Next was a female condemned soul. She appeared refined and pleasant in appearance. I wondered what transgressions she had committed. The karmic mirror showed that she had followed her friend in slandering a strictly precept-abiding male lay Buddhist who propagated the Dharma. This woman herself studied Buddhadharma and possessed extensive knowledge of the teachings. Sadly, consumed by jealousy, she deliberately spread slander against the virtuous layman, falsely claiming he had raped a certain person. Her slander took root, and people ceased coming to listen to his Dharma talks. The lay Buddhist had no choice but to retreat into seclusion for cultivation.
Her slander against him was far more vicious than that of her friend. Her friend lacked profound Dharma understanding and wisdom, merely echoing others’ accusations. In contrast, this female soul schemed relentlessly and deployed every means to defame the layman, ultimately forcing him into seclusion.
As a karmic consequence of her slander, she developed throat cancer along with complications. Pus constantly oozed from her mouth and nose. She endured intravenous drips in hospital until she succumbed to her suffering. Now that disaster loomed before her eyes, the female soul dropped to her knees and begged for mercy. A vicious ghost officer jabbed her mouth with a trident and roared, “Will you dare slander the true Dharma and sever others’ wisdom lives again? Now you shall stand before the Yama King!”
This female soul was truly pitiable. If she had foreseen such consequences, she would never have acted as she did. Undermining the propagation of the true Dharma cuts off living beings’ path to liberation, a grave karmic offence that incurs hellish retribution. The karmic laws of the netherworld impose a wide array of punishments for slanderers. By the time they finish enduring these hellish retributions, who knows what year or month it will be, or what the world will be like?
A long queue stretched out behind them. All the condemned souls lined up, endless in number, waiting to stand before the Platform of the Karma-Manifesting Mirror. It was clear that far too many people in the human realm commit evil deeds.
Due to limited time today, I only witnessed a small number of cases. Observing the scenes at the Platform of the Karma-Manifesting Mirror was rather taxing, for all visions shown depicted violations of precepts. Apart from being unsuitable for children, there were numerous horrifying and bloody scenes: murders with flowing blood, all manner of cruel harm inflicted upon others, scheming and intrigue, and much more. Alas! There was no opportunity to question every condemned soul one by one, nor did I wish to describe everything in excessive detail. Were I to recount every sight fully, this book The Inexorable Nether Laws would undoubtedly become an intensely terrifying volume.
Ultimately, everyone ought to cherish the precious human body, observe the five precepts and the ten good deeds to accumulate abundant blessings and virtues, and at the very least, to strive to retain this human body. Never fall into the hell realms; suffering there is unbearable beyond measure. Even half a minute spent there is agonizing.
The Magistrate said: “We shall conclude for today. Ayù, return first to write your writings to warn all people to cultivate the body and foster the nature, and diligently practise virtuous deeds. Do not commit evils that lead to hell rebirth under the delusion that no mortal or divine being will discover your actions. Bear in mind that before the Platform of the Karma-Manifesting Mirror, every evil deed, great or small, shall be revealed without exception. May all beings refrain from incurring the merciless sanctions of the netherworld laws!”
“Amitabha! Gratitude to the Honourable Judge!”
I pressed my palms together respectfully to the Magistrate, then departed riding upon a white lotus flower!