people craft lascivious tales adapted for stage performances, train young male entertainers to enact indecent scenes, letting vulgar lechery be openly witnessed to corrupt countless people’s purity and moral rectitude. The harms are innumerable. Tracing the root of all these evils, they stem entirely from obscene literature.
Alas, scholars endowed with wisdom from past lives hold the seven‑inch writing brush, yet think not of benefiting the world or amassing blessings for themselves. Instead they heap up boundless karmic guilt. Their deeds rouse the wrath of the Supreme Deity. They recklessly cast themselves into icy abysses and fiery pits, unconcerned for their fate. Truly this is cause for profound sorrow.
Appendix IX Revised Shou Kang Bao Jian by Master Yinguang
The principle that virtue brings blessings and lust brings misfortune has been expounded in great detail. Yet people tend to overlook marital relations. Few know there are days in the year when sexual abstinence must be strictly observed. For instance, The Monthly Ordinances records: “Three days prior to the Spring Equinox, government officials send men to ring large bells and proclaim aloud to the populace: ‘Thunder shall soon roar. Those who fail to abstain from intercourse shall beget children with deformed features, and calamities shall befall the spouses.’”
Human blood‑qi circulation resonates with the cycles of heaven and earth. If one dissipates vital essence against seasonal rhythms, bodily blood‑qi falls out of harmony with cosmic energies, inflicting over a hundred‑fold greater harm upon one’s vitality than it does in ordinary times. On days of divine inspection or the birthdays of sages, many, ignorant of such taboos, indulge in lustful acts, profaning the gods and incurring unseen retribution. Thus some upright, honest folk suffer chronic illness and premature death; some endure demotion of rank and shortened lifespan. Such misfortunes often stem from ignorance of the precept: “No licentiousness at improper times; no licentiousness in improper places. Show reverence to deities and observe due avoidance.” Rather than repent helplessly when retribution arrives, one ought to keep abstinence for spiritual renewal.
Originally titled Bu Ke Lu, Shou Kang Bao Jian was compiled and revised by Master Yinguang. It warns adolescents whose blood‑qi is unsettled against indulgence in obscene writings, lest they ruin their health, weaken resolve and neglect studies. It also reminds all that marital intimacy ought to be moderated in accordance with teachings of ancient sages and classics. Grieved by the death of one of his disciples who perished from reckless sexual activity, and mindful of countless others who were to meet the same fate, Master Yinguang revised and expanded Bu Ke Lu, arranging it for printing and wide circulation to awaken the world.
This book clarifies the relationship between carnal desire, health and longevity, teaching readers the way to wellness and long life. Its chapters include prefaces, warnings, testimonies, resolutions, abstinence calendars, advice on conceiving children and appendices. It records the perils of lust, maxims for self‑restraint, cases of fortune, misfortune and repentance, alongside methods for observance, calendar dates and associated taboos.
May sincere readers obtain a copy of Shou Kang Bao Jian online.
Appendix X The Inexorable Nether Laws Was Indeed Issued by the Netherworld and Blessed for Circulation — My Story with The Inexorable Nether Laws
I have hesitated for a long time, wondering whether I ought to write down this little personal story concerning The Inexorable Nether Laws. As an ordinary mortal, I possess no deep insight into the inner workings of the three realms nor the true nature of the six realms of rebirth. Still, this experience far exceeded my expectations. I had only ever read other people’s accounts. Works such as Shou Kang Bao Jian, Deliverance from the Sea of Desires, and Merits to Cultivate Ten Thousand Good Deeds record numerous similar encounters with the netherworld. Yet my own experience is specifically tied to The Inexorable Nether Laws. Bearing implications for my future life‑path, I have long dared not tell it in full. I only hinted at it briefly to those around me when introducing the book. Seeing, however, that many hold strong prejudices against this book, I feel I should speak out. Though fear lingers within me and I know not what consequences may ensue, I merely recount my experience as it truly unfolded. Whatever your beliefs, standpoint or opinions may be, facts within the Three Realms remain facts for all beings. I only wish people would understand: The Inexorable Nether Laws comes from a profound origin and is true and unfeigned. The Buddhadharma reveals the true nature of reality to sentient beings, yet it does not deny reality. As clearly stated in The Diamond Sutra: “Those who have resolved their minds on Anuttarasamyaksambodhi do not teach the annihilation of phenomena.” Some take it upon themselves to act as supreme judges of the Dharma. If you fail to comprehend reality, you cannot truly understand the Buddhadharma. Unable to perceive ultimate truth, you are still an ordinary mortal. Is it not sheer arrogance to sit in judgment relying upon the limited perceptions of your own eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind? Have you considered the karmic transgression of misleading both yourself and others?