Crossing the Ocean of Life and Death

Someone once asked me, `Is there really judgment in the netherworld?`

So I asked him in return, `Is there a judge in the court of the human world?`

`There is.`

`So it is with the netherworld.` I replied, `It only makes sense.`

The Ksitigarbha Sutra states very clearly that, `During the first forty-nine days after death, the deceased does not hear anything. During this time, he will be judged in various courts and his karmic retribution will be discussed. He will not be reborn until the trial.

`The deceased longs for his children or relatives to help him by doing meritorious deeds on his behalf during these forty-nine days. After forty-nine days, he will follow his own karmic retributions and suffer. If he has heavy karma, he cannot be released for hundreds or thousands of years, and he will suffer painful torment.

`Moreover, my elderly one, if beings with such karma die, the relatives can make offerings. Their relatives should prepare or eat vegetarian food and not throw rice-water or vegetable leaves on the ground. They should not even eat before offering it to Buddha and the monks. If they waste the food, eat before offering it, or are too lazy to learn about the Dharma, the deceased will obtain no merits at all. If their relatives are diligent and are reverently devoted to Buddha and the Sangha, the deceased will receive one-seventh of the merit. Therefore, my elderly one, if those beings in all the worlds can honestly and reverently offer vegetarian food to the Three Treasures after their parents or relatives die, both the living and the dead can obtain all the merits.`

Here are the important points as stated in the Sutra of the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva:

1. There is judgment in the netherworld, administered through the various courts which will debate on the karmic retribution.
2. Within the period of forty-nine days, the deceased`s children or relatives should perform meritorious deeds on his behalf to help liberate him.
3. There is merit in offering vegetarian food to the monks.
4. There is merit in making offerings to the Buddha.
5. There is merit in reciting the Buddha`s name and mantra diligently.
6. There is merit in deliverance (Food Offering for the Flaming Mouth, Mountain Meng Food Offering Rites, the Repentance Ritual, Recitation of Sutras, Constant Contemplation).
7. Both the living and the dead can obtain all the merits (the deceased will receive one-seventh of the merit).

I feel that when a bardo spirit arrives at the netherworld court for judgment, it is really bad. Generally, his conduct would not come close to that of a cultivator.

When the god of judging good deeds appears, he uses white pebbles to count the virtuous deeds. When the god of judging bad deeds appears, he uses black pebbles to calculate the bad deeds. Judgment is passed on the tipping of the scale between good and bad deeds.

There is a Mirror of Karma in the netherworld, and the life record of the deceased is reflected vividly through this mirror. Lying is of no avail.

I once witnessed a lotus practitioner being brought for judgment. He was unable to enter the light due to his bad karma. While he was unconscious, Lord Yama ordered his violent guards to wrap a black rope around his neck and cut off his head. His brain and its fluids were consumed by beasts that had hung around.

Following this, the lotus practitioner manifested an illusory thought body, which is again subjected to repeated hacking, which causes him to feel intense pain. This process of dying and reviving takes place nine times.

Lord Yama then questioned the lotus practitioner:

1. You once tore the picture of your root guru into pieces, and threw it into the trash can, didn`t you?
2. You once burned and killed an army of ants, didn`t you?
3. You once vowed to print the True Buddha Sutra, to make up for past wrong doings, but you never printed it, right?
4. You had befriended some bad company and your corrupt friends took you to a bar where you eventually got drunk and had sex with a bar hostess, didn`t you?
5. You chased after fame and position, and had deliberately set up a supervisor so that you could take his place, didn`t you?
6. Besides having sex with the bar hostess, you also seduced a subordinate female co-worker and had sex with her. Although she was receptive to the idea, the fact is that you engaged in debauchery with a married woman for about six months, didn`t you?
7. You were stingy and were unwilling to donate to the building of a temple even when you had enough extra money to do so, and you actually advised your wife against making donations, didn`t you?
8. You were ungrateful and got rid of a manager who had once given you the opportunity to prove yourself, because you wanted to benefit someone else, didn`t you?
9. Although you had not killed anyone personally, you displayed cruelty by firing some dedicated subordinates, resulting in them becoming unemployed. One of them has not had any income since, and his family was plunged into poverty. Coupled with his children falling ill, he was driven to commit suicide. Didn`t all of this happen?
10. You were envious of those colleagues who were kind and capable, and you replaced them with your own people, didn`t you?
11. You took refuge with your root guru, and attended group cultivation in a chapter, but only with the intention of getting a position, correct?
12. When you were at the chapter, you had not concentrated on cultivation, but instead gossiped about others, told many lies, engaged in idle chatter, slander, and abusive speech, didn`t you?
13. You did not uphold the precepts, perform any virtuous acts, and had not kept your body, speech and mind pure, right?
14. Your evil friends took you to go hunting, and you went along and shot at birds and animals with your rifle, didn`t you?
15. Your fence encroached on someone else`s property, didn`t it?

......and so forth.

This lotus practitioner replied, `I did not do it.`

Lord Yama ordered the guards to activate the Mirror of Karma, which showed him his life of wrong doings. The lotus practitioner was stunned and dumbfounded. His lies were shattered. Lord Yama questioned him, `You root guru is Living Buddha Lian-sheng, Sheng-yen Lu, and yet you are really a useless bum. Haven`t you recited the fourfold refuge mantra?`

Suddenly, the lotus practitioner was awakened, and recited:

Namo Gurubhyah (I take refuge in the Root Guru).

Namo Buddhaya (I take refuge in the Buddha).

Namo Dharmaya (I take refuge in the Buddhadharma).

Namo Sanghaya (I take refuge in all holy sages).

At this point, the sky suddenly opened, and a voice said, `Noble lotus practitioner, you must wholeheartedly recite the fourfold refuge mantra, and understand what you are reciting. You will then receive liberation through any one of the the refuge. Do not be distracted and recite with one mind. Repent your karmic transgressions and take refuge with your heart, and await the Clear Light.`

The lotus practitioner was in tears, and he sought repentance with his heart, and concentrated on his mantra recitation. As expected, the Clear Light appeared, and Lord Yama and his guards all vanished.

It is thus:

A single chant of Namo Buddha

Separates heaven and earth

During the moment of one recitation

One overcomes his body, speech, and mind karma

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