The Third Hall : The Hall of King Songdi

第三殿 宋帝王

此殿司掌黑绳大地狱，堕此獄者，其罪根多因邪見，誑怨愚痴，好殺所效。此獄中罪人，身陷於無量由旬之热燄中，遭黑绳束縛，後被推墮於利刃鐵刀热地之上，一旁有鐵燄牙狗來噉食，一切身，分分被剝離噉食，淒惨無比，悲声叫唤盈天，無有救者，至罪业消畢。若得人身，其身分鄙劣下賤，常飢渴交迫。此獄之苦更勝於前的活大地狱。罪畢，若尚有餘罪，再墮其他地獄续消罪业。觀地獄之苦，实在去不得。 

The Third Hall : The Hall of King Songdi 

This king rules the Great Hell of Black Ropes. People come to this hell because of their deviated thought, deluded resentment, ignorance, and fondness for killing. Those who are forced into this hell are engulfed by the rage of everlasting flames and are bound with black ropes, then they are pushed onto a scorching ground full of sharp blades. Dogs with flaming iron teeth tear them from the sides. Their bodies are torn apart and devoured. In this extremely miserable hell, the sound of wailing is deafening. There is no getting out until the karma is cleared. If they are to gain human form, these people will be reborn into the lowest class of existence, and often forced to suffer from hunger and thirst. The suffering here is worse than in the great “Hell of Life”. When this karma is paid, and should there be other karma, they will sent to other hells to clear those. Knowing such sufferings exist, we must not go to the hells.

 

 

The Hell of Pounding

捣舂獄

《经律》云：生时以恶心捣杀众生，死后堕此地狱。例如欲饱尝美味，将鱼肉捣成泥酱或制成贡丸。又《所起经》云：行多诈骗，机诈害人。现前有许多专门欺诈老弱妇孺，令其晚境凄凉、孤苦无依者，死后难逃捣舂苦。 

The Hell of Pounding  

One who pounds another to death with ill will be forced into this hell after their death. For example, in order to taste delicious cooking, one pounds fish or meat into paste of different shapes. It is also said that there are people who often scheme and cheat on others. Currently, many choose to swindle uniformed people such as the elderly and children, leaving them miserable and helpless. Those who cause such suffering will go to this Hell of Pounding.

 

 

The Hell of Eye-Gouging

挖眼獄

地獄的果報是循环的，许多罪並非单一，造恶多，受罪的種類也多，挖眼僅其中一种而已。《玉準》云：举凡伪造文件，奪取产业，墮此地獄。经云：凡造諸不善业者，墮黑绳大地獄，其中多受挖眼之苦報。

The Hell of Eye-Gouging

The retribution in hells is cyclical. One misdeed often results in many transgressions. The more offenses one commits, the more punishments one faces. Eye-gouging is only one of them. The Yu Zhun says that people who forge documents and defraud others of their personal belonging and property will fall into this hell. Those who commit misdeeds will be forced into the Hell of Black Ropes. Many of them will also suffer eye-gouging.

 

 

The Hell of Inversion Tortures

倒吊獄

 《经律》云：生前以凌虐心，将衆生倒行取樂，或倒吊衆生，如钓蝦、钓鱼、予以烤、燒，如烤乳猪、烤羊肉、烤牛排、猪排、鸡、鸭等等。咸墮此獄。又机巧设陷栏栅，倒吊捕猎飛禽走獸；或以手段掳掠奸淫，亦墮此獄。

The Hell of Inversion Tortures 

If one tortures others, like taking pleasure in forcing creatures to walk upside-down, or hanging others upside-down, like those who grill prawns and fish after catching them, or those who roast pigs, lamb, beef, pork, chicken and ducks and so on, will be sent to this hell. Those who set up traps, hang poultry and animals upside-down, or those who use means to abduct and sexually assault their victims, will also be sent to this hell.

 

 

The Hell of Feet-Amputation

刖 （削）足獄

 《玉準》云：凡生前恃强凌弱，以尊压卑，刻薄待人。例如刻薄对待下屬或婢女，佣人，令人無立足之地。凡此种种。死后入此刖足地獄。

The Hell of Feet-Amputation 

Yu Zhun says that the strong who abuse the weak, or those who use their positions of power to bully others, like being mean to their subordinates and servants, and making life a living hell for them, will be sent to this hell where their feet will be amputated – as a form of punishment.

 

  

The Hell of Blood-Sucking

                                     

吸血獄                         

《玉曆》云：利用職權盗竊公款，侵佔财物，併吞糧食，如吸血般剝削弱者，死后墮入吸血地獄，任憑鸦蝠吸取身上之血，直至乾涸而死，陰风一吹死而復生。如此生生死死，苦痛至極，直至罪報受盡。又輾轉他獄受罪。

The Hell of Blood-Sucking 

Yu Li says that those who use their position of power to embezzle public funds, property and food, are like parasites who exploit the weak and vulnerable. Such people will be sent to this Hell of Blood-Sucking. They will be helplessly attacked and assaulted by crows and bats. They will die from having their blood sucked completely dry. They will be revived when the hellish wind touches them, and they will have to suffer the same agony over and over again until this particular karma is cleared. Then they will be sent to other hells to pay for their other sins.

 

 

The Hell of Flesh-Eating Maggots

蛆蛀獄

 造諸不善之业，行不淨之业，墮此罪報。觀此獄中，罪人浑身遭受毒蛆啃噬，從皮肉至筋骨，一切身分，分分均遭蛆蟲肆虐鑽蛀，錐心之痛，其苦無比。 

The Hell of Flesh-Eating Maggots 

Those who commit bad and impure deeds will be sent to this particular hell. Poisonous maggots will bite and chew on them. Every inch of their skin, flesh, and every part of the body will be devoured. This incomparable torture is akin to your heart being drilled whilst you are still alive.

 

 

The Hell of Rib-Piercing

穿肋獄

《玉曆》云：凡为官不 忠、不廉、不卹人民，或逃獄、损人墳墓、毁人名譽、捏造伪证、帮人解除婚约，死后均墮此地獄。當今言论自由，已到肆無忌憚之地，毁谤或抨击所引起的纠纷、禍害、层出不窮，危乱社会很大，或有专作伪證、離婚證人、破人家庭者，死后均墮穿肋之苦刑。 

The Hell of Rib-Piercing 

Yu Li says that government officials who are disloyal, receive bribes, or do not look after the people; or those who escape from prison, deface graves, defame others, commit perjury, or help others to terminate marital contracts, will be sent to this hell. Today, freedom of speech has reached unrestrained levels. More and more disputes and misfortunes arise due to defamation and criticism. This causes great danger and chaos in our society. Those who choose a profession to commit perjury, or to be witnesses to divorces, thus destroying families, will suffer in the Hell of Rib-Piercing.

 

 

The Hell of Tendon-Taking

 抽筋獄

生前好食动物之筋，如嗜食牛筋。又贩賣毒品，唆使犯罪，令人墮落，均墮此狱。觀此中地獄，罪人被绑鍊於鐵车上，筋被拉出，作绳索來拉车，后又有鬼卒在鞭促你，趕打你，苦痛號叫盈天。又《玉準》云：遇有嬌姿便思奸淫，怙恶不悛，恣行淫乱，唆人退婚， 耸夫淫乱等，亦墮此獄。 

The Hell of Tendon-Taking 

Those who like eating animal tendon, such as ox tendon or those who traffic in drugs, or coerce others into committing crime will be sent into this hell. Those in this hell are chained on an iron cart. Their tendons are pulled out and are used as ropes to pull the carts, while the Hell wardens whip them continuously. Painful and agonizing cries fill the air. Yu Zhun also says those who entertain lewd thoughts after seeing attractive people, those who are persistent and indulge in sexual behavior or those who encourage others to break their marital engagements, those who encourage one’s partner to commit sexual misconduct will be sent to this hell.