A Primer in Chinese Buddhist Writings

Volume Two: The Indian Tradition

A Description of the Hells from the Dīrghāgama: Selected Passages on Hell

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §1

Vocabulary
俱利	Jùlì	Skt. Kareri (Ch. 花林)
給孤獨園	Jǐgūdúyuán	Skt. Anāthapiṇḍa Park
講	jiǎng	to lecture; to deliberate over, to discuss
曾	céng	once, ever
由	yóu	cause, reason
敗	bài	to deteriorate, to become corrupt
國土	guótǔ	kingdoms, lands
云何	yúnhé	how, why

如是我聞。一時，佛在舍衛國祇樹給孤獨園俱利窟中。與大比丘眾千二百五十人俱。時，眾比丘於食後集講堂上議言：「諸賢，未曾有也。今此天地何由而敗，何由而成，眾生所居國土云何？」

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §2

Vocabulary
向	xiàng	in the past
何等	héděng	(interrogative): what kind of, what manner of

爾時，世尊於閑靜處天耳徹聽。聞諸比丘於食後集講堂上議如此言。爾時，世尊於靜窟起。詣講堂坐。知而故問。問諸比丘向者所議、議何等事。

諸比丘白佛言：「我等於食後集法講堂議言：『諸賢，未曾有也。今是天地何由而敗，何由而成，眾生所居國土云何？』我等集堂議如是事」。

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §3

Vocabulary
凡	fán	all, every
記	jì	to record; to describe, to explain
邑	yì	area, district

佛告諸比丘言：「善哉。善哉。凡出家者應行二法：一賢聖默然、二講論法語。汝等集在講堂，亦應如此：賢聖默然、講論法語。諸比丘。汝等欲聞如來記天地成敗、眾生所居國邑不耶？」。

時，諸比丘白佛言：「唯然，世尊，今正是時。願樂欲聞。世尊說已，當奉持之」。佛言：「比丘，諦聽、諦聽。善思念之。當為汝說。」...

From this introduction to the scripture, we skip to the section on hells.

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §4

《世記經》〈地獄品〉第四

Vocabulary
天下	tiānxià	lit. all under heaven, the world; a world, land, continent
圍遶	wéirào	to surround
外	wài	outside
周匝	zhōuzā	circumference, periphery
金剛	jīn’gāng	vajra; diamond
山	shān	mountain
窈冥	yǎomīng	dark; distant
神	shén	spirit, god
地獄	dìyù	lit. “earth prison,” hell
黑	hēi	black
繩	shéng	cord, rope
堆壓	duīyā	to pile and press, to crush
叫喚	jiàohuàn	to call out, to wail
燒炙	shāozhì	to burn
無間	wújiān	without interval, without interruption; (Skt.) Avīci
縱	zòng	length
廣	guǎng	breadth
由旬	yóuxún	(Skt.) yojana (a unit of length)
沙	shā	sand
沸	fèi	bubbling, boiling
屎	shǐ	excrement
丁	dìng	nail
飢	jī	hunger
渴	kě	thirst
銅	tóng	bronze
釜	fǔ	caldron
石	shí	stone
磨	mò	grind-stone
膿血	nóngxiě	pus
量	liàng	to measure
灰	huī	ash
河	hé	river
鐵	tiě	iron
丸	wán	ball, pellet
釿	jīn	ax
斧	fǔ	hatchet
犲狼	cháiláng	wolf, wolves; jackals and wolves
劍	jiàn	sword
氷	bīng	ice

佛告比丘：「此四天下有八千天下圍遶其外。復有大海水周匝圍遶八千天下。復有大金剛山遶大海水。金剛山外復有第二大金剛山。二山中間窈窈冥冥。日月神天有大威力。不能以光照及於彼。彼有八大地獄。其一地獄有十六小地獄。第一大地獄名『想』。第二名『黑繩』。第三名『堆壓』。第四名『叫喚』。第五名『大叫喚』。第六名『燒炙』。第七名『大燒炙』。第八名『無間』。其想地獄有十六小獄。小獄縱廣五百由旬。第一小獄名曰『黑沙』。二名『沸屎』。三名『五百丁』。四名『飢』。五名『渴』。六名『一銅釜』。七名『多銅釜』。八名『石磨』。九名『膿血』。十名『量火』。十一名『灰河』。十二名『鐵丸』。十三名『釿斧』。十四名『犲狼』。十五名『劍樹』。十六名『寒氷』。

Note: In other accounts, the hells were thought to be below the ground. Here they seem to be on the surface, though very far away.

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §5

Vocabulary
眾生	zhòngshēng	all beings
手	shǒu	hand
爪	zhǔa	claws
利	lì	sharp
迭相	diéxiāng	one to another; in turns
瞋忿	chēnfèn	anger, wrath
懷	huái	to harbor
毒	dú	poison
害	hài	to harm, harmful
爴	zhǔa	to claw
應	yìng	in response to
肉	ròu	meat, flesh
墮	duò	to fall
已	yǐ	already
冷	lěng	cold
風	fēng	wind
來	lái	come
吹	chūi	blow
皮	pí	skin
還	huán	to return
尋	xún	a short while, a moment
活	húo	to live
起	qǐ	to arise
立	lì	to stand
餘	yú	the rest, the remaining
汝	rǔ	you

云何名想地獄？其中眾生手生鐵爪。其爪長利。迭相瞋忿，懷毒害想。以爪相爴。應手肉墮。想為已死。冷風來吹。皮肉還生。尋活起立。自想言：『我今已活』。餘眾生言：『我想汝活』。以是想故，名『想地獄』。

Note: The justification here for calling this the “Hell of Thoughts” is strained. Usually, the name of this hell is given as Saṃjīva in Sanskrit, meaning “revival,” and in similar terms in Chinese (huó 活, huánhuó 還活, děnghuó 等活, yìsǐ yìhuó). My best guess is that the name was corrupted from Saṃjīva (revival) to Saṃjñā before it was translated into Chinese, and that the compilers of the text (again, before its translation into Chinese) concocted the explanation above in an attempt to make sense of the name.

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §6

Vocabulary
觸嬈	chùráo	to beat, hit, attack
自然	zìrán	naturally, of itself
刀	dāo	knife, blade
鋒利	fēnglì	sharp
斫	zhuó	to cut
刺	cì	to stab
剝	bō	peel, skin; to peel, to flay
臠割	luángē	dice, chop; shred
碎	suì	shatter, crush; mince

復次，想地獄其中眾生懷毒害想。共相觸嬈。手執自然刀劍。刀劍鋒利。迭相斫刺。皮剝臠割。身碎在地。想謂為死。冷風來吹。皮肉更生。尋活起立。彼自想言：『我今已活』。餘眾生言：『我想汝活』。以此因緣故，名想地獄。

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §7

復次，想地獄其中眾生懷毒害想。迭相觸嬈。手執刀劍。刀劒鋒利。共相斫刺。皮剝臠割。想謂為死。冷風來吹。皮肉更生。尋活起立。自言：『我活』。餘眾生言：『我想汝活』。以此因緣故，名想地獄。

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §8

Vocabulary
油影刀	yóuyǐngdāo	lit. “oil shadow blade” (evidently a kind of knife or sword named “greased shadow”).

復次，想地獄其中眾生懷毒害想。迭相觸嬈。手執油影刀。其刀鋒利。更相斫刺。皮剝臠割。想謂為死。冷風來吹。皮肉更生。尋活起立。自言：『我活』。餘眾生言：『我想汝活』。以是因緣，名為想地獄。

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §9

復次，想地獄其中眾生懷毒害想。迭相觸嬈。手執小刀。其刀鋒利。更相斫刺。皮剝臠割。想謂為死。冷風來吹。皮肉更生。尋活起立。自言：『我活』。餘眾生言：『我想汝活』。以是因緣故，名『想地獄』。

Note: The preceding passages describe five types of cutting in the 想地獄: with talons, with knives that grow naturally from the hands, with swords, with “oil shadow blades” and with daggers. Do the different types of cutting happen all at once, or in stages?

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §10

Vocabulary
久	jiǔ	a long time
受罪	shòuzuì	lit. “to receive sins,” to be punished for one’s sins
慞惶	zhānghuáng	flustered, in a panic
馳走	chízǒu	to run away, to flee
救護	jiùhù	to save, to rescue
宿	sù	from previous lives, karmic
牽	qiān	to pull
覺	jué	to feel, to notice
到	dào	to arrive at
熱	rè	hot
暴	bào	violent
著	zhúo	to attach to; to stick to
舉	jǔ	entire
體	tǐ	body
盡	jìn	completely; to exhaust
雲	yún	clouds
燒	shāo	to burn
徹	chè	to pierce
骨	gǔ	bones
焰	yàn	flame
迴旋	huíxuān	to circle about, to swirl around
燋爛	jiāolàn	lit. “burnt rotten,” burnt to a crisp, scorched
報	bào	recompense
畢	bì	to end
使	shǐ	to cause

其中眾生久受罪已，出想地獄。慞惶馳走，求自救護。宿罪所牽。不覺忽到黑沙地獄。時，有熱風暴起。吹熱黑沙。來著其身。舉體盡黑。猶如黑雲。熱沙燒皮。盡肉徹骨。罪人身中有黑焰起。遶身迴旋。還入身內。受諸苦惱。燒炙燋爛。以罪因緣，受此苦報。其罪未畢，故使不死。

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §11

Vocabulary
滿	mǎn	to fill
驅迫	qūpò	to impel, to force
抱	bào	to hold, embrace
頭	tóu	head
面	miàn	face
周遍	zhōubiàn	everywhere; completely
探撮	tàncuò	to pick up
著	zhù	to place
脣	chún	lips
咽	yān	throat
腹	fù	belly
通	tōng	to go through
過	guò	to pass through
嘴	zuǐ	mouth
虫	chóng	insects
唼	qiè	to chew, to bite
達	dá	to reach
髓	suǐ	marrow
苦毒	kǔdú	lit. “bitter poison,” pain
憂惱	yōunǎo	anguish

於此久受苦已。出黑沙地獄。慞惶馳走。求自救護。宿罪所牽，不覺忽到沸屎地獄。其地獄中有沸屎，鐵丸自然滿前。驅迫罪人，使抱鐵丸。燒其身手。至其頭面，無不周遍。復使探撮，舉著口中。燒其脣舌。從咽至腹，通徹下過，無不燋爛。有鐵嘴虫。唼食皮肉。徹骨達髓。苦毒辛酸。憂惱無量。以罪未畢，猶復不死。

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §12

Vocabulary
卒	zú	footsoldier
撲	pū	to beat, to strike, to push
令	lìng	to cause to
偃	yǎn	to lie down
舒展	shūzhǎn	to extend, to stretch out
釘	dīng	nail
號咷	hàotáo	to cry out, to wail
呻吟	shēnyín	to moan

於沸屎地獄久受苦已，出沸屎地獄。慞惶馳走，求自救護。到鐵釘地獄。到已，獄卒撲之令墮。偃熱鐵上。舒展其身。以釘釘手、釘足、釘心。周遍身體。盡五百釘。苦毒辛酸。號咷呻吟。餘罪未畢。猶復不死。

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §13

Vocabulary
報	bào	to reply
捉	zhuō	to seize, to apprehend
鈎	gōu	hook
開	kāi	to open
啼	tì	to sob, to cry

久受苦已。出鐵釘地獄。慞惶馳走。求自救護。到飢餓地獄。獄卒來問：『汝等來此。欲何所求』。報言：『我餓』。獄卒即捉撲熱鐵上。舒展其身。以鐵鈎鈎口使開。以熱鐵丸著其口中。燋其脣舌。從咽至腹。通徹下過。無不燋爛。苦毒辛酸。悲號啼哭。餘罪未盡。猶復不死。

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §14

Vocabulary
消	xiāo	molten
銅	tóng	bronze
灌	guàn	to pour down the throa

久受苦已。出飢地獄。慞惶馳走。求自救護。到渴地獄。獄卒問言：『汝等來此。欲何所求？』。報言：『我渴』。獄卒即捉撲熱鐵上。舒展其身。以熱鐵鈎鈎口使開。消銅灌口，燒其脣舌。從咽至腹。通徹下過。無不燋爛。苦毒辛酸，悲號啼哭。餘罪未盡，猶復不死。

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §15

Vocabulary
鍑	fù	pot, vat, cauldron
怒	nù	angry; anger
倒	dào	upside down
隨	suí	to follow; as, while
湯	tāng	hot liquid
涌沸	yǒngfèi	to bubble and boil
底	dǐ	base, bottom
或	huò	it may be, perhaps; at times
熟	shú	cooked through
譬如	pìrú	it is like
煮	zhǔ	to boil, to cook
豆	dòu	beans
普	pǔ	universally, all

久受苦已，出渴地獄。慞惶馳走。求自救護。宿罪所牽，不覺忽到一銅鍑地獄。獄卒怒目捉罪人足。倒投鍑中。隨湯涌沸，上下迴旋。從底至口。從口至底。或在鍑腹。身體爛熟。譬如煮豆：隨湯涌沸，上下迴轉，中外爛壞。罪人在鍑，隨湯上下，亦復如是。號咷悲叫，萬毒普至。餘罪未盡，故復不死。

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §16

Vocabulary
皆	jiē	all
爛	làn	to putrefy; to be smashed to a pulp
腰	yāo	waist
取	qǔ	to take, to seize, to pick up

久受苦已，出一銅鍑地獄。慞惶馳走。求自救護。宿罪所牽，不覺忽至多銅鍑地獄。多銅鍑地獄縱廣五百由旬。獄鬼怒目捉罪人足。倒投鍑中。隨湯涌沸，上下迴旋。從底至口。從口至底。或在鍑腹。舉身爛壞。譬如煑豆：隨湯涌沸，上下迴轉，中外皆爛。罪人在鍑，亦復如是。隨湯上下。從口至底。從底至口。或手足現。或腰腹現。或頭面現。獄卒以鐵鈎鈎取，置餘鍑中。號咷悲叫。苦毒辛酸。餘罪未畢，故使不死。

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §17

Vocabulary
對	duì	response; consequence
壓	yā	to press
揩磨	kāimó	to grind, to scrape
骨	gǔ	bones, skeleton
肉	ròu	meat, flesh
糜	mí	diced, crushed, smashed
碎	suì	to crush
膿血	nóngxǐe	puss and blood
流	liú	to flow
切	qiè	intense

久受苦已，出多銅鍑地獄。慞惶馳走。求自救護。宿對所牽，不覺忽至石磨地獄。石磨地獄縱廣五百由旬。獄卒大怒，捉彼罪人撲熱石上。舒展手足。以大熱石壓其身上。迴轉揩磨，骨肉糜碎，膿血流出。苦毒切痛，悲號辛酸。餘罪未盡，故使不死。

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §18

Vocabulary
自然	zìrán	natural, appearing without human intervention
東	dōng	east
西	xī	west
悉	xī	all
壞	huài	bad, rotten, ruined
食	shí	to eat
湯	tàng	to burn (from hot liquid)
脣	chún	lips
舌	shé	tongue
咽	yān	throat
忍	rěn	to tolerate, endure

久受苦已，出石磨地獄。慞惶馳走。求自救護。宿對所牽，不覺忽至膿血地獄。膿血地獄縱廣五百由旬。其地獄中有自然膿血，熱沸涌出。罪人於中，東西馳走。膿血沸熱，湯其身體，手足頭面皆悉爛壞。又取膿血而自食之。湯其脣舌。從咽至腹。通徹下過。無不爛壞。苦毒辛酸。眾痛難忍。餘罪未畢，故使不死。

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §19

Vocabulary
量	liàng	to measure, to weigh
聚	jù	to gather, concentrate
焰	yàn	flame
熾	chì	to burn fiercely, to rage
斗	dǒu	(a unit of measure), a bucket
呻吟	shēnyín	to moan, to groan

久受苦已，乃出膿血地獄。慞惶馳走，求自救護。宿罪所牽，不覺忽至量火地獄。量火地獄縱廣五百由旬。其地獄中有大火聚，自然在前。其火焰熾。獄卒瞋怒，馳迫罪人，手執鐵斗。使量火聚。彼量火時，燒其手足。遍諸身體，苦毒熱痛。呻吟號哭。餘罪未畢，故使不死。

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §20

Vocabulary
惡	è	bad, evil
氣	qì	breath, vapor
熢勃	péngbó	to billow
波	bō	wave
搏	bó	to hit, to strike
聲	shēng	sound
響	xiǎng	echo
可畏	kěwèi	frightening
刺	cì	spike
鋒	fēng	blade
寸	cùn	(unit of measure) inch
狐狼	húláng	foxes and wolves
枝	zhī	branches
葉	yè	leaves
花	huā	flowers
實	shí	fruit
鋒刃	fēngrèn	edge of a blade
迴覆	huífù	repeatedly
沈沒	shěnmò	to sink
萬端	wànduān	lit. ten thousand tips; all manner of

久受苦已，乃出量火地獄。慞惶馳走，自求救護。宿對所牽，不覺忽到灰河地獄。灰河地獄縱廣五百由旬，深五百由旬。灰湯涌沸。惡氣熢勃。迴波相搏。聲響可畏。從底至上，鐵刺縱廣，鋒長八寸。其河岸邊生長刀劍。其邊皆有獄卒狐狼。又其岸上有劍樹林。枝葉花實皆是刀劍。鋒刃八寸。罪人入河。隨波上下。迴覆沈沒。鐵刺刺身，內外通徹。皮肉爛壞，膿血流出。苦痛萬端。悲號酸毒。餘罪未畢，故使不死。²

² Draw a diagram of this hell depicting what exactly is being described here.

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §21

Vocabulary
傷	shāng	to injure; injury
僻口	pìkǒu	to stretch the mouth to one side
洋銅	yángtóng	molten copper
燋爛	jiāolàn	burnt to a crisp
犲狼	cháiláng	minks and wolves; ferocious, fierce
牙齒	yáchǐ	teeth
嚙	niè	to bite
生	shēng	raw
馬	mǎ	horse
奔馳	bēnchí	to gallup away, to flee
攀	pān	to grab onto; to climb
絕	jué	to be cut off, to lose
蹬	dèng	to step onto
連	lián	connected; one after the other
鳥	niǎo	bird
啄	zhuó	to peck
唼	shà	to gobble
腦	nǎo	brain
咷	táo	to weep loudly, to wail
浮漂	fúpiāo	to float
吹	chuī	to blow
筋脉	jīnmò	sinews

久受苦已，乃出灰河地獄³至彼岸上。岸上利劍割刺身體。手足傷壞。爾時，獄卒問罪人言：「汝等來此。欲何所求？」罪人報言：「我等飢餓」。獄卒即捉罪人撲熱鐵上。舒展身體。以鐵鈎僻口。洋銅灌之。燒其脣舌，從咽至腹。通徹下過，無不燋爛。復有犲狼。牙齒長利。來嚙罪人。生食其肉。於是，罪人為灰河所煮、利刺所刺、洋銅灌口、犲狼所食已，即便馬奔馳，走上劍樹。上劍樹時，劍刃下向。下劍樹時，劍刃上向。手攀手絕。足蹬足絕。劍刃刺身。中外通徹。皮肉墮落。膿血流出。遂有白骨，筋脉相連。時，劍樹上有鐵嘴鳥。啄頭骨壞。唼食其腦。苦毒辛酸。號咷悲叫。餘罪未畢，故使不死。還復來入灰河獄中。隨波上下。廻覆沈沒。鐵刺刺身。內外通徹。皮肉爛壞。膿血流出。唯有白骨浮漂於外。冷風來吹。肌肉還復。尋便起立。慞惶馳走。求自救護。

3. The two characters 地獄 seem out of place here since they suggest that the sinner has emerged from hell when in fact he is still in it.

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §22

Vocabulary
竝	bìng	together, at the same time

宿對所牽，不覺忽至鐵丸地獄。鐵丸地獄縱廣五百由旬。罪人入已，有熱鐵丸自然在前。獄鬼驅捉。手足爛壞。舉身火然。苦痛悲號。萬毒竝至。餘罪未畢，故使不死。

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §23

Vocabulary
釿斧	jīnfǔ	ax
鼻	bí	nose

久受苦已，乃至出鐵丸地獄。慞惶馳走，求自救護。宿對所牽，不覺忽至釿斧地獄。釿斧地獄縱廣五百由旬。彼入獄已，獄卒瞋怒捉此罪人，撲熱鐵上。以熱鐵釿斧破其手足、耳鼻、身體。苦毒辛酸，悲號叫喚。餘罪未盡，猶復不死。

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §24

Vocabulary
競	jìng	to compete
掣	chè	to pull, to rip
䶩	jì	to bite, to nip
嚙	niè	to bite, to chew
拖抴	tuōyè	to wrench, to drag, to pull
墮	duò	to fall
傷	shāng	to harm, to injure, to wound, to damage

久受罪已，出釿斧地獄。慞惶馳走，求自救護。宿罪所牽，不覺忽至犲狼地獄。犲狼地獄縱廣五百由旬。罪人入已，有群犲狼競來𪙾掣。䶩嚙拖抴。肉墮傷骨。膿血流出。苦痛萬端，悲號酸毒。餘罪未畢，故使不死。

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §25

Vocabulary
暴風	bàofēng	storm
葉	yè	leaf
立	lì	to stand; to perch
頭	tóu	head
啄	zhuó	to peck

久受苦已，乃出犲狼地獄。慞惶馳走，求自救護。宿對所牽，不覺忽至劍樹地獄。劍樹地獄縱廣五百由旬。罪人入彼劍樹林中。有大暴風起吹。劍樹葉墮其身上。著手手絕。著足足絕。身體頭面，無不傷壞。有鐵嘴鳥立其頭上。啄其兩目。苦痛萬端，悲號酸毒。餘罪未畢，故使不死。

Shìjì jīng 世記經: §26

Vocabulary
寒	hán	cold
氷	bīng	ice
舉	jǔ	entire
體	tǐ	body
凍	dòng	frozen
瘃	zhú	frozen solid

久受苦已，乃出劍樹地獄。慞惶馳走，求自救護。宿罪所牽，不覺忽至寒氷地獄。寒氷地獄縱廣五百由旬。罪人入已，有大寒風來吹其身。舉體凍瘃。皮肉墮落。苦毒辛酸，悲號叫喚。然後命終」。

This completes a description of one of the eighteen hells. The text goes on to describe the others.

Page updated on 2019-02-09