In all the sutras, the Buddha teaches us how to cultivate ourselves. Every detail within the Buddhist sutras is laid out with crystal clarity: upholding the precepts serves as the cause for Bodhi, concurrently practicing the six perfections and myriad virtuous practices, and cultivating assiduously until attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi. At first, many fellow practitioners may not understand the meaning of the sutras, yet this is of no consequence. If you persist in reading each day, understanding will gradually unfold; consistency each day is most vital.
When I first began to study the sutras, every reading felt supremely auspicious, yet afterwards I would forget everything at once. I only knew the experience was extraordinary, yet I could not recount the content. Truly, my karmic obstacles were heavy! Still, I loved the sutras, so I kept reciting them daily even if I forgot their meaning. After several years of such practice, I found I could retain some of the teachings, and naturally comprehend certain truths at different times and in different settings. Therefore perseverance is of great importance. May all beings seize the opportunity while we still possess a healthy human body to study the sutras extensively. Human life is impermanent; once the breath departs, another lifetime begins. If we truly wish to repay the kindness of the Buddha, earnest cultivation and observance of the precepts are what make one a genuine disciple of the Buddha. Let us all strive together, cultivating diligently and guarding the precepts!
I set forth riding upon a white lotus flower.
“Amitabha!” I, Ayù, pressed my palms together in greeting to the Magistrate.
Today the Magistrate took me to visit the Hell of Gears, Wolves and Serpents. Living beings condemned here for punishment are: men who, while alive, engaged in sexual relations with two women simultaneously; or women who engaged in sexual relations with two men simultaneously.
We arrived, and fierce wails of suffering met my ears once again.
I saw a naked man bound to a rotating wheel. Flanking the wheel were two supple serpents clinging almost entirely to his body — one scarlet red, the other dark cyan. One serpent coiled tightly around him, sinking its fangs into his head, face and ears, tearing chunks of flesh away, leaving blood everywhere. The other serpent bit his lower body. The man cried out in extreme agony.
Nearby stood a naked woman also bound to a rotating wheel. Two ferocious iron wolves on either side savaged her relentlessly. One wolf bit her chest, while the other attacked her lower body. The woman screamed desperately for help, yet no one came to her aid. The scene was extremely gory. These two souls were not advanced in years; they descended into this hell for retribution in their thirties. Truly tragic!
The Magistrate spoke to me with a stern expression:
“Such beings ruin their own spiritual nature and severely corrupt social morality; therefore the netherworld must mete out severe punishment. They shall endure torment here for five hundred years, after which they will be dispatched to other hells for further judgment. The number of such beings continues to grow, and this hell has recently been expanded. You should come to visit more often in future. Aside from this hell of sexual misconduct, you must visit and record conditions in other hells, so that the book may be printed as soon as possible to benefit mortal beings. May they cease evil, repent, practice good deeds and accumulate merit, reducing their risk of falling into the hells and lessening disasters in the mortal world.”