Earth Store Bodhisattva instructed the male soul: “Today the mortal Ayù has come to witness the hells. She intends to compose The Inexorable Nether Laws, a virtuous work commissioned by the nether authorities to save and take across living beings in the human world. It will exhort them to observe the Five Precepts and Ten Good Deeds, purify their minds, practice goodness and accumulate virtues, so they may avoid the agonizing karmic retribution of the hells after their lifespan ends. Now tell Ayù: how did you end up in the hells, and what are you feeling at this moment?”
The male soul nodded yet still could not speak. Then Dharma Master Daoming took the pink pearl from Earth Store Bodhisattva’s hand and descended beside the condemned soul. Dharma Master Daoming swiftly recited the Dharmakaya Seal Mantra of Earth Store Bodhisattva: “唵。钵啰末邻陀宁。娑婆诃。” (Weng Bolamolintuoning Suopohe). Instantly, the pearl shone with brilliant radiance, illuminating the entire Hell of Wailing. The sufferings of this hell were immediately suspended and alleviated. All condemned souls instantly felt peace in body and mind. The male soul’s torment vanished at once. It was as though a powerful warm current flowed through his body, and he finally regained the ability to speak. Even I could feel the warmth of this empowering light.
The male soul said that while alive, he committed sexual misconduct, and also slandered a lay Buddhist practitioner. Out of jealousy toward a lay practitioner who upheld the true Dharma, he resented seeing this lay devotee travel far and wide to propagate the Buddhadharma and receive respect from others. He then slandered the lay practitioner, falsely claiming the devotee did not observe the precepts purely. Due to his slander, many followers turned away, severing others’ opportunity to cultivate and destroying their wisdom-life. Though he practiced the Buddhadharma regularly during his lifetime, he still fell into the hells to undergo retribution when his lifespan ended, enduring excruciating suffering every single moment. Fortunately, his son in the human world has grown up, begun to study Buddhadharma, and begun to practice diligently, reciting the Earth Store Sutra every day and dedicating the merits to him.
At this moment, the male soul knelt down, weeping aloud: “Greatly Compassionate Earth Store Bodhisattva, please rescue me! The suffering here is utterly unbearable! I vow to reform myself and atone for my misdeeds. I swear to cultivate and uphold the true Dharma lifetime after lifetime; deliver me from this place. Even my child knows to be filial and recites the Earth Store Sutra daily, dedicating the meritorious virtues to me, yet I committed evil deeds that dragged me into the hells. I wish to be reborn in the human world lifetime after lifetime, uphold pure precepts, be a virtuous person, and contribute to society.”
Empowered by Earth Store Bodhisattva, the condemned soul recollected that he had recited the Bodhisattva’s holy name in the past. At this time, as he kept mentally reciting Namo Earth Store Bodhisattva, his mind light gradually brightened. The male soul noticed his body growing lighter. He recited Namo Earth Store Bodhisattva unceasingly, and his body began to drift upward. I asked Earth Store Bodhisattva: “Why can this male soul transcend so swiftly?”
Earth Store Bodhisattva gave instruction: “When this male soul was a monastic in a past life, although he could not maintain pure precepts all the time, he had once upheld the pure bhikkhu precepts. Thanks to this blessing retribution, he obtained rebirth in the human realm for seven successive lifetimes in wealthy households with filial children. However, in the seventh lifetime, after committing illicit sexual misconduct and slandering virtuous people, he fell into the hells to receive punishment. His deliverance this time comes because his filial son accumulates virtues through practicing goodness on his behalf in the human world, arouses great Bodhi mind, and dedicates powerful meritorious virtues to him. Moreover, the male soul himself offers genuine repentance. No sentient being who can be saved will ever be abandoned by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas.”
Earth Store Bodhisattva further explained that after this male soul is reborn in the human realm, he must still endure the residual retributions for his past offenses of sexual misconduct and slander. He will take a female form and undergo the retribution of marital divorce. Though she speaks the truth, others will refuse to believe her. Nevertheless, following rebirth as a woman, she will definitely cultivate the Buddhadharma. If she cultivates with unwavering faith, upholds the true Dharma, and honors the vows she made within the hells, her spiritual body will gradually regain its radiance.
Now let’s look at the second condemned soul in this hell, a female soul. The ghost enforcers brought her forth. Dharma Master Daoming recited the mantra, and once more the precious pearl radiated light to empower the female soul. Her spiritual body was weaker, so the monk needed to chant the mantra for a longer time. Aided by this Dharma power, the female soul gradually regained the ability to speak.
The female soul said that while alive, she spoke sharply and bitterly to everyone. She was especially consumed by jealousy toward her husband’s child from his former marriage. She often beat and scolded the child, leaving the youngster wounded and bleeding. Later, she starved the child until the child fainted, then beat the child to death. She was also utterly unfilial to her mother-in-law. Not only did she treat the elder cruelly, but she also repeatedly struck her mother-in-law upon the head, sometimes leaving her head bloodied. For the sake of family harmony, the old lady dared not tell anyone she was assaulted by her daughter-in-law. Eventually, the mother-in-law was infuriated to death by her. After passing away, both the elder mother-in-law and the child brought accusations against this vicious woman before King Yama’s Judgment Hall. Once her lifespan ended, she was sentenced to suffer punishment within the Hell of Wailing. Moreover, she would be dispatched to endure torment in other hells as well. She had only newly arrived in the Hell of Wailing, yet had already suffered extreme agony. How would she endure the days lying ahead!
The female soul also knelt down and begged Earth Store Bodhisattva to rescue her from the hells. Earth Store Bodhisattva instructed her: “If only you had not planted the evil causes in the first place! This is Yama’s verdict. Filial piety stands foremost among all virtues. Yama King deeply honors those who are filial in the mortal world. Even if one serves one’s parents with filial devotion for an entire lifetime, one can never repay the kindness of parental upbringing. How dared you treat an elder with brutality? Lack of filial piety is an unforgivable offense under the laws of the netherworld, and you must engage in earnest repentance. Heaven possesses the virtue of nurturing all creatures. The child born to your husband’s former wife had already endured great inner trauma from losing its birth mother. You ought to have cared for the child as your own, tending to it with compassion to soothe its wounded heart. Instead, you beat and scolded this child, starving it until it fainted before beating it to death. To slay a defenseless young child reveals an utterly vicious nature. Such causes inevitably bring forth such effects! You must practice sincere and vigorous repentance. In the end, only you yourself can save you.”