閻羅王五天使者經

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the country of Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, in the garden of Anāthapiṇḍika. The Buddha addressed the bhikṣus:

"Listen well and bear this in mind! With my divine eye I see through all beings as they live and as they die, going forth to good destinies or to evil destinies—some who are wicked and evil, some who are valiant, some who are timid, some born into good destinies, some born into evil destinies. Whatever deeds a person has performed, I discern and know them all.

Whenever a person commits evil with the body, speaks evil words with the mouth, conceives evil thoughts in the mind, slanders the noble and holy ones, holds wrong views and practices wrong conduct, that person, when his life ends, at once falls into an evil destiny and tumbles into the hells. But the person who performs good with the body, speaks good words with the mouth, conceives good thoughts in the mind, praises the noble and holy ones, holds right views and practices right conduct, that person, when his life ends, at once is born up into the heavens or among humankind.

"In this way, O bhikṣus, I observe with my divine eye, when the sky rains and the rainwater falls down, that I see how as one bubble of water rises up, one bubble of water vanishes away. I see that when a person dies, the spirit-consciousness departs and is reborn—some with fair form, some with foul form, some valiant, some timid, some born into good places, some born into places of suffering—living of themselves and dying of themselves, no different from bubbles of water.

"Again, it is like a person who takes silken threads of five colors and strings beryl gems. Because the gems are clear and transparent, the threads—blue, yellow, red, white, and black—all appear distinctly. I see that when a person dies, the spirit-soul departs and is reborn, again just like this.

It is again like taking a luminous bright-pearl on a dark night and hanging it before the palace gate: a person standing in one spot, watching those who go out and come in through the gate, sees them all clearly. It is again like a person upon a high tower, looking down below, seeing those who come and those who go, those who run and those who walk on foot, those who sit and those who stand, all clearly. I see that when a person dies and the spirit-soul goes to take up rebirth—whether upright, whether foul and evil, whether valiant or timid—according to the deeds they have done, I discern and know them clearly."

The Buddha addressed the bhikṣus:

"When a person lives in the world, through being unfilial to father and mother, not revering śramaṇas and men of the Way, not practicing benevolence and righteousness, not restraining the mind, not studying the scriptures and precepts, not fearing the life to come—that person, when he dies, his spirit-soul must fall into the hell of King Yama. The messengers then seize him, bring him forth, and report to the king:

"'This is a wicked and evil one. This one did what is contrary to the Dharma, was unfilial to father and mother, did not honor śramaṇas and men of the Way, did not follow benevolence and righteousness, was unable to restrain his mind, had no merit and virtue, and did not dread death. He must be made to see his own offenses. We humbly beg the Great King to mete out his punishment.' In this way, King Yama, according to the usual custom, first uses words of admonition, causing five divine messengers to appear, and uses straightforward words to question and examine him:

"'Have you not seen the people of the world when they are little children—tumbling about in excrement and urine, unable to shelter themselves, their mouths not knowing how to speak, and likewise not knowing what is good and what is bad?'

The person replied:

"'I have seen such a thing.'

The king said:

"'Do you suppose that you yourself alone were without such a state? A person's spirit-consciousness follows his deeds, and when his life ends there is at once rebirth. Though one cannot yet see it, one should always do good deeds, making upright one's own body, making upright one's own mind, making upright one's own thought. Why then have you let your mind and thought run loose?'

The person replied:

"'I am truly a foolish and deluded person, knowing nothing at all, am I not?'

The king said:

"'It was through your own folly that you did evil. How could this fault be made by your father and mother, your teachers and elders, the king of the gods, śramaṇas, or men of the Way? This offense is your own—how could it cease merely because you dislike it? Now you must receive it.' This was King Yama causing the first divine messenger to appear.

King Yama questioned him again:

"'When you were a person, the messengers of heaven came one after another—were you able to know this?'

The person replied:

"'Truly I did not know.'

The king said:

"'Have you not seen men and women in old age—their hair white, their teeth fallen out, gaunt and frail, sickly and weak, bent at the back as they walk, having to lean upon a staff whether standing or sitting?'

The person replied:

"'I have seen such.'

The king said:

"'Do you suppose that you alone would not grow old? Whoever among people has birth must surely have old age. You ought, while in your vigorous prime, to have constantly done good deeds, made upright and dignified your body, mouth, and mind, and upheld and practiced the scriptures and precepts. Why did you let yourself run loose?'

The person replied:

"'I am indeed a foolish and benighted person.'

The king said:

"'It was through your own folly that you did evil—how could it be the fault of your father and mother, the king of the gods, śramaṇas, or men of the Way? This offense is your own—how could it cease merely because you dislike it? Now you must receive it.' This was King Yama formally instructing him, causing the second divine messenger to appear.

King Yama questioned him again:

"'While you were a person, did you not see men and women in the world who, when stricken with illness, suffered pain in body, could find no rest whether standing or sitting, whose lives hung by a thread, and whom all the physicians, helpless, could not cure?'

The person replied:

"'I have seen such.'

The king said:

"'Do you suppose that you would not fall ill? When people grow old they will all have illness. You ought, while in your vigorous prime, to have diligently done good, upheld and practiced the scriptures and precepts, made upright and dignified your body, mouth, and thought. Why did you let yourself run loose?'

The person replied:

"'I am truly a foolish and benighted one.'

The king said:

"'It was because of your folly and benightedness that you did evil—how could it be the fault of your father and mother, the king of the gods, śramaṇas, or men of the Way? This offense was indeed done by you—how could it cease merely because you dislike it? Now you must receive it.' This was King Yama formally instructing him, causing the third divine messenger to appear.

King Yama said to him again:

"'While you were a person, did you not see the dead of the world—the corpses, some buried in the earth, some left to decay, from one day up to seven days, their skin and flesh rotting away, foxes and a hundred kinds of birds all running to that body to devour it? Whenever a person dies, the body rots and decays, utterly loathsome.'

The person replied:

"'Truly I have seen such.'

The king said:

"'Do you suppose that you alone would not die? Whoever among people has lived must surely die. You ought, while in the world, to have constantly done good deeds, to have made vigorous your body, mouth, and thought in order to uphold and practice the scriptures and precepts. Why did you let yourself run loose?'

The person replied:

"'I am truly a foolish person.'

The king said:

"'You yourself created this evil—how could it be the fault of your father and mother, the king of the gods, śramaṇas, or men of the Way? This offense was created by you—how could it come to an end merely because you do not like it? Now you must take it upon yourself and receive it.' This was King Yama formally teaching and transforming him, causing the fourth divine messenger to appear.

King Yama questioned him again:

"'When you were a person, did you not see the wicked and evil ones of the world arrested by the officials—who, finding their crimes established, must use punishments of law to deal with them: cutting off their hands, cutting off their feet, slicing off their noses, slicing off their ears, beating them with sharpened stakes until skin and flesh were torn, pouring scorching sand and boiling, bubbling oil over their bodies, putting them into great cloth garments to be burned, hanging them over fire and roasting them in the daytime, cutting and slicing their bodies to pieces, or being subjected to various poisons in grievous and miserable agony?'

The person replied:

"'Truly I have seen such things.'

The king said:

"'Do you suppose that you alone would not undergo such cruel tortures? Your eyes have already seen clearly the offense and merit of the world—why then did you not do good, guard your body, mouth, and thought, and uphold and practice the scripture and the Way? Why did you let yourself run loose?'

The person replied:

"'I am truly a foolish person.'

The king said:

"'You yourself used your own mind to do what is not upright and just—this is not the fault of your father and mother, the king of the gods, śramaṇas, or men of the Way. Now this retribution of offense and calamity you must take upon yourself—how could it cease merely because you dislike it?' This was King Yama teaching what is upright and just, manifesting as the fifth divine messenger.

When the Buddha had finished speaking, the disciples all received His instruction and admonition, and all came forward to bow at the feet of the Buddha in reverence.

THE BUDDHA SPEAKS THE SŪTRA OF THE FIVE DIVINE MESSENGERS OF KING YAMA