Ten Habits, Six Crossings, One Wheel of Rebirth

Sūtra: "Ānanda then rose from his seat, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, and, palms joined in reverence, said to the Buddha: 'Greatly awesome and virtuous World-Honored One, your compassionate voice holds nothing back, and has opened up the subtle, deeply buried confusions of sentient beings, so that my own body and mind today feel light and clear, greatly benefited!'"

Commentary: This gives thanks for the benefit described before. That is, he rose at once from his own seat, bowed his head at the Buddha's own two feet, and, palms joined in reverence, said to the Buddha: "Greatly awesome and virtuous World-Honored One" — since these twelve categories of birth, this distortion and false thought, were all at once dissolved entirely, he is thereby complete with this great awesomeness of subduing delusion; and since these fifty-five stages, this excellent, wondrous principle, were disclosed entirely, holding nothing back, he is thereby complete with this great virtue of gathering beings in. "Your compassionate voice holds nothing back" — "holds nothing back" means without limit, equally to all — this teaching makes no distinction between the near and the distant, and this capacity draws no line between the superior and the inferior. "Has opened up the subtle, deeply buried confusions of sentient beings" means that, through skillful means, he has disclosed to sentient beings this subtle affliction — this being exactly this same confused thought severed within the stage of cultivating the path, its own workings difficult to fully understand, hence "subtle"; and this beginningless, innate ignorance, hence "deeply buried." All of this refutes falseness. Once falseness is refuted, truth manifests of itself; rejoicing that bodhi now has its own share in him, and knowing that nirvāṇa may now be cultivated, from this point on birth and death no longer concern him — hence his body and mind feel light and clear, greatly benefited. This closes the first section, giving thanks for the benefit described before.

Sūtra: "World-Honored One, if this wondrous, bright, true, pure, wondrous mind is originally all-pervading and perfectly complete — extending even to the great earth, the grasses and trees, and every crawling, sentient thing, their original true suchness itself being the very true substance by which the Tathāgata becomes Buddha, that substance of buddhahood being real and genuine — then how can there still be the destinies of hell, hungry ghosts, animals, asuras, humans, and gods? World-Honored One, do these destinies exist inherently, from the very beginning, or do they arise from beings' own false habitual tendencies?"

Commentary: This poses this total question about every destiny, resting first on this same truth: that mind alone is real. World-Honored One, should this same tathāgatagarbha nature, possessed by every sentient being — its substance unchanging, hence "wondrous"; its function according with conditions, hence "bright"; from the very beginning without any falseness, hence "true"; and never, in the end, stained by anything, hence "pure" — complete with these four virtuous marks, hence "wondrous mind" — be originally all-pervading and perfectly complete. This wondrous mind being already so, "extending even to" is a phrase abbreviating what precedes: beyond the four elements, the five aggregates, the sense-faculties, sense-objects, and consciousness, and even beyond empty space itself, extending even to the great earth and the grasses and trees — the world of insentient vessels — and every crawling, sentient thing — the sentient world — all originally, alike, possess this same true suchness, their own nature, exactly this same true substance by which the Tathāgatas of the ten directions become Buddha, without any difference at all.

"That substance of buddhahood being real and genuine" — since this is truly the Buddha's own substance, it certainly ought to be real and genuine — "then how can there still be" these seven destinies, this falseness? ("Etc." here means the destiny of immortals.) World-Honored One, from what cause do all these various destinies exist? Do they exist inherently, from the very beginning, within the substance of true suchness itself? Or do they arise from some false habitual tendency within sentient beings' own minds? Should they exist inherently, from the very beginning, within the substance of true suchness, then these seven destinies ought not to be false at all; and should they arise from some false habitual tendency within sentient beings' own minds, then there would be some dharma existing outside of mind — which does not accord with this present understanding, already awakened to, of this same all-pervading, perfectly complete mind — and it is for this reason that he does not dare simply accept this without further question, and so raises this question.

One might further ask: earlier, Pūrṇamaitrāyaṇīputra asked: "if this is originally pure and so of itself, how does it suddenly give rise to these three kinds of continuity?" And now Ānanda asks: "if the substance of buddhahood is real and genuine, how can there still be these seven destinies, this falseness?" Are these the same question, or different? The answer: the earlier question concerned these three kinds of continuity, arising from "the nature of awareness is necessarily bright; because of this brightness, false awareness is thereby established." This present question concerns the falseness of these seven destinies, arising from the differing degrees of emotion and thought, and so one sees this cycle of rebirth. Should one awaken to what follows, carefully examining these seven destinies, one finds that all of them are nothing but confusion and heaviness, every conditioned mark, false thought receiving birth, false thought following karma — while, within this wondrous, perfect, bright, uncontrived original mind, all of it is, like a flower conjured in the sky, originally without any attachment to hold onto at all; simply this one falseness, with no further root or thread to trace — and so both doubts, this earlier one and this present one, are resolved together. This closes the second section, this total question about every destiny.

Sūtra: "World-Honored One: the bhikṣuṇī Ratnakamalā, who held the bodhisattva precepts yet secretly engaged in sexual misconduct, falsely claiming that such conduct was neither killing nor stealing and so carried no karmic retribution at all — no sooner had she spoken these words than a great fierce fire arose first from her own female organ, and then burned joint by joint through her entire body, until she fell into the unrelenting hell. So too King Virūḍhaka, and the monk Sunakṣatra: Virūḍhaka, for slaughtering the Gautama clan, and Sunakṣatra, for falsely claiming that all phenomena are empty, both sank, in their very living bodies, into the Avīci hell. Are these hells, then, fixed in some definite location? Or does each being's own karma arise naturally, each receiving it individually and privately? I beg only that you, in your great compassion, open the eyes of the untaught, so that all beings who keep the precepts may hear this settled teaching, and, joyfully upholding it, remain scrupulously pure and free of transgression."

Commentary: This is the retribution of lust — citing an actual event to raise this question about the retribution of hell. Addressing him as World-Honored One: the bhikṣuṇī Ratnakamalā upheld the great bodhisattva precepts, and yet secretly engaged in sexual misconduct — already breaking these precepts — and, further, spoke falsely, slandering the precepts themselves, claiming that this misconduct was not the same as killing a life, nor comparable to robbing another of their wealth, but merely a matter of mutual pleasure between two consenting parties, carrying no karma in the present and no fruit of retribution to come either. This private misconduct was itself a breaking of the precepts, and this false claim of no retribution was itself a breaking of correct view; violating the moral law and misleading others, this offense grew all the more severe — and so she came to suffer both the flower-retribution and the fruit-retribution at once, together, in a single moment. "No sooner had she spoken these words than a great fierce fire arose first from her own female organ" — sexual desire belongs to the element of fire, and so her own female organ came to feel this great fierce fire; the force of this karma only intensifying, its retribution allowing for no delay at all. "Then burned joint by joint through her entire body" — as the chapter on Ucchuṣma puts it: it is said that a person given greatly to lust becomes a mass of fierce fire — truly, this is no exaggeration! This flower-retribution alone was insufficient to repay this offense, and so, at the end of her life, her own consciousness fell straight into hell, there to receive this fruit-retribution as well. As the Detailed Commentary puts it: the later text speaks of nine parts emotion to one part thought sinking down through the fire-wheel, the body entering this place where wind and fire cross, lighter cases reborn in one of the interrupted hells, heavier cases reborn in the unrelenting hell itself. Now, this bhikṣuṇī Ratnakamalā, though she claimed that sexual misconduct carried no retribution, still believed that killing and stealing did carry retribution — and this seems to be exactly this case of nine parts emotion to one part thought, her retribution properly belonging to this place where wind and fire cross. Yet, because her breaking of the precepts misled others as well, her offense was of the very gravest kind, and so it is said that she fell into the unrelenting hell itself.

King Virūḍhaka and the monk Sunakṣatra — Virūḍhaka's retribution belongs to anger, and Sunakṣatra's belongs to delusion, wrong view — these, too, are actual events cited to raise this question about the retribution of hell. Together with Ratnakamalā's own secret misconduct above, altogether, lust, anger, and delusion, these three, are the very cause of falling into hell. Living in this world, one cannot afford not to be careful of these; and, all the more, one who cultivates practice ought to guard against them with the utmost severity.

King Virūḍhaka was the crown prince of King Prasenajit, and slaughtered the Gautama clan in order to avenge a single word of insult. This was simply because his own anger grew too strong, and his killing went too far, and so he came to fall into hell. When King Virūḍhaka was young, he went to pay respects to his mother's own family; the Śākyas, at that time, had just built a new lecture hall for the Buddha, magnificently adorned, with a Dharma-seat set up within it — the Buddha not yet having taken his seat there — and yet the young Virūḍhaka went ahead and sat upon it himself. The Śākyas rebuked him, saying: "You, born of a slave-girl — what merit have you, that you would dare sit in this place?" — and drove him out at once. Once outside, the young prince said to his attendant, Bad-Bitterness: "The Śākya clan has insulted me to this degree; once I inherit the throne, you must remind me of this, and I will raise an army to attack them." As for this "born of a slave-girl": King Prasenajit had once sought marriage with the Śākya clan; had they refused him, he feared they might harbor a grudge and attack him; yet, were they to agree, this too was not truly what they wished — and so, in the end, they gave him a servant-girl, raised as though she were a Śākya daughter, and married her to him instead. The prince was born of her, and it was on this occasion that he came to visit his mother's own family. Once he had grown to maturity, he deposed his own father and set himself upon the throne; Bad-Bitterness then came to remind the great king: do you still remember that single word of insult from the Śākya clan? And so he raised an army and attacked the Śākyas.

Maudgalyāyana asked the Buddha to rescue them, yet the Buddha remained silent. Maudgalyāyana then gathered a number of the Śākyas into his own begging-bowl and carried them up into the heavens. Once the great army arrived, they gave themselves over entirely to slaughter. King Virūḍhaka also wished to harm the Buddha; entering to see the Buddha, though, his own hair stood on end with dread. The Buddha then predicted that, after seven days, he would fall into hell. The king, afraid, led his army and set out by boat upon the sea; when the appointed time arrived, fire spontaneously arose from within the water and consumed him entirely. Once the great army had withdrawn, Maudgalyāyana came before the Buddha and said: "At that time, I asked the Buddha to rescue them; because the Buddha remained silent, I gathered them into my own bowl and sent them up to the heavens for safety — and now I have brought them back down again." The Buddha said to him: "Fixed karma cannot be altered — this was never within the power of your own spiritual might to prevent!" Opening the bowl to look inside, they found that all of them had already turned to blood and water.

As for the more distant cause of all this: the Buddha once said that, long ago, in the city of Rājagṛha, there was a pond full of fish; when a drought came and the pond's water dried up, people went into the pond to catch the fish. Among them was a king of the fish, named Fu, and a second named Many-Tongues, hiding themselves in the mud; once the pond's water had dried up, the mud, too, began to stir, and so they, too, were caught. At that time, there was a small boy who took a bamboo pole and playfully struck the fish-king's own head three times. At that time, the one catching the fish was the very same as these Śākyas today; the fish-king Fu was King Virūḍhaka himself; the fish Many-Tongues was Bad-Bitterness himself; and the small boy was the Buddha himself, in that same former life. This account is given in full in the Nirvāṇa Sūtra and in the Sūtra of King Virūḍhaka.

Sunakṣatra is also called Sunakṣatra. As the Āgama states: he was the son of the Buddha's own paternal cousin, or, some say, the son of Devadatta. As the Nirvāṇa Sūtra states: the monk Sunakṣatra drew close to evil companions, lost the fourth dhyāna, and gave rise to evil, deviant views, saying: there is no buddha, and no nirvāṇa; though the Tathāgata has, indeed, expounded the Dharma for my sake, I hold, in truth, that there is no cause and effect at all — this being exactly this same false claim that all phenomena are empty.

As the Detailed Commentary puts it: Virūḍhaka's own rage and slaughter already constitutes a most grave offense, and, further, those he killed were no ordinary people, but the very clan of Gautama himself. Sunakṣatra's false claim that all phenomena are empty is itself this same deviant delusion; and, should he further have stolen offerings for his own support, this would compound it with theft as well. The offenses of these two men, both alike, are of the very gravest kind — and so both, in their very living bodies, fell into hell. The later text states: with pure emotion alone, one sinks straight down, into the Avīci hell — and, should there also be, within that sinking mind, slander of the Great Vehicle, violation of the Buddha's own precepts, false preaching of the Dharma for gain, empty consumption of offerings made in good faith, or unearned acceptance of reverence, one is reborn again and again in Avīci hells throughout the ten directions. Now, Virūḍhaka's own unrestrained slaughter, and Sunakṣatra's own indulgence in falsehood, both seem to be cases of pure emotion, and so both, rightly, sink into the Avīci hell. And, further, Virūḍhaka's own wanton killing, even wishing greatly to harm the Buddha himself, and Sunakṣatra's own false preaching of the Dharma, emptily consuming offerings made in good faith, may, perhaps, also mean that both are reborn again and again in Avīci hells throughout the ten directions as well.

Yet that they fell into hell in their very living bodies is something everyone present alike witnessed. Once fallen there, they are subject in full to these five kinds of uninterrupted retribution: first, uninterrupted in destination and fruit — falling there without passing through any intermediate state at all. Second, uninterrupted in form — whether a single being or many beings, the hell-city is, alike, filled entirely. Third, uninterrupted in instruments of suffering — once one kind of instrument of torment has been used to its full extent, it is at once exchanged for another. Fourth, uninterrupted in life — within a single day, ten thousand births and ten thousand deaths; once one has died from this suffering, a skillful wind blows at once, and one is restored to life again, exactly as before. Fifth, uninterrupted across kalpas — a full great kalpa spent entirely within this one hell; once that kalpa is exhausted, one is sent to be reborn within another hell elsewhere, and, should this offense still not be exhausted after another full kalpa there, one is transferred to yet another elsewhere again.

May I dare to ask the World-Honored One: looking at these three people described above, do these hells possess some single, fixed location — so that, though the karma created by each differs, all alike return to this same place, receiving this same retribution together? Or does each unfold entirely on its own, this karma each gives rise to differing from the next, each receiving its own retribution individually and privately? This question carries two meanings: the first asks about differing karma yet a shared retribution; the latter asks about differing karma and a differing retribution as well — and so, this remaining unclear, this doubt arises. "I beg only that you, in your great compassion, open the eyes of the untaught" — "the untaught," referring to himself, this one directly addressed, ashamed of lacking great wisdom, resembling, in this, an untaught child, earnestly seeking to be opened to correct knowledge and correct view — "so that all beings who keep the precepts may hear this settled teaching," without any longer being caught in hesitation, naturally giving rise to a joyful mind, their own bodies reverently upholding it, all the more careful and pure in their practice, free of any transgression of the precepts at all. This closes the first section, Ānanda's own request.

Sūtra: "The Buddha said to Ānanda: 'Excellent, this question! It will keep beings from falling into wrong views. Listen carefully now, and I will explain.'"

Commentary: The Buddha telling Ānanda that this question is excellent — since this question, so fitting to the matter at hand, arising from the private misconduct, the wrathful and unrestrained slaughter, and the foolish, deluded false speech described above — lust, anger, and delusion, these three, all belong to deviant views — is now, because of this very question, brought fully to light, so that all sentient beings everywhere may be kept from falling into deviant views, and all alike return to the correct path — is this not, indeed, a cause for the deepest joy? "Listen carefully now, with full sincerity, and I will explain for you, distinguishing this matter of hell, its shared and its individual meaning, in full." This closes the first section, praising this question and granting to explain it.

Sūtra: "The Buddha said to Ānanda: 'Excellent, this question! It will keep beings from falling into wrong views. Listen carefully now, and I will explain. Ānanda, all beings are, in their true nature, originally pure — it is only because of false seeing that false habitual tendency arises, and from this, an internal tendency and an external tendency divide off from one another.'"

Commentary: This makes plain that true suchness, according with conditions, gives rise to falseness — this falseness being these seven destinies. Ānanda, these beings of all seven destinies, every sentient being, alike, possesses this same treasury-substance — this being truly, originally, their own inherent true suchness, buddha-nature, this pure, wondrous mind, free of every mixed defilement. Because of that single thought stirring falsely, this false seeing comes to be formed — that is, this present manifestation of ignorance — and so this false habitual tendency is given rise to; that is, this seed of mixed defilement, this habitual seed of ignorance taken as cause, bringing about these seven destinies, this falseness. This is exactly what you doubted: that the substance of buddhahood is real and genuine — how, then, could there be any falseness at all? — precisely this. What follows expounds at length this same falseness, disclosing this teaching on emotion and thought. "And from this, an internal tendency and an external tendency divide off from one another": the internal tendency is what belongs within a being's own body, sinking deeply into attachment; the external tendency is what belongs beyond a being's own body, aspiring toward some superior response. Though these differ in terms of rising or falling, superior or inferior, in every case they amount to nothing but this same false habitual tendency. This closes the first section, arising as falseness from truth, distinguished into internal and external.

Sūtra: "'The internal tendency is what belongs within a being itself: because of every kind of attached love, false emotion arises, and once this emotion accumulates without rest, it gives rise to a kind of "water of love."'"

Commentary: The first sentence marks out this internal tendency's own realm — exactly what belongs within a being's own body. "Because of every kind of attached love" below reveals this internal tendency's own mind: because of these attachments and this love that arise upon this internal realm, this attached love is exactly this same emotion. As is commonly said in the world, joy, anger, grief, happiness, love, hatred, and desire — these are called the seven emotions, love being one among them; yet, altogether, all seven belong to love. Joy is finding accord with what one loves; anger is finding one's beloved encroached upon; grief is losing what one loves; love is following what one loves; hatred is finding one's beloved obstructed; and desire is indulging without restraint in what one loves — all, at root, take this same loving emotion as their basis, and so all, together, belong to love. This attachment first arising upon encountering an object is called attached love; clinging to it, unwilling to let go, is called this false emotion; and, this false emotion accumulating for a long time without rest, it is thereby able to give rise to this water of covetous love.

Sūtra: "'And so a being's mind, recalling some delicacy, produces water in the mouth; recalling a former companion with either affection or resentment, fills the eyes with tears; craving after wealth, produces a covetous drool, the whole body glossy with it; the mind fixed on sexual union, and fluid flows naturally from both the male and female organs. Ānanda, though these attachments differ, this flowing and congealing is the same in every case — being wet and heavy, it does not rise, but naturally falls. This is called the internal tendency.'"

Commentary: Ānanda, though these attachments differ, each of the six sense-faculties differing from the next, this flowing and congealing is the same in every case: flowing means flowing and passing through, as water comes from the mouth, tears fill the eyes, and fluid flows naturally from the male and female organs — all of this being this same water, flowing and passing outward. Congealing means gathering and pooling, the whole body glossy — this being this same water, gathering and pooling within. Whether flowing or congealing, both, in every case, take this same nature of moist wetness as their basis — hence, "the same in every case." Because of this moist wetness, one is thereby unable to rise upward; unable to rise, one inevitably falls — this being simply how things naturally are — hence named the internal tendency. This closes the first section, the internal tendency belonging to emotion, and so falling.

Sūtra: "'The external tendency is what belongs beyond a being itself: because of every kind of yearning aspiration, empty thought comes to light, and once this thought accumulates without rest, it gives rise to a kind of superior vital energy.'"

Commentary: The first sentence marks out this external tendency's own realm — exactly what belongs beyond a being's own body, this superior, wondrous realm. "Because of every kind of yearning aspiration" reveals this external tendency's own mind: unsettled with one's own present kind, this mind resolves to seek escape from it; and, upon suddenly hearing of some superior realm, the mind gives rise to this yearning aspiration, this longing admiration. This yearning aspiration is exactly this same thought; and, this yearning aspiration reaching its utmost, it brings to light every kind of pure, empty thought and recollection. This thought and recollection, accumulated through habit, never resting, this thought reaching its utmost, this spirit taking flight, is thereby able to give rise to this superior vital energy, casting off this same burden of physical form — and this must become the very cause of this same transcendent rising.

Sūtra: "'And so a being's mind, holding to the precepts, feels the whole body light and clear; holding to mantras and mudrās, looks about with a bold, vigorous bearing; wishing to be born in the heavens, dreams of soaring flight; keeping the buddha-lands in mind, finds sacred realms secretly appearing; serving a good spiritual friend, holds their own body and life lightly. Ānanda, though these thoughts differ, this lightness and rising is the same in every case — buoyant and unsinking, it naturally transcends. This is called the external tendency.'"

Commentary: Ānanda, though these thoughts differ, each of these six recollections differing from the next, this lightness and rising is the same in every case; as in a dream, taking flight is this same rising, and each of the other four is likewise light. Whether light or rising, both are accomplished through this same nature of flight and movement — hence, "the same in every case." Being in flight and movement, one does not sink downward; not sinking, one inevitably transcends — this being simply how things naturally are — hence named the external tendency. This closes the first section, gauging emotion and thought according to their accumulated habit.

Sūtra: "Ānanda, the continuity of birth and death throughout the world is such that birth follows the stream of habitual tendency, and death is a reversal of that same stream. At the moment of death, before the body's last warmth has faded, an entire lifetime's good and evil appears all at once, in a single instant. Death runs against the ordinary current of life, and life runs with it — and it is exactly at this crossing point that these two habitual tendencies, of following and resisting, meet and interact."

Commentary: This shows the fruit felt at this moment, making plain that every destiny, however different, amounts to no more than these two causes, emotion and thought — and that it is because of this internal and external emotion and thought, heavier or lighter, that these differences of rising and sinking come to be. Ānanda, every sentient being, throughout this direct retribution of the world, is born and dies, dies and is born, in unbroken continuity, exactly like a wheel of fire turning round, never once resting. "Birth follows the stream of habitual tendency, and death is a reversal of that same stream" means that every sentient being, without exception, clings to life and abhors death: in birth, one follows this same habitual tendency, according with it, creating karma both good and evil; in death, one undergoes this same shifting and turning, taking on some other kind of body. And so, at the very moment life is about to end, the six consciousnesses have already ceased to function, yet the eighth consciousness has not yet departed the body — hence, "before the body's last warmth has faded." Were the eighth consciousness to depart the body, this warmth would, of itself, be entirely spent, and life would already have ended. Now, though, one is about to die and yet has not yet died, the present aggregate-body about to dissolve, the intermediate-state body not yet arisen; and, exactly at this moment, one stands precisely at the point of dreading death and seeking life — regarding death as something to be resisted, and wishing to avoid it; regarding life as something to be followed, and wishing to seek it — and so these two habitual tendencies, of following and of resisting, arise together, crossing one another. And so this entire lifetime's own deeds, every karma both good and evil, according to the weight of one's own emotion and thought, are all, together, felt and transformed, appearing all at once, suddenly, before one. As for the final two clauses: Master Jiaoguang holds that these ought properly to come just beneath "before the body's last warmth has faded" — this present ordering, he suspects, being simply an error introduced in copying and translation.

Sūtra: "As the Avataṃsaka Sūtra puts it: it is like a person about to die, who sees, following their own karma, the very mark of retribution they are to receive. One who has done evil karma sees, at once, hell, hungry ghosts, animals, every realm of suffering there is; one who has done good karma sees, at once, the palaces of the heavens, the heavenly host and its beautiful attendants, every kind of clothing, complete with every adornment, all alike wondrous and fine. Though the body has not yet died, through the power of this karma, one sees things exactly this way. One thus knows that hell and heaven, at root, possess no fixed location at all; though the body has not yet died, this is seen through mind alone, falsely. This closes the first section, the marks that appear at the moment of death."

Sūtra: "One who is pure thought takes flight, and is certain to be born in the heavens above — and if that rising mind is joined with merit, with wisdom, and with a pure vow as well, the mind opens of itself and the buddhas of the ten directions appear, so that one is reborn in any pure land according to one's own vow."

Commentary: "Thought" here means a settled mind contemplating and visualizing, not a scattered, disordered thought. This differs from that same thought spoken of in egg-birth: there, the reference was to this same false, defiled thought at the moment of receiving birth; here, the reference is to this same habitual thought of what is superior and wondrous, cultivated throughout one's own lifetime. Pure thought, this superior, wondrous realm, the spirit roaming beyond the ordinary, and so at once able to take flight, never falling — this must mean being born in the heavens above, taking up residence there. What follows, on pure emotion, is confined only to the very depths of Avīci; this pure thought, though, encompasses every heaven of all three realms — one thus sees that every heaven of these three realms is brought about entirely through this same wholesome karma of a thinking mind.

Should this pure thought within a rising mind be joined, in one's ordinary life, with the cultivation of both merit and wisdom — such as making offerings to the Buddha as meritorious karma, hearing the Dharma as wisdom-karma — and joined, too, with a pure vow — still wishing constantly to follow the Buddha in study, hoping to receive his own prophecy, and further wishing to be reborn there, vowing to behold the Buddha directly. As a rule, when life is about to end, one's own consciousness grows dim, and, gazing toward the ten directions, one sees only something like a gathered mass of ink, dim and obscure, not knowing where to go. Now, though, through this pure thought, together with the power of this merit and wisdom, and the power of this pure vow, the ground of mind naturally opens through, and one beholds the buddhas of the ten directions, every pure land there is — such as Amitābha's own land of bliss in the west, or Bhaiṣajyaguru's own lapis-lazuli land in the east; every direction, all appearing at once, superior and inferior each distinguished — and so one is thereby able to be reborn according to one's own vow. One thus sees that such beings, too, belong to this same pure thought, yet, joined further with merit, wisdom, and the power of vow, thereby surpass every heaven entirely.

Sūtra: "Where there is little emotion and mostly thought, one rises but not far, becoming a flying immortal, a powerful ghost-king, a flying yakṣa, or an earth-walking rākṣasa, roaming freely through the four heavens without obstruction —"

Commentary: Next, this properly discusses this mixed thought. "Little emotion and mostly thought" means that this superior thought is not entirely pure, mixed with a small trace of subtle emotion — and so, though able to rise lightly, this does not reach very far, since, vertically, it does not surpass the four heavens, and, horizontally, it does not go beyond the ring of iron mountains that bounds this world.

"Becomes a flying immortal" and what follows ought properly to be divided into four classes: this first ought to correspond to nine parts thought and one part emotion, as with the class of flying immortals described later. "A powerful ghost-king" ought to correspond to eight parts thought and two parts emotion, as with the class of mountain deities. "A flying yakṣa" ought to correspond to seven parts thought and three parts emotion, as with the class of ghost-commanders. "An earth-walking rākṣasa" ought to correspond to six parts thought and four parts emotion, as with the class of mountain and wilderness spirits. Yet this path of ghosts and spirits contains both the good and the evil: the evil are devoted solely to bringing calamity, and belong properly to the class of ghosts; the good are able, as well, to bring blessing, and extend also into the path of immortals — these powerful ghosts and spirits, spoken of here in terms of those able to bring blessing — all alike able to fly and soar, roaming through the four heavens, coming and going entirely without obstruction.

Sūtra: "— and among these, any who hold a good vow and good intention to protect this Dharma of mine, whether guarding the precepts and accompanying those who keep them, or guarding mantras and accompanying those who hold them, or guarding meditative concentration and preserving the forbearance of the Dharma, dwell in close attendance right beneath the Tathāgata's own seat."

Commentary: "Among these" refers to among these four classes above: should any give rise to a good vow and hold a good mind, wishing to protect and uphold the Buddha-dharma. "Or guarding the precepts, accompanying those who keep them" — such as the good spirits who guard the precepts, present at the ordination platform; "or guarding mantras, accompanying those who hold them" — such as the hundred numinous beings in this present sūtra who guard this mantra; "or guarding meditative concentration," and accompanying those who cultivate meditation, preserving and settling this forbearance of the Dharma — such as the good spirits who guard stillness, present within the meditation hall; should one, in meeting demonic obstruction while sitting in meditation, find the Dharma one has attained unable to be confirmed and accepted, these spirits now protect and settle this. Such as these dwell in close attendance right beneath the Tathāgata's own Dharma-seat. This makes plain those who carry some trace of deviant emotion, yet still hold a good vow. And so the assembly of the eight kinds of divine beings, though possessing a ghost or spirit body, are able to draw close to the Buddha, and receive the Buddha's own prophecy. This closes the first section, rising without falling.

Sūtra: "Where emotion and thought are equal, one neither rises nor falls, and is born among human beings — clarity of thought bringing intelligence, and murkiness of emotion bringing dullness."

Commentary: This is exactly five parts emotion and five parts thought, precisely equal to one another. Neither rising nor falling: because of these five parts emotion, one is unable to rise upward, and so does not reach as far as the immortals, ghosts, and spirits above; and because of these five parts thought, one does not sink downward either, and so does not fall among hell and the other two lower destinies below. Standing balanced between these two pillars, one thereby comes to be born amid this human world.

"Clarity of thought bringing intelligence, and murkiness of emotion bringing dullness" speaks of this total retribution: because of possessing these five parts thought, this substance of thought is clear and penetrating, and so one has this same sharp intelligence — such as awareness, reflection, and understanding, able to reason out both principle and affairs, superior to those of the lower destinies. And because of possessing these five parts emotion, this substance of emotion is murky and shut in, and so one has this same dull obscurity — such as lacking any spiritual power, unable to take flight, inferior to those of the higher destinies. This closes the second section, neither rising nor falling.

Sūtra: "Where there is much emotion and little thought, one flows down into the realm of creatures born sideways — heavier, becoming one of the furred kind; lighter, one of the feathered kind."

Commentary: This is falling into the animal realm. Attached emotion is much, and superior thought is little — this is imbalance. Emotion, the greater portion, makes six parts emotion; thought, the lesser portion, makes four parts thought — flowing down into this realm of creatures born sideways. Yet these creatures born sideways further divide into two classes: should the body be heavier, one becomes one of the furred kind, a running beast, one of those that walk the earth; should the body be lighter, one becomes one of the feathered kind, a bird, one of those that fly through the sky.

Sūtra: "Where there are seven parts emotion to three parts thought, one sinks down through the water-wheel, reborn at the very edge of fire, taking on the nature of fierce flame, the body becoming that of a hungry ghost, forever scorched by burning, harmed even by water, without food or drink for a hundred thousand kalpas."

Commentary: This is becoming a hungry ghost. Seven parts emotion, three parts thought, sinks down beneath the water-wheel, is born at the very edge of the fire-wheel, receives this same portion of fierce fire, this energy congealing into form. "The body becomes that of a hungry ghost, forever scorched by burning" is because of receiving this portion of fierce fire. "Harmed even by water" is because water itself is seen transformed into fire — water, in turn, becoming able to harm oneself. This is simply how karmic power brings this about, shifting according to one's own consciousness: just as a heavenly being sees water as crystal, and a fish or nāga sees water as its own dwelling-cave, and a human sees water as water, so a hungry ghost sees water as fire. And so, without food or drink, across a hundred thousand kalpas, one constantly undergoes this suffering of hunger and thirst.

Sūtra: "Where there are nine parts emotion to one part thought, one sinks down through the fire-wheel entirely, the body passing through the place where wind and fire cross — lighter, into one of the interrupted hells; heavier, into the unrelenting hell itself."

Commentary: This is falling into hell. "Nine parts emotion, one part thought" briefly takes the lighter to indicate the heavier, since, knowing the heavier, the lighter is known as well — the text here omitting the case of eight parts emotion, two parts thought. Thought is now less than before, and so one is all the more unable to rise; emotion is now more than before, and so one sinks all the further down. Before, one was at the very edge of fire; now, one passes through even this edge of fire, sinking down through the fire-wheel entirely — "sinking through" here carrying the sense of passing all the way through it. "The body enters this place where wind and fire cross" means that this same body, falling into hell, enters this place where the wind-wheel and the fire-wheel cross one another. Within this place, both the interrupted and the unrelenting exist together: as with eight parts emotion, two parts thought, this being the lighter offense, one is born in one of the interrupted hells; and as with nine parts emotion, one part thought, this being the heavier offense, one is born in the unrelenting hell itself — these being these two kinds of hell. Yet this "unrelenting" here speaks only in terms of undergoing suffering within hell itself, not in contrast to that Avīci hell spoken of below — since, possessing only these nine parts emotion, this offense has not yet reached its very gravest extreme; and, still possessing this one part thought, this root of goodness has not yet been entirely severed either.

Sūtra: "And where there is pure emotion alone, one sinks straight down into the Avīci hell — and if, within that sinking mind, there is also slander of the Great Vehicle, violation of the Buddha's own precepts, false preaching of the Dharma for gain, empty consumption of offerings made in good faith, or unearned acceptance of reverence, along with any of the five heinous or ten grave offenses, one is reborn again and again in Avīci hells throughout the ten directions."

Commentary: Pure emotion, without any thought at all, only falling, never rising, and so, at the very moment life comes to an end, one sinks straight down into the Avīci hell. The Sanskrit word Avīci is here translated "without interval" — differing from what came before — being exactly that place into which those of the very gravest offense fall. According to the Abhidharma-samuccaya, this is briefly explained through five kinds of "without interval": first, without interval in destination and fruit, since one takes on this body at once, without passing through any intermediate state; second, without interval in receiving suffering, since there is no joy in between at all; third, without interval across time, since a full kalpa is fixed and unbroken; fourth, without interval in life, since it does not cease in between; and fifth, without interval in form, whether one being or many beings, the body's own form filling this place completely, spreading across eighty thousand yojanas, in every case.

"Within that sinking mind" refers exactly to this mind of pure emotion, together with its accompanying offenses. There may be slander of the Great Vehicle, as with the greatly arrogant brāhmaṇa and others; violation of the precepts, as with Ratnakamalā and others; false preaching of the Dharma, as with the monk Sunakṣatra and others; and further, without any true practice at all, emptily consuming the wealth and resources offered in faith; without any true virtue at all, unjustly accepting the reverence of the fourfold assembly; and, further still, the five heinous and ten grave offenses, with no karma left uncommitted — such that this one original hell is insufficient to repay it, and so it is said: "reborn again and again in Avīci hells throughout the ten directions."

Sūtra: "As the Lotus Sūtra puts it: when such a person's life ends, they enter the Avīci hell, remaining there a full kalpa; once that kalpa is exhausted, they are reborn once more in the Avīci hell of some other world of the ten directions — turning, in this way, from one to the next, across kalpas beyond all counting. As the Sūtra of Kṣitigarbha puts it: falling into the unrelenting hell, there is no set time by which one may hope to emerge; and, when this present world itself is destroyed, one is sent to be reborn within some other world instead — both alike carrying this same meaning. This closes the second section, showing, specifically in terms of the moment of death, this rising and falling."

Sūtra: "Following whatever evil karma one has created, though this is indeed self-invited, within this shared portion of a common destiny, there is, at the same time, this same original ground."

Commentary: This concludes the answer to this earlier question. That is, do these hells possess some fixed location, or does each unfold entirely naturally, this karma each gives rise to differing from the next, each receiving its own retribution individually and privately? The answer now given is this: every sentient being, following whatever evil karma they themselves have created, though this is indeed brought about and felt through their own karma, still comes back to themselves to be received — exactly as the Confucian classics put it: calamity brought about by heaven may still be escaped, but calamity brought about by oneself cannot be survived at all. And yet, what is felt in common by the many, within this shared hell of common destiny, is joined, at the same time, to this same original, fixed location — this concluding the answer that, though karma differs from one being to the next, its retribution is shared in common, and one cannot say that this is a matter with no part in oneself at all. As it is with hell, so it is, alike, with every destiny. This closes the first section, briefly showing emotion and thought as the very root and cause of rising and falling.

Sūtra: "Ānanda, all of this — these are all what these very beings, of their own accord, have brought about through their own karma, creating ten habitual causes and receiving six cross-referenced retributions."

Commentary: The section above briefly showed emotion and thought as the very root and cause of rising and falling; this present section shows, in detail, that this rising and falling carries its own differences of cause and fruit. Hence, addressing Ānanda, the Buddha tells him: this retribution of rising and falling, felt through emotion and thought, is, in every case, brought about and summoned through these very beings' own karma. Were there no such karma of their own, then, though hell may originally exist, who could ever be driven to enter it? This carries forward what precedes; what follows now sets forth what comes next: creating the karmic cause of these ten habits, and receiving the karmic fruit of these six crossings. Though cause and fruit are spoken of separately here, in meaning they are, in truth, mutually inclusive of one another — for wherever there is a cause, there must be a fruit, and this fruit never departs from its cause. This closes the first section, carrying forward what precedes and setting forth what follows.

Sūtra: "What are these ten causes? Ānanda, first, the habit of lust, in its mutual contact, arises from mutual friction; this grinding, unceasing, gives rise to a great fierce blaze of fire stirring within it — just as, when a person rubs their own hands together, a sensation of warmth appears. The two kindle one another, and so there come to be beds of iron and pillars of copper. This is why every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in describing sexual misconduct, alike calls it 'the fire of desire' — and why bodhisattvas regard desire exactly as they would a pit of fire, to be avoided at all costs."

Commentary: The first sentence poses this total question, situated here as an introduction. "Ānanda, first, the habit of lust" onward, then, distinguishes and explains each of these ten causes in turn, making plain how these ten habits — lust, greed, arrogance, anger, deceit, fraud, grudges, wrong views, false accusation, and litigation — come to be summoned. Since these are called "habits," they are exactly this same karmic cause; the six retributions that follow belong properly to this bitter fruit. Yet greed, arrogance, and the rest still carry the name of delusion as well, and so ought properly to be understood as combining both delusion and karma together — hence called "habits." A habit possesses both a seed-habit and a manifest habit: the seed-habit is this same seed, belonging to delusion; the manifest habit is this same manifestation, belonging to karma — and it is because this seed gives rise to this manifestation that every karma comes to be created.

Ānanda, first, the habit of lust, in its mutual contact: lust is the very foremost of every evil, the very root of birth and death; every sentient being, without exception, takes sexual desire as the very basis of their own life. And so it is listed here first. From some former life, this desire blazed fiercely, and its habit still remains, manifesting now in present activity; this must require an inward faculty and an outward object, male and female in mutual contact, before this karma can be formed. "Arises from mutual friction" means that a defiled mind comes together with another, each rubbing against the other, seeking pleasure ever more deeply; this grinding, unceasing, and so one's own essence and blood are, through this, worn away and dissipated. Lust accumulated becomes fire, and so there comes to be a great, fierce blaze of fire, stirring within one's own mind — this being a preview, already appearing, of this same mark of hell. That, at death, this summons this same karmic fire, one may readily infer from this alone. "Just as, when a person rubs their own hands together, a sensation of warmth appears" offers this as an illustrative proof: just as, should a person, for no reason at all, rub their own two palms together, this same sensation of warmth would duly appear — this is exactly the same.

"The two kindle one another, and so there come to be beds of iron and pillars of copper." These two habits refer to the seed-habit and the manifest habit together — like dry firewood meeting flame, the seed-habit still remaining even as the manifest habit intensifies further, each kindling the other in turn. And so, at the end of life, one comes to feel these various matters of the iron bed and the copper pillar. For that earlier great, fierce blaze of fire, stirring within, was only the first budding of this same hell-mark within the mind; this iron bed and copper pillar are the very accomplishment of this same karmic fruit within the mind. According to the Sūtra on the Samādhi of Buddha-Visualization, the copper-pillar hell contains a single copper pillar, shaped like a mountain of fire, six hundred yojanas in height, with fierce fire below it, and, atop this fire, an iron bed, and, above that, a wheel of blades, with iron-beaked worms and birds interspersed throughout. Whoever destroys the moral order, corrupts moral transformation, or commits impure acts at the wrong time or in the wrong place, is, at the end of life, born atop this copper pillar, its fierce flame blazing, burning their own body; terrified, they look down and see, upon the iron bed, a beautiful woman — or, should they themselves be a woman, a handsome man — and, the mind giving rise to love and attachment, they descend from the copper pillar down onto the iron bed, and, the moment their own male or female organ makes contact, fire arises at once from both, and iron-beaked worms enter through the male or female organ and emerge from it again — in a single day and night, undergoing nine hundred million births and nine hundred million deaths. Observing this, one thus knows that the suffering of this retribution of lust is, in every case, manifested through mind alone.

"This is why every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in describing sexual misconduct, alike calls it 'the fire of desire' — and why bodhisattvas regard desire exactly as they would a pit of fire, to be avoided at all costs." Because of the harm caused by this habit of lust, every Tathāgata of the ten directions — describing it to others is called "describing"; observing it in themselves is called "seeing" — with one voice, though speaking in different tongues, alike name it "the fire of desire." The harm of this fire of desire is graver even than a raging flame — whoever meets it inevitably loses their own body and life. Bodhisattvas, seeing this realm of sexual desire, keep their distance and avoid it entirely, exactly as they would a pit of fire. As the Precious Mirror Commentary puts it: for this very reason, every buddha alike reproves it — one ought truly to engrave this upon one's very bones; and every bodhisattva alike avoids it — how could the heart not tremble at this! Alas! That desire should be a fire so poisonous as this — may every wise man and woman take heed, and never imitate the moth that flings itself against the lamp. This closes the first section, the habit of lust.

Sūtra: "Second, the habit of greed, in its mutual scheming, arises from mutual suction; this drawing in, without ceasing, gives rise to accumulated cold and solid ice, freezing bitterly within it — just as, when a person draws breath in through the mouth, a sensation of cold arises. The two overwhelm one another, and so there come to be the sounds of chattering teeth, chapped and bleeding lips, and lotuses blue, red, and white, together with ice and frost. This is why every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in describing excessive craving, alike calls it 'the water of greed' — and why bodhisattvas regard greed exactly as they would a miasmic sea, to be avoided at all costs."

Commentary: Greed is one of the six root afflictions, belonging properly to delusion; called a "habit" here because, from a former life, greed was excessive, its seed-habit still remaining, now manifesting in present activity, this manifest habit added further still, each scheming against the other, each calculating against the other, before this karma can be formed. "Arises from mutual suction" means drawing in from one another, in order to satisfy one's own private wish. "This drawing in, without ceasing" means that, because of this greed, never satisfied, this pursuit never resting, there comes to be accumulated cold and solid ice, freezing bitterly within it. This mind of greed belongs to water, and this act of drawing in belongs to wind; when water meets wind, it inevitably accumulates cold and congeals into solid ice, this same mark of bitter freezing already previewed within one's own mind. "Just as, when a person draws breath in through the mouth, a sensation of cold arises" offers this as an illustrative proof: just as, should a person open their mouth wide and draw in breath, a sensation of cold would still arise from this alone — this is exactly the same.

"The two overwhelm one another, and so there come to be the sounds of chattering teeth, chapped and bleeding lips, and lotuses blue, red, and white, together with ice and frost." These two habits mean that the seed-habit still remains even as the manifest habit intensifies further, this drawing-in of greed growing ever more severe — hence, "overwhelm one another." And so, at the end of life, one's own consciousness comes to feel these matters — the sounds of chattering teeth, chapped and bleeding lips, and lotuses blue, red, and white, together with ice and frost. These sounds of chattering teeth and chapped, bleeding lips are all cries of suffering, uttered by those tormented by cold within hell; and these lotuses blue, red, and white are all the very color and shape of those frozen and split open by this same bitter cold within hell — these being the first six of the eight cold hells. According to other sūtras, there are, further, the hells of blistered sores, where the cold splits the flesh into open sores, and of flesh torn from the bone, where the very joints come apart entirely — these being the last two of these eight cold hells, all included here under "ice and frost, and the like." The earlier accumulated, solid ice, freezing bitterly within, was only the first budding of this same hell-mark within the mind; this present sound and appearance of this same cold, oppressing one, now manifest before one, is the very accomplishment of this same karmic fruit.

"This is why every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in describing excessive craving, alike calls it 'the water of greed' — and why bodhisattvas regard greed exactly as they would a miasmic sea, to be avoided at all costs." Because of the harm caused by this habit of greed, every Tathāgata of the ten directions — describing it to others is called "describing"; observing it in themselves is called "seeing" — with one voice, though speaking in different tongues, this drawing-in and excessive craving alike named "the water of greed." That is, the harm caused by greed surpasses even poisoned water — whoever drinks it inevitably suffers a rotted intestine and a decayed stomach. Bodhisattvas, seeing this realm of covetous love, none fail to keep their distance from it, exactly as they would avoid a miasmic sea. A miasma is a pestilential vapor, found in every hot region of mountain and sea; should a person, unaware, mistakenly breathe in this vapor, they at once contract malarial fever, and so come to lose their own life. This closes the second section, the habit of greed.

Sūtra: "Third, the habit of arrogance, in its mutual encroachment, arises from mutual self-reliance; this racing current, never resting, gives rise to a surging, unrestrained flood — this accumulated surge becoming water — just as, when a person's own tongue presses against the roof of the mouth, savoring this again and again, saliva is thereby produced. The two beat upon one another, and so there come to be rivers of blood, rivers of ash, scorching sand, poisonous seas, and molten copper poured down the throat. This is why every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in describing self-conceit, alike calls it 'drinking the water of delusion' — and why bodhisattvas regard arrogance exactly as they would a great flood, to be avoided at all costs."

Commentary: Arrogance, too, is one of the six root afflictions, belonging properly to delusion; called a "habit" here because, from a former life, arrogance was excessive, its seed-habit still remaining, now manifesting in present activity, this manifest habit added further still, each encroaching upon the other in turn — each mutually encroaching and overstepping the other, before this karma can be formed. "Arises from mutual self-reliance" means relying on one's own great and honored lineage, one's own power and abundant wealth, exalting oneself and demeaning others, this nature rising ever higher, this mind racing ever upward, never knowing when to stop. Now, self-conceit belongs to mountain, and this racing current belongs to water; where mountain stands and water races, this inevitably surges and floods. And so there comes to be this surging, unrestrained, racing flood, this same mark of accumulated surge becoming water, already previewed within one's own mind! "Just as, when a person's own tongue presses against the roof of the mouth, savoring this again and again, saliva is thereby produced" offers this as an illustrative proof: just as, should a person press their own tongue against the roof of the mouth, working this savor back and forth upon it, saliva would still, thereby, be produced — this is exactly the same.

"The two beat upon one another, and so there come to be rivers of blood, rivers of ash, scorching sand, poisonous seas, molten copper poured down the throat, and other such matters." These two habits mean that the seed-habit still remains even as the manifest habit intensifies further, this current of arrogance growing ever more severe — hence, "beat upon one another," meaning stirred and churned, encroaching and overstepping. And so, at the end of life, one comes to feel this retribution of these rivers of blood and the rest. As the Consecration Commentary puts it: this hell contains two mountains; the offender, running in between them, finds the two mountains suddenly close together, as though pressed beneath a grinding-stone, flesh and blood flowing everywhere, like a great river or sea, this blood-water surging and boiling, tens of thousands of men and women rising and sinking within it. As for this river of ash: as the Sūtra of Different Manifestations of the Scriptures and Vinaya puts it: the river-of-ash hell, in length, breadth, and depth, measures five hundred yojanas, its ash and hot water surging and boiling; the offender, entering this river, is pierced by iron thorns, pus and blood flowing out, suffering in every conceivable form. As for this scorching sand: as the Consecration Sūtra puts it, this is exactly the black-sand hell, where a fierce, hot wind suddenly rises, blowing hot, black sand that clings to the offender, burning through skin and bone alike. I would say, further, that speaking only of scorching sand does not, of itself, carry this sense of water; perhaps this ought to be read together with the poisonous sea that follows — this sea boiling with scorching sand, drowning the offender within it, this suffering and poison beyond all measure. As for this molten copper poured down the throat: as the Sūtra of Kṣitigarbha's Fundamental Vows puts it: molten copper is poured into the mouth, and burning iron is poured over the body, ten thousand deaths and ten thousand rebirths, passing through koṭis of kalpas in this way — all of this being drawn together, through this same kind of correspondence, and, since there are yet further such matters besides, gathered together under this word "and the rest." That earlier surging, unrestrained flood, this same accumulated surge becoming water, was only the first budding of this same hell-mark within the mind; this present river of blood, river of ash, molten copper poured down the throat, and every such matter, is the very accomplishment of this same karmic fruit.

"This is why every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in describing self-conceit, alike names it 'drinking the water of delusion' — and why bodhisattvas regard arrogance exactly as they would a great flood, to be avoided at all costs." Because of the harm caused by this habit of arrogance, every Tathāgata of the ten directions names this single matter of self-conceit "drinking the water of delusion." In the Western Regions, there is said to be a certain water that, once drunk, brings on delusion and confusion, overturning the mind entirely — resembling the "spring of greed" at Ling Hai, or the "spring of muteness" in Yunnan and Guizhou. And bodhisattvas see this same arrogance within their own mind — not the arrogance of another; every case that follows should be understood the same way. "Exactly as they would a great flood": the vast ocean, its mighty waves, drowning one utterly, escape all but impossible — one of wisdom cannot but keep the strictest distance from it. This closes the third section, the habit of arrogance.

Sūtra: "Fourth, the habit of anger, in its mutual clashing, arises from mutual defiance; this defiance, knotted and unresolved, heats the mind and gives rise to fire, forging this vital energy into metal — and so there come to be mountains of blades, iron stakes, forests of swords, wheels of blades, axes, halberds, spears, and saws — just as, when a person nurses a grievance, a murderous impulse flares and stirs. The two strike against one another, and so there come to be castration, beheading, cutting, piercing, clubbing, and beating. This is why every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in describing wrath, alike calls it 'a sharpened blade' — and why bodhisattvas regard anger exactly as they would execution itself, to be avoided at all costs."

Commentary: Anger, too, is one of the six root afflictions, belonging properly to delusion; called a "habit" here because, from a former life, anger was excessive, its seed-habit still remaining, now manifesting in present activity, this manifest habit added further still, each clashing with the other in turn — each mutually clashing and colliding, before this karma can be formed. "Arises from mutual defiance" means defying and encroaching upon one another. This defiance and encroachment, knotted into resentment, never resting; unable to take revenge, this then gives rise to a mind of anger — anger being this same fire within the mind, hence, "heats the mind and gives rise to fire" — forging the very breath of the lungs into metal, and so there come to be mountains of blades, iron stakes, and every such matter. A mountain of blades is blades gathered into a mountain; an iron stake — as the Standard Meaning Commentary notes, a stake here means a club; a forest of swords is swords set upright like trees; a wheel of blades is blades gathered into a circle; an axe belongs to the chopping class; a halberd is gold-adorned, an ornamented axe; a spear belongs to the stabbing class; and a saw belongs to the cutting class — all of this, this same mark of murderous impulse, already previewed within one's own mind! "Just as, when a person nurses a grievance, a murderous impulse flares and stirs" offers this as an illustrative proof: just as, should a person in this world nurse a grievance, wishing to take revenge, one could observe, in their very countenance, this murderous impulse already flaring and stirring — this is exactly the same.

"The two strike against one another, and so there come to be castration, beheading, cutting, piercing, clubbing, and beating, and every such matter." These two habits mean that the seed-habit still remains even as the manifest habit intensifies further, this defiance of anger growing ever more fierce, striking against one another all the more, thought after thought fixed on killing. And so, at the end of life, one's own consciousness comes to feel these matters of castration, beheading, cutting, piercing, clubbing, and beating. As the Detailed Commentary puts it: castration means cutting off the very organ, hence, "castration"; beheading means severing the very head, hence, "beheading"; cutting means breaking apart the very body; piercing means running the body through; clubbing means flogging the very back; and beating means striking the very buttocks — all of this simply drawn from the punishments used in this world. The earlier heating of the mind, giving rise to fire, forging this vital energy into metal, giving rise to mountains of blades, iron stakes, and the rest, was only the first budding of this same hell-mark within the mind; this present array of every such punishment, now manifest before one, is the very accomplishment of this same karmic fruit.

"This is why every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in describing wrath, alike names it 'a sharpened blade' — and why bodhisattvas regard anger exactly as they would execution itself, to be avoided at all costs." Because of the harm caused by this habit of anger, every Tathāgata of the ten directions names this single matter of wrath "a sharpened blade" — to touch it is to die at once. And bodhisattvas, seeing this realm of wrath and anger within their own mind, ought swiftly to keep their distance from it — exactly as one would flee from execution by heaven's own decree, not daring to risk it. This closes the fourth section, the habit of anger.

Sūtra: "Fifth, the habit of deceit, in its mutual enticement, arises from mutual coaxing; this leading-on, never resting, gives rise to ropes and beams, bindings and cangues — just as water, seeping into a field, makes grass and trees grow, unnoticed and unknown. The two extend one another, and so there come to be manacles, fetters, cangues, chains, whips, rods, cudgels, and staves. This is why every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in describing cunning fraud, alike calls it 'a slandering thief' — and why bodhisattvas fear deceit exactly as they would a jackal or wolf."

Commentary: Deceit is a minor derivative affliction, this same flattery. Called a "habit" here because, from a former life, one grew accustomed to flattery and deceit, its seed-habit still remaining, now manifesting in present activity, this manifest habit added further still, coaxing and luring one another in turn, in order to accomplish this karma. "Arises from mutual coaxing" means that, flattering and deceitful, insincere, each deceives the other, arising from this mutual coaxing, each making a fool of the other in turn; and so this mind is led on, unwilling to stop, this karma created without rest, and so this art of flattery and deceit grows ever more elaborate, ever more strange, able to draw a person in, unaware and unknowing, straight into its own trap. And so there come to be ropes and beams, bindings and cangues: binding with rope means binding and knotting it, so that it cannot be undone; confining with beam means confining and boxing it, so that it cannot escape — this, too, already previewing, within one's own mind, this same mark of hell. "Just as water, seeping into a field, makes grass and trees grow, unnoticed and unknown" offers this as an illustrative proof: just as, in this world, water seeping into a field is able to make grass and trees grow, unnoticed and unknowing, of their own accord — this is exactly the same.

"The two extend one another, and so there come to be manacles, fetters, cangues, chains, whips, rods, cudgels, and staves, and every such matter." These two habits mean that the seed-habit still remains even as the manifest habit intensifies further, this flattery and deceit growing ever worse, drawing one another on further still. And so, at the end of life, one's own consciousness comes to feel manacles upon the hands, fetters upon the feet, a cangue about the neck, and chains about the throat — fetters and cangues both being this same confining beam; as the Book of Changes puts it, "wearing the cangue that covers the toes" and "bearing the cangue that covers the ears" refer to exactly this same thing. Upon the body, one undergoes whipping, rods, cudgels, and staves — the whip belonging to the lashing class, the rod to the switching class, the cudgel to the beating class, and the staff to the clubbing class. The earlier ropes and beams, bindings and cangues, was only the first budding of this same hell-mark within the mind; this present array of manacles, fetters, cangues, and chains, is the very accomplishment of this same karmic fruit.

"This is why every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in describing cunning fraud, alike names it 'a slandering thief' — and why bodhisattvas fear deceit exactly as they would a jackal or wolf." Because of the harm caused by this habit of deceit, every Tathāgata of the ten directions names this same cunning fraud and insincerity "a slandering thief" — for slanderous words, coaxing one in, surpass even a common thief; whoever meets with it loses their entire household and fortune, without exception. Bodhisattvas, seeing this deceit within their own mind, fear it as they would a jackal or wolf. The jackal and wolf are savage beasts, rightly to be feared and avoided; and yet they are also said to be able to divine coming events, so that, once they set out, they never fail to find their prey. This resembles, too, this same flatterer and deceiver, who, using this same art to entice others, succeeds in every single case. This closes the fifth section, the habit of deceit.

Sūtra: "Sixth, the habit of fraud, in its mutual deception, arises from mutual misleading; this false accusation, never ceasing, sends the mind flying to scheme and plot — and so there come to be dust, filth, excrement, and urine, foul and impure — just as dust, carried on the wind, leaves each person unable to see the other at all. The two add to one another, and so there come to be drowning, being tossed and hurled, flying, falling, and being swept along and submerged. This is why every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in describing deceit and fraud, alike calls it 'robbery and murder' — and why bodhisattvas see fraud exactly as they would treading on a viper."

Commentary: Fraud is one of the minor derivative afflictions, likewise belonging to delusion. Called a "habit" here because, from a former life, one was given greatly to fraud, its seed-habit still remaining, now manifesting in present activity, this manifest habit added further still, deceiving and misleading one another in turn, before this karma can be formed. "Arises from mutual misleading" means that this false pretense and insincerity arises from this mutual misleading — and so what does not exist is falsely claimed to exist, and what is empty is falsely claimed to be real; this false accusation never ceasing, taken as a clever scheme, the mind then sent flying, scheming and plotting, appearing and vanishing like a ghost, causing others, unaware, to fall straight into its trap. Because the mind works in this way, there come to be dust, filth, excrement, and urine, foul and impure — this same mark of hell already previewed within the mind. "Just as dust, carried on the wind, leaves each person unable to see the other at all" offers this as an illustrative proof: this scheme of false accusation confuses people; one who does not know it is exactly like sand and dust caught up by the wind, this dust following the wind's own force, churning up the empty sky, darkening heaven and earth alike, so that people facing one another can see nothing at all — this is exactly the same.

"The two add to one another, and so there come to be drowning, being tossed and hurled, flying, falling, and being swept along and submerged, and every such matter." These two habits mean that the seed-habit still remains even as the manifest habit intensifies further, this false accusation growing ever worse — hence, "add to one another," meaning that this karma of fraud doubles upon itself. And so there come to be, at the end of life, one's own consciousness seeing drowning, being tossed and hurled, flying, falling, and being swept along and submerged, and every such matter. The earlier dust, filth, excrement, and urine, foul and impure, was only the first budding of this same hell-mark within the mind; this present drowning and the rest is the very accomplishment of this same karmic fruit. As the Detailed Commentary puts it: drowning resembles the hell of boiling excrement, where excrement and urine boil and overflow, and the offender drowns within it. Being tossed and hurled resembles the black-sand hell, where the wind blows black sand, and the offender is tossed and hurled about within it. Flying and falling is this same mark of rising and falling with the wind; being swept along and submerged is this same mark of rising and sinking with the boiling flood. As the Standard Meaning Commentary puts it: fraud is able to entrap and harm others, and so one receives this drowning; fraud requires the mind to take flight and stir itself up, and so one receives this being tossed and hurled. The earlier dust, filth, excrement, and urine, foul and impure, was only the first budding of this same hell-mark within the mind; now, this drowning, being tossed and hurled, and the rest, is the very accomplishment of this same karmic fruit.

"This is why every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in describing deceit and fraud, alike names it 'robbery and murder' — and why bodhisattvas see fraud exactly as they would treading on a viper." Because of the harm caused by this habit of fraud, every Tathāgata of the ten directions names this same deceit and fraud — harming others and, in the end, harming oneself — the very same as robbery and murder, meaning robbing another of their wealth and taking their very life, speaking, in the most emphatic terms, of how truly fearsome this is. Bodhisattvas, seeing this same fraud within their own mind, are as one who treads upon a viper — vipers constantly carry venom, and sting whoever provokes them; to tread upon one is inevitably to suffer its harm. One might ask: what is the difference between fraud and deceit? The answer: deceit means enticing another, intending them to fall into one's own trap, openly seizing their own benefit; fraud means deceiving another, fearing that one's own scheme might be exposed, secretly seizing their own benefit — both belong to false speech, yet the intent behind each differs. This closes the sixth section, the habit of fraud.

Sūtra: "Seventh, the habit of grudges, in its mutual resentment, arises from a nursed hatred — and so there come to be stones hurled and pebbles thrown, confinement in a case, imprisonment in a caged cart, sealing in an urn, and beating within a sack — just as a person of hidden poison secretly harbors and nurtures malice. The two devour one another, and so there come to be hurling and seizing, striking, shooting, throwing, and grasping. This is why every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in describing an enemy held in the heart, alike calls it 'a harm-dealing ghost' — and why bodhisattvas regard grudges exactly as they would drinking poisoned wine."

Commentary: A grudge is exactly this same resentment and hatred; because of some grudge from a former life, this seed-habit still remaining, now manifesting in present activity, this manifest habit added further still, hating and resenting one another in turn, each harboring this grudge against the other, before this karma can be formed. "Arises from a nursed hatred" means nursing this grudge, unwilling to let it go, holding this hatred within the heart, vowing to take revenge. And so there come to be stones hurled and pebbles thrown, confinement in a case, imprisonment in a caged cart, sealing in an urn, and beating within a sack — this same mark of hell already previewed within one's own mind. As the Detailed Commentary puts it: hurling stones means hurling stone blocks; throwing pebbles means throwing broken stones; confinement in a case means being sealed within a chest or bed; imprisonment in a caged cart means being locked within a cart; sealing in an urn means placing a person within an urn and roasting them from outside with fire, as when, in ancient times, someone was invited to "enter the urn"; and beating within a sack means being gathered into a sack and then beaten, as when the First Emperor of Qin beat his own two younger brothers within sacks. All of this arises from nursing a grudge and harming another — and yet these very instruments of harm arise, in every case, from within one's own mind. "Just as a person of hidden poison secretly harbors and nurtures malice" offers this as an illustrative proof: exactly like a person of hidden poison, harboring some treacherous scheme, nursing an evil thought within the mind, secretly plotting to harm another — this is exactly the same.

"The two devour one another, and so there come to be hurling and seizing, striking, shooting, throwing, and grasping, and every such matter." These two habits mean that the seed-habit still remains even as the manifest habit intensifies further, this resentment and hatred growing ever deeper — hence, "devour one another," this being exactly what is meant by hating so deeply as to wish one could devour the other alive. And so there come to be, at the end of life, one's own consciousness seeing hurling and seizing, striking, shooting, throwing, and grasping, and every such matter. Hurling and seizing means throwing pebbles and hurling stones; seizing and capturing means grasping and taking hold, entering the case, entering the cart, entering the urn, entering the sack. Striking and shooting means that pebbles strike the head, and stones shoot the body; throwing and grasping means throwing to kill — this being exactly what is meant by beating within a sack — and grasping to break the body — this being exactly what is meant by confinement in a case, imprisonment in a caged cart, and sealing in an urn. At first, one's own mind wished only to harm another; in the end, this instead harms oneself — let all who harbor a grudge take heed of this, and beware! The earlier stones hurled and pebbles thrown, and the rest, was only the first budding of this same hell-mark within the mind; this present hurling and seizing, and the rest, is the very accomplishment of this same karmic fruit.

"This is why every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in describing an enemy held in the heart, alike names it 'a harm-dealing ghost' — and why bodhisattvas regard grudges exactly as they would drinking poisoned wine." Because of the harm caused by this habit of grudges, every Tathāgata of the ten directions names this same household of resentment and hatred "a harm-dealing ghost" — turning against true principle, harming another in secret, this most evil of ghosts. And bodhisattvas, seeing this same mind of resentment and hatred, dare not transgress against it at all — exactly as one would drink poisoned wine: the poison-bird is the most venomous of all, its very feathers, steeped in wine, causing, once drunk, the very intestines to snap apart, section by section! This closes the seventh section, the habit of grudges.

Sūtra: "Eighth, the habit of wrong views, in its mutual assertion, is such as the view of a fixed self, the view of extremes, wrong view, clinging to views, and clinging to precepts wrongly held — every deviant realization arising, in each of these karmic activities, from mutual opposition, giving rise to contradiction — and so there come to be the king's own messengers and chief clerks, verifying and holding fast to written records — just as travelers on a road, coming and going, meet one another and cannot avoid being seen. The two cross one another, and so there come to be interrogation, deceitful cross-examination, pursuit and investigation, disclosure and clarification, and good and evil boy-attendants holding written ledgers in hand, arguing each case in detail. This is why every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in describing evil views, alike calls them 'a pit of views' — and why bodhisattvas see every false, one-sided clinging exactly as they would approach a poisoned ravine."

Commentary: "View" means an evil view, a distorted, deluded search after every truth. Called a "habit" here because, from a former life, one's own views blazed fiercely, its seed-habit still remaining, now manifesting in present activity, this manifest habit added further still, each establishing and refuting the other's view in turn, each wishing to make their own view manifest — hence, "mutual assertion." This activity of view divides into five distinct kinds: first, the view of a fixed self — this is exactly the view of a self, clinging to a self and to what belongs to a self; second, the view of extremes — clinging either to annihilation or to eternity; third, wrong view — denying cause and effect entirely; fourth, clinging to views — mistaking what is not the fruit for the fruit, as when non-conceptual absorption is mistaken for nirvāṇa; and fifth, clinging to precepts wrongly held — mistaking what is not the cause for the cause, as when observing the vows of a cow or a dog is taken as the cause of rebirth in heaven. Yet all five of these, together, are called evil views. In the text, the phrase "clinging to views wrongly held" properly refers to both clinging to views and clinging to precepts wrongly held together, this word "clinging" used doubly for both. The view of extremes turns its back on the middle way; wrong view turns its back on what is correct — both, alike, are deviant realizations. Each of these five views, above, has its own particular activity, hence, "every karmic activity"; and, because of these differing views held to, hence, "arising from mutual opposition"; each holding the other to be mistaken, hence, "giving rise to contradiction" — not merely standing opposed to what is correct, but even opposed within their own same kind as well; not merely contradicting the view another puts forth, but even contradicting the view one has put forth oneself, as when one's own words contradict one another, or one's own teaching contradicts itself. And, unwilling to yield to another and accept correction, there come to be, in just this way, the king's own messengers and chief clerks, and the rest. The king's own messenger is exactly a messenger of King Yama; the chief clerk is exactly the officer in charge of records, verifying whatever written record one clings to — this same mark of hell already previewed within one's own mind. "Just as travelers on a road, coming and going, meet one another" offers this as an illustration to verify this: just as travelers on a road, coming and going in either direction, see one another mutually, unable to avoid it — this is exactly the same.

"The two cross one another, and so there come to be interrogation, deceitful cross-examination, pursuit and investigation, disclosure and clarification, and good and evil boy-attendants holding written ledgers in hand, arguing each case in detail, and every such matter." These two habits mean that the seed-habit still remains even as the manifest habit intensifies further, each cross-examining the other in turn, distinguishing right from wrong between them. And so, at the end of life, one's own consciousness comes to see interrogation and deceitful cross-examination — meaning that one is first examined and interrogated, feigning authority and pretending falsehood — this resembling this same matter of the king's own messenger. Should the truth still not be obtained this way, the matter is then referred further to the appropriate office, pressed and cross-examined, sternly pursued and gravely investigated, inquired into and observed from every side — this resembling this same matter of the chief clerk. Should the truth still not be obtained even then, one's own views and karma from this present life are disclosed and examined once more, this consciousness and its habitual tendency clarified and illuminated; and, at that time, there are good and evil boy-attendants, holding written ledgers in hand, arguing and distinguishing every word, recorded in the fullest detail, verified with the utmost certainty — and, faced with every such matter as this, there remains no argument left to make at all, and one is left with no choice but to willingly accept this grave offense of hell. The earlier king's own messengers and chief clerks, verifying and holding fast to written records, was only the first budding of this same hell-mark within the mind; this present interrogation, deceitful cross-examination, and the rest, is the very accomplishment of this same karmic fruit.

"This is why every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in describing evil views, alike names them 'a pit of views' — and why bodhisattvas see every false, one-sided clinging exactly as they would approach a poisoned ravine." Because of the harm caused by this habit of wrong views, every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in every observation and description alike, names them "a pit of views" — meaning that these five kinds of evil view are graver even than a deep pit; once mistakenly fallen into, one can never climb back out again. "Bodhisattvas see every false, one-sided clinging" means that seeing this principle wrongly is called falseness, and holding oneself right while holding another wrong is called one-sided clinging. "Exactly as they would approach a poisoned ravine" means that, within such a ravine, there dwell venomous serpents and the like; whoever enters it must certainly lose the Dharma-body and injure the wisdom-life, and so ought urgently to avoid it. This closes the eighth section, the habit of wrong views.

Sūtra: "Ninth, the habit of false accusation, in its mutual imposition, arises from slander and defamation — and so there come to be mountains that close together, stones that press together, grinding wheels and millstones, plowing and grinding — just as a slandering thief forces the innocent into wrong. The two press against one another, and so there come to be pressing and squeezing, pounding and pressing down, crushing and draining, and weighing and measuring. This is why every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in describing resentful slander, alike calls it 'a tiger that spreads lies' — and why bodhisattvas see false accusation exactly as they would being struck by lightning."

Commentary: False accusation means forcing a wrong upon another, bringing calamity down upon them by force. Called a "habit" here because, from a former life, one was given greatly to false accusation, its seed-habit still remaining, now manifesting in present activity, this manifest habit added further still, each imposing upon and pressing the other in turn, before this karma can be formed. "Arises from slander and defamation" means that, though the matter never originally existed at all, it is slandered into existing, and defamed into being taken as real — and so there come to be mountains that close together, and the rest, already inherent within one's own mind. According to the Sūtra of Different Manifestations of the Scriptures and Vinaya: mountains that close together means a great stone mountain, two mountains facing one another; the offender enters between them, and the mountains close of themselves, grinding flesh and bone to pulp, and then the mountains return to their original place. Stones that press together means the offender is laid beneath a great stone, and the stone is then pressed down upon them, exactly as one presses grapes beneath a press. Grinding wheels are exactly great, blazing-hot iron wheels, crushing every offender until their bodies break apart; millstones are small grinding-stones. Plowing means plowing with a blade, splitting open the tongue. Grinding is exactly the stone-mill hell, where the offender is seized and thrown upon a scorching stone, their hands and feet spread out, and a great, scorching stone is pressed down upon their body, turned round and round to grind them. This is exactly this same instrument used to force a wrong upon another, first manifesting within one's own mind, indeed a fearsome thing! "Just as a slandering thief forces the innocent into wrong" offers this as an illustrative proof: a slandering thief — slander means to defame; thief means to harm — defaming another to their harm is called a slandering thief; forcing and pressing down upon the innocent, wrongly harming the good and blameless — this is exactly the same.

"The two press against one another, and so there come to be pressing and squeezing, pounding and pressing down, crushing and draining, and weighing and measuring, and every such matter." These two habits mean that the seed-habit still remains even as the manifest habit intensifies further, pressing against one another mutually, this false accusation never ceasing. And so there come to be, at the end of life, one's own consciousness feeling this pressing and kneading down, forcing one to confess to this offense. Should one still refuse to confess, one's own body is squeezed into a sack and pressed, draining out one's own blood, called "crushing and draining"; and one's own body is hung upon a scale, weighed for its lightness or heaviness, measured for its shortness or length, called "weighing and measuring." "And every such matter" gathers in everything else besides. The earlier mountains that close together, stones that press together, and the rest, was only the first budding of this same hell-mark within the mind; this present pressing and kneading, pounding and pressing down, and the rest, is the very accomplishment of this same karmic fruit, each self-made and self-received.

"This is why every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in describing resentful slander, alike names it 'a tiger that spreads lies' — and why bodhisattvas see false accusation exactly as they would being struck by lightning." Because of the harm caused by this habit of false accusation, every Tathāgata of the ten directions names this same resentful harm and slanderous defamation alike "a tiger that spreads lies" — slanderous words causing harm graver even than a tiger's own attack. Bodhisattvas, seeing this matter of forcing a wrong upon another, are as one struck by a bolt of lightning. Lightning is the sound of a sudden thunderclap striking something; whoever is struck by it, without exception, has their very spirit scattered in terror! This closes the ninth section, the habit of false accusation.

Sūtra: "Tenth, the habit of litigation, in its mutual clamor, arises from concealment — and so there come to be mirrors that reveal, and beacons that illuminate — just as, at high noon, one cannot hide one's own shadow. The two lay bare one another, and so there come to be evil companions, the karma-mirror, and the fire-pearl, exposing one's past deeds for cross-examination. This is why every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in describing concealment, alike calls it 'a hidden thief' — and why bodhisattvas regard concealment as carrying a mountain on their back while wading through a vast sea."

Commentary: Litigation is exactly contention and dispute; clamor is exactly this same accusation, raised aloud. Called a "habit" here because, from a former life, one was given greatly to litigation, its seed-habit still remaining, now manifesting in present activity, this manifest habit added further still, contending and accusing one another in turn, before this karma can be formed. "Arises from concealment" — concealment means hiding away; covering means keeping something covered over — hiding one's own offense, covering over one's own secret wrongdoing. And so there come to be mirrors that reveal, and beacons that illuminate: mirrors that reveal one's own karma from past lives; beacons that illuminate the very depths of one's own heart, so that nothing may remain hidden at all — this same mark of hell already previewed within one's own mind. This offers an illustrative proof of this: exactly like the shadow of what is crooked or straight, unable to be hidden at high noon.

"The two lay bare one another, and so there come to be evil companions, the karma-mirror, and the fire-pearl, exposing one's past deeds for cross-examination, and every such matter." These two habits mean that the seed-habit still remains even as the manifest habit intensifies further, this litigation and concealment laid bare against one another in turn — and so, at the end of life, one's own consciousness sees an evil companion — an evil companion who, in some former life, committed the same offense together, now appearing to bear witness. The karma-mirror is a mirror able to reveal past karma; the fire-pearl is a pearl able to illuminate the very depths of the heart, causing one's own past karma to be exposed and every such matter cross-examined — and this must be brought to light plainly, without the slightest trace able to remain hidden at all. The earlier mirrors that reveal and beacons that illuminate, was only the first budding of this same hell-mark within the mind; this present evil companion, karma-mirror, and fire-pearl, and the rest, is the very accomplishment of this same karmic fruit.

"This is why every Tathāgata of the ten directions, in describing concealment, alike names it 'a hidden thief' — and why bodhisattvas regard concealment as carrying a mountain on their back while wading through a vast sea." Because of the harm caused by this habit of litigation, every Tathāgata of the ten directions names this single matter of concealment alike "a hidden thief" — meaning that a household harboring a hidden thief will, in time, certainly suffer plunder; likening this to how concealing one's own fault must, in the end, become a source of harm. This is exactly how the Tathāgata gives this warning to others. Bodhisattvas, observing this same matter of covering over one's own fault, are as one carrying a mountain upon their own head, wading through a vast ocean on foot — never, in the end, able to emerge from it; the heavier the load carried, the deeper one sinks — likening this to how the more one's own fault is covered over, the graver this same offense becomes. Falling to this utmost suffering, with no way ever to escape it — this, too, is how bodhisattvas give this same warning to themselves. This matter of contention and litigation is something every sage and worthy alike takes warning from — one ought urgently to avoid it. The text's own repeated phrases, "the two kindle one another," "the two overwhelm one another," and the rest, show that only once cause and condition are both complete does this matter come to pass.

As the Standard Meaning Commentary puts it: one born through the lower grade of rebirth, though complete with this same cause of suffering, has the mark of the fiery cart appear before them; urgently reciting the Buddha's name, this hell-fruit is not, in the end, brought about — this being exactly what is meant by having the cause without the condition, and so not being born there after all. Yet such a one relies upon the Buddha's own power, not on their own wisdom and discernment. As for one who has awakened to their own mind: not only hell, but every entangling affair throughout — one ought, in one's ordinary life, to make every effort to cut off this cause entirely; and, further, one should remember, when death approaches, not to receive this condition — should there be some way to turn the body aside, then, when this dark realm appears before one, one need not follow it, and so may attain, in birth and death, some small measure of freedom — this truly requires the most careful self-examination! Should one's own strength of the path not yet be sufficient, unable to remain master of oneself, then reciting the Buddha's name and seeking rebirth there, relying further on another's own power, will, without fail, never go wrong. This is the very juncture of birth and death, and so it is set forth here in such detail — let the wise take this to heart and investigate it well. This closes the second section, posing this question and explaining these ten causes.

Sūtra: "What are these six retributions? Ānanda, every sentient being creates karma through these six consciousnesses, and the evil retribution thereby summoned issues forth through these same six sense-faculties."

Commentary: The first sentence poses this total question; what follows, addressing Ānanda, briefly explains it. Ānanda, all sentient beings here refers specifically to those beings of the very gravest evil, who must undergo this retribution of hell. "Creates karma through these six consciousnesses, and the evil retribution thereby summoned issues forth through these same six sense-faculties" means that creating karma and summoning retribution never depart from the sense-faculty and its consciousness together — without the sense-faculty, consciousness would have nothing to depend upon; and without consciousness, the sense-faculty would have nothing by which to discriminate anything at all. Speaking of these separately: it is consciousness that creates karma, since consciousness alone is able to discern and distinguish, and so is able to create karma — this making these six consciousnesses what summons this retribution. Yet karma and its retribution issue forth through the sense-faculty, since these six sense-faculties are, at root, the very accomplices of this thief, the very gateway through which this thief comes and goes — entering through them when karma is first created, and issuing forth through them again when this retribution is received. This closes the first section, this total question, briefly explained.

Sūtra: "How does this evil retribution issue forth through these six sense-faculties? First, the retribution of sight draws forth its own evil fruit. When this karma of sight comes due, at the moment of death, one first sees fierce fire filling the ten directions; the departed consciousness, falling as though riding on smoke, plunges into the unrelenting hell."

Commentary: The first two clauses carry forward this question. This evil retribution thereby summoned properly divides into two kinds: first, retribution through one's own particular karma; second, retribution crossing into other senses. Retribution through one's own particular karma is such as this karma of sight summoning, at the very moment of death, the sight of the iron bed and the copper pillar first, described above; retribution crossing into other senses is such as this same fire of seeing, crossing into hearing, becoming cauldrons of boiling water and molten copper, and the rest. Since seeing this fire happens this way, hearing this water happens the same way as well — hence, "issues forth through these same six sense-faculties." Just as the consciousness of one sense-faculty creates karma, it inevitably draws along with it the consciousness of every other sense-faculty as well — as when the eye beholds some seductive form, this inevitably causes the ear to hear some soft, alluring voice, the nose to smell the fragrance of rouge and powder, the tongue to speak words of love and desire, the body to seek some smooth, delicate touch, and the mind to cling to the pleasure of lustful desire. And so, when this retribution is received, whichever sense-faculty is heaviest becomes the principal offense, and every other sense-faculty that follows along becomes an accessory to it, each receiving this retribution crossing into the other — exactly as a court of law, in judging an offense, distinguishes the principal offender from the accessory, each, at the same time, receiving their own separate sentence.

"First, the retribution of sight draws forth its own evil fruit" explains, in detail, this retribution of sight and the rest. That is, this consciousness of the eye creates karma, and the evil fruit thereby drawn forth issues forth through the eye-faculty. Yet, examining this cause through its fruit, this is because, within this cause, the consciousness of the eye, together with the mind-consciousness that accompanies the eye, created karma to an especially great degree — and so this evil fruit thereby drawn forth takes the eye-faculty, specifically, as its principal offense, and every other sense-faculty as its accessory. "This karma of sight comes due" means that this karma of sight interacts together with every other karma — hence, "this karma of sight comes due" — and it is this that completes this very cause of hell. Sight, this faculty of seeing, belongs to fire, and so, at the very moment of death, one first sees fierce fire, filling the worlds of the ten directions entirely; the departed consciousness, falling as though riding on smoke, plunges into the unrelenting hell. The nature of fire rises upward, and so one may, at times, seem to fly; yet every attachment pulls one down as well, and so one, at times, falls — falling into this same smoke, riding upon this same smoky vapor, plunging straight into the unrelenting hell. One should know that both the very best and the very worst alike pass through no intermediate state at all — hence, "plunges straight" into it. This closes the first section, seeing this fall at the moment of death.

Sūtra: "Two aspects then appear: first, bright seeing, in which one sees every kind of evil thing everywhere, giving rise to boundless dread; second, dark seeing, utterly unseeing, giving rise to boundless terror."

Commentary: "Two aspects then appear" means that, having already entered into hell, one still relies on this same karma of sight to bring these two aspects to light. First, bright seeing: because, in this present life, upon this bright sense-object, one committed evil openly, brazenly, without the slightest scruple at all — now, one sees every kind of evil thing everywhere, fire-serpents and fire-dogs, ox-headed hell-wardens and the like, giving rise to a mind of boundless dread. Second, dark seeing: because, in this present life, within this dark sense-object, one committed evil while deceiving one's own conscience, entirely without any shame at all — now, one sees utterly nothing, heaven and earth both dark and obscured, this realm utterly still, with nothing to be seen at all, giving rise to a mind of boundless terror. This closes the second section, the root faculty giving rise to this mark.

Sūtra: "This same fire of seeing, crossing into hearing, becomes cauldrons of boiling water or molten copper; crossing into breath, becomes black smoke and violet flame; crossing into taste, becomes scorched pellets and iron gruel; crossing into touch, becomes hot ash and burning coals; crossing into the mind itself, scatters sparks that fan and churn the whole of empty space."

Commentary: This same fire of seeing, spoken of above — according to the sections that follow, there ought first to come a passage on this same root faculty's own particular retribution; here, this is supplied: this same burning of sight, too, is able to become the iron bed and the copper pillar. What was, within this cause, seen as flowering countenances and jade-like beauty, is now, burned by this same fire of seeing, seen, within the eye, as nothing but the very color of the iron bed and copper pillar. What was, within this cause, heard as soft voices and words of love, is now, burned by this same fire of seeing, heard, within the ear, as nothing but the very sound of cauldrons of boiling water and molten copper. What was, within this cause, smelled as ambergris and musk, is now, burned by this same fire of seeing, smelled, within the nose, as nothing but the very scent of black smoke and violet flame. What was, within this cause, tasted as nourishing delicacies and restorative tonics, is now, burned by this same fire of seeing, tasted, within the tongue, as nothing but the very flavor of scorched pellets and iron gruel. What was, within this cause, touched as skin like ice and a body like jade, is now, burned by this same fire of seeing, felt, within the body, as nothing but the very touch of hot ash and burning coals. What was, within this cause, thought of as the beauties of distant lands, is now, burned by this same fire of seeing, able to give rise, within the mind, to sparks that scatter and fly, fanning and churning the whole of empty space. All of this is the retribution of streaming outward, chasing after form — such suffering as this — how could one not take heed and guard against it! This closes the first section, the retribution of sight.

Sūtra: "Second, the retribution of hearing draws forth its own evil fruit. When this karma of hearing comes due, at the moment of death, one first sees great waves and floods engulfing heaven and earth; the departed consciousness sinks downward, swept along on this current, plunging into the unrelenting hell."

Commentary: This retribution of hearing means that this consciousness of the ear creates karma, and the evil fruit thereby drawn forth issues forth through the ear-faculty. Yet, examining this cause through its fruit, this is because, within this cause, the consciousness of the ear, together with the mind-consciousness that accompanies the ear, created karma to an especially great degree — and so this evil fruit thereby drawn forth takes the ear-faculty, specifically, as its principal offense, and every other sense-faculty as its accessory. "This karma of hearing comes due" means that this karma of hearing interacts together with every other karma — and it is this that completes this very cause of hell. Hearing, this faculty of listening, belongs to water, and so, at the very moment of death, one first sees great waves and floods, engulfing heaven and earth. The departed consciousness sinks downward, swept along on this current, plunging into the unrelenting hell: this same karma of hearing being especially strong, one ought, by rights, to see these waves and floods engulfing heaven and earth, one's own mind wishing to rise upward — yet, dragged down by every attachment, one instead sinks downward, swept along on this current, sinking ever deeper, ever further down, plunging into the unrelenting hell. This closes the first section, seeing this fall at the moment of death.

Sūtra: "Two aspects then appear: first, open hearing, in which one hears every kind of clamor, one's own spirit and mind thrown into confusion; second, closed hearing, utterly silent, hearing nothing at all, one's own hidden spirit sunk into oblivion."

Commentary: "Two aspects then appear": having already entered into hell, one still relies on this same karma of hearing to bring these two aspects to light. First, open hearing — this is exactly this moving sense-object: because, in this present life, upon this moving sense-object, hearing a single offending word was enough to provoke every kind of scheme, wishing to harm that very person's own body — now, one hears every kind of clamor, one's own spirit and mind thrown into confusion and disorder. Second, closed hearing — this is exactly this still sense-object: because, in this present life, within this still sense-object, though hearing no offending word at all, one's own mind still gave rise to suspicion and doubt, and, through this, harmed another — now, one is utterly silent, hearing nothing at all, one's own hidden spirit sunk into oblivion. This closes the second section, the root faculty giving rise to this mark.

Sūtra: "This same wave of hearing, pouring into hearing itself, becomes rebuke and interrogation; pouring into seeing, becomes thunder, roaring, and poisonous vapor; pouring into breath, becomes rain and mist, sprinkling every venomous creature over the whole of the body; pouring into taste, becomes pus, blood, and every kind of filth; pouring into touch, becomes beasts, ghosts, excrement, and urine; pouring into the mind itself, becomes lightning and hail, shattering the very heart and spirit."

Commentary: This same wave of hearing: within this cause, hearing a single insulting word brought every kind of accusation and rebuke, exceeding all ordinary bounds — now, pouring into hearing itself, it becomes this same matter of accusation, rebuke, and interrogation. Within this cause, hearing a single slanderous word caused the eyes to blaze with fury, the voice to thunder and the breath to heave — now, pouring into seeing, it becomes thunder, roaring, and poisonous vapor. Within this cause, hearing of fragrant flowers and the scent of wine caused the nose-consciousness to give rise, falsely, to craving attachment — now, pouring into breath, this water follows this same vital energy and transforms, becoming rain and mist, sprinkling every venomous creature over the whole of the body. Within this cause, hearing of mountain delicacies and rare seafood caused the tongue-consciousness to crave their taste, scheming by every means to satisfy one's own appetite — now, this water of hearing pours into taste, becoming pus, blood, and every kind of filthy thing. Within this cause, hearing of beautiful maidens and lovely women caused the body-consciousness to crave their touch — now, poured over by this same water of hearing, it becomes beasts and ghosts, fearsome forms, and excrement and urine, impure marks. Within this cause, because of what was heard, one plotted some evil scheme, catching another off guard to do them harm — now, poured over by this same water of hearing, this transforms into lightning and hail, shattering the very heart and spirit. All of this is the retribution of streaming outward, chasing after sound — such suffering as this — how could one not take heed and guard against it! This closes the second section, the retribution of hearing.

Sūtra: "Third, the retribution of smell draws forth its own evil fruit. When this karma of smell comes due, at the moment of death, one first sees poisonous vapor, filling every distance, near and far alike; the departed consciousness rises up out of the very ground, plunging into the unrelenting hell."

Commentary: This retribution of smell means that this consciousness of the nose creates karma, and the evil fruit thereby drawn forth issues forth through the nose-faculty. Yet, examining this cause through its fruit, this is because, within this cause, the consciousness of the nose, together with the mind-consciousness that accompanies the nose, created karma to an especially great degree — and so this evil fruit thereby drawn forth takes the nose-faculty, specifically, as its principal offense, and every other sense-faculty as its accessory. "This karma of smell comes due" means that this karma of smell interacts together with every other karma — and it is this that completes this very cause of hell. Smelling, this breath drawn in and out, belongs to vital energy — the in-breath drawn in from without, the out-breath sent forth from within — and so, when this karma comes due at death, one first sees poisonous vapor, filling every distance, near and far alike. Because this same karma of smell was so thoroughly created, the departed consciousness rises up out of the very ground — that is, upon first seeing this poisonous vapor, one enters the ground to escape it; yet, since this poisonous vapor fills the very ground as well, one rises up out of the ground once more. Pulled down by these nine parts emotion, unaware, one sinks once again, plunging straight into the unrelenting hell. This closes the first section, seeing this fall at the moment of death.

Sūtra: "Two aspects then appear: first, open smelling, in which one is enveloped by every evil vapor, choked to the point that the mind itself grows disturbed; second, blocked smelling, this vapor obstructing entirely, suffocating one until one collapses upon the ground."

Commentary: "Two aspects then appear": having already entered into hell, one still relies on this same karma of smell to bring these two aspects to light. First, open smelling: because, in this present life, upon this open sense-object, one smelled the fragrance of ambergris, musk, and every delicacy, and, through this, created karma — now, one is struck by this same smelling-vapor, transformed into every evil vapor, its stench overwhelming, unbearable, one's own spirit and mind thrown into disorder. Second, blocked smelling: within this closed sense-object, unwilling to smell anything foul or impure, and, through this, created karma — now, one is struck by this same smelling-vapor, this vapor obstructing entirely, suffocating one to the very point of collapse, lying senseless upon the ground. This closes the second section, the root faculty giving rise to this mark.

Sūtra: "This same vapor of smell, striking against breath, becomes evidence and physical witness; striking against seeing, becomes fire and torches; striking against hearing, becomes drowning, submersion, and boiling floods; striking against taste, becomes spoiled and rancid decay; striking against touch, becomes festering rot and a great mountain of flesh, with a hundred thousand eyes, devoured endlessly by countless mouths; striking against thought, becomes ash and pestilence, flying sand and pebbles, battering the very body to pieces."

Commentary: This same vapor, this retribution of smell — within this cause, one craved to smell the fragrance of form itself, and, through this, committed offense — now, striking against breath, it becomes evidence and physical witness; since the nose-faculty belongs to breath, this vapor, meeting breath, grows all the more evil, and so becomes this evidence that proves one's own offense, this witness that treads out the very shape of it. Within this cause, one craved to gaze upon a beautiful woman's own form, and, through this, committed offense — now, striking against seeing, since sight belongs to fire, this vapor, meeting fire, becomes burning, and so becomes fire and torches. Within this cause, one craved to hear some seductive, alluring voice, and, through this, committed offense — now, striking against hearing, since hearing belongs to water, this vapor, meeting water, becomes murky, and so becomes drowning and submersion within boiling floods and putrid filth. Within this cause, one craved after some rich, indulgent flavor, and, through this, committed offense — now, striking against taste, since this vapor, meeting taste, becomes foul, this becomes the rancid decay of spoiled fish and the rankness of ruined broth. Within this cause, one craved after some loving, affectionate touch, and, through this, committed offense — now, striking against touch, since the body-faculty belongs to touch, this vapor, meeting touch, becomes deadly, and so becomes flesh split open and rotting, a great mountain of flesh, with a hundred thousand eyes, countless maggots devouring it endlessly. Within this cause, one craved after the very thought of pleasure and desire, and, through this, committed offense — now, striking against thought, since this movement of thought belongs to wind, this vapor, meeting wind, becomes scattering, and so becomes scattered ash and splattered pestilence, flying sand and hurled pebbles, battering the very body to pieces, every one of these carrying this same scattering vapor. All of this is the retribution of streaming outward, chasing after fragrance — such suffering as this — how could one not take heed and guard against it! This closes the third section, the retribution of smell.

Sūtra: "Fourth, the retribution of taste draws forth its own evil fruit. When this karma of taste comes due, at the moment of death, one first sees a net of iron, fiercely blazing, covering the whole world; the departed consciousness plunges downward, hung by the head from the net, into the unrelenting hell."

Commentary: Compared to the sight, hearing, and smell of the eye, ear, and nose above, this ought properly to be called "taste's own retribution"; here, though, it is named "the retribution of taste," named according to what is savored. This retribution of taste means that this consciousness of the tongue creates karma, and the evil fruit thereby drawn forth issues forth through the tongue-faculty. Since the sense-faculty is this same accomplice of the thief, drawing consciousness along in its own pursuit, this evil fruit thereby drawn forth issues forth solely through the tongue-faculty. "This karma of taste comes due" means that this karma of taste interacts together with every other karma — and it is this that completes this very cause of hell. The tongue belongs to metal, since, throughout life, this tongue-faculty craved every savor, netting and trapping birds and beasts, fish and turtles alike — and so, at the very moment of death, one first sees a net of iron, fiercely blazing, covering the whole world; because this killing, brought about through taste, reaches into every place without exception, the departed consciousness plunges downward, hung upon this net. Seeing this net of iron, and further seeing this fierce blaze, wishing to pass one's own body straight through it — yet, contrary to this wish, one instead plunges downward, hung by the head upon this net, plunging into the unrelenting hell. This closes the first section, seeing this fall at the moment of death.

Sūtra: "Two aspects then appear: first, drawing in breath, which congeals into bitter, freezing ice, this cold splitting open one's own flesh; second, expelling breath, which flies forth as fierce fire, scorching and rotting one's own very marrow."

Commentary: "Two aspects then appear": having already entered into hell, one still relies on this same karma of taste to bring these two aspects to light. First, drawing in breath, entering from without — this breath must be cold, and so congeals into bitter, freezing ice, this cold splitting open one's own flesh. Second, expelling breath, sent forth from within — this breath must be hot, and so flies forth as fierce fire, scorching and rotting one's own very marrow. This is felt because, within this cause, one craved to devour the very flesh of other sentient beings. This closes the second section, the root faculty giving rise to this mark.

Sūtra: "This same savoring of taste, passing through taste itself, becomes bearing and enduring; passing through seeing, becomes molten metal and blazing stone; passing through hearing, becomes sharp weapons and blades; passing through breath, becomes a great iron cage covering the whole land; passing through touch, becomes bows, arrows, crossbows, and volleys of fire; passing through thought, becomes burning, scorching iron, raining down from the empty sky."

Commentary: This retribution felt through this same savoring of taste: within this cause, one craved to devour the very flesh of other sentient beings, forcing them to bear this and endure it, their grievance unable to be voiced — now, this passes through the very tasting of the tongue-faculty, likewise made to bear this and endure it, submitting to this offense with no argument left at all. Within this cause, one watched these sentient beings being killed — now, this passes through the very seeing of the eye-faculty, burned by this same fire of seeing, the eye beholding nothing but the very color of molten metal and blazing stone. Within this cause, one listened to these sentient beings being boiled and cooked — now, this passes through the very hearing of the ear-faculty, churned by this same water of hearing, the ear hearing nothing but the very sound of sharp weapons and blades. Within this cause, one smelled the very fragrance of these sentient beings — now, this passes through the very breath of the nose-faculty, steamed by this same vapor of breath, the nose smelling nothing but the very scent of a great iron cage, covering the whole land. Within this cause, one craved to devour the very blood and flesh of these sentient beings — now, this passes through the very touch of the body-faculty, met by this same sense-faculty, becoming this same touch of bows, arrows, crossbows, and volleys of fire. Within this cause, one craved to devour the very fat of these sentient beings — now, this passes through the very thought of the mind-faculty; since this thought belongs to wind, it becomes burning, scorching iron, raining down from the empty sky. All of this is the retribution of streaming outward, chasing after flavor — such suffering as this — how could one not take heed and guard against it! This closes the fourth section, the retribution of taste.

Sūtra: "Fifth, the retribution of touch draws forth its own evil fruit. When this karma of touch comes due, at the moment of death, one first sees a great mountain closing in from all four sides, with no way out at all. The departed consciousness sees a great iron city, fire-snakes and fire-dogs, tigers, wolves, and lions; ox-headed hell-wardens and horse-headed rākṣasas, spears and pikes in hand, drive one through the gate toward the unrelenting hell."

Commentary: This retribution of touch means that this consciousness of the body creates karma, and the evil fruit thereby drawn forth issues forth through the body-faculty; since the sense-faculty is this same accomplice of the thief, drawing consciousness along in its own pursuit, this evil fruit thereby drawn forth issues forth through the body-faculty. "This karma of touch comes due" means that this karma of touch interacts together with every other karma — and it is this that completes this very cause of hell. Yet this being the very worst offense of touch, nothing surpasses forcing sexual desire upon another, destroying their own resolve and integrity, leaving them with nowhere to flee — and so, at the moment of death, one first sees a great mountain closing in from all four sides, with no way out at all; for one's own body's earth, water, fire, and wind are themselves these four mountains — within this cause, one used this to force another; now, this turns back to force oneself instead. The departed consciousness, just now rejoicing to find some place to hide, sees a great iron city, and, further, fire-snakes, fire-dogs, tigers, wolves, and lions — and dares not enter it; yet ox-headed hell-wardens and horse-headed rākṣasas, spears and pikes in hand, drive and force one to enter, and one has no choice but to enter. Once entered within this city, this is exactly the unrelenting hell itself. This closes the first section, seeing this fall at the moment of death.

Sūtra: "Two aspects then appear: first, contact through pressing together, in which the closing mountain presses upon the body, bone and flesh crushed, blood bursting forth; second, contact through cutting apart, in which sword and blade cut into the body, heart and liver alike torn and severed."

Commentary: "Two aspects then appear": having already entered into hell, one still relies on this same karma of touch to bring these two aspects to light. First, contact through pressing together: this refers to craving this contact of pressing together, and, through this, creating karma — within this cause, seeing another's beauty, like jade itself, one forced this union upon them — and so one now feels this closing mountain pressing upon the body, bone crushed and flesh mingled, together with blood, bursting forth entirely. Second, contact through cutting apart: this refers to craving this contact of cutting apart, and, through this, creating karma — within this cause, seeing another's beauty fade, one's own love growing cold, one abandoned and cast them aside without a thought — and so one now feels sword and blade cutting into and destroying the body, causing one's own heart and liver, both alike, to be torn and severed, broken apart entirely. This closes the second section, the root faculty giving rise to this mark.

Sūtra: "This same contact of pressing together, passing through touch itself, becomes striking with a pestle, beating with a rod, stabbing with a blade, and shooting with an arrow; passing through seeing, becomes burning and scorching; passing through hearing, becomes roads, watchtowers, halls, and courts of judgment; passing through breath, becomes binding and swaddling, torture and confinement; passing through taste, becomes plowing, wrenching, chopping, and severing; passing through thought, becomes falling, flying, frying, and roasting."

Commentary: This retribution felt through this same karma of touch: this forced union, passing through the body-faculty, becomes striking with a pestle, beating with a rod, stabbing with a blade, and shooting with an arrow. Striking is contact by a pestle; beating is contact by a rod; stabbing is contact by a blade — piercing the very flesh with a blade; and shooting is contact by an arrow — all of these being this same body's own contact, meeting this same force. As the Detailed Commentary notes, these eight characters ought properly to be exchanged with the text belonging to hearing below — and this seems quite reasonable, and so is followed here. This forced union, passing through the eye-faculty — since sight belongs to fire, and fire forces and presses — becomes scorching and burning: pressed but not yet consumed, this is scorching; pressed until consumed entirely, this is burning — all of this being this same eye's own seeing, meeting this same force. This forced union, passing through the ear-faculty, this hearing and listening, becomes roads, watchtowers, halls, and courts of judgment. A road is this same road within hell, filled with cries of suffering; a watchtower is this same palace of the lord of hell, its twin gate-towers filled with the sound of calling and summoning; a hall is this same place where hell's own cases are heard, filled with the sound of interrogation and punishment; and a court of judgment is this same basis on which an offense is sentenced, filled with the sound of judgment passed and sentence concluded — all of this being this same ear's own hearing, meeting this same force. This forced union, passing through the nose-faculty, this breath meeting this force, becomes binding and swaddling, torture and confinement. Binding is wrapped about with cloth; swaddling is sealed within a sack; torture means bound and then interrogated further; and confinement means sacked and then bound further still, in every case ensuring that one's own breath cannot extend at all — all of this being this same nose's own breath, meeting this same force. This forced union, passing through the tongue-faculty, this tasting meeting this force, becomes plowing, wrenching, chopping, and severing. Plowing means plowing the very tongue; wrenching means tearing out the very tongue; chopping means hacking at its very root; and severing means cutting it fully in half — all of this being this same tongue's own tasting, meeting this same force. This forced union, passing through the mind-faculty, this thought meeting this force, becomes falling and flying — the mark of suddenly rising, suddenly falling — and frying and roasting — this suffering of being, at turns, scorching hot and parched dry — all of this being this same mind's own thought, meeting this same force. All of this is the retribution of streaming outward, chasing after touch — such suffering as this — how could one not take heed and guard against it! This closes the fifth section, the retribution of touch.

Sūtra: "Sixth, the retribution of thought draws forth its own evil fruit. When this karma of thought comes due, at the moment of death, one first sees an evil wind, destroying the land entirely. The departed consciousness, blown up into the empty sky, turns and falls, riding upon this same wind, plunging into the unrelenting hell."

Commentary: This retribution of thought means that this consciousness of the mind creates karma, and the evil fruit thereby drawn forth issues forth through the mind-faculty; since the sense-faculty is this same accomplice of the thief, drawing consciousness along in its own pursuit, this evil fruit thereby drawn forth issues forth solely through the mind-faculty. "This karma of thought comes due" means that this karma of thought interacts together with every other karma — and it is this that completes this very cause of hell. Thought belongs to wind, and may be either good or evil: good thought is able to accomplish, and evil thought is able to destroy — here, spoken of in terms of this evil karma, at the moment of death, one first sees an evil wind, destroying the land entirely. The departed consciousness, with nothing left to rely upon, is blown up into the empty sky, and, once more pulled down by these nine parts emotion, falls back down from the sky, riding upon this same force of wind, unaware, turning and plunging into the unrelenting hell. This closes the first section, seeing this fall at the moment of death.

Sūtra: "Two aspects then appear: first, lack of awareness, this confusion reaching its very utmost, a frantic, ceaseless wandering; second, awareness itself, this knowing itself becoming suffering, endless burning and torment, pain too deep to bear."

Commentary: "Two aspects then appear": having already entered into hell, one still relies on this same karma of thought to bring these two aspects to light — since this karma of thought carries both awareness and its lack, this same retribution felt likewise follows suit. First, lack of awareness — that is, this mental object extinguished — since one lacks awareness, this confusion reaches its very utmost, one's own spirit and mind thrown into wild disorder, running and wandering ceaselessly. Second, awareness itself — that is, this mental object arising — this knowing itself becomes this same realm of suffering, endless burning and torment, pain too deep and too severe to ever bear. This closes the second section, the root faculty giving rise to this mark.

Sūtra: "This same deviant thought, congealing into thought itself, becomes a fixed place, a designated location; congealing into seeing, becomes a mirror of judgment and a witness to testify; congealing into hearing, becomes great colliding stones, ice, frost, mud, and fog; congealing into breath, becomes a great fiery cart, a fiery boat, and a fiery cage; congealing into taste, becomes great wailing cries, remorse, and weeping; congealing into touch, becomes growing large, growing small, ten thousand births and ten thousand deaths within a single day, lying face-down, and lying face-up."

Commentary: This same deviant thought, this retribution felt through this same wind: congealing into the mind-faculty as it presently stands — this thought meeting this wind of retribution, becomes a fixed place, a designated location — this being exactly the very place where this offense is punished. Congealing into seeing means that this same karma of thought, this wind of retribution, congeals into the eye-faculty as it presently stands — this seeing meeting this wind of retribution, becomes a mirror of judgment, and a witness of evil companions, making everything plain beyond doubt. Congealing into hearing means that this karma of thought, this wind of retribution, congeals into the ear-faculty as it presently stands — since hearing belongs to water, should this wind of retribution meet it, both forces at their fullest strength, stirred and churned to excess, this becomes great colliding stones; should the wind be cold and the water freezing, this becomes ice and frost; and should the water's force be weaker than the wind's, or the wind's force be weaker than the water's, this becomes mud and fog — as when a slight drought raises dust, or moisture meets it and fog appears. Congealing into breath means that this karma of thought, this wind of retribution, congeals into the nose-faculty as it presently stands — since the breath of the nose belongs to wind, wind meeting wind grinds and churns, becoming a great fiery cart, a fiery boat, and a fiery cage — all instruments of suffering found within hell. Congealing into taste means that this karma of thought, this wind of retribution, congeals into the tongue-faculty as it presently stands — the tongue's own tasting, craving flavor, this flavor lost the moment it meets this wind, and so becomes great wailing cries, remorse, and weeping — all these sounds of hunger, thirst, and desperate distress. Congealing into touch means that this karma of thought, this wind of retribution, congeals into the body-faculty as it presently stands — the body's own touch follows whatever condition it meets, this nature of wind having no fixed form; touch meeting this wind, stretched out, becomes a great body; touch meeting this wind, drawn in tight, becomes a small body; touch meeting this wind, suddenly revived, becomes life; and touch meeting this wind, suddenly extinguished, becomes death — within a single day, this skillful wind blowing, ten thousand births and ten thousand deaths; and, should this wind blow one's own face down toward the ground, this becomes lying face-down; and should this wind blow one's own face up toward the sky, this becomes lying face-up. All of this is the retribution of streaming outward, chasing after mental phenomena — such suffering as this — how could one not take heed and guard against it! This closes the third section, posing this question and explaining these six retributions.

Sūtra: "Ānanda, these are named the ten causes and six fruits of hell — all of them brought about by sentient beings through their own confusion and falseness."

Commentary: This concludes what precedes: hell's ten kinds of habitual cause, formed into these six cross-referenced retributions as fruit — broadly speaking, both cause and fruit alike are, in every case, this same failure to understand one's own mind, this same confusion within false views, this same failure to penetrate the emptiness of every sentient being's own mark. Because of this, giving rise to this false emotion toward every sentient being, these ten causes and six fruits, without exception, all take their very origin from this — hence, "brought about." Should one be able to understand clearly that these arise falsely, following karma, then every cause and every fruit alike are exactly like the realm within a dream: while dreaming, this is not without reality; yet, once awakened, nothing at all is truly gained.

Sūtra: "Should sentient beings create this same evil karma together, in full, they enter the Avīci hell, undergoing boundless suffering across boundless kalpas."

Commentary: Everything said above concerning hell — its cause formed through habit, its fruit formed through crossing — broadly speaking, both cause and fruit alike are just this way. Yet the number of these hells varies, and their suffering differs in weight — let this now be briefly analyzed. The meaning is: should sentient beings, with these six sense-faculties matched against these ten causes, create this same evil karma in every combination, without exception, together — this being exactly what was earlier called "pure emotion," which, being pure emotion, sinks straight down into the Avīci hell, this gravest of all, the unrelenting hell, distinctly its own single hell, differing from the eight interrupted hells described below — hence the word Avīci is left untranslated here. Entering this hell, one undergoes every suffering in full — hence, "undergoing boundless suffering." And should there be, within that sinking mind, slander of the Great Vehicle and the rest, then, once one kalpa is exhausted, one is reborn once more in an Avīci hell of the ten directions — hence, "across boundless kalpas."

Sūtra: "Should each of the six sense-faculties create its own separate karma, and, in what is thereby done, both the sense-object and the sense-faculty crossed together, such a person enters one of the eight unrelenting hells."

Commentary: This means that these six sense-faculties, together, create these ten causes — yet not all at the same time — hence, "each creates its own." "And, in what is thereby done, both the sense-object and the sense-faculty crossed together" means that, beyond each sense-faculty's own particular creation, this is joined, further, with every other sense-object — that is, these same ten causes — and every other sense-faculty as well. "Such a person enters one of the eight unrelenting hells" refers exactly to what was described earlier: with nine parts emotion and one part thought, one sinks down through the fire-wheel entirely, the body entering this place where wind and fire cross, this being exactly this heavier case, reborn in the unrelenting hell.

Sūtra: "Should body, speech, and mind, these three, together commit killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct, such a person enters one of the eighteen hells."

Commentary: This speaks only of body, speech, and mind, these three, since these six sense-faculties do not all cross together in creating karma here; and it speaks only of committing killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct, since these ten causes are not all created in full here either. Not crossing together, and not created in full — in neither case has this reached its very utmost extreme — this, by contrast, reveals that whoever falls into the Avīci hell above must have created all ten causes in full, these six sense-faculties crossing together entirely; and whoever enters the unrelenting hell must have had each of the six sense-faculties create its own karma, these ten causes mutually transgressed. One thus knows that the offense described in this present section is lighter than what came before, yet graver than what follows — hence, "such a person enters one of the eighteen hells." According to the Sūtra on the Hells, there are eight hot hells and ten cold hells — these being exactly these eighteen.

Sūtra: "Should these three karmas not all combine together, but, among them, only killing alone, or stealing alone, be committed, such a person enters one of the thirty-six hells."

Commentary: "These three karmas not all combine together" means that body, speech, and mind, these three, are not all fully present together. "Among them, or" is a phrase of indeterminacy: were every possible combination spelled out in full, there ought to be nine such cases: first, body and speech committing killing and stealing; second, body and speech committing killing and sexual misconduct; third, body and speech committing stealing and sexual misconduct; fourth, body and mind committing killing and stealing; fifth, body and mind committing killing and sexual misconduct; sixth, body and mind committing stealing and sexual misconduct; seventh, speech and mind committing killing and stealing; eighth, speech and mind committing killing and sexual misconduct; and ninth, speech and mind committing stealing and sexual misconduct — only in this way are every sense-faculty and every sense-object, each, in every case, exhausted, two present and one lacking. "Such a person enters one of the thirty-six hells," the suffering undergone somewhat lighter, and the number of kalpas somewhat shorter.

Sūtra: "Should only a single sense-faculty be seen at work, and only a single karma alone be transgressed, such a person enters one of the hundred and eight hells."

Commentary: "Only a single sense-faculty be seen at work" means that, of these present six sense-faculties, only a single one alone is seen at work. "Only a single karma alone be transgressed" means that, of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and the rest, only a single karma alone is transgressed. "Such a person enters one of the hundred and eight hells," the suffering undergone all the lighter still, and the number of kalpas all the shorter still. Everything discussed above shows that, in terms of cause, what is complete and combined is graver, and what is solitary and alone is lighter; and, in terms of fruit, where the cause is graver, the hells are fewer, and where the cause is lighter, the hells are more numerous. This closes the second section, distinguishing these gradations of weight.

Sūtra: "And so it is that, because sentient beings, each creating their own separate karma, come, within this world, to enter this same shared portion of a common destiny — this arises entirely from false thought, and was never, from the very beginning, truly existent at all."

Commentary: Because of this, sentient beings, creating differing karma, receive differing retribution as well. As with the five gradations described above, this differing evil karma is exactly this same separate creation, each their own. The fruit thereby felt, each follows its own kind, entering, within this world, this distinct yet shared hell of common destiny, there to undergo this retribution. This answers this earlier question: do these hells possess some fixed location, or does each unfold entirely on its own, this karma each gives rise to differing from the next, each receiving its own retribution individually and privately? And so the answer now given is: entering, within this world, this same shared portion of common destiny — this is plainly not something received individually and privately at all.

And it was further doubted, earlier: do these destinies exist inherently, from the very beginning, or do they arise from beings' own false habitual tendencies? The answer now given is: this arises entirely from false thought, and was never, from the very beginning, truly existent at all — this being plainly this same false arising. As the Standard Meaning Commentary puts it: since this arising comes from oneself, one ought equally to awaken that its cessation, too, comes from oneself. And how does one bring it to cessation? Simply by severing this evil karma entirely! Let the student take care never to hear of this illusory, empty nature and, on that account, grow careless, failing to sever this karma. One should know that this illusory emptiness applies not only to hell, but that even this present suffering right before one's own eyes is, likewise, illusory and empty — yet, arising from this same power of past karma, it appears entirely solid and real, in the end difficult to escape, and difficult, in the end, to bear — how, then, could one fail to examine oneself over this? One thus knows that the Buddha's own wisdom must not go unheeded, and the Buddha's own precepts, likewise, must not go unheeded either! This closes the first section, the destiny of hell.

Sūtra: "Furthermore, Ānanda, these sentient beings, whether it be breaking the monastic discipline, transgressing the bodhisattva precepts, or reviling the Buddha's own nirvāṇa, and every other manner of mixed karma besides, are burned through kalpa upon kalpa — and, once this same offense is at last repaid in full, they come to take on the form of a ghost."

Commentary: "Ghost" means dread — that is, hollow, timid, and fearful, and so named a ghost; this states this generally. Once one's offense in hell is repaid in full, one enters this destiny of ghosts — and people commonly mistake this, conflating the intermediate state with hell, calling both alike "ghosts." Let this now be distinguished clearly. First, this differs from the intermediate state: for, at the very moment a person first dies, the very best and the very worst alike do not pass through this intermediate state at all; only should one's own merit and offense both be middling, not yet immediately reborn, does a body suddenly come to exist, named this intermediate-state body — this belonging to this same transformation-birth, arising suddenly from what was not there before. Such beings are, for the most part, naked, some three feet in stature, sensing that all six of their own sense-faculties are especially sharp, coming and going swiftly, without any obstruction at all, though appearing to others as nothing more than a shadow. Dying after seven days, they are reborn once more; the longest-lived last no more than forty-nine days, and the shortest, only fourteen or twenty-one — and then they are reborn. This, then, is not a ghost at all.

Second, this differs from hell: hell is entirely transformation-birth, while this destiny of ghosts is complete with all four kinds of birth — womb, egg, moisture, and transformation — at times possessing parents, siblings, and kin. Yet the superior among them are called spirits, and the inferior are called ghosts — as with the ten classes listed below. All, without exception, cannot escape hunger and emptiness, and all belong to this same destiny of hungry ghosts — this, then, is not hell either. Yet this differs, too, from that earlier case of seven parts emotion, three parts thought, sinking down beneath the water-wheel, born at the very edge of fire: that case falls directly, through evil karma alone; this present case arises, rather, from the remaining retribution left over from hell.

Furthermore, Ānanda, these sentient beings undergoing punishment in hell — "reviling" here means slandering; "breaking" here means transgressing. Not only transgressing every precept, but further slandering every precept as falsely established, or claiming that there is no offense and no merit at all, thereby sinking both oneself and others. "Monastic discipline" encompasses both the greater and lesser vehicles alike. "Transgressing the bodhisattva precepts" refers exactly to the precepts of the Great Vehicle — the ten grave and forty-eight lesser precepts, and the rest; these two speak in terms of violating the precepts. "Reviling the Buddha's own nirvāṇa": nirvāṇa, this ultimate principle, this profound teaching of the Great Vehicle — to revile it here means either denouncing it as empty falsehood, or condemning it as mere annihilation — this speaks in terms of reviling the vehicle itself. Now, vehicle and precept, these two dharmas, are exactly the very bridge by which one crosses beyond suffering, the very hinge by which buddhahood is truly accomplished; to treat either with more urgency than the other is already improper — how much more, then, to revile both together? This is truly to sever the Buddha's own seed entirely! The earlier text states: should there be, within that sinking mind, slander of the Great Vehicle, violation of the Buddha's own precepts — this is exactly what is meant here. "Every other manner of mixed karma" refers, in general, to these same ten habitual causes and six cross-referenced retributions, and the rest; every other manner of mixed karma, falling into hell, is subjected in full to every suffering there, as though dwelling within a raging fire — hence, "burned through kalpa upon kalpa." Once this past karma is burned away entirely, then that earlier karma of pure emotion without thought, and of nine parts emotion to one part thought, and the rest, is named repaid, this offense settled in full. Now, though this graver retribution is settled, this lighter retribution still remains to be undergone — and so one comes to take on the form of a ghost. This closes the first section, carrying forward what precedes and setting forth what follows.

Sūtra: "Should the very root cause be greed for objects, taken as this offense, then, once such a person's offense is repaid in full, encountering some object, they take shape from it — this is named the strange ghost."

Commentary: This lists, in detail, each destiny of these ghosts in turn. Having, in what preceded, created these ten habitual causes, falling into hell, undergoing this retribution differently according to each, now emerging as ghosts, these too divide into ten classes. The phrase "should the very root cause be" governs all ten sections together, situated here at the start: that is, according to whichever habit served as the root, original cause of this offense, one now, relying on this remaining habit, becomes whichever kind of ghost corresponds to it. Should one, in some former life, have taken greed for wealth and possessions as this offense, then, once such a person's own offense is repaid in full, emerging from hell, still relying on this same habit of greed, encountering some object gives rise to greed once more, attaching to it and taking shape from it. And so there come to be those who attach themselves to grass or wood, becoming spirits and working mischief, and the like — this being named the strange ghost.

Sūtra: "Greed for sensual beauty, taken as this offense — once such a person's offense is repaid in full, encountering wind, they take shape from it — this is named the drought-demon ghost."

Commentary: Not stating "the very root cause" here follows the pattern already established above, and so may be understood accordingly. This, too, is still named in terms of greed, since greed stands foremost among every affliction, crowning every karma there is — and every case that follows below should be understood the same way. Should one, in some former life, have taken greed for physical beauty as this offense, then, once such a person's own offense is repaid in full, emerging from hell, still relying on this same habit of lust, the mind loving to wander and roam freely, encountering wind, they take shape from it — this is named the drought-demon ghost. This drought-demon is a female ghost, also called a female specter — hence a woman given greatly to lust is called a "drought-demon wife." As the Sūtra of Spirits and Wonders puts it: this drought-demon ghost measures some two or three feet in length, moving as swiftly as the wind, and wherever it appears, a great drought is certain to follow. This is because such extreme lust causes yin and yang to fail to unite, this same demonic wind preventing clouds and rain from ever forming.

Sūtra: "Greed for deception, taken as this offense — once such a person's offense is repaid in full, encountering an animal, they take shape from it — this is named the charm ghost."

Commentary: Should one, in some former life, have taken greed for deceiving and confusing others as this offense, then, once such a person's own offense is repaid in full, emerging from hell, still relying on this same habit of fraud, encountering an animal, they take shape from it. And so there come to be foxes, wildcats, and jackals, chickens and rats that have become spirits, and the like — this being named the charm ghost.

Sūtra: "Greed for hatred, taken as this offense — once such a person's offense is repaid in full, encountering an insect, they take shape from it — this is named the venom-gu ghost."

Commentary: Should one, in some former life, have taken greed for anger and hatred as this offense, then, once such a person's own offense is repaid in full, emerging from hell, still relying on this same habit of anger, holding this hatred within the heart, encountering an insect, they take shape from it. "Insect" here means a venomous insect, such as the python, the snake, or the centipede; attaching itself to such creatures, it causes gu-poisoning, harming people — this being named the venom-gu ghost. As the Consecration Commentary puts it: the deviant arts practiced in the two Guang provinces, causing people to develop gu-swelling, are exactly this same ghost.

Sūtra: "Greed for brooding, taken as this offense — once such a person's offense is repaid in full, encountering decline, they take shape from it — this is named the plague ghost."

Commentary: Should one, in some former life, have taken greed for brooding over old grudges as this offense, then, once such a person's own offense is repaid in full, emerging from hell, still relying on this same habit of grudges, harboring evil, wishing to avenge this wrong, delighting in decline and misfortune, and so, encountering decline, they take shape from it. "Decline" means this untimely energy of the four seasons, this same energy of yin and yang in decay, spreading pestilence and carrying plague — this being named the plague ghost.

Sūtra: "Greed for pride, taken as this offense — once such a person's offense is repaid in full, encountering vital energy, they take shape from it — this is named the hungry ghost proper."

Commentary: Should one, in some former life, have taken greed for arrogance and pride as this offense, then, once such a person's own offense is repaid in full, emerging from hell, still relying on this same habit of arrogance, constantly harboring this wish to rise above others, and so, encountering vital energy, they take shape from it. "Vital energy" means the energy rising from the earth: below it lie the water-wheel and the fire-wheel, their heat steaming and giving off vapor, rising into the empty sky, aspiring to rise ever higher — and so, attaching to it, they take shape from it, possessing no ruler over themselves, receiving no offering or sacrifice — this being named the hungry ghost.

One might ask: "hungry ghost" is properly the general name for this entire destiny; the sūtra elsewhere states that such beings have swollen bellies and narrow throats, unable, across kalpas, even to hear the name of drink, constantly scorched by fire, harmed even by water — why, then, does only this class, born of arrogance, alone bear this suffering specifically? The answer: these ten causes of hell each follow their own particular karmic habit; now, having repaid this offense in full, still relying on this habit of arrogance, this retribution felt in being reborn, encountering vital energy, they take shape from it, and are named the hungry ghost. This is simply this same specific instance within this general class — how could it be the only one to suffer in this way?

Sūtra: "Greed for deceiving by scheming, taken as this offense — once such a person's offense is repaid in full, encountering darkness, they take shape from it — this is named the nightmare ghost."

Commentary: Should one, in some former life, have sought after this greed for false accusation as this offense, then, once such a person's own offense is repaid in full, emerging from hell, still relying on this same habit of false accusation, drawn toward darkness and obscurity, and so, encountering darkness, they take shape from it. "Darkness" means this hidden, obscure energy, where yin and yang cannot be distinguished; attaching to it, they take shape from it, pressing down upon a person while asleep, causing their own breath to be unable to move freely — this being named the nightmare ghost.

Sūtra: "Greed for [false] insight, taken as this offense — once such a person's offense is repaid in full, encountering an essence-spirit, they take shape from it — this is named the shade ghost."

Commentary: Should one, in some former life, have taken greed for deviant views, falsely posing as clever and wise, as this offense, then, once such a person's own offense is repaid in full, emerging from hell, still relying on this same habit of wrong views, lacking correct wisdom, and so, encountering an essence-spirit, they take shape from it. "Essence" here means this same energy, the very essence of the sun and moon; attaching to it, they take shape from it, manifesting strange, spiritual phenomena among rivers and marshes, becoming the shade ghost. "Shade" [魍] means that its form is dim and obscure; "shade" [魎] means that its form has no fixed shape. As Ge Hong puts it: this shade-ghost, this mountain-essence, takes the form of a small child, standing on a single foot, delighting in provoking people, and, further, fond of imitating the human voice, thereby confusing and misleading them.

Sūtra: "Greed for accomplishment, taken as this offense — once such a person's offense is repaid in full, encountering brightness, they take shape from it — this is named the servant ghost."

Commentary: Should one, in some former life, have used flattery and deceit to entice others, taking greed for accomplishing one's own private ends as this offense, then, once such a person's own offense is repaid in full, emerging from hell, still relying on this same habit of deceit, encountering brightness, they take shape from it. "Brightness" here means mantras and spells; attaching to them, taking shape from them, obeying whatever service is demanded of them, bringing about fortune or misfortune for others — not realizing that, within this cause, they used deceit to accomplish their own private ends, and are now, in turn, made to serve at the beck and call of these same mantras and spells — this being named the servant ghost.

Sūtra: "Greed for faction, taken as this offense — once such a person's offense is repaid in full, encountering a person, they take shape through them — this is named the courier ghost."

Commentary: Should one, in some former life, have taken greed for gathering factions, aiding evil and stirring up litigation, as this offense, then, once such a person's own offense is repaid in full, emerging from hell, still relying on this same habit of litigation, encountering a person, they take shape through them. This is exactly what Master Huan means by attaching to a medium or diviner, thereby transmitting good or ill fortune. This is simply because, within this cause, one gathered together in factions, passing along hidden, secret matters, exposing them to others; now, become a ghost, they likewise attach themselves to a person, giving voice to and transmitting matters of fortune and misfortune — this being named the courier ghost. This closes the second section, listing each of these ten classes in detail.

Sūtra: "Ānanda, all of these beings fall this way through pure emotion, their karmic fire burning them dry, so that they rise up out of the hells to become ghosts — every one of them self-summoned by their own false, deluded karma. Awaken to bodhi, and this wondrous, perfect brightness was never, in truth, anything at all."

Commentary: This traces the very root of this destiny of ghosts, cause and fruit together. Ānanda, these beings of these ten kinds of ghosts, every one of them, through this pure emotion without thought, fell into the Avīci hell; or, through nine parts emotion, one part thought, fell into one of the unrelenting hells; or, through eight parts emotion, two parts thought, fell into one of the interrupted hells; and it is only once this karmic fire, this suffering, has burned this water of false emotion dry that they rise up out of these hells to become ghosts. Among the three lower destinies, emerging from hell is, relatively speaking, a rising upward — this traces this very root. "Every one of these" below reveals this same falseness: every one of these ghosts, alike, arises entirely from one's own mind's false thought and distortion, following karma and manifesting accordingly — nothing more than this. Should one awaken to this true nature, bodhi itself, it is exactly as waking from a dream — there is nothing at all left to be gained. "Wondrous, perfect, bright": suffering unable to bind it is called wondrous; karma unable to obstruct it is called perfect; and delusion unable to obscure it is called bright — and so this whole destiny of ghosts is, at root, nothing at all! This closes the second section, this destiny of ghosts.

Sūtra: "Furthermore, Ānanda, once a ghost's own karma is exhausted, both emotion and thought together become empty — and only then, within this world, does such a being meet the very person to whom they originally owed a debt, this enmity meeting face to face, taking the body of an animal to repay this old debt."

Commentary: This states generally this destiny of animals. Because their own nature is foolish and dull, unable to stand on their own, relying for the most part on human beings, raised and fed by them for their own survival — hence named domestic animals. Also named "beings born sideways," since this destiny, for the most part, belongs to those whose bodies are covered and who walk sideways — hence, "born sideways."

"Furthermore, Ānanda, once a ghost's own karma is exhausted" — once this karmic retribution of every ghost, this suffering, this burning fire, has burned itself out entirely, both emotion and thought together become empty — that is, transcending this same emotion and thought of the ghost-destiny — hence, "both together become empty." This carries forward what precedes. "And only then" below sets forth what follows: only then, within this world, does such a being meet, face to face, the very person to whom they originally owed money or possessions, or life itself, this enmity, this counterpart, meeting one another — this karmic debt impossible to escape — and so they take the body of an animal, whether slaughtered by that person, or made to labor at their command, repaying either life or wealth — hence, "to repay this old debt." This closes the first section, carrying forward what precedes and setting forth what follows.

Sūtra: "The strange ghost, once the object it attached to has dissolved and its retribution is exhausted, is born within this world, for the most part, as one of the owl-like kind."

Commentary: "The strange ghost" refers to that being who, in the past, because of this habit of greed, encountered some object and took shape from it, named the strange ghost. Now, the very object it attached to has dissolved, and the retribution it underwent is likewise exhausted, this form dissolved, this suffering ended, and it is born within this world. Because of this remaining habit of greed for objects that made it a strange ghost, it becomes, for the most part, one of the owl-like kind. The owl attaches itself to a clod of earth to take shape — this being exactly this remaining habit of greed for objects; and its young devour their own mother — this being exactly this remaining habit of the strange ghost. This holds, broadly, in most cases — hence, "for the most part." Taking this one case as an example for the rest, what follows below should be understood the same way.

Sūtra: "The drought-demon ghost, once the wind it attached to has dissolved and its retribution is exhausted, is born within this world, for the most part, as an ill-omened creature, every strange and unusual kind."

Commentary: "The drought-demon ghost" refers to that being who, in the past, because of this habit of lust, encountered wind and took shape from it, named the drought-demon ghost. Now, the very wind it attached to has dissolved, and the retribution it underwent is likewise exhausted, this form dissolved, this suffering ended, and it is born within this world. Because of this remaining habit of greed for beauty that made it a drought-demon, it becomes, for the most part, an ill-omened creature, every strange and unusual kind. An ill-omened creature is a portent foretelling misfortune, such as the goat-spirit dancing over water, or the stone swallow flying on the wind — this being exactly this remaining habit of the drought-demon ghost's own foretelling of calamity. "Every strange and unusual kind" means either a bird of unusual color, or a beast given to lust — this being exactly this remaining habit of greed for beauty; this phrase, "every strange and unusual kind," belongs properly to this present section. The ninth section below, on creatures of good omen, matches this same pattern. All ten sections alike conclude with this word "kind."

Sūtra: "The charm ghost, once the animal it attached to has died and its retribution is exhausted, is born within this world, for the most part, as one of the fox kind."

Commentary: "The charm ghost" refers to that being who, in the past, because of this habit of fraud, encountered an animal and took shape from it, named the charm ghost. Now, the very animal it attached to has died, and the retribution it underwent is likewise exhausted, this form dissolved, this suffering ended, and it is born within this world. Because of this remaining habit of greed for deceit that made it a charm ghost, it becomes, for the most part, one of the fox kind. Foxes are creatures of deceit, changing and transforming their own shape, confusing and misleading people — this being exactly this remaining habit of greed for deceit. A fox of a thousand years becomes a lustful woman, and a fox of a hundred years becomes a beautiful maiden — this being exactly this remaining habit of the charm ghost.

Sūtra: "The venom-gu ghost, once the insect it attached to has perished and its retribution is exhausted, is born within this world, for the most part, as one of the poisonous kind."

Commentary: "The venom-gu ghost" refers to that being who, in the past, because of this habit of anger, encountered an insect and took shape from it, named the venom-gu ghost. Now, the very insect it attached to has perished, and the retribution it underwent is likewise exhausted, this form dissolved, this suffering ended, and it is born within this world. Because of this remaining habit of greed for anger that made it a gu-ghost, it becomes, for the most part, one of the poisonous kind — such as the viper, the snake, the scorpion, the centipede, and the earwig, constantly harboring venom — this being exactly this remaining habit of greed for anger; whether striking without provocation, or wounding only when touched — both, alike, this remaining habit of this gu-ghost.

Sūtra: "The plague ghost, once the decline it attached to has run its course and its retribution is exhausted, is born within this world, for the most part, as one of the tapeworm kind."

Commentary: "The plague ghost" refers to that being who, in the past, because of this habit of grudges, encountered decline and took shape from it, named the plague ghost. Now, the very decline it attached to has run its course, and the retribution it underwent is likewise exhausted, this form dissolved, this suffering ended, and it is born within this world. Because of this remaining habit of greed for brooding that made it a plague-ghost, it becomes, for the most part, one of the tapeworm kind. The tapeworm is this same worm within the intestines and stomach; sealed away within another's own body — this being exactly this remaining habit of greed for brooding; arising through this same disease, giving rise to this same knotted parasitic affliction — this being exactly this remaining habit of the plague ghost.

Sūtra: "The hungry ghost proper, once the vital energy it attached to has dissolved and its retribution is exhausted, is born within this world, for the most part, as one of the kind bred for food."

Commentary: "The hungry ghost proper" refers to that being who, in the past, because of this habit of arrogance, encountered vital energy and took shape from it, named the hungry ghost. Now, the very energy it attached to has dissolved, and the retribution it underwent is likewise exhausted, this form dissolved, this suffering ended, and it is born within this world. Because of this remaining habit of greed for arrogance that made it a hungry ghost, it becomes, for the most part, one of the kind bred for food. As for this kind bred for food: people of this world do not realize that every living creature alike clings to its own life — and yet pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks, fish, and turtles are, in every case, regarded as fit to eat. Because of this same arrogance, exalting oneself and demeaning others, one indulges without restraint in devouring them — and now, in turn, one's own flesh and body are offered to feed others. This is simply retribution answering retribution — how could it be otherwise?

Sūtra: "The clinging, hidden ghost, once the darkness it attached to has dissolved and its retribution is exhausted, is born within this world, for the most part, as one of the kind put to service or use."

Commentary: "The clinging, hidden ghost" means clinging and lingering within darkness and obscurity — that being who, in the past, because of this habit of false accusation, encountered darkness and took shape from it, named the nightmare ghost. Now, the very darkness it attached to has dissolved, and the retribution it underwent is likewise exhausted, this form dissolved, this suffering ended, and it is born within this world. Because of this remaining habit of greed for false accusation that made it a nightmare-ghost, it becomes, for the most part, one of the kind put to service or use. As the Detailed Commentary cites from the Record of Strange Things: the mountain owl's own body bears distinctive markings, and local custom names it, according to its own form, the "garment-bird," also called the "solitary fox," hiding by day and emerging by night, also called the "calamity-bird," since its cry portends misfortune. Now, hiding by day and emerging by night is exactly this remaining habit of greed for false accusation; and its cry portending misfortune is exactly this remaining habit of the nightmare ghost. Further, this kind put to service carries two meanings: first, creatures such as the silkworm, the marten, and the rat, whose fur or silk supplies people's own clothing; and second, creatures such as the donkey, the horse, and the camel, who carry and bear people upon their own backs. Because of this greed for false accusation, taken as this offense, and this remaining habit of encountering darkness to become a nightmare ghost, one is now, in turn, made to serve in just this way, repaying this former debt.

Sūtra: "The shade ghost, once the essence-spirit it merged with has dissolved and its retribution is exhausted, is born within this world, for the most part, as one of the kind that answers to the seasons."

Commentary: "The shade ghost" refers to that being who, in the past, because of this habit of wrong views, encountered an essence-spirit and took shape from it, named the shade ghost. Now, the very essence-spirit it merged with has dissolved, and the retribution it underwent is likewise exhausted, this form dissolved, this suffering ended, and it is born within this world. Because of this remaining habit of greed for false insight, this remaining habit of the shade ghost, it becomes, for the most part, one of the kind that answers to the seasons — such as the swallow of spring, or the wild goose of autumn, each knowing the season and its own proper time — this being exactly this remaining habit of greed for false insight; and appearing suddenly in the south, then suddenly in the north — this being exactly this remaining habit of the shade ghost.

Sūtra: "The servant ghost, once the brightness it borrowed has been extinguished and its retribution is exhausted, is born within this world, for the most part, as a creature of good omen, every such kind."

Commentary: "The servant ghost" refers to a ghost that borrows brightness to manifest its own spiritual power — "brightness" here meaning mantras and spells — that being who, in the past, because of this habit of deceit, encountered brightness and took shape from it, named the servant ghost. Now, the very power of brightness it relied upon is extinguished, and the retribution it underwent is likewise exhausted, this form dissolved, this suffering ended, and it is born within this world, for the most part, as a creature of good omen, every such kind. A good omen is a sign foretelling coming fortune. Because of this remaining habit of deceit, this greed for accomplishing one's own ends, such as the auspicious phoenix or unicorn — foretelling good fortune, signaling a sage's own reign — this being exactly this remaining habit of greed for accomplishment. "Every such kind" refers to such creatures as the numinous bird or the patterned beast, understanding human speech, responding to human call — this being exactly this remaining habit of the servant ghost.

Sūtra: "The courier ghost, once the person it depended upon has died and its retribution is exhausted, is born within this world, for the most part, as one of the compliant kind."

Commentary: "The courier ghost" refers to that being who, in the past, because of this habit of litigation, took greed for faction as this offense, encountering a person and taking shape through them, named the courier ghost. As Master Huan puts it: attaching to a medium or diviner, thereby transmitting fortune or misfortune — this is exactly what is meant. Now, the very person it depended upon has died, and the retribution it underwent is likewise exhausted, this form dissolved, this suffering ended, and it is born within this world. Because of this remaining habit of greed for faction, of being a courier ghost, it becomes, for the most part, one of the compliant kind. "Compliant" means obedient — raised and fed by human beings, obedient and compliant toward them, such as the dog or the pigeon. This is simply because, within this cause, one gathered together in factions, exposing another's own hidden faults; and then, becoming a ghost, one attached oneself to a medium, transmitting fortune and misfortune — this being this same remaining habit. Now, becoming a dog or a pigeon, joining in some faction's own evil, receiving its instruction, carrying and transmitting its messages — this, too, is simply this same remaining habit, brought about in just this way.

One might ask: the Tathāgata states generally that becoming an animal is, at root, for the sake of repaying a debt — yet, examining this closely, many creatures here seem free and unburdened, such as the unicorn, phoenix, wild goose, and swallow — what debt, in the end, could these possibly be repaying? The answer: whether caught in a net and sold, or caged and kept as some prized pet, or captured and made to lose their own life, or confined and made to perish — where, then, could this ever fail to be some repayment of debt? This closes the second section, listing each of these ten classes in detail.

Sūtra: "Ānanda, all of these, through this same karmic fire dried up entirely, repaying this old debt, become animals, born sideways. These, too, are all summoned by this same false, deluded karma; and should one awaken to bodhi, this false condition, too, was never, at root, anything at all."

Commentary: Ānanda, these refer to these ten classes of animals and the rest, all of them, through this karmic retribution and suffering fire of hell and the ghost-destiny both, burned away entirely, this false emotion of these two destinies now dried up at last, born within this world, repaying this old debt, covered in fur or crowned with horns, becoming animals, born sideways — also called beings born sideways; yet "born sideways" is a broader category, and "animal" a narrower one, since "domestic" means raised and fed, showing that these beings lack the strength to sustain themselves alone, depending on human care — those not lacking such strength, able to sustain themselves alone, are not included, hence this narrower sense. These ten classes of animals, too, are all summoned through this same illusory, deluded karma, each self-made and self-received. Should one awaken to this true mind of bodhi, originally without a single thing, then this karmic retribution, too, is exactly like a flower conjured in the sky — hence this is called a false condition, never, at root, anything at all.

Within this pure mind, there is neither subject nor object at all — likened to a clear, bright sky: should there be a film over the eye, one senses, of oneself, flowers of red appearing within the sky — yet the sky itself never had any flower in it at all; this diseased eye falsely sees them. And so, at the very moment these sky-flowers are seen, these flowers themselves were never truly born at all; and should this diseased film be removed, this seeing of these flowers, too, then ceases — since there was never any true birth to begin with, what, then, could there ever be to truly cease? This unborn, unceasing nature is itself one's own original nature, bodhi itself. This bodhi is, in every person, originally already possessed — it is only obstructed by this false condition. How, then, is this bodhi awakened to? One need only cause this mind, capable of taking hold of conditions, to no longer arise, and this condition thereby taken hold of naturally ceases to exist — exactly what is meant by: once this maddened mind comes to rest, that very rest is bodhi itself, this most excellent, pure, bright mind, originally pervading the whole Dharma-realm. This closes the third section, tracing this very root, revealing this falseness.

Sūtra: "Just as you yourself have said: Ratnakamalā and the rest, together with King Virūḍhaka and the monk Sunakṣatra — such evil karma as this arises entirely of its own accord; it does not descend from heaven, nor does it emerge from the earth, nor is it given by any other person. It is summoned by one's own falseness, and comes back to be received by that very same self. Within this mind of bodhi, all of this is nothing but a floating, empty, false thought, congealed together."

Commentary: This restates this earlier question: exactly as you, Ānanda, yourself asked — that is, this question concerning how Ratnakamalā and these other two fell into hell. "Such evil karma as this" — since Ānanda's earlier question was directed specifically at hell, the Tathāgata now answers generally, in terms of all three lower destinies together, making plain that they share, alike, this same single realm of punishment and suffering.

As the Standard Meaning Commentary puts it: "arises entirely of its own accord" means, truly, that within a sentient being's own mind, this tathāgatagarbha, everything is inherently, completely possessed — and so, whatever karma one follows, this same retribution is, of itself, manifested and brought to light accordingly. It is like how, within rice, every flavor is already inherently present, becoming sugar, becoming vinegar, or becoming wine, according to however it is prepared — each, of itself, manifested and brought to light, never obtained from anything outside at all. Everything from "it does not" all the way through to "comes back to be received by that very same self" makes plain, precisely, that this is never obtained from anything outside. This meaning is one the student must take special care to grasp — it is not the same as what is commonly said in the world, that one brings some official punishment down upon oneself. For, though the world knows that calamity is self-invited, it still clings to the idea that official punishment itself is some external circumstance. Here, though, it is shown that all three lower destinies are, in every case, nothing but one's own mind's own false transformation, this false realm, exactly as within a dream, with nothing external to it at all — hence, "within this mind of bodhi, this falseness congeals together."

As the Detailed Commentary puts it: "summoned by one's own falseness, and comes back to be received by that very same self" makes plain that this is brought about by oneself. "Within this mind of bodhi, this floating thought congeals together" makes plain that this originally possesses no real substance at all. According to Ānanda's own earlier questions, there were two: general and specific. The first, this general question about these seven destinies, asked: do these destinies exist inherently, from the very beginning, or do they arise from beings' own false habitual tendencies? Here, "summoned by one's own falseness, and comes back to be received by that very same self" answers that they arise from this same false habitual tendency; and "within this mind of bodhi, this floating thought congeals together" answers that they were never, from the very beginning, truly existent at all. The second, this specific question about hell, asked: do these hells possess some fixed location, or does each unfold entirely on its own, this karma each gives rise to differing from the next, each receiving its own retribution individually and privately? Here, "summoned by one's own falseness, and comes back to be received by that very same self" answers that this unfolds entirely on its own, each karma giving rise to its own retribution, each received individually and privately; and "all of this is nothing but a floating, empty, false thought, congealed together" answers that, even should some fixed location exist, this, too, belongs to nothing but this same floating thought, congealed together. This is because the earlier text stated: within this shared portion of a common destiny, there is, at the same time, this same original ground — seeming to suggest some fixed location after all. And so this present passage now dispels this notion as well, saying that sentient beings, from the very first single thought stirring falsely, this karmic consciousness quietly arising, are named this floating thought; and next, this seeing-portion suddenly arising, congealing into this present realm, this is named congealing. This is what every one of the seven destinies alike depends upon in common — called, in this sense, a shared portion; yet, as each sentient being summons this individually, this is called their own separate karma. Should a single person turn back to truth, returning to this very source, the empty space of the ten directions is, at once, entirely dissolved away — how much more, then, hell, ghosts, animals, and the rest, themselves existing only within this same empty space? This is exactly why, within this mind of bodhi, there is nothing at all to be found — and, should one truly, thoroughly realize this, there is no need to entertain any further doubt about it at all. Yet should one merely claim this emptiness before ever truly awakening to it, this is much to be feared — one would only mislead others, and mislead oneself as well. As an ancient once said: once understood, karmic hindrance is, at root, empty; not yet understood, one must still repay this old debt owing — how could one fail to take the utmost care over this! This closes the third section, this destiny of animals.