Amitabha Buddha and Other Sages Welcome Sentient Beings to the World of Ultimate Bliss.
The greatest achievement in one’s lifetime is to be reborn in the “Pure land” within this life. This will allow us to break away from the perpetual cycle of rebirth and free us from the suffering of both life and death. The World of Ultimate Bliss is the unsurpassed Pure Land, created by Amitabha Buddha’s incomparable will power with the purpose of ending the sufferings of all beings. If we have the faith, the vow, and the practice in chanting Amituofo mindfully. If we have complete sincerity in our faith, vow, and practice and we abide by the teachings of Buddha and practice this continually all our lives, at the time when our life comes to an end, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas will come and lead us to the World of Ultimate Bliss.
Practices of Ten Good Deeds Lead to the Heavens
If we are not able to go to the World of Ultimate Bliss, but we did accumulate good karma through good deeds within our lifetime, we can still go to the heavens to enjoy heavenly bliss. However, the Ten Good Deeds must be observed.
What are the Ten Good Deeds?
1. No killing 2. No stealing 3. No sexual misconduct 4. No lying 5. No enticing speech
6. No slander 7. No abusive speech 8. No greed 9. No anger 10. No ignorance
To Gain a Human Form by Observing the Five Precepts
Buddha said to be born into the human form is unbelievably rare and “the human form once lost is extremely hard to regain.” How can one attain the human form in the next life? The basic requirement is to observe the Five Precepts.
What are the Five Precepts?
1. No killing 2. No stealing 3. No sexual misconduct 4. No lying 5. No intoxicants
Whether one is rich or poor in life, depends on the amount of good and bad deeds one accumulates previously. There is a saying that to know what we did in our previous lives, we only need to know what we have in our present lives; to know what might shape our future life, we simply look at what we are doing now. It is fundamental that we understand this concept.
Practices of Ten Evil Deeds Leading to Suffering in Hells
The Ten Evil Deeds are the opposite of the Ten Good Deeds. There are only a few decades in one’s life. If we do not realize the need to practice good deeds, or we choose to ignore the law of “cause and effect” or we do not practice doing good deeds and accumulate virtues, when we are taken by the Judge of Impermanence, when we are standing before the gate of Hell, it will be too late to regret.
Too Late to Regret Now, the Judge is Here to Try Us
It is like waking up from a dream. All actions done in one’s life will be judged after one’s death.
The Kings and Soldiers in the Hells Manifest from Our Karma
The Kings and Soldiers in the Hells Manifest from Our Karma
People who have no causes to go to these hells do not experience the horrors of hells.
These horrors are not there because of the kings of hells are cruel or that they willingly inflict pain and suffering to the dead. The scenes of these hells are the manifestations of one’s own karma.
The First Hall in the Hells : The Hall of King Qinguang
The First Hall in the Hells : The Hall of King Qinguang
Here in the First Hall in the Hells – the length of life, the level of auspiciousness, and the punishment in the hells are decided. All sinful souls are brought to King Qinguang to be tried and sentenced accordingly. These souls will be punished in the hells and to have their karma reduced. If souls can balance their bad deeds with their good ones, they can be sent to the Tenth Hall to await rebirth.
No One Can Hide in Front of the Karma Mirror
“The cunning and deceitful people will be exposed. When one dies, nothing could be retained except one’s karma.” All of our bad deeds will be exposed in the Karma Mirror. No one can deny anything.
The First and Most Important Good Deed is Filial Piety The most serious sin of all is to commit suicide.
It is foolish and also agonizing for one to commit suicide. The suffering after suicide is more painful. One would suffer the pain of suicide repeatedly because one has yet to repay the Four Great Kindnesses: the kindnesses of one’s parents, teachers, country, and all other beings. If one commits suicide, without fulfilling one’s duties, not only would the parents be heartbroken, the spouse and children would lead miserable lives. Therefore, this sin is exceptionally severe.
Three poisons: Greed, Anger and Ignorance
A Chaotic World Begins with the Loss of Conscience and the Lack of Moral Education
In our physical world, it is easy to commit uncountable bad karma; for example, indulgence in sexual desires or gambling, indulgence in alcohol, or not being dutiful or devoted to parents or forgetting the kindness of others and betrayal of honor. One mistake leads to a thousand lifetimes of regret and it will be too late to realize this at the end of one’s life.
If Everyone Fails to Abide by Their Responsibilities and Duties, Endless Karma Will be Committed.
The source of all misconduct comes from the three poisons: greed, anger and ignorance. The lack of morality these days is due to the failure of adhering to the teachings of saints and sages. Many people know their own religions only at a superficial level, and not their true essence, which is about the education of moral and virtue. Ignoring the essence of our own religion and focusing only on formalities further confuses people of the world and leads to deterioration of morals.
If One Does Not Practice What One Learns, One Should Feel Ashamed in Front of Virtuous Books.
We study the teachings of the sages to educate and advance our communities. If we do not harmonize ourselves with these teachings and not act as a role model for others, but instead indulge in fame and financial gain, then we will be the first to come to this hell for remedial study. After that, one goes to go to other hells to clear one’s sins.
People Who Scheme for Profit Fail Those with Generous Sincerity
The purpose of being social educators is to serve and educate the people. Their only purpose is to look after the all beings’ interests. Should anyone try to gain profit for oneself, not only would it damage the image of the educators, but also betray other’s faith in them. Such as, if people who lead Religious Chanting Ceremonies miss chanting phrases and even pages, or if they are unfocused or insincere, they would first have to make up for their lapses in this hell after death. Then they would be sent to different hells to absolve their sins.
Black-Hearted and Unethical People
青燈如豆千斤油，难照黑心無道人。
The Dim Lights from an Oil Lamp Cannot Reveal Black-Hearted and Unethical People.
Intelligent, capable people can bring good fortune to others or bring disaster too. For some who claim to be religious and fail to follow the teachings in the holy scriptures, their suffering will be unbearable once the Judge arrives. They will also be “reborn as animals” to repay their remaining debts.
People Go to Different Hells According to Their Sins
People Go to Different Hells According to Their Sins
Dictated by the course of one’s karma, one will go to a specific hell according to one’s past deeds as the due punishment is personally experienced and served.
The Hell of Pillars
It is said: “Lewd thoughts arise from a comfortable life.” Today, sexual indulgence is widespread. Most who suffer in this hell indulged, before their deaths, in sexual misconduct and adultery; in the selling of pornographic books, tapes and discs; or in the photographing, writing, possessing, or was involved in the public exhibition of pornography and similar materials. These people will be sent to this particular hell after their death. They will be forced to embrace a red-hot, burning copper pillar, die from burns all over their bodies, and then be reborn repeatedly in this hell as a form of perpetual punishment. This pain and suffering will be unbearable. Once these people can eliminate their bad karma, they are often reborn as animals. Ending their karma as animals; if they are to gain a human form, usually poor, despised, have short or harsh lives.
The Hell of Fire (Iron) Bed
The Hell of Fire Bed is like a cooking grill. Males who engage in sexual misconduct, will be forced to embrace a copper pillar as females suffer on an iron bed. We read that those who like to take lives or cook flesh in various ways, or those who trample on small insects come to this hell to suffer after their death. The period of suffering in this hell is inconceivably long. If they completely eliminate this type of karma for this hell, but they still have other karma, they will be sent to other hells to clear those karma.
Pureshadow
弘扬佛法，广结善缘！！ 希望大家发大心，成为佛法的傅遞者和播種者。将手中的法宝一化为十，十化为百，百化为千，让千千万万的众生，都能够步上成佛觉悟之道。南无阿弥陀佛!阿弥陀佛
