Today the Magistrate led me to visit the Rod and Whip Hell, one of the hells for sexual misconduct. What exactly is the Rod and Whip Hell? It is meant for beings still living in the human world with unexpired mortal lifespans who commit sexual misconduct. The nether wardens seize a portion of their consciousness and drag them down to the hells for punishment. Humans possess three souls and seven pòs; the nether wardens seize these condemned souls’ three souls to endure torture in hell. Mortals may experience dizziness, headaches, heavy drowsiness and mental fog. Some feel they are being beaten amid haziness, yet most dismiss it as a nightmare. Severe cases bring on fevers that confine them to bed. After their punishment concludes and they return to the mortal world, some suffer excruciating pain that penetrates deep into their bones.
The Rod and Whip Hell is utterly enormous, stretching boundlessly like an ocean in the human world with no visible horizon. It is the largest hell I have visited so far. There are many people here from different places: China, Britain, the United States, France, Japan, Thailand, India, Africa, Pakistan and many others. Tragically, innumerable teenagers and even young children are also undergoing torment within this hell.
I asked the Magistrate why there were so many inhabitants, remarking that the scale of this hell was terrifying.
The Magistrate explained: “Advancements in technology have led humanity to invent computers, alongside a staggering number of pornographic websites that poison and corrupt youths and children. They engage in sexual misconduct and plant the karmic seeds leading to the hells. The population of beings accumulating such unwholesome karma keeps soaring. For this reason, the Buddha specifically tasked you with touring the hells. Upon your return, you must urge mortals in the human world to uphold the five constants and eight virtues. Young people in particular must not dismiss these teachings as outdated. They must preserve their purity, reform their misdeeds and abandon evil to embrace goodness. Otherwise, they cannot escape the cruel torments of the hells in the future, when remorse will be too late.”
At that moment, I watched the condemned souls in the Rod and Whip Hell being flogged relentlessly by the nether wardens. The nether wardens struck unceasingly with whips and rods, drawing continuous screams of agony that echoed everywhere. These beatings are intended to prompt condemned souls to reflect on their transgressions. A small number of the condemned souls mend their ways once they return to their mortal bodies and regain consciousness, yet sadly, the vast majority relapse into their old vices after going back.
Ayù wished to consult the Magistrate: “How can I convince people in the human world that the accounts in The Inexorable Nether Laws depict genuine, present-day conditions within the hells?” Many might dismiss my testimony as mere imagination or fiction, like a novel, making belief difficult.
The Magistrate replied: “The karmic law of cause and effect governs all unseen workings. What cannot be seen is not therefore illusory or non-existent. None of us witnessed our own birth by our mothers, yet it is an unshakable truth. That which is invisible does not mean it is non-existent. Divine spirits are three feet above our heads. Within this vast world lie countless phenomena invisible to us, yet they are intimately connected with our daily lives. It is simply that we fail to perceive the presence of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, ghosts and spirits. Each person possesses different blessings and karmic affinities; hence their experiences and perceptions differ. The karmic retribution for good and evil deeds follows one like a shadow. Retribution is never absent; it merely awaits its appointed time. As the saying goes, the net of heaven is vast; though its meshes are wide, nothing slips through. The Buddha selected you and arranged for you to visit the great hells and observe their actual conditions. You are a precept-upholding Buddhist disciple qualified to bear this mission. Diligently and earnestly complete this virtuous work that brings benefit to all beings.”
“Thank you for your encouragement, Magistrate. Ayù will do all within her power to accomplish this sacred task.”
At this moment, I saw several netherworld officials walking toward the Rod and Whip Hell. Then I realized that the Nether Sovereign Yama King had arrived. I pressed my palms together and paid homage to him. It turned out that the Netherworld planned to expand the Rod and Whip Hell, and Yama King had come for an on-site inspection. He was paying close attention to the widespread social issue of adolescents committing sexual misconduct in the human world. He found that this problem was no longer confined to the human realm alone; the Netherworld was also directly affected, necessitating further construction and expansion of the Rod and Whip Hell. Surprised, I asked, “This hell is already boundlessly vast. Does it still need to be expanded further?”
Yama King replied, “More and more young people in the human world are falling into sexual misconduct. They view pornographic websites, videos, publications, and engage in self-indulgence. Their lifespans have not yet run out, yet these behaviors damage their virtue and physical health, so stern punishment is imperative. Since the laws of the human world do not address these serious transgressions, I must expand the hells and detain their living souls to settle their karmic debts. We have been continuously enlarging this hell over the years amid a growing workload. Even now, the Rod and Whip Hell remains far too small to accommodate the countless sinful souls pouring in each day. I declare to you: those who abide by secular laws, observe the Buddha’s precepts, and perform great good deeds cannot be apprehended by the Netherworld. Anyone who has committed any transgression against the precepts or laws cannot escape my records of life and death, good and evil. One may evade the laws of the human world, but the immutable Laws of the Netherworld are inescapable. Every cause sown shall inevitably bring forth its corresponding retribution. No matter how far you can flee, even to the remotest corners of the earth, the nether wardens will track you down and bring you to justice if you have transgressed against precepts or committed offenses. Ayù, you must faithfully carry out this mission of conveying our words. The Netherworld shows extraordinary leniency this time, revealing profound heavenly secrets to let humankind know the truth of the hells. Our hope is that deluded beings may turn back from their errors, practise goodness and accumulate virtues. In this way, great catastrophes arising from grave evil karma in the human world may be mitigated, sparing countless living beings from suffering. When you return, exhort all people to uphold the five constants and eight virtues, obey national laws, be filial to parents, respect teachers, maintain integrity and observe propriety. Do not continue creating causes that lead to retribution in hell. That is all. I have official duties to attend to; you may return to the human world now.”