Hell’sFire

KingMilindaaskedVenerableNàgasena:

Iheardthepreachingfromthemonksthatthefireinthehellishotterthaninourworldthousandtimes.Theyalsogaveexamplethatifastoneisthrownintothefireoftheworldly,itstillkeepstheoriginalshape;ifweputthehugerockintothefireinthehell,itwillbeburnttoashes.Thisismyfirstdoubt.

Theseconddoubtisthatifsentientbeingswithbaddeedsisborninthehellandisburntattherefromthousandtotenthousandyearsormore,theycan’tbediedbutstillalive.

VenerableNàgasenarepliedbyaskinganotherquestion:

-Oking,youarefamousforimmenseknowledge,doyouknowwhichkindofanimaltakerockastheirfood?

-Thepeacock,iguana,tortoise,cock…theysometimetakegravelorgrit.

-Howabouttheaquaticanimal?

-Therearecrocodile,crab,largeturtle,water-serpent…whentheygetpregnancytheysometimestakegravel.

-Havegravelsbeendigestedintheirstomach?

-Ithinktheymustbedigested.

-ThenIhavesomedoubt,king.Whythehardgravelisdigestedbutthesofteggsintheabdomenareundamaged?

It’ssimple,venerable!Thestomach’sfunctionissystalticfood;therefore,gritorgravelisalsodigested;whiletheovary’sfunctionisnurture,soeggscan’tbedamaged.Onesidemaintainslife,anothersidedestroyssubstance.Thefunctionisdifferentleadstodifferenceinusing.

Suchthesamepointforthefunctionoffireinthehell!Thebigrockisburntbutcitizensinthehellarenotbecausetheyareunderdifferentdomination,differentpowerandfunction.

-Pleasemakeitmoreclearly,venerable.

Thelargerockisburntbecausethephysicallaw,thesentientbeingsarenotburntbecausethelawofkarmamaintaining.Thebadkarmahaspowerofmaintainingthelifeforthemuntiltheyfinishpayingwhattheyhadcausedbefore.

-Ifthekarmahasn’tfinishedyet,aren’ttheyburntcompletely?

-Thatis.

-Venerable,pleasegivemoreexample.

Iheardthatsomeanimalsaslion,tiger,leopard,wolf,ect.which,whentheygetpregnancy,liketakingboneofotheranimals,whethercansuchbonesbealldigestedornot?

-Ofcourse,theyare.

-Whydon’tfortheirfetuses?

-Duetothemaintenanceofkarma.

Noblewomenandtheladiesofmandarinfamilieswho,attheperiodofpregnancy,feedthefetusesbyeatingthenutrientandluxuriousfood.Itmeanstheyaredestroyingthistonurturethat.Thisisreallystrange!

-Itprobablyduestokarma,Venerable!

Sentientbeingswhodounwholesomedeedswillbeborninhellarebornatthereandbeardthesufferingattherebutaren’tburnttoashesatthere.Nowyoucanunderstandallarecreatedbythepowerofkarma,king.

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-Thankyou.I’msatisfiedwithyourexplanation,venerable