Journeys To The Underworld - Journey No. 5

8th Moon 29th Day (22nd September 1976)

Touring the First Tribunal and conversation with Qin Guang Wang

Jigong: Yang Sheng, today we will tour the Underworld; I observe that you are not at ease.

Yang Sheng: You do not know, Jigong. I have many problems which I have not been able to solve; that is why I am not very at ease.

Jigong: If you are not very steady in the head, it is very difficult to tour the Underworld. If today you do not feel like touring the Underworld it will cause delay in the preparation of this Book. I will now give you a pill called "Ding Xin Wan" which when swallowed will calm down your mind.

Yang Sheng: Thank you, dear Master. I have swallowed the pill and now feel that my mind and heart are more steady.

Jigong: Then quickly climb up the lotus flower platform and we will proceed...... We have now arrived.

Yang Sheng: Where is this place? In front of us is a big pavilion with many people but I cannot see very clearly.

Jigong: This is "Hell's First Tribunal". Let us go quickly to pay our respects to the Head of this First Tribunal whose name is Qin Guang Wang.

Qin Guang Wang: Welcome, welcome Jigong and Yang Sheng. I'm glad that you have come today.

Yang Sheng: I must apologise to you, Qin Guang Wang for coming here with Jigong to bother you. Please excuse me.

Qin Guang Wang: No need to apologise; just follow me. Please be seated in the Reception Room. I will ask my General to prepare the Heavenly Tea.

General: Yes, I will prepare the tea.

Qin Guang Wang: Jigong and Yang Sheng, please drink the tea.

Jigong: Yang Sheng, please do not hesitate - drink the tea quickly.

Yang Sheng: I am afraid to drink the tea because I have heard that if a human being drinks the tea his soul cannot return to Earth. Therefore, please both of you drink the tea.

Qin Guang Wang: Yang Sheng, you are mistaken. What you have heard is all wrong. Human beings are afraid that if they eat or drink anything of the Underworld, their souls cannot return to Earth. But you must know that you are a distinguished visitor on heavenly orders to visit the Underworld with Jigong. Therefore, there should be no fear that you cannot return to Earth if you drink the tea.

Jigong: Yang Sheng, let your mind be at ease. You have a jade amulet with you and if any devil comes to disturb you, this jade amulet will protect you and punish the devil. Therefore, be brave and drink the tea.

Qin Guang Wang: Human beings on Earth are very fearful of death and want to continue living. In your case, Yang Sheng, you are afraid of death and therefore do not want to drink the tea. I quite understand the situation and so you are excused. In the World there are many people who know that certain deeds are bad and evil and yet they purposely perform these deeds with their eyes open. They therefore do not deserve any pity.

Yang Sheng: After your assurance, I have now drunk the tea. May I ask Qin Guang Wang why are there so many people gathering outside? What is the reason?

Qin Guang Wang: I am in charge of the First Tribunal. When a human being dies his soul is first sent to Ying Yang Jie to report. The soldiers of Hell then bring his soul to my place with his record file to be placed in the cabinet for me to investigate if he had done more good deeds or more bad deeds. If he had done more good deeds, his soul will be conducted to visit the other Tribunals, or be brought to more heavenly places for ascetic practices. But if it is found that he had committed more evil deeds the soldiers of Hell will bring him to the Second Tribunal to be tried. If he had done many evil deeds he will be brought to "Nie Jing Tai", (a reflecting mirror which shows all the evil deeds that one had done on Earth - as a proof to him, of his evil deeds).

Yang Sheng: All the souls are crying outside; young and old, men and women and children, all crying. Why is this so?

Qin Guang Wang: When human beings were alive, they never thought of doing good, they never believed in punishment for wrong deeds, they never believed in retribution after death. They thought that everything would be forgotten as soon as they died. These are misconceptions. Now after death their souls realise that they will have to pay dearly for their sins and they will be punished for every evil deed done on Earth. The reason why the souls are crying outside is because they now realise and regret that they have to be punished for their past evil deeds on Earth. Another reason why they cry is because they realise that they have left their beloved ones and family behind and also they cannot bring with them their worldly property after death. They come here alone empty handed to answer for everyone of their past evil deeds.

Yang Sheng: I see the soldiers of Hell are very cruel. They use their spears to poke at the souls and also use whips to thrash them. They are so unkind to the souls who appear to be very frightened and dare not retaliate.

Qin Guang Wang: The souls when on Earth were very sinful and performed evil deeds and therefore the soldiers of Hell have no pity when dealing with such souls. This is called well-deserved punishment. If a person does good deeds on Earth, when he dies, the soldiers of Hell and the God of Happiness will show him great respect. If a human being does evil on Earth, he will have to repay for his sins, therefore, Yang Sheng, do not worry about them.

Yang Sheng: I understand now. If the future generation of human beings on Earth know that they will be punished for every sin they do, they will be wise and try to do good deeds whenever they can. With this knowledge, the future generation will of course try to do good in the hope that their good deeds will help to lighten the suffering of their dead forefathers who had done evil previously.

Jigong: If a human being does evil on Earth, his evil deeds will cause more sufferings to his dead forebears in Hades. This is called "causal relations". In short, if one does good on Earth, his dead relatives in Hades will benefit; but if he does evil, his dead relatives in Hades will suffer. Yang Sheng, time is up, so let us return to Sheng Xian Tang.

Qin Guang Wang: I will escort you.

Jigong: Yang Sheng, quickly get up on the lotus flower platform... We have arrived at Sheng Xian Tang. Yang Sheng, get down; your soul will return to your body.