受十善戒經

1. Chapter on the Ten Evil Karmas

Thus indeed have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling together with a great assembly of one thousand two hundred and fifty bhiksus at Lady Mrgaramata’s monastery, in Prince Jeta’s Grove, belonging to the elder Sudatta, in the kingdom of Sravasti. At that time, the Blessed One spoke in a compassionate Brahma voice[1] to the Venerable Sariputra: “I shall now explain to you and everyone else how to eliminate the unwholesome karmic retribution of the ten evils. You must listen carefully! You must single-mindedly remember this and take care never to forget it!

The ten evil karmas are: 1. The karma of killing living beings; 2. The karma of stealing and plundering; 3. The karma of sexual misconduct; 4. The karma of false speech; 5. The karma of divisive speech; 6. The karma of harsh speech; 7. The karma of distorted speech; 8. The karma of craving; 9. The karma of anger; 10. The karma of delusion.

Sariputra! You should now instruct all sentient beings to purify the karma of the body, purify the karma of speech, and purify the karma of the mind; to prostrate with all five limbs touching the ground, take refuge with the preceptor, and sincerely repent of those three kinds of evil karma. They should say this three times. Having repented, the karma of the body is purified, the karma of speech is purified, and the karma of the mind is purified. Each person, in turn, should state his or her own name and say: ‘I take refuge in the Buddha; I take refuge in the Dharma; I take refuge in the Sangha.’ They should say this three times. ‘I have taken refuge in the Buddha; I have taken refuge in the Dharma; I have taken refuge in the Sangha.’ They should say this three times.

One should then ask: ‘Good men and good women! Are you able to observe these?’ If they answer that they are able to observe them, one should further ask: ‘At present, are your bodies and minds free of transgressions? As for bodily transgressions, have you caused a Buddha’s body to bleed, killed an arhat, disrupted the harmonious Sangha, slandered the Dharma and severed roots of goodness, opposed the Buddha, or opposed the true Dharma?’ If they answer that they have not, one should further ask:

‘In your hearts, have you ever intended to commit the five heinous offenses or slander the true Dharma? Have you ever stolen property belonging to the Buddha, property belonging to the Dharma, property belonging to the noble Sangha, property belonging to the Sangha presently assembled, or property belonging to the Sangha of the four quarters? Have you ever committed an impure act with your mother, elder sister, younger sister, or a bhiksuni?’ If they answer that they have not, one should further instruct them: ‘Since your bodies and minds are now pure in this way, say: “May the Venerable One be mindful of me.

I now wish to receive the precepts of the Ten Wholesome Karmas. I have repented of the Ten Unwholesome Karmas. I respectfully beseech the Venerable One, out of compassion for me, to consent to confer them upon me so that I may receive and uphold them!”’

At that time, one should instruct them: ‘Upasaka named… and upasika named… you should now single-mindedly count your breaths and firmly establish mindfulness in the present moment, recollecting the Seven Buddhas of the past, the present Buddha Sakyamuni, and future Buddhas such as Maitreya and others.’

After instructing them to recollect the Buddhas, one should say: ‘May the Sangha of the Seven Buddhas listen. May Sakyamuni Buddha and the Sanghas of all Buddhas listen. May the stream-enterers, once-returners, non-returners, arhats, and the noble Sangha listen.

There are now an upasaka named… and an upasika named… whose bodies, speech, and minds have all been purified and who are fit to serve as vessels of the Dharma. They now wish to request the precepts of the Ten Wholesome States of Mind and the Dharma of the Eight Precepts.’ This announcement should be made three times. Then instruct them to say: ‘I take refuge in the Buddha; I take refuge in the Dharma; I take refuge in the Sangha.’ They should say this three times. ‘The disciple named… has taken refuge in the Buddha, has taken refuge in the Dharma, and has taken refuge in the Sangha.’ They should say this three times.

Upasaka named… and upasika named… you must remember! You must carefully guard your bodies! Guard the body as does the Buddha, guard the body as accords with the Dharma, and guard the body as does the Sangha. The three karmas of the body are: 1. Not killing living beings; 2. Not stealing or plundering; 3. Not engaging in sexual misconduct. You must observe these three karmas of the body, whether for one day, ten days, or throughout your entire lives.’ If they answer that they are able to observe them, one should further ask: ‘Do you now wish to cultivate a small portion of goodness? A large portion of goodness? Every portion of goodness?’

If they answer that they are able to do so, instruct them to say: ‘Indeed, it is so; I shall act according to the teacher’s instructions. The disciple… takes refuge in the Buddha, takes refuge in the Dharma, and takes refuge in the Sangha.’ They should say this three times. ‘I have taken refuge in the Buddha; I have taken refuge in the Dharma; I have taken refuge in the Sangha.’ They should say this three times. ‘Upasaka… and upasika… you must remember!

You must guard your speech; guard your speech as does the Buddha, guard your speech as accords with the Dharma, and guard your speech as does the Sangha. There are four karmas of speech: 1. Not speaking falsely; 2.

Not engaging in divisive speech; 3. Not speaking harshly or maliciously; 4. Not engaging in distorted speech.

You must observe these four karmas of speech, whether for one day, ten days, or throughout your entire lives.’ If they answer that they are able to observe them, one should further ask: ‘Do you now wish to cultivate a small portion of goodness? A large portion of goodness? Every portion of goodness?’

If they answer that they are able to do so, instruct them to say: ‘Indeed, it is so; we shall act according to the teacher’s instructions. The disciple… takes refuge in the Buddha, takes refuge in the Dharma, and takes refuge in the Sangha.’ They should say this three times. ‘I have taken refuge in the Buddha; I have taken refuge in the Dharma; I have taken refuge in the Sangha.’ They should say this three times. ‘You must remember!

You must carefully guard your minds; guard the mind as does the Buddha, guard the mind as accords with the Dharma, and guard the mind as does the Sangha. The three karmas of the mind are: 1. Craving; 2.

Anger; 3. Delusion. You must guard against these three karmas of the mind, whether for one day, ten days, or throughout your entire lives.’ If they answer that they are able to observe them, one should further ask: ‘Do you now wish to cultivate a small portion of goodness?

A large portion of goodness? Every portion of goodness?’

If they answer that they are able to do so, instruct them to say: ‘Indeed, it is so; we shall act according to the teacher’s instructions. If one receives the Ten Wholesome Precepts but does not observe the Eight Precepts, one will ultimately be unable to attain accomplishment. If one violates the Eight Precepts, the Ten Wholesome Precepts will also be extinguished.

May the Venerable One be mindful of the disciple named… From early this morning until early tomorrow morning, may the Venerable One be mindful of me and serve as my preceptor. I shall wholeheartedly and firmly observe the Eight Precepts.

I take refuge in the Buddha and guard my mind as does the Buddha; I take refuge in the Dharma and guard my mind as accords with the Dharma; I take refuge in the Sangha and guard my mind as does the Sangha.’ They should say this three times.

‘I have taken refuge in the Buddha; I have taken refuge in the Dharma; I have taken refuge in the Sangha.’ They should say this three times. ‘May the Venerable One remember: from early this morning until early tomorrow morning, I wish to receive the Eight Precepts. I beseech the Venerable One, out of compassion, to accept my request!’ One should further ask: ‘Are you able to receive and uphold the Eight Fasting Precepts?’ They should answer: ‘I shall guard my mind, making it like the minds of the Buddhas and arhats.’ If they have answered that they are able to observe them, one should further instruct them: ‘From the past until the present, and during the intervening time, have your bodies, speech, and minds committed any offense entailing forfeiture and expiation?

Such offenses, up to and including the gravest root offenses, you must now truthfully disclose before the Buddhas of the three times, the arhats, and your preceptor; prostrate with all five limbs touching the ground and repent of all offenses. This is called performing the posadha Dharma. When the posadha has been completed, it is called dwelling in purity, and you are fit to serve as vessels of the Dharma.[2]’

Next, you should observe the eight precepts of the Tathagata. Are you able to observe them?” This was asked three times. These eight fasting precepts are the Dharma established by the Buddhas, the Tathagatas of the past and present, for laypeople. The eight fasting precepts are: 1. Not to kill; 2. Not to steal; 3. Not to engage in sexual activity; 4. Not to speak falsely; 5. Not to drink intoxicants; 6. Not to sit or lie upon high and luxurious beds; 7. Not to sing, dance, attend performances, or anoint oneself with perfumes; 8. Not to eat after midday. They should be observed in this way.

Do not kill, nor steal;

Do not engage in sexual activity or speak falsely;

Abandon intoxicants and avoid perfumes and flowers;

High beds and eating after midday—

The noble ones remain apart from all these.

These eight practices

You should carefully observe.

Through the merit of observing these fasting precepts, one will not fall into hell, become a hungry ghost, be born as an animal, or become an asura. One will often be born as a human being, leave the household life with right view,[3] and attain the path of nirvana. If born in the heavens, one will often be born as a Brahma deity, encounter a Buddha appearing in the world, request the Buddha to turn the Dharma wheel, and attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

At that time, the Blessed One praised this Dharma by speaking these verses:

Those who can practice the ten wholesome deeds

And act in accordance with the words of the true Dharma

Will encounter Buddhas life after life,

Their bodies and minds both radiant and clear;

Forever freed from every bond of suffering,

They will swiftly attain the unsurpassed path.

Those who observe the eight precepts

In accordance with the discipline and Vinaya,

Upholding them without transgression

According to the true Dharma of the Buddhas,

Should know that body and mind

Will be liberated at the same time.

This is called the path of nirvana,

Upon which the Buddhas always proceed.

After speaking these verses, the Buddha said to the Venerable Sariputra:

“You should skillfully receive and uphold the ten wholesome deeds and the eight precepts. Do not forget them or destroy the seed of the Dharma, and expound them for all devas and humans to hear.”

The Venerable Sariputra replied:

“Yes, indeed! Yes, indeed! I shall carefully uphold them.”

At that time, the Venerable Sariputra and the assembly, having heard what the Buddha said, rejoiced and faithfully practiced it.

2. Chapter on the Karmic Fruits of Giving

The Buddha told Sariputra:

You should now understand

That all kinds of sentient beings

Cherish and begrudge their own lives.

Therefore, you should practice giving,

Regard all sentient beings with equal compassion,

And esteem them as your own eyes;

This is called the precept against killing.

The Buddhas of the three times,

The Omniscient Ones, have declared:

Give others the same forbearance you desire for yourself;

Do not kill and do not strike them.

If you see someone killing a living being,

Regard it as a knife piercing your own heart.

See sentient beings as no different from yourself;

By observing the precept against killing, you will be born in heaven,

Always encounter the Buddhas and assemblies of bodhisattvas.

Therefore, receive and uphold the precept against killing.

By bestowing universal fearlessness upon all,

After death, you will be born in the Trayastrimsa Heaven;

Elephants, horses, and celestial maidens will bring delight,

Amid Brahma kings’ palaces of mani gems and vaidurya,

With flowers the color of silver and pure gold.

You will always sit upon beautiful beds of the seven treasures,

With golden seats, jeweled vessels, and flowers of the seven treasures;

Countless celestial maidens will perform music,

Supporting your feet and raising the palace to fly through the sky,

While you wear a jeweled crown and sit in the main hall.

Abandoning lustful craving, you will enter right concentration,[4]

Encounter the Buddhas teaching the Four Noble Truths,

Awaken to their meaning, and swiftly attain stream-entry.

Some, filled with joy, will arouse the great aspiration

And in future lives accomplish the bodhisattva path;

Or they will be born in Tusita, Diem-ma-da,

The Suddhavasa Heaven, A-ki-da,

Brahma’s Retinue, Abundant Radiance, and Universal Purity,

Ascending as far as the Akanistha Heaven.

Coming and going, they will roam throughout the celestial gardens

Together with bodhisattvas of great compassion.

Whether sitting, lying down, walking, standing, eating, or drinking,

Throughout the six periods of day and night they will always hear the Dharma.

Maitreya and the heavenly kings will constantly teach them

The great, irreversible Dharma-wheel practice.

In the future, they will certainly encounter Maitreya

When he subdues Mara, attains Buddhahood, and turns the Dharma wheel,

And within that Buddha’s Dharma, they will leave the household life.

They will encounter a thousand Tathagatas in the Auspicious Kalpa

And receive from the Buddha Ti-lau-chi the prediction

Of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

This is the supreme fruit of refraining from killing,

Called the root of compassion and pure conduct.

It is the teaching of all Buddhas

And the practice of all Buddhas.

All cherish their own eyes;

They cherish their children in the same way,

And cherish their lives beyond measure.

Therefore, refrain from killing;

This is called the foremost pure conduct.

Do not kill or entertain thoughts of killing,

And no longer eat meat.

Regard killers as bandits,

Knowing that they will certainly fall into hell.

Those who eat meat suffer many illnesses;

They kill living beings for their own pleasure.

You should cultivate a mind of great loving-kindness

And uphold the precept against killing;

You will certainly attain the path of bodhi.

The Buddha said to the Venerable Sariputra: “You should now understand that the karma of killing is extremely grave! In the past, you and I traveled and taught in the town of Pataliputra. At that time, in that great city, a female elder named Devavati gave birth to a baby boy of incomparable beauty.

He resembled a red lotus blossom, and not even a celestial maiden was more beautiful. The mother deeply loved the child. Carrying him, she came to see me and said, ‘Blessed One!

My son is exceedingly lovable, like a celestial boy. I love this child hundreds of thousands of myriads of times more than I love myself.’ I then said, ‘Good woman, you should understand! All ordinary beings cherish their own lives, just as the ocean gathers all streams yet is never satisfied.

Why do you now say that you love your child? What proof do you have?’

At that time, the woman said, ‘Blessed One! I love this child so deeply that even if a conflagration burned my body, I would never let him go.’

At that time, wishing to teach the woman, the Blessed One used his spiritual power to conjure four yakshas, each raising a mountain of fire and approaching her from one of the four directions. While the fire was still far away, the woman shielded her child with her body and covered him with her garments. But as the fire drew ever nearer, she raised her hands to cover her own face and held the child before her as a shield against the flames. Seeing this, the Buddha said, ‘You said that you loved your child. Why, then, do you now hold him out to block the fire and save yourself?’

At that time, the woman cried aloud, ‘Blessed One! Please save me; I have no need of this child!’ The Buddha immediately withdrew his spiritual power, and at once both mother and child became cool and comfortable. Because of this, the woman aroused the aspiration for the unsurpassed, true, and genuine path.

The Buddha said to the woman, ‘You love yourself and you love your child, so why do you personally kill and incite others to kill? You should understand that killing brings an immensely evil karmic result. You will certainly fall into the most painful realm of the Avici Hell, where you will be bound and judged according to the laws of King Yama. What are called the exceedingly severe laws? That King Yama, throughout the six periods of day and night, proclaims that the karmic retribution of killing entails ten evil consequences:

1. Because of the karma of killing, one is repeatedly born in the hells of knife mountains and fiery pits, where bladed wheels slice the body apart, severing every limb and reducing it to eighty-four thousand pieces. In a single day and night, one undergoes six billion births and six billion deaths. At that time, King Yama rebukes the offender, saying, “Because you delighted in killing living beings, you must now endure this suffering. Is this pleasant? You must continue for hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas to repay your debts to others, without ever reaching the end!”

2. Because of the karma of killing, one will certainly be born in the Sword-Forest Hell. There are eighty-four thousand sword-trees there, each eighty-four thousand yojanas high.

Each sword-tree produces eighty-four thousand sword-branches; each sword-branch produces eighty-four thousand sword-flowers; and each sword-flower produces eighty-four thousand sword-fruits. The killer is at once upon the sword-trees, with his heart spread over all their treetops. His other bodily parts are likewise spread throughout the sword forest, each part extending over eighty-four thousand sword-branches, which scrape the bones and draw out the marrow.

Sword-flowers and sword-fruits are everywhere, and his body is crushed as fine as tingli seeds. In a single day and night, he undergoes eighty-four thousand births and eighty-four thousand deaths. Such is the karma of killing.

At that time, King Yama rebukes the offender: “Because you delighted in killing, you must now endure this suffering. What pleasure is there in it? You must still pass through hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas repaying your debts to others, without ever reaching an end.”

3. Through the karma of killing, one falls into the Cauldron of Boiling Water Hell. There are hundreds of thousands of cauldrons of boiling water there, in which the offender’s body is cooked until all the flesh has disintegrated and only the bones remain.

Those bones are then placed upon a copper pillar, whereupon he spontaneously comes back to life. There are also hundreds of thousands of kinds of sharp thorns that transform into iron blades, with which he cuts off his own flesh and eats it, after which he falls back into the cauldron of boiling water. In a single day and night, he undergoes eighty-four thousand births and eighty-four thousand deaths.

At that time, King Yama rebukes the offender: “Because you delighted in killing, you must now endure this suffering. What pleasure is there in it? You must pass through hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas repaying your debts to others, without ever reaching an end.”

4. Because of the karma of killing, one falls into the Iron-Bed Hell. There is an iron bed fifty yojanas square. Sharp iron spikes shoot in from all four sides and pierce the offender’s heart, while a great cart fitted with an iron net rolls over the crown of his head, severing his hands and feet. In a single day and night, he undergoes eighty-four thousand births and eighty-four thousand deaths. Such is the karma of killing. At that time, King Yama rebukes the offenders: “Because you delighted in killing, you must now endure this suffering. What pleasure is there in it? You must pass through hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas repaying your debts to others, without ever reaching an end.”

5. Because of the karma of killing, one falls into the Iron-Mountain Hell. All around the iron mountains are iron caverns, from which fire issues on all four sides.

Five yaksha demons cut the offender’s body into four pieces and cast them into the fire. The four mountains then close together, crushing him as fine as dust. Fire-birds suddenly appear, while birds with iron beaks and iron serpents crawl into the joints of his bones, gnawing the bones and drawing out the marrow.

In a single day and night, he undergoes eighty-four thousand lives and eighty-four thousand deaths. Such is the karma of killing. At that time, King Yama rebukes the offenders: “Because you delighted in killing, you must now endure this suffering.

What pleasure is there in it? You must pass through hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas repaying your debts to others, without ever reaching an end.”

6. Because of the karma of killing, one falls into the Iron-Net Hell. There is a great iron mountain there, one hundred thousand yojanas high.

The hell is filled with molten iron, and an iron net is spread above it. In every mesh of the net are immeasurable and boundless multitudes of insects with iron beaks. They crawl in through the crown of the offender’s head, pierce his bones, draw out his marrow, and then bore through his hands and feet and crawl out.

In a single day and night, he undergoes eighty-four thousand births and eighty-four thousand deaths. Such is the karma of killing. At that time, King Yama rebukes the offenders: “Because you delighted in killing, you must now endure this suffering.

What pleasure is there in it? You must pass through hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas repaying your debts to others, without ever reaching an end.”

7. Because of the karma of killing, one is born in the Red-Lotus Hell. The lotus there has eighty-four thousand petals.

Each petal resembles a flower shaped like a mountain of blades and is five hundred yojanas high. Ten billion sword forests burst into flames simultaneously, while the offender sits at the center and the lotus opens one petal at a time. Whenever a petal opens, the fiery mountains and sword forests burn his flesh and bruise his bones, inflicting pain and suffering in a hundred ways.

When the petals close, hundreds of thousands of mountains of blades cut him apart simultaneously. In a single day and night, he undergoes eighty-four thousand births and eighty-four thousand deaths. Such is the karma of killing.

At that time, King Yama rebukes the offenders: “Because you delighted in killing, you must now endure this suffering. What pleasure is there in it? You must pass through hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas repaying your debts to others, without ever reaching an end.”

8. Because of the karma of killing, one is born in the Hell of Five Deaths and Five Lives. Within that hell is a great mountain, upon whose summit are fifty billion wheels of blades.

Above the wheels of blades is a great water-wheel. The offender in that hell lies upon cold ice, his body spread open like the petals of a flower. The wheels of blades from the five mountains fly toward him from five directions, loudly crying, ‘Live!

Live!’ They divide him into five pieces, bringing five deaths and five lives, and his body is crushed as fine as dust. In a single day and night, he undergoes eighty-four thousand births and eighty-four thousand deaths. Such is the karma of killing.

At that time, King Yama rebukes the offenders: “Because you delighted in killing, you must now endure this suffering. What pleasure is there in it? You must pass through hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas repaying your debts to others, without ever reaching an end.”

9. Because of the karma of killing, one is born in the Forest of Venomous Serpents Hell. Within that hell are immeasurable venomous serpents of red-hot iron, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges.

Each is several thousand yojanas long, and its mouth spews venom like pellets of red-hot iron. These venomous serpents crawl into the offender through the crown of his head and enter every part of his body, while immeasurable other venomous serpents spew poison and breathe fire, burning him. In a single day and night, he undergoes eighty-four thousand births and eighty-four thousand deaths.

Such is the karma of killing. At that time, King Yama rebukes the offenders: “Because you delighted in killing, you must now endure this suffering. What pleasure is there in it?

You must pass through hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas repaying your debts to others, without ever reaching an end.”

10. Because of the karma of killing, one is born in the Hell of Iron Cangues and Iron Chains. In that hell, iron mountains twelve yojanas high serve as cangues; iron pillars sixty yojanas high and nets of fire serve as chains; iron hooks extend for eighty yojanas; and fetters with mouths that spew fire bind the offender.

Iron arrows fall from the sky and strike his heart. The fetters, cangues, and chains transform into copper pellets that enter through his eyes, course through every part of his body, and then emerge through his feet. In a single day and night, he undergoes eighty-four thousand births and eighty-four thousand deaths.

Such is the karma of killing. At that time, King Yama rebukes the offenders: “Because you delighted in killing, you must now endure this suffering. What pleasure is there in it?

You must pass through hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas repaying your debts to others, without ever reaching an end.”

At that time, the Blessed One said to the Venerable Śāriputra: “Because of the karma of killing living beings, one is born in hell and made to undergo suffering. Yet this is only the preliminary retribution; afterward, one will be born as a human and undergo the retribution of frequent illness and a short life. Thereafter, one will again be born among the various sentient beings of the four modes of birth and undergo every kind of suffering, immeasurably and boundlessly many, beyond all calculation.”

What is called the precept against stealing? The precept against stealing is to give material possessions to all sentient beings, apart from one’s own life. Therefore, the Buddhas teach that the precept against stealing is called ambrosia, coolness, and peace and security. Upholding this precept is called the path to heavenly birth, the place where the Way is attained, the robe of nirvana, and the life of liberation. For this reason, the Buddhas praise the practice of not stealing. Not stealing cuts off the cause of becoming a hungry ghost.

Stealing and robbery bring ten kinds of evil retribution:

1. The retribution for stealing and robbery is certain descent into the Hell of the Mountain of Flesh. The neck of a sinner in the Mountain of Flesh Hell resembles a great mountain.

Upon it are hundreds of thousands of heads, and lumps of flesh grow on both sides of every head. Hundreds of thousands of iron dogs emerge from within the mountain, biting savagely, barking thunderously, and fighting over the flesh to devour it. Iron nails pour from the dogs’ mouths, pierce the sinner’s head, pass all the way down through the feet, and emerge outside.

The sinner’s skin is then flayed and stretched over hundreds of thousands of yojanas of iron spikes. His body, skin, and flesh endure torment for eighty-four thousand years. The agony of his heart being cut as though by knives is unsurpassed.

This is called the first retribution for stealing and robbery. At that time, King Yama rebukes the sinners: “Because you delighted in stealing and robbery, you must now undergo this suffering. Is there any pleasure in it?

For hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas, you will have to repay your debts to others, without ever reaching an end.”

2. The retribution for stealing and robbery is birth among the hungry ghosts, with a body of immense stature, measuring about fifty yojanas. When one walks, the noise resembles the movement of five hundred; fire burns within every part of the body, like ten blazing carts.

When hungry, one swallows red-hot iron pellets; when thirsty, one drinks molten copper. The hair is like iron needles and coils around the body. For hundreds of thousands of myriads of years, one undergoes immeasurable suffering, and one’s ears never even hear the names of rice or water.

This is called the second retribution for the offense of stealing. At that time, King Yama rebukes the sinners: “Because you delighted in stealing and robbery, you must now undergo this suffering. Is there any pleasure in it?

For hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas, you will have to repay your debts to others, without ever reaching an end.”

3. The retribution for stealing and robbery is birth in the Freezing Hell. For hundreds of thousands of myriads of years, one continually wears the ice mountains of the eight directions as clothing. Like a lotus blossoming, one devours one’s own flesh, while fiery arrows strike the heart. This is the third retribution for the offense of stealing and robbery. At that time, King Yama rebukes the sinners: “Because you delighted in stealing and robbery, you must now undergo this suffering. Is there any pleasure in it? For hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas, you will have to repay your debts to others, without ever reaching an end.”

4. The retribution for stealing and robbery is birth among the rākṣasas. Among them, the female rākṣasas resemble celestial maidens, while the male rākṣasas have a thousand eyes, iron topknots upon their heads, canine teeth protruding outward, and fire issuing from their ears.

When you steal, your entire body bursts into flame; you drink blood, eat flesh, swallow fire, swallow charcoal, eat pus, and eat dregs. For hundreds of thousands of years, you bear the body of a rākṣasa and suffer boundless anguish. This is the fourth retribution for the offense of stealing and robbery.

At that time, King Yama rebukes the sinners: “Because you delighted in stealing and robbery, you must now undergo this suffering. Is there any pleasure in it? For hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas, you will have to repay your debts to others, without ever reaching an end.”

5. The retribution for stealing and robbery is birth in the Hell of the Iron Deer. Those born in this hell assume the bodies of iron deer, with hundreds of thousands of heads, hundreds of thousands of forelegs, hundreds of thousands of tails, hundreds of thousands of hooves, and hundreds of thousands of layers of skin.

Five hundred koṭis of iron tigers and five thousand koṭis of iron lions flay away their skin. Between every layer of skin, immeasurable iron needles arise like knives and swords, hacking apart their bones and drawing out their marrow. Their suffering is beyond measure.

For hundreds of thousands of myriads of years, they undergo boundless suffering. This is the fifth retribution for the offense of stealing and robbery. At that time, King Yama rebukes the sinners: “Because you delighted in stealing and robbery, you must now undergo this suffering.

Is there any pleasure in it? For hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas, you will have to repay your debts to others, without ever reaching an end.”

6. The retribution for stealing and robbery is birth as a human being. When born human, one undergoes the retribution of having a naked, dark, and ugly body, crossed eyes, and foul breath.

One constantly dwells in prisons, clearing away filthy excrement and being ordered about by kings and officials. Although born as a human, one’s form resembles that of an ox or horse. Fathers do not love their children, and children are not filial toward their fathers; mothers do not love their children, and children are not filial toward their mothers.

For hundreds of thousands of myriads of years, the suffering is beyond measure. This is the sixth retribution for the offense of stealing and robbery. At that time, King Yama rebukes the sinners: “Because you delighted in stealing and robbery, you must now undergo this suffering.

Is there any pleasure in it? For hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas, you will have to repay your debts to others, without ever reaching an end.”

7. The retribution for stealing and robbery is birth in the Great Hell of Sword-Blade Flowers. In that hell are immeasurable and boundless mountains of blades and forests of swords.

The sinners’ bodies are as large as iron vats, measuring five thousand yojanas on each side. The hell wardens drive and trample them as the wind blows upon flowers, causing sword-flower stalks and hundreds of thousands of sword flowers to arise and cut the sinners’ skin into immeasurable pieces, hacking apart their bones and drawing out their marrow as they fall from the sky. They are then reborn upon blade flowers, whose sharp points cut their skin into countless pieces.

Hands again smash the sinners’ bones into countless fragments, draw out their marrow, and cut open their hearts. Though they seek death, they cannot obtain it. The iron mountains on all four sides transform into immeasurable sharp thorns, like great bows and arrows, which simultaneously shoot into their hearts.

For immeasurable koṭis of years, they undergo suffering such as this. This is the seventh retribution for the offense of stealing and robbery. At that time, King Yama rebukes the sinners: “Because you delighted in stealing and robbery, you must now undergo this suffering.

Is there any pleasure in it? For hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas, you will have to repay your debts to others, without ever reaching an end.”

8. The retribution for stealing and robbery is birth in the Great Hell of the Mountain of Fire, where one bears the body of a great beast with hundreds of thousands of heads and carries five hundred fire-monkeys upon one’s back. Holding fiery knives in their hands, they flay the sinners’ skin and cast it upon the mountain of fire.

Fire-dogs emerge from the sinners’ hearts, gnawing their bones and sucking out their marrow. Their bodies resemble heaps of fire, and they run about in all four directions. They run into the flames and can never emerge, undergoing boundless suffering; even though they wish to die, they cannot.

They undergo suffering in this way for hundreds of thousands of myriads of years. At that time, King Yama rebukes the sinners: “Because you delighted in stealing and robbery, you must now undergo this suffering. Is there any pleasure in it?

For hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas, you will have to repay your debts to others, without ever reaching an end.”

9. The retribution for stealing and robbery is rebirth in the great Hell of Nose-Piercing. In the Hell of Nose-Piercing, there are twelve iron hooks that hook the eyes, ears, nose, and tongue.

The prisoners are beaten, their teeth broken, the skin of their faces flayed, and their flesh cut into pieces and stuffed into their mouths. The flesh then turns into great flaming arrows that shoot from their hearts down to their feet. Though the offenders wish to die, they cannot; for hundreds of thousands of years, they undergo such suffering.

At that time, King Yama rebukes the offenders: “Because you delighted in stealing and robbery, you must now endure this suffering. What pleasure is there in it? For hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas, you will have to repay your debts to others, without ever reaching an end.”

10. The retribution for stealing and robbery is rebirth in the Hell of Slicing and Cutting. The offenders in that hell lie upon iron benches while the wardens of hell use knives to strip away their skin and cut out their hearts, yet they never die. For hundreds of thousands of myriads of years, they undergo such suffering. At that time, King Yama rebukes the offenders: “Because you delighted in stealing and robbery, you must now endure this suffering. What pleasure is there in it? For hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas, you will have to repay your debts to others, without ever reaching an end.”

What is called the precept of abstaining from sexual misconduct? The precept of abstaining from sexual misconduct has five meritorious benefits praised by the Buddhas of the past, present, and future. One who abstains from sexual misconduct possesses the dignified bearing of a Buddha, and the body has a fragrance like that of a Buddha. These five merits are:

1. One does not stir the eye-consciousness and does not gaze upon sexually enticing forms. Even if such forms are seen, one regards them as excrement and worms, as a knife piercing the heart, or as fire burning the eyes. The mind does not give rise to fondness. They are severed by impermanence; the eyes are like whirling flames—what is there in them worthy of desire?

2. One does not listen to sexually enticing sounds. Even if such sounds are heard, they do not stir the ear-consciousness or delight the faculty of hearing. Deluded sounds disturb a forest of venomous snakes and are the seeds of craving; they are called the winds of banditry. Arising from the faculty of hearing, erroneous views come forth, like the chanting of yakshas—what is there in them worthy of desire? These are illusory sounds, yet foolish ordinary beings delight in them. Sounds that agitate the faculties are the sounds of the human world. Drifting down the river of delusion and craving with the current of the five desires, one clearly recognizes them as bandits and therefore does not stir the ear-consciousness.

3. When the faculty of smell perceives a fragrance, one should know that this fragrance arises from the eight kinds of wind. Stirred by the wind of delusion, the wind of craving blows forth, and the scents of flowers and other things arise from false perceptions, while deluded inversion falsely takes them to exist. They arise from the nose-consciousness and are then falsely deemed fragrant or called savory. Because the nose-consciousness moves delusively, trees, grasses, and all kinds of flowers are regarded as fragrant. The Tathagata keeps the body collected and therefore does not smell foul odors. Clearly understanding that they are not real, he does not praise fragrant contact.

4. One does not stir the faculty of the tongue, does not speak of worldly benefits, and does not praise sexual desire. The mouth never speaks of the pleasurable sensations of sexual activity. One does not dwell in a hut of deranged delusion, nor does one delight in speaking of pleasurable matters, thereby causing the five bandits of delusion and craving and ignorance to increase. Therefore, the Buddhas do not stir the faculty of the tongue.

5. The mind remains quiescent and unmoving. It does not give rise to thoughts of sexual desire, does not recollect sexual matters, and does not imagine the pleasures of sexual activity. The faculty of the tongue remains unmoved, and lustful consciousness undergoes no change. Like a liberated mind, it abides in a place of stillness, within the city of permanence and bliss, peaceful and secure in the unconditioned. One resolves to study under the Buddha, abides at the ultimate boundary of true suchness, and single-mindedly enters the eighteen great forms of emptiness and the nine kinds of nirvana.

The Buddhas and bodhisattvas have perfected these five virtues; therefore, their bodily forms are pure, they are always born within lotus flowers, their bodies are pure and undefiled, and their minds are likewise luminous and immaculate. Therefore, the Buddhas declare that the precept of abstaining from sexual misconduct is foremost in purity, is unsurpassed merit, and is endowed with five benefits. They praise and extol it as an inexhaustible cause of liberation. Nothing binds more heavily than sexual desire. It is like an old elephant mired in the mud of the five desires; it is the root of every transgression. I shall now speak of the offenses of sexual desire:

Listen single-mindedly, all of you:

Defiled lust corrupts myriad practices,

Submerges meditative concentration,

And blocks the path of liberation.

Good men and good women,

If you wish to seek the path of liberation,

To leave far behind the prison of the three realms,

The fiery pit and river of the five desires,

Boiling waters, flames, and mountains of ice,

And escape the terrors of birth and death,

Guard your minds as do the Buddhas;

You should uphold the precept against sexual misconduct.

If you seek the longevity of celestial beings,

To live for immeasurable kalpas,

To become a Brahma king or a wheel-turning monarch,

Wealthy and endowed with the seven treasures,

Guard your minds as do the Buddhas;

You should uphold the precept against sexual misconduct.

If you wish to behold the Buddhas,

Hear the Dharma and realize the fruit of the path,

Fully attain the six superknowledges,

And journey through the lands of the ten directions,

Guard your minds as do the Buddhas;

You should uphold the precept against sexual misconduct.

Sexual desire has ten calamities. These ten calamities are:

1. Even if a person greedy for sexual desire is born in heaven as Lord Shakra and enjoys the five kinds of sensual pleasure, that person’s mind is like a dog stealing food, perpetually intoxicated and never awakening, submerged in the flowing river of the five desires.

2. Even if a person greedy for sexual desire becomes a king, possessing majestic power and sovereign freedom, that person becomes a slave to sensual attachment and is driven about by others. Though acquiring abundant treasures, that person is like a fire to which more fuel is added, never knowing contentment or satisfaction, bringing harm upon the body, losing the kingdom, and dying only to enter an evil destiny.

3. A person greedy for sexual desire is constantly bound to others, oppressed by the six bandits, and trampled upon the back by the great elephant of impermanence. The mind is like a monkey, unaware of impending dangers. Though about to be consumed by fire, such a person no longer recognizes father, mother, elder and younger brothers, or elder and younger sisters. Like pigs and dogs, such people continually bear their burdens, utterly devoid of shame.

4. A person greedy for sexual desire constantly drinks the impure blood and pus of women. Throughout immeasurable kalpas, such a person repeatedly dwells within the womb, amid the organs of gestation, digestion, and excretion. Various worms use these as clothing and take the female organ as their food and drink.

5. The mind of a person greedy for sexual desire is like a sharp blade, and the eyes are like flaming wheels, cutting off and burning away all the merit within the treasury of practice.

6. When a person greedy for sexual desire enters an assembly of kshatriyas, that person kindles the fire of the fetters and feeds it with the fuel of craving; the lustful intention to seize and plunder is like a rakshasa. When entering an assembly of brahmins, that person feels no shame, but is like an illusionist who displays spectacles both fair and foul and speaks only of impure matters.

When entering an assembly of shramanas, that person does not know to take refuge, but agitates the sensory faculties like glue clinging to grass. The defiling agents of desire encircle the faculty of mind, while the fires of the six senses blaze forth, burning the seeds of goodness and destroying the pure karma of former celibate conduct. The raising of the hands and movement of the feet are like sharp blades, the eyes are like raging fire, and the mouth is like a rakshasa.

Such a person is driven by the fire of lust issuing from every pore throughout the body.

7. A person greedy for sexual desire creates eight kinds of karma: killing living beings; causing living beings to be slain with knives, swords, clubs, and other weapons; bringing men and women together; uttering great falsehoods; drinking intoxicants; praising those who create circumstances for sexual misconduct; and stealing every kind of precious object, piling them up in heaps. Commanded by the mind-king, the eye faculty is like a vicious dog that steals and devours foul and impure things.

8. A person greedy for sexual desire is driven by lust. The mind is like a raging fire and also like a heap of iron that will certainly collapse, destroying pure conduct and inevitably falling into hell.

9. After death, a person given to sexual lust is like a pearl cast from a necklace worn around the neck: that person will certainly fall into the Hell of Red-Hot Copper. The Hell of Red-Hot Copper is seven thousand yojanas square.

It resembles a forest of copper flowers. Beneath it are iron beds, and upon the beds are fiery copper pillars, hundreds of thousands of yojanas high, each shaped with eight facets. Atop each pillar is a mirror, within which there naturally appear forms of women or men.

When lustful persons give rise to delight and their sensual faculties are aroused, fire suddenly blazes forth all at once. The copper flowers turn into great red-hot iron spikes; the copper pillars turn into boiling molten copper and cauldrons of boiling liquid; the iron beds burst into flame; the women turn into dogs, and the men turn into knives. They pursue the sinners, who undergo immeasurable suffering, swallowing red-hot iron balls and drinking boiling molten copper.

They wish to die but cannot. This continues for immeasurable years, their lifespan being one kalpa.

10. Those given to sexual lust cannot encounter a Buddha, just as thick clouds obscure the sky. Because they have violated pure conduct, they will certainly fall into Avici Hell. Their bodies fill the hell, and their lifespan is one kalpa; they roll back and forth throughout an entire kalpa. At that time, King Yama rebukes the sinners: “Because you delighted in sexual desire, you must now undergo this suffering. What pleasure is there in it? For hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas, you will have to repay your debts to others, without ever reaching an end.”

After dying in hell, they are born as pigeons, and afterward as dragons and snakes. Because they defiled pure conduct, for hundreds and thousands of lifetimes they will not encounter a Buddha, hear the true Dharma, or ever attain the Path!

At that time, the Blessed One spoke these verses:

If sexual desire is not utterly severed,

One is forever born among sentient beings.

Ignorance is the root,

And one is cut by the blades of aging and death.

One must endure a forest of venomous snakes,

A foul bag filled with blood.

Like a dung beetle delighting in excrement,

So too are those given to sexual lust.

From the nine orifices pour the flames of desire;

Carnal affection is like a sharp thorn.

Inversion and false views arise,

And through delusion, craving is born.

The entire body of a beautiful woman

Is like a tree flowering and fruiting out of season.

Blown by the winds of inversion,

Its rotten blossoms breed heaps of worms.

A woman is like an earthen jar;

Blood and pus drip down little by little.

When the jar is full, they seep out,

And impurity overflows outside.

Yet upon seeing this impure substance,

The lustful crave it like thieves and dogs.

One should extinguish all craving oneself,

Single-mindedly contemplating impurity,

Drinking only the nectar of immortality,

And dwelling in the great city of nirvana.

The Buddha said to the Venerable Sariputra: “Those who guard their minds and bodies and do not engage in sexual activity; who guard their eyes from looking upon lustful forms; who guard their ears from hearing lustful sounds; who guard their noses from smelling lustful fragrances; and who guard their tongues from tasting lustful flavors—such people are endowed with wisdom and walk the Noble Eightfold Path. Those free from sexual desire, who preserve purity of body and mind, are like lotus flowers unstained by defilement.

They attain the path of stream-entry, the path of once-returning, the path of non-returning, the path of arhatship, the path of a pratyekabuddha, and the unsurpassed great Path. All these paths are attained through freedom from sexual desire and the preservation of purity in body and mind.”

The four kinds of karma belonging to the mouth are: false speech, divisive speech, harsh speech, frivolous speech, and praise of wrong views.

If one can refrain from falsehood

And speaks of the precept against false speech,

Guarding one’s mouth like the mouth of a Buddha

And always speaking truthful words,

That person will be born in heaven,

And the fragrance of their mouth will perfume the devas.

If born in the human world,

They will be adorned with every fragrance,

Like the fragrance of mountains and rivers

Flowing into the river of nirvana.

If one does not speak divisively,

The mind will not be divided in two.

The tongue will be like the tongues of the Buddhas,

With lotus petals covering the face.

Light of five colors

Will issue forth from the tongue.

One will always proclaim the Dharma of Great Beings,

Truly refraining from divisive speech.

One who speaks no harsh words

Is called a great person,

Upright and handsome among humankind,

Whom everyone delights to behold.

The fragrances of sandalwood and every other kind

Belong to one who speaks no frivolous words.

Their mouth sends forth a fragrance

Like the utpala flower.

Wherever they are born, they encounter a Buddha,

For the karma of their mouth is pure.

If one does not praise wrong views

Or speak of deeds rooted in wrong views,

Wherever one is born, one always renounces the household life,

And right livelihood is always complete.

Like a Buddha abiding in nirvana,

All this is attained through truthful speech.

The Buddha said to the Venerable Sariputra: “The four faults of the mouth incur ten great evil karmas. They are as follows:

1. Those who speak falsely and slander others; who say they have heard what they have not heard; who claim to have attained the fruits of the Path when they have not; and who say they have seen what they have not seen—these evil people, even when not afflicted by illness, are like mangy dogs.

Among all devas and humans,

Fierce fire heats iron balls

And burns all people,

Yet such a thief is not the worst.

What, then, is the greatest thief?

There is but one kind of person.

One might rather let sparks of fire

Turn one’s bones into molten copper,

Be swallowed upon the mountain of knives,

Be severed by blades in boiling cauldrons,

And have one’s body beaten into a heap of flames—

Yet that suffering would not be the greatest evil.

False speech is greatly poisonous and harmful;

It burns away all the merit of devas and humans.

One falls into Avici Hell,

Where bladed carts cut off one’s feet.

The tongue becomes a venomous iron snake,

And fire from the mouth burns the great trichiliocosm.

The eyes are like red-hot iron balls;

Boiling liquid rains into enormous cauldrons,

Burning away the roots of every fresh flower.

One will certainly enter the evil destinies

For immeasurable hundreds of millions of thousands of kalpas,

And though wishing to escape, one cannot.

Such a greatly evil person

Has a body entirely like a mountain of fire,

Burning up all goodness.

Those who speak harsh words have mouths that stink like corpses even if they hold perfume within them. Those who delight in speaking of the unwholesome deeds of others emit from their mouths things like sharp thorns, knives, swords, halberds, excrement, urine, worms, and pus. Among devas and humans, no fragrance surpasses kind and skillful speech; throughout the three realms, no stench surpasses harsh speech.

2. Those who speak harsh words emit from their mouths what resembles a rain of iron balls, burning down the homes of others. In a future life, they will fall into a great hell, where red-hot iron burns their bodies and they drink boiling iron. If born in the human world, they will suffer from mange and festering sores. For immeasurable kalpas, they will constantly consume blood and pus, and everything conceived in their minds will be unwholesome and evil.

3. Those who speak divisively are like water and fire. They say that something was done when it was not done. When others perform good deeds and speak truthfully, they declare their words false. When someone has done nothing, they say that person did it. All the people of the world delight in encountering such things. Those who speak in this way will certainly fall into the great evil destinies, where a copper saw cuts their tongues into many thousands of pieces.

4. Those who engage in frivolous speech call what is above below and what is below above. They jest without restraint, speak sarcastically, utter unbeneficial words, speak words that cause harm, utter meaningless words, praise the five sensual desires, and speak without their minds clearly understanding their own words. They speak dark words that stab, confine, and fetter sentient beings as though placing them in stocks. After death, those who receive this evil retribution will fall into the Hell of the Thorn Forest, where hundreds of thousands of iron thorns pierce them and hook their tongues, tearing them into hundreds of thousands of pieces.

5. Praise of wrong views. Those who hold wrong views are like people whose mouths are filled with fire, burning up their roots of goodness. They maintain that there is no father, no mother, no Buddha, no Dharma, no Sangha of bhiksus, no arhat, no pratyekabuddha, no teacher, no companion, and no spiritual benefactor.

Their minds are like violent winds that uproot every tree of wholesome roots. These are the greatest thieves. They declare that there is no cause and no effect; their mouths are like a great river sweeping away the three realms. They indulge in sexual desire without restraint, ridicule their peers, commit offenses of immediate retribution, sever prajnaparamita, and violate the four grave precepts, thereby incurring offenses of immediate retribution. All this arises from wrong views and inverted, evil minds. Perverse winds stir their evil and unwholesome mouths. They are born in Avici Hell, where fiery iron knives cut their tongues.”

Thus, those who speak falsely, utter harsh and evil words, engage in divisive speech, make insinuating remarks, and praise wrong views—although these greatly evil persons dwell in the human realm, their bodies formed from the four great elements and adorned by the five skandhas—one should know that within them, the earth element is precisely the iron mountains, forests of knives, trees of swords, hundreds of thousands of iron thorns, innumerable iron insects, iron-beaked birds of every kind, iron nets, and spiked carts that crush and sever the body.

One should know that the water element is precisely molten copper; innumerable cauldrons of boiling water are precisely red-hot iron pellets; and boiling water and excrement flow through iron rivers into every joint. One should know that the fire element spontaneously blazes within every joint, like a pillar of copper; all the fires arise simultaneously in the six sense faculties, burning and dissolving body and mind, and one falls into the great hell.

One should know that the wind element is like a hailstorm: innumerable forests of knives and hundreds of thousands of sword trees shake the four limbs, arising from the clefts and caverns. One should know that the five skandhas are precisely five bandits, and the eighteen rakshasas are bound within hell. They are the subjects and clansmen of King Yama.

Consciousness is red-hot iron, shaped like molten copper, filling the Avici Hell. Where now are their arrogance and might, the power of their evil speech, their reviling, slandering, and humiliating others?

The Buddha said to the Venerable Shariputra: “Those who utter harsh and evil words, speak falsely, engage in divisive speech, make insinuating remarks, and praise wrong views are not merely the enemies of one person; they are dangerous robbers who prey upon all devas and human beings in the world. Suppose that a powerful and unrestrained band of brigands burned an entire city and killed all sentient beings and all the people throughout the four continents. Would the karmic retribution they must undergo be great or small?”

The Venerable Shariputra replied: “World-Honored One! The offenses incurred by such persons would be as immense as Mount Sumeru and beyond calculation.”

The Buddha said to the Venerable Shariputra: “Although the karmic retribution incurred by such persons is great, it does not equal even the slightest fraction of the immense and weighty retribution resulting from false speech, harsh and evil speech, divisive speech, insinuating remarks, and praise of wrong views. After death, these persons will fall into the great hells and, for immeasurable kalpas, endure boundless suffering. Even hundreds of thousands of Buddhas could not save them. The Buddhas perceive that these persons and those who slander the True Dharma are born together in the hells of the worlds throughout the ten directions and perish together with the hells of the worlds throughout the ten directions. Therefore, the wise must restrain body and speech.”

The Buddha said to the Venerable Shariputra: “Those who uphold these Ten Wholesome Precepts and eradicate the ten evil karmas will, in their highest rebirth, ascend to the heavens and become Brahma Heaven Kings; in their lowest rebirth, they will be born into the human world as Wheel-Turning Kings, teaching and transforming beings through the ten wholesome deeds. They will forever remain far removed from the hells and the three evil destinies, like river waters flowing into the ocean of nirvana. Those who violate the Ten Wholesome Precepts will fall into hell and, throughout immeasurable lifetimes, undergo every kind of affliction and suffering. Shariputra! You should willingly preserve the karman procedure of the Ten Wholesome Precepts and eradicate the ten unwholesome karmas.”

At that time, the Venerable Shariputra and the entire great assembly, having heard the Buddha speak thus, rejoiced and faithfully practiced the teaching.

Notes:

[1] Brahma voice 梵音: the wondrous and pure voice of Buddhas and bodhisattvas; one of the Buddha’s thirty-two excellent marks.

[2] Dharma vessel 法器: a metaphor for a person capable of receiving the teachings.

[3] Right view 正見 (S: Samyag-dṛṣṭi): correct understanding of the principle of the Four Noble Truths, free from the two wrong views of existence and nonexistence. This is one factor of the Noble Eightfold Path.

[4] Right attainment 正受 (S: Samāpatti): a state of meditative concentration attained by becoming free from subsidiary afflictions such as torpor and restlessness, thereby bringing the practitioner’s body and mind into a state of equanimity, peace, and harmony.