Journeys To The Underworld - Journey No. 44

11th Moon 29th Day (8th January 1978)

Touring "Disembowel Small Prison"

Jigong: It is not a mythical belief that the souls of human beings are able to tour Hades themselves. From time immemorial until the present day, some people on rebirth have been able to recount occurrences in Hades, the facts of which are surprisingly true in detail. This goes to prove that what the Holy Scriptures recount are very true. But most human beings tend to disbelieve such stories for the simple reason or argument that "seeing is believing" - i.e. because they themselves have not experienced the happenings in Hades, they don't believe what others say. We can regard these people both ways. They can be considered clever, and they can also be considered stupid and either way is applicable. How can we explain? We cannot see our own viscera (the internal organs of the body( and therefore we have no fear about our inside but in case we can see the various functions of our internal organs, we tend to have uneasy feelings should any item malfunction. And, seeing and knowing what is wrong inside may require X-ray and probable operation to right any malfunction in which case there will be more worries. Basing on this line of argument, can we say that if one cannot see what is inside his body, then the internal organs do not exist inside him? People cannot see Hades but actually Hades do exist. Some people on death and subsequent rebirth had the opportunity to visit Hades and are able to tell what happened there but the great majority of people will be able to visit and see Hades only when they die. I would therefore advise people to realise,"things which they do not see, actually can exist". One's thinking, breathing, emotion, etc., all these things we cannot see but they do exist. These are part of one's life without these, where is life?

Yang Sheng: Dear Master, there is much truth and wisdom in what you have just said. There are many things which human beings do not see; like the blind, what they cannot see, does it mean that certain things do not exist? Just by using his walking stick he can walk even up to 1,000 li; this indicates that the human eye "is smart but the spiritual eye is smarter". 

Jigong: What you have said is also true. A lot of people know that actions against the law and actions against fellow human beings are evil but, nevertheless, they commit sins - they do not act like the blind who, by using his walking stick, tests the road ahead before he takes a step lest he meets any disaster. These human beings eventually fall into a deep pit in Hades and ado not know when or how they will be saved. We have no time to waste, Yang Sheng, quickly get up on the lotus flower platform.

Yang Sheng: I will get up.

Jigong: I observe that your ceremonial dress is covered with dust. You have not taken the trouble to keep it clean; it is not becoming to wear it on our trip to Hades.

Yang Sheng: I was not aware that my ceremonial dress is dusty, I forgot to give it a cleaning and I hope dear Master will excuse me.

Jigong: Those human beings going to visit Hades not only have to be vegetarians but their dress and even shoes must be clean. Do keep this in mind for the future. Now quickly get up on the lotus flower platform.

Yang Sheng: I'm safely seated, dear Master. We can now start......

Jigong: We've arrived. Yang Sheng, get down and go and pay your respects to the Officer.

Yang Sheng: Yes, Sir. I now pay my humble respects to Officer and Generals.

Officer: That's alright, don't stand on ceremony. Welcome to you, Jigong and Yang Sheng, for visiting us today. We have already received the Order saying that Jigong and Yang Sheng will be visiting us to see what goes on here and to write your Book; a very big and virtuous deed. The name of this Prison is "Disembowel Small Prison". Please follow me inside.

Yang Sheng: Thank you, Officer, for your kindness. There are so many soldiers of Hades rushing sinful souls here and there. I can hear loud crying. 

Jigong: Let's follow them.

Yang Sheng: We are inside the Prison. All sinful souls are lined up, bare-bodied and strapped to wooden pillars, the stomachs facing out. Soldiers of Hades plunge knives into the bare stomachs and draw downwards thus opening the stomachs, intestines flow down with blood oozing out what a foul smell! When the bowels and intestines drop out, a number of black dogs rush to eat them. One end of the entrails is still attached to the inside and when the dogs pull the bowels and intestines, much pain is caused to the heart until the sinful souls faint away. I dare not look at this awful scene. Can I ask Officer for what sins are they being punished?

Officer: When these sinful souls were alive, all of them were avaricious Government Officers and hardhearted people. To enlighten you, I'll call a few souls so that you can talk to them.

Yang Sheng: This is a good idea which will be good proof so that I can include their stories in our Book for people to read and be the wiser.

Officer: A few sinful souls are here for you, Yang Sheng to interview,

Yang Sheng: Can I ask this Mister why you are here?

1st Soul: When I was alive, I was a Government Official and I used to accept bribes. I was involved in juggling land deals thereby obtaining quite a good sum of money. So long as there was money to get, I did not care what happened. When I died, my soul appeared before the Magic Mirror which reflected every item of my shady methods of getting unlawful money; everything was shown and I became afraid. I was sentenced to be punished in every Tribunal until I reached this Seventh Tribunal when Tai Shan Wang sentenced me to be punished in this Disembowel Small Prison. Everyday my bowel and intestines are being tugged by dogs until I can't bear the suffering pain.

Officer: When you were a Government Official you did not do welfare work for the common people but instead you sucked their blood. Now your inside is very dirty. I would advise people who are in Government Service to help and love the common people; loving the common people is actually loving your country which is a very virtuous act. By being a Government Official you took the advantage of getting money from people, such a sin is most unforgivable in Hades.

Yang Sheng: Can I ask you, old lady, why is it that despite your age, you are sent here to suffer?

Old Lady: When I talk about my life on Earth, I feel very much regretful. When I was 48 years old, I failed in my business and I had to resort to running a tontine. I was desperate, cheated the tontine subscribers and ran away to another town. I died when I was 54 years old after a long illness. My soul was sent to the Seventh Tribunal where Tai Shan Wang sentenced me to be punished in this Disembowel Small Prison.

Officer: You cheated the money contributions of the tontine subscribers by "swallowing" the money and not vomiting it out. Now we are making use of extracting your bowel and intestines to "vomit it out". The amount you cheated, the same amount you have to repay; the laws of Hades are very strict. After you have served your sentence here, you will be reborn and you will still have to repay your previous debts.

Yang Sheng: Can I ask this Old Mister how long have you been suffering in this Prison?

Old Soul: More than three years. I was a vegetable gardener when I was alive. At middle age, when I planted vegetables, worms and insects frequently attacked my vegetables, so I sprayed insecticides on my vegetables. At times when vegetables were in great demand and price rose, I did not wait for the effects of the insecticides to wear out but harvested and sold my vegetables for quick money. When I died, my soul was brought before Tai Shan Wang who sentenced me to this Prison to be punished. It was all my mistake; I was stupid in wanting to get quick money.

Officer: You cared only to get quick money. The insecticides on the vegetables were poisonous, resulting in many deaths. Of those who ate the vegetables, some had kidney trouble, some had liver trouble, others suffered from cancer, etc.; indeed you had a cruel heart. That is why you have to come to this Prison to suffer.

Yang Sheng: Can I ask this Old Madam why you are here?

Old Madam: Aya, God! It is indeed much suffering here. Can I ask this holy man to help me?

Jigong: Really, I pity you; but when you were alive, why did you not want to pity other people? Quickly tell your sinful story.

Old Madam: Very well. I had an adopted daughter. When she was small, I did not love her at all and often beat her. When she grew up, she became a beautiful girl so I sold her to become a prostitute. When I died, Tai Shan Wang sentenced me to this Prison.

Officer: You were very cruel. You regarded your adopted daughter as a "money tree" which when you shook, money would drop down. Your heart was inconsiderate and you destroyed moral obligations, therefore you fully deserve this punishment.

Jigong: Yang Sheng, time is up and so we must return.

Yang Sheng: I have a question to ask dear Master. All these sinful souls when they are punished, faint away. How can they be revived so that they can again be similarly punished everyday?

Jigong: Have you ever dreamt that you had been shot at? Your body had suffered pain but when you woke up, your body was covered with sweat but you did not die. On the second night you dreamt a similar dream and when you woke up, your body was intact, no wounds. So, when a person dies, his soul passes through a dream like fantasy. Thus his soul, like in a dream goes through the various punishments and attendant sufferings until the soldiers of Hades spray the reviving water and the soul awakens and does not feel anything, but the soul must daily go through the series of punishments which have the effect of making the soul recall the sufferings. The constant punishment in Hades is to arouse the soul to realise, his past sins and mistakes.

Yang Sheng: Oh, is that so, dear Master? Before I sit on the lotus flower platform, I must say goodbye to the Officer and Generals first.

Officer: Generals, line up and say goodbye also......

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