Journeys To The Underworld - Journey No. 61
6th Moon 25th Day (29th July 1978)
Visiting the Tenth Tribunal
The Dirty Blood Pond and Eastern Peak Pavilion
Jigong: During our various visits to Hades, we came across so many souls all stupefied. Before reborn, the did not know who they were. After birth they also did not know who they were. Their eyes have a blank look, exactly like those of couldn't care less school children going to school everyday, eating their lunch and playing about without paying attention to their studies and, on examination time, failing miserably, like idiots. I hope you people will behave like good human beings and endeavour to do good deeds. You must not be sinful or do evil deeds against morality thereby avoiding being sent to Hell at death to undergo punishment for your sins; this punishment is most terrible. Today, we will tour Hades again. Yang Sheng, 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.
Yang Sheng: In front of us is a pond inside of which can be seen souls either floating or sinking. Cries for help can be heard coming from that direction. Oh! The air is foul-smelling.
Jigong: This is the 'Dirty Blood Pond'. Now that you are visiting it, you should be more attentive and be on the alert. Walk quickly so that we can have a closer look and clearer view.
Yang Sheng: On the way to the Pond, many soldiers of Hades can be seen herding sinful souls along.
Jigong: All these souls are going to the 'Dirty Blood Pond'.
Yang Sheng: The nearer we go, the more bad smelling is the air and the louder the cries for help. The Pond contains very dirty blood; bad-smelling and dirty!
General: Welcome to you, Jigong and Yang Sheng. We had earlier received information of your coming here today. Will both of you come in and see for yourselves?
Yang Sheng: From this distance we can have a clear view. There is no need to go too near. I hope General will explain why sinful souls are sent here to be punished.
General: Very well. Our Pond is known as 'Dirty Blood Pond' and is located in 'Nai He Qiao' (Nai He Bridge) at a point at the lower course of the River. When sinful souls walk across the Bridge, they will fall down into the pit of poisonous snakes and will be bitten by the snakes and their dirty blood will flow into the Pond inside of which are souls who had committed 'dirty' sins.
Yang Sheng: Would General kindly explain further in more detail?
General: Deities and Saints must be given due respect and reverence but there are human beings who use bad language thereby offending them. Other human beings use filthy language to scold their forefathers. Others purposely shift evil onto other people maliciously. Others implicate people by false charges; all such people have dirty hearts. Also, there are people who indulge in sexual intercourse in the open, having no fear of the three lights (sunlight, moonlight and starlight) with no sense of modesty, or shame of others spotting them in action. Again there are others who deliberately become prostitutes to earn money and using most dirty and obscene languages. Others indulge in vicious sensuality thus damaging their bodies; others partake of unwholesome meat and food as tonic for the body, such tonic is heretical doctrine. Others take pleasure in killing living beings, or desecrating places of worship, desecrating holy books. All these sinful souls are sent to this 'Dirty Blood Pond' to suffer.
Jigong: On Earth, people say that women who die because of child birth are sent to the 'Dirty Blood Pond' to suffer. This is not true. Giving birth to babies is but natural and those who die through childbirth are just unlucky. Where is the logic that such unlucky souls should be sent to this 'Dirty Blood Pond' to suffer some more? Therefore, those who have relatives who died through childbirth, should do more good and meritorious deeds, say more prayers, print religious tracts for others to read, because, going through the process of childbirth, a woman's heart is full of fear and those who are unlucky to die thereby, their souls will be floating about. It therefore follows that the relatives must do good deeds so that the deities and saints can protect and guide the floating souls.
General: What Jigong has just said is perfectly true. I hope human beings will be aware of this.
Jigong: We have other places to visit after this 'Dirty Blood Pond' and we must say goodbye.
Yang Sheng: There is no need to stand on ceremony. In case we have missed anything, please excuse us.
Jigong: Yang Sheng, get up on the lotus flower platform and prepare to visit the 'Eastern Peak Pavilion'.
Yang Sheng: I'm now safely seated. We can now proceeds......
Jigong: We've arrived at the 'Eastern Peak Pavilion'. Yang Sheng, get down.
Great Emperor: Welcome to both of you, Jigong and Yang Sheng. You have been ordered to write the Book and I have waited for quite a long time for your arrival.
Jigong: Great Emperor, your authority is immense. I started from the First Tribunal and have, at last, reached the last Tribunal under your jurisdiction which justifies the saying that the last usually occupies the highest position. I beg Great Emperor not to be offended by my visiting you last.
Great Emperor: Jigong, there is no need to be so modest. The fact that you have come, gives me great joy. Your Sheng Xian Tang's propaganda on the truth, your scripture and good books distributed widely to people on Earth, to advise them to do more good instead of leading evil lives, have resulted in many human beings now doing many good deeds. Seeing these good effects on human beings, my heart is much comforted. Now that you have come here today, it is my duty to be of every assistance. Please, both of you, come inside and let's have a general discussion.
Yang Sheng: Thank you very much, Great Emperor, to be of assistance to us.
Great Emperor: Please be seated. I'll order the General to serve tea and fruits.
General: Yes, Sir...... They are served.
Great Emperor: Please do not be shy. Drink and eat.
Jigong: Thank you, Great Emperor, for your kind hospitality.
Yang Sheng: The tea is fragrant, the fruits are sweet and delicious. Can I bring a few fruits back to Earth?
Great Emperor: It's just as well if you eat the fruits here!
Jigong: Yang Sheng, don't be greedy! You already have fruit trees bearing fruits back home and if you take good care of them, you will certainly enjoy the fruits.
Great Emperor: The fruits of ascetic practice are different from natural fruits. The latter type can get rotten and are not for practical use!
Yang Sheng: The words spoken by dear Master and Great Emperor are now understood by me and I am now the wiser. I am very much ashamed and beg to seek your forgiveness.
Jigong: Would Great Emperor kindly explain the functions of your Tribunal?
Great Emperor: Very well. 'Eastern Peak' is 'Tai Shan', the first of the Five Sacred Mountains. Our office here controls all the Ten Tribunals and can be regarded as the highest office administering justice, exactly like your Supreme Courts on Earth. This Office also controls all roaming and unattached souls, and also promote and demote saints, deities and devils on Earth. Because this Office has facilities to report to 'Yu Di' (Jade Emperor) and obtain authority to carry out our work, if the God of Mountains, Local Deities, Heads of Local Deities, any deities under the control of 'Eastern Peak' or any of the Ten Tribunals, have any problems, they refer to this Office for solution. Therefore, my Office controls all the Ten Tribunals. But, above us, there is still a 'Leader of a Sect in Hades' who controls relieving souls out of purgatory, whereas I'm in-charge of prosecuting in Hades.
Yang Sheng: Can I ask Great Emperor to enlighten me on a certain point? Your Office controls roaming souls. I often hear people say that roaming spirits / souls disturb people on Earth. This shows that there is a loophole in the laws of Hades controlling roaming souls.
Great Emperor: The net of Heaven spreads far and wide. It's meshes are also wide, but nothing escapes. Yang Sheng, what you just said is very true. There are still many roaming souls on Earth disturbing people. Our Laws in Hades are truly very strict but we have a merciful heart. We have to be reasonable. There are quite a number of roaming souls on Earth who died through murders, accidents, etc. and we have given them special permission to go back to Earth to take revenge. But when some of these souls are on Earth, they tend to act without due consideration and when they see human beings, they are apt to disturb them. But, if a person has good fate and good luck, or has good morality or ascetic practice, he cannot be harmed. If a roaming disturbing soul does not follow reason and is detected by our Officers of Police of Hades, or the deities on Earth, he will be arrested and brought back here for punishment. This anomaly is the same; in Hades some deities have pity on the roaming souls and give them permission to go to Earth and take revenge, exactly like prisoners on Earth who are set free, but instead of turning over a new leaf and be good, they create more trouble and mischief.
Yang Sheng: What Great Emperor has said is true.
Jigong: Thank you, Great Emperor, for teaching and explaining to us. It is now time for us to return.
Great Emperor: Both of you have gone to great trouble to write the Book and I hope Diyu Youji will be completed soon so that most human beings can be saved. All Officers, line up and say goodbye.
Yang Sheng: Thank you, Great Emperor and Officers. I must say goodbye now...... I'm safely seated on the lotus flower platform. Dear Master, we can now start......
Jigong: We've arrived at Sheng Xian Tang. Yang Sheng, get down. Soul return to your body.