Journeys To The Underworld - Journey No. 18

11th Moon 9th Day (29th December 1976)

Touring "Hanging Upside Down Prison"

Jigong: The cold currents are still with us and everybody is feeling the intense winter cold. To the rich and well-off they have heating facilities, fur coats and dresses, they have heaters to make hot dishes, etc but the poor have to suffer very much because they have to wear thin clothing and their limbs become numb - it is indeed a very pitiful sight. This suffering is primarily due to the fact that in their previous lives they did not do good deeds, that's why this generation, especially the poor, now have to suffer from the intense cold winter. I hope that those who are rich and can afford it will be more charitable and help to relieve the sufferings of those who are poor and needy; if those who are rich do not help those who are poor, when they die, on rebirth they will be born poor and thus will have to suffer as what the present poor are not suffering. Those who are enlightened and educated should be able to understand the meaning of what I have just said. Yang Sheng, get ready to tour Hades; step on the lotus flower platform.

Yang Sheng: I am safely seated, dear Master; we can now start......

Jigong: Yang Sheng, quickly get out.

Yang Sheng: Ow! In front of us are so many souls all crying loudly like the shrieking of pigs in the slaughter house.

Jigong: Please do not say so much. The Officer and Generals are coming, quickly go and pay your respects to them.

Yang Sheng: I humbly offer you, Officer and General my respects. Jigong and myself have been ordered to write a Book about this place; so therefore kindly give us every assistance in our endeavour.

Officer: Don't stand on ceremony. I understand that Sheng Xian Tang is very famous; your numerous books, through planchette writings, aiming to advise human beings to do good are very much appreciated and understood by us here. There will still be many sinful human beings who, after reading your books, will turn over a new leaf and do good and lead a new and better life; therefore you will acquire greater merit. Today, we are much honoured to have you with us. Jigong and Yang Sheng, please follow me inside for a look.

Yang Sheng: Thank you very much. Oh, this is the ":Hanging Upside Down Prison" as inscribed on the doorway.

Jigong: So today we will follow Officer and General to see the inside of this "Hanging Upside Down Prison".

Yang Sheng: Inside there is so much wailing like those crying and screaming over the death of their parents. I can see a very big field, the colour of the grass is red. 

Officer: This Hanging Upside Down Prison is under the jurisdiction of the Third Tribunal.

Yang Sheng: I see a moving execution ground and there are rows of iron pillars the tops of which are connected by steel wires; souls are hung upside down by the feet the soles of which are pierced by hooks attached to the steel wires. The heads hang downwards and the blood oozing out from the pierced soles above. Some of the souls are crying and struggling, the more the pain, the louder the crying. On some of the wires the upside down souls appear motionless and streaks of blood are oozing from the seven holes of the head (2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 nostrils and 1 mouth). They look like vermicelli (mian xian) being dried on the racks. Can I ask, Officer, why these souls should suffer this kind of punishment?

Officer: When these souls were alive, they had upset moral obligations, ruined social structure and defied the five human duties and relationships (1 parental, 2 husband and wife, 3 brotherly and sisterly, 4 friendship and 5 government-citizen relationship). Because of the present prevailing trend on Earth regarding such relationships, we now have  growing population of these souls in this Hanging Upside Down Prison. The dripping blood from these sinful souls seep into the earth of the field here causing the grass to turn red in colour.

Yang Sheng: The stench here is so unbearable that one has a feeling to vomit.

Jigong: Be more steady so as not to obstruct the purpose of writing this Book.

Officer: I will call a few sinful souls so that you can hear from them their side of the story as to why they are here.

Yang Sheng: Thank you very much Officer.

Officer: General, please let down the first hanging upside down soul so that he can relate his story to Yang Sheng.

General: Yes, Sir... he has been let down.

Yang Sheng: Can I ask Mister why they hang you upside down and be exposed to the cold wind?

First Soul: (Crying loudly) I am in great pain; I can hardly stand on my two feet which are very painful. They hang me upside down from my feet till I feel as if I want to vomit out my intestines. When I was alive, I lived in Tai Nan (South of Taiwan) and was adopted by my uncle who brought me up as his own son. I studied up to Secondary School. My uncle had a general departmental store. Because he regarded me as his own son, he loved me very much and entrusted the management of his shop to me. When I was 37 years old, my neighbour told me that my uncle was not my real father. I began to think that it would be a good idea if I returned to my real father, which I subsequently did. From then onwards, I began to pilfer money and goods from the shop to give to my real father who, instead of stopping me from this malpractice, encouraged me to continue and even coaxed me to steal from the shop more valuable goods for him to sell. He also asked me to issue unauthorised cheques. With these ill-gotten funds, I ran back and lived with my real father to enjoy the stolen wealth. When my uncle discovered my ingratitude and duplicity it was already too late; he was very angry and cursed heaven and earth. The shop's bank account was in trouble and creditors rushed to my uncle's shop trying to get payment. Because he had no money left, what could my uncle do but to commit suicide. When my uncle's soul appeared before the King of Hades, he accused my real father and me for being the cause of his suicide. One year after my uncle's death, my father and myself became seriously sick. All our ill-gotten money was spent on medical expenses until no money was left and both of us subsequently died. Our souls appeared before the King of Hades; we then realised that our lifespan had been shortened by our sinful and evil actions on Earth. Song Di Wang of the Third Tribunal was very angry and sentenced me to this Prison; I understand that the soul of my real father has been sentenced to another Prison.

Officer: You are a beast. You were brought up by your uncle as his own son but instead of requiting his generosity and favor, you caused him pain and suffering until he had to resort to committing suicide. By your most ungrateful actions you had upset the father and son relationship with your uncle. So you are sentenced to this Prison to suffer. Have you anything more to say? General, return this soul to complete his punishment; and ask the soul on the left to tell his side of the story to Yang Sheng.

General: Yes, Sir...... The left side soul is here.

Officer: Quickly tell your story to Sheng Xian Tang's Yang Sheng so that he can understand the reason for your coming here.

2nd Soul: I am indeed suffering, so much so, that it is very difficult for me to speak out. I was hung upside down in this Prison until my two eyes feel as if falling out of their sockets. When I was alive, I stayed in Taichung (Central Taiwan). I was married and not being satisfied, got mixed up with a sweet young girl and frequently went to hotels with her. This girl did not have a father but lived with her widowed mother aged about 40 years, still very good looking. I also frequently visited her to seduce her at first by stealth but later on, openly. I felt very happy with my action. One day, while riding a motorcycle, I met with an accident, the machine was totally damaged and I lose consciousness and subsequently died. I felt I was handcuffed by two Ox-head-horse-faced soldiers of Hades and led to Hades where I appeared before the Magic Mirror which reproduced every action I had done when I was alive. Song Di Wang was very angry and sentenced me to this Hanging Upside Down Prison for a period of 30 years. I have been here for over 2 years and I still have such a long sentence to go through.

Officer: You beast, you behaved like fowls and dogs; not satisfied with enticing a young girl, you also went further and enticed her widowed mother. Your sin was very great; after you have served your 30-year term here, you will be sent to the A-Bi Prison where your soul will remain forever - no reincarnation whatsoever.

Jigong: The five human relationships have been upset; morality has been ruined, human beings have lost respect for teachers, lack of filial piety, enticing daughter and mother, all such sins are punished by sentencing to the Hanging Upside Down Prison and are regarded as just minor punishments; but if souls are sent to "A-Bi Prison", the sins are regarded as very serious with entirely no hope for reincarnation. Therefore, human beings must understand that repentance of one's errors and sins while they are still living are important, otherwise, if the soul is sent to "A-Bi Prison", there will be totally no hope of redemption. Tonight, time is running out and we have to return. 

Yang Sheng: Thank you, Officer and General, for your kind assistance; we are returning.

Officer: In case we have failed in entertaining you, Jigong and Yang Sheng, please pardon us.

Jigong: That's alright. Yang Sheng, let's get ready to return.

Yang Sheng: I am safely seated on the lotus flower platform. We can proceed......

Jigong: We have arrived at Sheng Xian Tang. Yang Sheng, get down. Soul, return to your body.