Chapter 3 - The Karmic Conditions of Sentient Beings

 爾時，佛母摩耶夫人，恭敬合掌，問地藏菩薩言：「聖者！閻浮眾生，造業差別，所受報應，其事云何？」

At that time, the Buddha's mother Queen Māyā joined her palms with respect and asked Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, “Worthy One, what will the retribution recieved by the sentient beings of Jambudvīpa due to the different kinds of karma that they create be?”

地藏答言：「千萬世界，乃及國土，或有地獄，或無地獄，或有女人，或無女人，或有佛法，或無佛法，乃至聲聞、辟支佛，亦復如是。非但地獄，罪報一等。」

Kṣitigarbha replied, “Of the myriad worlds and lands, some have hells and some have no hells, some have women and some have no women, some have Buddhadharma and some have no Buddhadharma, some have Sravakas and Pratyekabuddhas and some worlds do not. This not only the hells but the retributions also differ.”

摩耶夫人重白菩薩：「且願聞於閻浮罪報，所感惡趣。」

Queen Māyā further said to the bodhisattva, “I would like to hear more about the retribution in Jambudvīpa in the evil rebirths.”

地藏答言：「聖母！唯願聽受，我麤說之。」

Kṣitigarbha replied, “Holy Mother, please listen. I will say a little.”

佛母白言：「願聖者說。」

The Buddha's mother said, “As you wish, Worthy One. Please speak.”

爾時，地藏菩薩白聖母言：「南閻浮提罪報，名號如是：若有眾生，不孝父母，或至殺害，當墮無間地獄，千萬億劫，求出無期。若有眾生，出佛身血，毀謗三寶，不敬尊經，亦當墮於無間地獄，千萬億劫，求出無期。若有眾生，侵損常住，點污僧尼，或伽藍內，恣行淫欲，或殺或害，如是等輩，當墮無間地獄，千萬億劫，求出無期。若有眾生，偽作沙門，心非沙門，破用常住，欺誑白衣，違背戒律，種種造惡，如是等輩，當墮無間地獄，千萬億劫，求出無期。若有眾生，偷竊常住財物穀米、飲食衣服，乃至一物不與取者，當墮無間地獄，千萬億劫，求出無期。」

Then Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva said to the Buddha's mother, “The retribution in Jambudvīpa is thus: if a sentient being is so unfilial to their mother or father as to murder either then they will fall into Avīci Hell indefinitely without hope of release. If sentient beings draws blook from a Budha, slander's the Triple Gem, or disrespects the sūtras, then they will fall into Avīci Hell indefinitely without hope of release. If sentient beings encroaches on or damages the property of a place of practice, defiles a nun, exercises unrestrained lust inside a monastery, kills or harms then they will fall into Avīci Hell indefinitely without hope of release. If sentient beings pretends to be a monk when they are not one, abuses a monastery, decieves the laity violates monastic discipline then they will fall into Avīci Hell indefinitely without hope of release. If sentient beings money, goods, grains, food, drink, clothes or even one thing without permission from a place of practice then they will fall into Avīci Hell indefinitely without hope of release.”

地藏白言：「聖母！若有眾生，作如是罪，當墮五無間地獄，求暫停苦，一念不得。」

Kṣitigarbha said, “Holy Mother, if any sentient being commits any of these offenses then they will fall into Avīci Hell without even momentary releif from their suffering.”

摩耶夫人重白地藏菩薩言：「云何名為無間地獄？」

Queen Māyā asked Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, “What is Avīci Hell?”

地藏白言：「聖母！諸有地獄，在大鐵圍山之內。其大地獄，有一十八所。次有五百，名號各別。次有千百，名字亦別。無間獄者，其獄城，周匝八萬餘裡，其城純鐵，高一萬里，城上火聚，少有空缺。其獄城中，諸獄相連，名號各別。

Kṣitigarbha said, “Holy Mother! All the hells are within the Great Iron Ring Mountain. Therea are eighteen great hells. There are also 500 secondary hells, each with different names. After that there are hundreds of thousands of hells, also with different names. Avīci Hell is enclosed inside a wall that is 80 thousand li in circumference. The wall is pure iron, one thousand li in height with fire on top. There is little empty space. The wall is linked to the walls of other hells, which each have their own names.”

「獨有一獄，名曰無間。其獄周匝萬八千裡，獄墻高一千裡，悉是鐵為，上火徹下，下火徹上，鐵蛇鐵狗，吐火馳逐，獄墻之上，東西而走。獄中有牀，遍滿萬里。一人受罪，自見其身，遍臥滿牀。千萬人受罪，亦各自見，身滿牀上。眾業所感，獲報如是。又諸罪人，備受眾苦。千百夜叉，及以惡鬼，口牙如劍，眼如電光，手復銅爪，拖拽罪人。千百夜叉，及以惡鬼，口牙如劍，眼如電光，手復銅爪，拖拽罪人。復有夜叉，執大鐵戟，中罪人身，或中口鼻，或中腹背，拋空翻接，或置牀上。復有鐵鷹，啗罪人目。復有鐵蛇，繳罪人頸。百肢節內，悉下長釘，拔舌耕犁，抽腸剉斬，洋銅灌口，熱鐵纏身。萬死千生，業感如是。動經億劫，求出無期。

“This hell is unique. It is called Avīci [Relentless] and it is 80 thousand li in circumference and one thousand li high. It is made entirely of iron. The fire from the top extends to the bottom and the fire from the bottom extends to the top. There are iron snakes and iron dogs that breath fire and chase people, roaming back and forth on tops of the walls. In the hell there are torture beds that are ten thousand li long. A person is placed lying on the bed and suffers by seeing his body stretched over the entire length of the bed. Hundreds of thousands of people suffer in this way. Such is the retribution suffered by many people for their karma. There are many sinners that suffer in this way. There are hundreds of thousands of yakṣas and demons with teeth in their mouths like swords and eyes like lightening. Their hands have many copper claws which they drag sinners with. Many of the yakṣas have large iron halberds, which they hit the sinners' bodies with, either on their mouths and noses or on their stomachs and backs. They cast the sinners into the air and catch them again. Otherwise, the sinners are placed on a bed for many iron vultures to eat their eyes. Iron snakes wrap themselves around the sinners' necks. Hundreds of spikes are driven into their limbs and joints. Their tongues are pulled out and minced with a plow. Their intestines are pulled out and cut up. A vast amount of molten copper is poured into their mouths and hot iron is wrapped around their bodies. They will die and be reborn again in there tens of thousands of times. Such is the retribution for their karma. They will go through this for endless kalpas without any hope for escape.

此界壞時，寄生他界。他界次壞，轉寄他方。他方壞時，展轉相寄。此界成後，還復而來。無間罪報，其事如是。

“When that world is destroyed those people will be reborn in another world. When that other world is destroyed, in turn, those people will be reborn somewhere else. When that place is destroyed they will be reborn again here. And so they will return to this world. This is the way relentless retribution is.

「又五事業感，故稱無間。何等為五？一者，日夜受罪，以至劫數，無時間絕，故稱無間。二者，一人亦滿，多人亦滿，故稱無間。三者，罪器叉棒，鷹蛇狼犬，碓磨鋸鑿，剉斫鑊湯，鐵網鐵繩，鐵驢鐵馬，生革絡首，熱鐵澆身，飢吞鐵丸，渴飲鐵汁。從年竟劫，數那由他，苦楚相連，更無間斷，故稱無間。四者，不問男子女人，[羌-儿+(鬼-((白-日)/田))]鬍夷狄，老幼貴賤，或龍或神，或天或鬼，罪行業感，悉同受之，故稱無間。五者，若墮此獄，從初入時，至百千劫，一日一夜，萬死萬生。求一念間，暫住不得。除非業盡，方得受生。以此連綿，故稱無間。」

“There are five factors that lead to the hell being called Relentless. What are those five things? Firstly, the people suffer night and day for many kalpas with absolutely no break. Thus, it is called Relentless. Secondly, one person can fill the hell in the same way that many people can fill it. Thus, it is called Relentless. Third, the sinners are tortured with items and methods including, forks, clubs, vultures, snakes, wolves, dogs, mills, grindstones, saws, chisels, files, choppers, cauldrons, rushing currents, iron nets and wire, iron donkeys and iron horses, animal skin wrapped around their heads, pouring hot iron on their bodies, swallowing pieces of iron when hungry, and drinking molten iron when thirsty. From years to kalpas numbering into the nayutas their suffering is continuous with no break. Thus, it is called Relentless. Forth, it does not matter if the being is male, female, Han or non-Han, old or young, noble or common, a dragon or a god, a deva or a demon, the retribution will be in accordance with the actions. Thus, it is called Relentless. Fifth, if a person falls into this hell, from the moment they enter it until hundreds of thousands of kalpas later, they will die and be reborn again every day and night. They seek a moments relief but never get it. Only when their karma is exhausted can they be reborn in another place. Since the suffering continues uninterupted it is called Relentless.”

地藏菩薩白聖母言：「無間地獄，麤說如是。若廣說地獄罪器等名，及諸苦事，一劫之中，求說不盡。」

Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva address the Buddha's mother, “In brief, this is what Avīci Hell is like. To describe it in detail, inlcuding the names of the torture devices would be an arduous task that could not be completed in a kalpa.”

摩耶夫人聞已，愁憂合掌，頂禮而退。

Having heard this Queen Māyā worriedly joined her hands, bowed and withdrew.