「地獄空」攝影集即將在八月中元節前出版,由知名設計師與攝影家黃子欽設計,內附在下二位高徒精美繪製符咒、心經版畫書籤、愣嚴咒牌、尊勝咒語...等,感恩十方大德助印,希望疫情退散,平安喜樂,後記如下:
野放台灣五十餘年,貪狼獨坐,三方四正殺破狼格局,少年多舛,白手起家,隨展覽雲遊四海,如閒雲野鶴常持各類底片機流連廢墟、山川、宮廟忘返,遂設幻影堂自詡堂主,一日三省「凡所有相皆是虛妄」,常宅於暗房沖片放大通宵、鍾情黑白世界之單純,彩色照片俗世繽紛花俏做作甜美甚至比現實更現實故少拍也。知天命之年有餘,了悟人生一瞬、眨眼即逝,雖非仙人,亦無道骨,初聞離垢地生清淨心,但離華嚴「不動地」尚遠,待修持也。
2017年盛暑拍畢《巨神連線》,心律不整差點心肌梗塞向閻羅王報到,意識死神隨伺在側,人生苦短,如何了生脫死、盡斷煩惱、無所罣礙、遠離顛倒……總不得解,蒙釋迦摩尼佛開示飆淚三晝夜,聞佛法數載始知自我渺如塵埃,甚感慚愧。閒暇乃參訪名寺古剎,禮敬焚香佛陀菩薩羅漢諸神天仙王爺媽娘,台灣宮廟千奇百怪、宗派錯綜複雜(佛教、道教、一貫道、天主教、基督教、齋教、回教&大同教、儒教鑾堂、天帝教&天德教、慈惠堂&勝安宮、軒轅教、道院、理教、萬國道德會、會靈山……)、神棍橫行(依人不依法、偶像崇拜、斂財、邪淫),因歷史變遷、社會動盪、政治鬥爭、意識形態等因素導致佛道混雜,但地獄造景稀少,後專注拍攝各殿閻王、判官、陰司、獄卒、七爺、八爺乃至一切罪人,各寺造景巧妙、耐人尋味,意境乖張溢於言表,造型扭曲非常人所能塑也,然匠心獨運、自成一格,專研西方藝術數十載方知真誠樸拙最美,絲毫不輸喬托(Giotto di Bondone,1267~1337)乃至米開朗基羅(Michelangelo Di lodovico Buonarroti Simoni 1475 ~ 1564)矣。
創立於1986年的石門金剛宮風景優美可眺望北濱,雖主祀四面佛,儒釋道眾神尊也不含糊,可過七星橋解厄、繞行五百黝黑羅漢敲鑼印心、跪拜亞洲最大臥佛涅槃像,安太歲自不在話下,甲子太歲爺雙眼長出手掌印象甚深,1994年經閻羅王指示廟公建造一條肚內設極樂世界及陰曹地府之神龍,行走暗黑通道觸動感應機關,只見面容猙獰受刑者呼天搶地喊冤、身邊盡是血肉糢糊殘肢敗屍腦漿塗地,十殿閻羅各司其職、威儀攝人。新北市林口區青嶺湖北文紫祥宮包公廟則以壁面彩塑地獄浮雕獨步全台,粉嫩色彩搭配卡漫風格,尤為造型簡直恐怖到可愛透頂,該廟主祀森羅殿閻羅天子包拯(包青天),陽世冤屈者可至此參拜祭解,求破懸案者眾,逢中元普渡皆以紙紮船渡亡魂至彼岸,全台唯一閻羅天子巨像籌備中,四周環繞墓地,適合修不淨觀也。台灣首尊彰化八卦山大佛旁南天宮(1971)地府則是首座電動地府,規模精小但驚嚇度破表,略顯破敗但五光十色仍蠻凶悍,出自已故台南大道長金登富之作,而電動神明起始可追溯至1960年代北港朝天宮。倒是嘉義水上鄉白人牙膏觀光工廠「戴相府」、「將軍府」設置十殿地府出乎意料之外,乾淨亮麗、ㄧ殿ㄧ間、簡單樸實。由高雄蓮潭龍虎塔龍口入內可見全臺唯一交趾陶地獄牆面,尊尊栩栩如生,續入龍身乃進聞聲救苦白衣觀音大士三十三化身浮雕隧道,造型設色甚為古錐。高雄大岡山超峰寺入口處「西方三聖蓮池海會」(阿彌陀佛、觀世音菩薩、大勢至菩薩巨像)旁設靜態十殿閻羅(1970年代初),雖略為陳舊然韻味猶存,續往上行可抵「證菩提道-釋迦如來應化事迹」雕塑園區,一攬世尊畢生精華。如來年邁時,琉璃國王為報長期被釋迦族輕蔑之傲慢心,世尊雖三次單獨伽跌坐 阻擋大軍進攻之路,但因緣果報無法逆轉,昔日婢女所生王子瞋恨無以復加,還是滅了祖國。自持神通第一目犍連不忍無辜百姓慘遭屠殺,遂以缽盛救度五百族人,最終卻化為血水,佛言神通廣大仍不敵千百劫業力,因緣果報屢試不爽。其母死後墜入餓鬼道飢餓難耐,目犍連遂展神通救渡,但所食尚未入口皆化為赤火,佛陀囑咐農曆七月十五日僧眾解安居自恣日,於盆中設甘露美食供養十方僧眾,因此超度亡母。後世「盂蘭盆法會」乃至「水懺法會」、「瑜珈焰口法會 」皆為消業障、斷塵垢之超渡儀軌,既渡亡魂也自懺悔。
台南麻豆代天府規模宏大、造型豔麗,不但可遊十八層地獄尚可逛天堂(1979年興建,1983年開放),燈光絢爛、聲響駭人,獨自漫步宛如觀落陰、地獄走一回。先過「心頭山」、入「清心池」、進「陰陽界」、抵「交簿廳」、達「鬼門關」、遊「補經所」、探「枉死城」、行「奈何橋」,至ㄧ殿泰廣王照「孽鏡台」現造惡原形,睹抱柱、火床等小地獄。二殿楚江王開「陰查簿 」判案定奪,觀糞尿泥、餓鬼、舞池、寒冰、膿血、鞭韃、舌犁、劍葉、戟腹拋接、砧截……等小地獄。三殿宋帝王刑罰為倒吊、銅鐵刮臉、挖眼、搗樁、倒烤、吸血、穿肋、抽筋、蛆蛀等小地獄……兼遊「四生(胎、卵、濕、化)回魂府」。四殿五官王掌管腰斬、拔舌、沸湯、刺嘴、剝皮、箭樹、車崩、射眼……等十六小地獄。隨五殿森羅王豋「望鄉臺」回眸親人最終眼後觀擊膝、誅心、刀山、飛刀火石……小地獄。六殿卞城王別稱「大叫喚大地獄」,轄火牛、虎啖、噬腎、鉗嘴含鍼、釘喉、磨摧、砍頭……等小地獄。七殿泰山王為「熱惱大地獄」,窺烙手指、抽腸、頂石蹲身、油釜滾烹、割舌穿腮……等十六小地獄。八殿都市王掌管「大熱惱大地獄」兼火狗、鐵汁、鐵蛇、鋸劈斷肢、釘板、灸脊、鐵丸、磅秤……等小地獄。九殿平等王直轄十八層「阿鼻大地獄」,直透地心、內中陰森、不見五指、滿溢地漿,皆為極犯,另轄紫赤毒蛇鑽孔、夾頂、鐵鴉、針雨、蜂蠍……等小地獄。至十殿輪轉王上「觀生臺」、「轉劫所八司」(查驗司 、稽善司 、考過司 、恩怨司 、壽命司 、支配司、掌劫司 、授生司)後至「孟婆亭」飲「醧忘湯」忘盡前塵往事,依前世功德過金、銀、玉、石、木、竹六種橋樑至「轉輪臺(紫河車)」入六道輪迴轉生投胎。據《十八泥犁經》記載,人過世後七七四十九天為「中陰生」,經閻羅王審判善惡業力判定去留或懲罰百千萬劫,犯五逆重罪則墮入「無間地獄(阿鼻地獄)」永劫不復。地藏王乃幽冥教主,統轄十殿閻羅,逢三曹普渡便在各殿設「講道所」超度尚存善根之鬼魂。
人類居於五趣(阿修羅、人、傍生、餓鬼、地獄)雜居地五濁惡世之堪忍世界,犯十惡業(殺生、偷盜、邪淫、妄語、兩舌、惡口、綺語、貪慾、嗔恚、愚痴)者必墮三趣惡道。如何出「三界」(欲界、色界、無色界)二十八天?凡人無此意識,別說能破「十二因緣」(無明、行、識、名色、六入、觸、受、愛、取、有、生、老死)還滅門,更別想斷除「四聖諦」(苦、集、滅、道)集地八十一品見惑與八十八使思惑(五利使-身見、邊見、邪見、見取見、戒禁取見、五鈍使-貪、瞋、癡、慢、疑),了悟「五蘊」(色、受、想、行、識)本空、「十二入」(眼、耳、鼻、舌、意、色、聲、香、味、觸、法)空、「十八界」空,破俱生我執與分別我執、法執甚至空執,生十一處「善心所」(信、精進、慚、愧、無貪、無瞋、無痴、輕安、不放逸、行捨、不害),降二十六處「惡心所」(貪、瞋、癡、慢、疑、惡見、忿、恨、覆、惱、嫉、慳、誑、諂、害、憍、無慚、無愧、掉舉、惛沉、不信、懈怠、放逸、失念、散亂、不正知),須知善根斷盡則陷永劫輪迴、無垠轉世之苦。
地獄可能空滅嗎?若地獄空乏人間多鬼怪,地獄淨空世間何嘗非淨土?若能證空性何處現地獄?
地獄曠古來便廣泛流傳各部族間,老死生滅為自然運行之基礎、宇宙意識之核心,然今文明昌盛如咱城邦並非慾望消弭之所,惡性所及實無可根除,礙於憲法國家法律社會軍隊企業公司學校家庭團體之層層束縛不亞於十八層,乃遁於壓抑、束己情懷,暗埋心底、日久貪嗔痴慢疑怨噌會疊穢。而六塵未熄,心多妄念,妖魔鬼怪魑魅魍魎孤魂閃靈出沒於荒郊乃至人間,會靈於曠野密林以增性靈乃出世高人修煉之舉,我等凡人擅闖宛如迪士尼般之人造地獄,三魂七魄尚不足以出竅,驚邪恐怖淒厲猙獰倒滿足了自以為是的慚愧,豈不謬哉?
病毒肆虐年半有餘,全球確診者逼近一億八千萬,枉死者近四百萬,堪比戰爭規模,望眾生發慈悲心、令往生者安息、善待其他物種、平等有情眾生。地獄本空,唯妄念生起一切羨慕嫉妒恨而地獄現前。盡以此書作為世界新冷戰獨裁者、超限戰者、暗網駭客、陰險狡猾冷嘲熱諷落井下石者之良知備忘錄矣。
姚瑞中寫於2021年端午節
Postscript
I have been living recklessly in Taiwan for more than fifty years. According to Zi Wei Dou Shu (Purple Star Astrology), Tan Lang is the sole star in my house of Self. This star, which represents xxx, forms an equilateral triangle with that star Qi Sha and Po Jun on the square chart and constitutes a Sha Po Lang pattern. The pattern indicates a kind of turbulence and change, a life of wandering with ups and downs and it tells a lot about my life. After my ill-fated youth, I started from scratch and traveled around the world with exhibitions that I participated. Like a flaneur, I wandered around ruins, nature, and temples with every type of film camera obliviously. Thus, I founded the Hall of Illusion and claimed to be the master of the hall. Several times a day, I pondered a quote from the Diamond Sutra, “Everything with form is unreal.” In addition, I usually stayed in the darkroom developing film and enlarging those negatives overnight. However, I treasured the simplicity of the black and white world. The earthly, gaudy, garish, phony and pleasing qualities within colored photos make the images even more realistic than the real world. It is not my cup of tea, so I seldom took colored photos. In Confucian thought, the age of fifty marks the stage knowing the mandate of Heaven. I am now at my fifties and realize how ephemeral human life is. However, I am not an immortal, nor having sagelike characteristics. I just learned that the stage of stainless (the second bhūmi) and develop a pure mind that is free from doubt and defilement. However, I’m still far from the immovable state and need to practice.
In the summer of 2017, after filming the work Incarnation, I experienced a severe heart rhythm problem which almost triggered myocardial infarction and could have killed me. Consequently, I realized that death was waiting for me and the life is too short to figure out how I can liberate myself from the cycle of Birth and Death. I couldn’t comprehend how to be free from all afflictions and worries and how to avoid delusive ideas. I wept for three days and nights after being enlightened by Shakyamuni Buddha. Up to the moment, I felt ashamed that I failed to realize that the self is as insignificant as dust after these years learning and practicing Buddhism. Since then, I have visited famous temples and monasteries in my spare time, worshiping Buddha, Bodhisattvas, arhats, and all the deities and immortals. Taiwan’s temples are myriad with a enormous number of sects, including Buddhism, Taoism, Yiguandao, Catholicism, Christianity, Chinese religions of fasting, Islam& Baháʼí Faith, Confucianism, Tiandiism& Tian-De Teachings, Xiwangmu cult, Yellow Emperor Sect, Precosmic Salvationism, Liism, World Wide Ethical Society, séance cult, etc. Some people even claim that they can mediate communication between the deities or spirits of the dead with human beings, having their believer rely on themselves instead of the orthodox dharma or dogma and pay excessive respect and admiration for the mediums or objects, accumulating wealth through such an unfair means or even harassing their believer sexually. Due to Taiwan’s historical changes, social turbulence, political struggles, and ideological issues, Buddhism and Taoism are somehow mixed. However, there are few emphases on the concept of the hell. As I took photographs of Yama of each court, judges, wardens of the underworld, jailers, General Fan and Hsieh (the ghost escorts) and all sinners, I found few temples cleverly created hellish scenes that are intriguing, exaggerating, and extraordinary. However, the creations are unparalleled unique. I have been studying Western arts for decades and then I came to realize that simplicity makes the most beautiful works of art. These hellish scenes can even compete with works of Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337) and Michelangelo Di lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564).
Jingang Temple Shimen District, founded in 1986, overlooks the beautiful North shore. Although the temple is mainly dedicated to Phra Phrom (the Thai representation of Mahabrahma), spirits of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism can also be founded in the temple. The worshipper can go cross the Seven Star bridge to relieve bad luck, walk along the five hundred arhat statues and knock on the gong to affirm one’s Buddha nature. Furthermore, the worshipper can also prostrate themself before Asia’s largest statue of Buddha in Nirvana (the Reclining Buddha statue) and pacify the Taoist Tai Sui deity of the year. I was impressed by the Jia-Zi Tai Sui General that a pair of palms grow out of his eyes. In 1994, the biō-kong (the person taking charge of the temporal affairs of a temple) received a divine inspiration from Yama (the King of Hell) that he had to build a sacred hall in the shape of a divine dragon, with the interior designed according to the World of Ultimate Bliss and the Underworld. When the visitor walks in the dark hallway, they will see the tortured people (dioramas, of course) scrunching their faces and crying bitterly and loudly in excessive grief as the visitor triggers the mechanism. One will even find them in the midst of flesh, body liquid and blood, mutilated limbs, and rotten corpses. While each of the ten Yamas are focusing on their own duties, showing their sacred dignity that collect visitors’ attention. The Baogong Temple in Linkou District, New Taipei City exclusively features colorful depiction of hellish scenes in relief in Taiwan. With its pastel shades and cartoon-like style, the relief is both grotesque and adorable at the same time. This temple is dedicated to Bao Zhen (also known as Justice Bao) representing the incarnation of Yama. Living people who have been treated unjustly can come worshipping Bao Gong and receive exorcism. Therefore, many people come here for seeking to solve unsolved cases. In Zhongyuan Festival (the ghost festival), the temple will burn the Zhizha (paper craft) boat to ferry the ghosts to the other shore, which is the shore of enlightenment. The only giant statue of Yama in Taiwan is still in the making. The temple is surrounded by a cemetery, suitable for meditating on the loathsomeness and impurity. Nantian Temple (1971), located next to the Eight Trigram Mountains Buddha in Changhua, features the first animatronic underworld. Despite the small size, the animatronic underworld is intensely shocking. Though it’s slightly worn, the colorful dioramas are still brutally ferocious. The creator was the late venerable Dao Zhang (Taoist priest) Jing Deng-fu while the origin of animatronic deities can be traced back to the 1960s Beigang Chaotian Temple. On the contrary, the Whiteman Toothpaste Tourism Factory in Shuishang Township, Chiayi, features ten Yamas with individual booth. The place is unexpectedly clean and polished yet keeps a simple and modest tone. Then, the Dragon Pagoda of the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas at Lotus Lake in Zuoying, Kaohsiung, holds the only relief of hellish scenes made of Kochin ceramic. All the figures are vivid and life-like. If one goes further into the pagoda, they will see a relief tunnel of the thirty-three incarnations of the white-robed form of Guanyin (Avalokiteśvara) on a white lotus, with a lovely and interesting design. Another Hall of Yama is built in the 1970s next to the entrance of Dagangshan Chaofeng Temple, located in the Alian District of Kaohsiung. Visitors will also see three statues of the Three Holy Ones of the Western Pureland (Amitābha, Avalokiteśvara, Mahāsthāmaprāpta) which assemble at a lotus pond. Although the hellish scene looks somewhat antiquated, you may still find its previous charm. If one goes further, they will reach the sculptural garden of “Attaining the Bodhi Way: the Incarnation of Sakyamuni Buddha,” where the visitor can see the essence of Bhagavato’s (meaning the Blessed one, one of the common epithets for Buddha) life. When Tathāgata (another epithet for Buddha) was old, the king of Kosala wanted to avenge the arrogance of the tribe of Shakyas who had long despised him, regarding him as a son of a maiden. Although Buddha has sat in lotus position alone three times to stop the army from attacking his tribe. However, one can never reverse the cause and following karma. The prince born of a maiden was so furious that he eventually destroyed his homeland. Maudgalyāyana (one of the Buddha’s closest disciples), who is said to have had supernatural abilities that surpassed the other disciples, could not bear to see the slaughter of innocent people. Thus, he saved five hundred people of his tribe with a pātra (an eating utensil of Buddhist monks). Unfortunately, everything he did was in vain, those who were saved eventually turned into a puddle of blood. The Buddha said that the supernatural abilities cannot surpass the power of karma. The cause and effect work all the time. When Maudgalyāyana’s mother fell into the path of hungry ghost, he used his supernatural abilities to save his mother from hunger. However, all the food turned into fire before being fed to his mother. Later, the Buddha commanded the monks to put nectar and dishes in a basin on the 15th day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar for the monks from all directions to free his mother from reincarnation. In later times, the Ullambana Dharma Service, the Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance, and the Yoga Collection for Feeding the Searing Mouths Dharma Service are rituals to eliminate karmic hindrance and to cease to worldly delusions. Through such practices, one can free the dead as well as confess their repentance.
Madou Daitian Temple is a magnificent and colorful temple in Tainan. Not only can the worshippers visit the eighteen levels of Hell but also the Heaven (it was built in 1979 and inaugurated in 1983) here. The lighting and sound effects are stunning and frightening. When walking alone in the space, one may feel like taking a Guan Luo Yin trip (a Taoist necromancy which leads people’s spirits to hell and communicate with the dead ones) to visit the underworld prison. Before arriving the first court of the underworld, the visitor will walk through the Mountain of Heart Summit, the Pure Heart Pond, the Frontier between the Living and the Dead Realms, the Soul Registry Hall, the Portico of Demons, the Center for Complementary Teaching of Canonical Books, the Citadel of Premature Death, and the Bridge of Vanity. When one arrives at the first court, they will see King Chin-guang, who is in charge of the court, using the Mirror of Retribution to show the earthly form of evil creatures and also witness the sub-hell of Pillar-Holding and Fire Bed, etc. At the second court, King Chu-jiang collates the register of sins the souls of the dead have committed to impose the punishments. Here, you will see the sub-hell of Excrement and Urine, Hungry Ghost, Burning Dance Floor, Ice, Pus and Blood, Whipping, Tongue-Raking, Sword Blade, Stomach-Piercing, Chopping, etc. Next, the dead at the third court, ruled by King Song-di, will receive the punishments including inversion tortures, face-skinning with steel and copper knife, eye-wrenching, pounding, blood-sucking, rib-piercing, roasting, tendon-taking, being eaten by maggots. The visitor can pay a visit to the Palace of Soul-Resuscitation for the Four Forms of Creatures (birth from an egg, birth from a womb, birth from moisture, and birth by transformation). King Wu-guan is in charge of the fourth court. There are sixteen sub-hells at the fourth court including Waist Chop, Tongue Removal, Boiling Pond, Mouth-stabbing, Skin-peeling, Sword Tree, Burning Wheels and Cart, Eye-shooting, etc. Next, at the fifth court, sinful souls are allowed to ascend the Tower of Hometown-Viewing to take a final look of their family. The visitor will witness sub-hells of Knee-striking, Heart-slicing, Blade Mountain, Flying Swords and Burning Stones, etc. The King of Bian City takes charge of the sixth court, which is also known as the “Great Hell of Screaming,” with sub-hells including Fire Cattle, Tiger-Biting, Kidney-Eating, Mouth-Poking, Throat-Nailing, Iron Mill, Decapitation, etc. The King of Tai-shan is in charge of the seventh court, the “Great Hell of Heat and Fire.” The sixteen sub-hells at this court include Finger-Searing, Bowel-Hauling, Stone-Bearing, Boiling Oil, Tongue-Removal and Cheek-Piercing, etc. Next, the King Du-shi is in charge of the eighth court, the “Great Hell of Intense Fire and Heat,” and the sub-hells including Fire Dogs, Molten Iron, Iron Snakes, Dismemberment, Steel Spikes, Burning-Marrow, Iron Ball, Scale, etc. The ninth court is ruled by the King Ping-deng. It is known as the biggest court, Avici Hell (the Hell of Incessant Suffering), which if the lowest level of the hell realm and the interior is gloomily and terrifyingly dark. Those who committed the most serious evil deed will be sent to the Avici Hell. Sub-hells such as Poisonous Snake, Brain-Removal, Crow-Gnawing, Raining Needles, Wasps and Scorpions are included at this court. After arriving the tenth court, ruled by the Great King of the Reincarnation Palace, one can visit the “Observatory of Life on earth” and the “eight bureaus of the Reincarnation Palace” (including the Bureau of Judicial Control, the Bureau of Good-Actions, the Bureau of Bad-Actions, the Bureau of Debts, Gratitude, and Vengeance, the Bureau of Longevity and Destiny, the Bureau of Familial Ties, the Bureau of the Reincarnated, and the Bureau of Birth). The sinful one will be sent to the Pavilion of Mengpo and made to drink the Soup of Forgetfulness to forget all past affairs. According to the sinful one’s merits of previous life, they will go across one of the six bridges (gold, silver, jade, stone, wood, bamboo) to the “Reincarnation-Wheel (Wheel on the Crimson River).” Finally, one is able to reborn in the six realms. According to the Aṣṭadaśa nāraka sutra ( the Eighteen Hells Sutra), after one passes away, they will enter an intermediate and transitional state between death and rebirth, known as antarābhava in Sanskrit, for forty-nine days. The being will be evaluated by Yama, who will decide if one should get reborn or get punished at the hell. Those who committed the Five Grave Offenses (killing one’s father, killing one’s mother, killing an Arhat, shedding the blood of a Buddha, and creating a schism within the community of Buddhist monks and nun who practice for attaining enlightenment.) will be sent to the Avici Hell and stay there eternally. Kṣitigarbha is the Lord of the Nether World, ruling the ten court of Hell. The lord will set up the “Hall of Teaching” at each court to salvage those sinful ones who still obtain few merits at the offering rituals.
Human beings live the Sahā world (sahāloka in Sanskrit, meaning “endurance of suffering,” a concept of mundane world in Mahāyāna Buddhism) where they share with other reincarnations (including beings of the hells, of the preta, and of malevolent nature spirits) with five turbidities (the Kalpa turbidity, the view turbidity, the affliction turbidity, the living beings turbidity, and the life turbidity). Those who commit the ten evil deeds (killing, stealing, adultery, lying, using immoral language, slandering, equivocating, coveting, anger, and false views) must fall into the three evil paths (animals, preta, and hell). However, how can one escape from the three realms/ twenty-eight heavens (including the six heavens of the desire realm, the eighteen heavens of the form realm, and the four heavens of the formless realm)? Worldly people who don’t have such an awareness cannot leave the cycle of the twelve nidanas (meaning causes or motivations), let alone eliminate the eighty-one afflictions (that have been produced due to misunderstanding regarding reality) and the eighty-eight illusions (including five afflictions of advanced practitioners, also known as five views: view of self, extreme view, evil view, view of attachment to views, and view of morality; and five unintelligent temptations: desire, anger, stupidity, arrogance, and doubt) of thought within the three realms and four Arya satyas (noble truths, including suffering, arising, ending, and path). They cannot realize that the essence of the five skandhas (referring to aggregates of clinging, including the matter of form, sensation, recognition, mental formation, and consciousness) , the twelve ayatana (meaning sense base, including six internal bases: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind and six external bases: visible objects, sound, odor, taste, touch, and mental objects), and the eighteen dhātavah (meaning compositional elements of human existence, including six consciousness, six faculties, and their objects) are the emptiness and the void. Furthermore, they cannot dispel the two reasons for clinging to the idea of the self and the attachment to elemental constructs and even believe in the two (false) tenets that that karma and nirvana are not real and that the ego and phenomena are real. As a consequence, they fail to develop the eleven wholesome mental factors (faith, energy, conscience, being ashamed, non-attachment, non-aggression, non-delusion, calmness, equanimity, conscientiousness, and non-injuriousness) and cease the sixteen unwholesome mental factors (desire, greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, doubt, wrong view, wrath, enmity, hypocrisy, vexation, jealousy, parsimony, deceit, flattery, harming, ambitiousness, stupidity, lacking of faith, idleness, being unrestrained, forgetting, distraction, non-discernment, ). One must bear in mind that once all our virtuous roots are discontinued, they will be trapped in the never-ending reincarnation and the suffering of infinite continuity.
Is it possible that the hell will be empty one day? If the beings in hell will become extinct while evil spirits inhabit the mundane world, the world could be considered as a pure land. If we could witness the nature of the void, then hell will exist no more.
Since ancient times, the concept of hell has been widely spread among all tribes. Aging, death, beginning, and end are the basis of nature and the core of cosmic consciousness. However, the prosperous civilization as our island is not a place where desire can be eliminated. It’s impossible to eradicate evil nature. Since fetters brought by the constitution, the state, the law, society, the military, corporations, schools, families, and groups are not less than the eighteen levels of hell, the mortals repress themselves, bury their feelings. Day after day, greed, anger, stupidity, arrogance, doubt, and resentment are stacking. However, since the six dust (visible objects, sound, odor, taste, touch, and mental objects) has not yet been extinguished, people in the mundane world are still full of delusions. The demons, devils, evil spirits, and the wondering dead exist in the wilderness, while only advanced practitioners with transcendent would attempt to make contact with the dead in the wasteland and forest. Worldly people like us trespass in Disneyland-like man-made hell. It is absurd and ridiculous that the hellish scenes cannot stop us from perpetrating evil deeds, but the horrific and cruel scenes yet satisfy our self-righteous shame.
The pandemic has been boiling over for more than a year and a half. The number of infected patients worldwide is nearly a hundred and eighty million, and the death toll has risen to four million, which is equivalent to a war crisis. I hope that we can all be compassionate, give peace to the dead, treat all sentient beings well and equally. The hell is innately empty; however, deluded and misleading thoughts would give rise to all jealousy and hatred and then manifest the hell before us. This book merely serves as a memorandum of conscience for dictators of the world’s new cold war, supporters of unrestrained warfare, dark web hackers, and those who are cunning and contemptuous and maltreat others when knowing they have problems.
June 2021,
Yao Jui-chung
virtuous western 在 謙預 Qianyu.sg Facebook 的精選貼文
【離苦得樂的大法緣】(English writing below)
有些父母,還沒來得及見到自己的孩子,就得爲幼小的嬰靈「出殯」。
昨天早上,有一位我從未見過的女讀者,私訊告訴我她六週大的胚胎已離她而去。她看過我講關於墮胎和流產的臉書直播,於是問如何爲她的水子靈報名超度。
在此,提醒大家,居家內勿擺放太多水晶或風水吉祥物。這些都會影響母親受孕及懷胎,也會破壞親子關係等等。
有些東西催得了財,卻會堵住子嗣運,讓你無法添丁。擺錯了,更會讓你「丁財兩空」。
也有些案列,當夫妻事業越來越好時,會猛然發現孩子的問題卻特別多,不聽話、學業不佳、健康頻頻出狀況、迷戀不健康的東西等等。
風水這門事,需要把一個家庭所有人的八字放在一起,再配合這個居家的風水一起看,來達到最有效的方案。不是隨便買個東西,放在所謂的吉祥方位,就能發的不清不楚。千萬也別隨便推薦人家亂買。
你的八字如果承受不起,又或者那位指點你的人福德不足,那就必需從你命中的另外一環去扣。這樣才符合因果律。
所以厲害的風水師,一定會自己修得好,再盡她他全力保你闔家平安,財源滾滾。這是我們的職業道德,不能像一般人一樣「見錢眼開」,不管客人家運的安危。
清明節要到了,大家都會去拜祖先,有的會祈求祖先保佑。但祖先如果活著的時候,沒什麼修善功,死前還病苦連連,你認為她他死後化為鬼,就會有更大的能力來保佑你們龐大的家族嗎?
我看到的事實是,很多祖先自身難保,後代沒持續爲他們超度,消業增福,結果祖先後代通通都不順。
我個人不主張吃拜過祖先的食物,尤其是孕婦,因爲一般祖先屬陰,我們屬陽。把他們吃過的食物,吃進來,我們身上的陰氣鬼氣會加重。
無論是墮胎還是流產的婦女,都應該坐小月子,把身體調好,除了報名超度,也得安水子靈牌位,及修懺悔法。
如果你想:
❤️ 盡孝道幫助自己祖先往投更好的境界,
🤒 爲病重的家人祈福超度他們的纏身靈,
👶🏻 爲墮胎或流產的孩子報名超度,
❤️ 爲自己的纏身靈冤親債主報名超度解怨
我大力推薦你可以報名我根本上師聖尊蓮生活佛這個星期六,2019年3月30日,主壇的《淨土三尊清明超度護摩大法會》。
淨土三尊,即是西方三聖,教主爲「南無阿彌陀佛」,左脅侍持淨瓶的「南無觀音菩薩」和右脅侍持蓮花「南無大勢至菩薩」。
能夠「一心不亂」的唸佛,臨終時,便會有西方三聖持著蓮台來接引你,往生西方極樂世界。
做不到,臨終時,會見到鬼祖先來個welcome party, 牛頭馬面和大二爺伯。這時,就得仰賴有大法力的成就者來爲亡者超度。
我爲何相信蓮生活佛能夠幫助你?因爲我親身體驗過,我和我家人祖先的故事就寫了在這臉書文章:goo.gl/KbCcXW
欲想報名這個星期六下午三點的《淨土三尊清明超度護摩大法會》,請在今天下午五點前到台灣雷藏寺網站,註冊爲會員,使用網路報名系統報名護摩法會:
💻 台灣雷藏寺網址: ➡️ https://tbsec.org/
📩 線上報名法會➡️ https://goo.gl/TnVyyW
📩 線上報名系統說明 ➡️ https://bit.ly/2O0DlSH
如果過了截至時間,你可以下載報名超度法會表格和匯款資料,再發電郵給雷藏寺。
報名祖先可寫:
祖先姓名或例如,李(你的姓)氏歷代祖先。
報名水子靈:
XXX (母親姓名)之水子靈,地址是牌位地址或母親居住地址。
報名超度,供養隨意,但我覺得如果後代太吝嗇,祖先可能會托夢來「打屁股」吧。😄
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There are some parents who never get to see their child, and already had to make "funeral arrangement" for the young infant spirit.
Two days ago, I received a PM in the morning from a lady reader whom I had never met. She told me how her 6-week-old embryo had left her. She watched my old FB Live on abortion and miscarriage, and wanted to know how she could register for deliverance for her baby spirit.
My gentle reminder to everyone: Do not place excessive crystals and auspicious Feng Shui ornaments in your home. These can affect the chances of a healthy pregnancy, and also spoil the relations between the parents and their children.
While such objects may be able to bring in wealth, they will also obstruct the luck of having descendants. When placed in the wrong sector at home, you end up losing both money and your children.
I have also seen such cases: as the careers and wealth of the couple improve, their children woes also escalate e.g. disobedient behaviour, poor academic results, deteriorating health, unhealthy addictions etc.
A good quality Feng Shui audit requires putting together the Bazi of all the family members, with the home Feng Shui, so as to reach the most effective and efficient solutions, that do not compromise on anyone in the household.
Buying something randomly and placing it in the so-called auspicious location is not going to help you prosper like mad. Hence, do not ever recklessly recommend such objects to others.
If your Bazi is not up to it, or the person who advises you does not have sufficient merits and virtues to "transfer" to you, then the "wealth" that you gain has to be compensated by something else in your Destiny, so as to fulfil the Law of Karma.
This is why a competent Feng Shui practitioner is definitely one who cultivates him/herself well, and put in his/her best effort to ensure the safety, peace and continuous inflow of wealth for your family. Such is our professional ethic to uphold, and not to drool at the sight of money, disregarding the safety of our clients' family luck.
Qing Ming Festival is just round the corner. Many of us would be praying to our ancestors. Some will seek the blessings of our ancestors. But think about it, if your ancestor did not accumulate much virtuous deeds while alive, and suffered immensely due to sickness before his/her death, how likely is he/her be able to have greater powers to bless the entire family clan, just because he/she became a ghost?
The reality that I see is that many ancestors are having a hard time themselves in the netherworld. When their descendants do not continuously register for bardo deliverance for them, to eradicate their negative karma and increase their good fortune, both the descendants and ancestors have a hard time in their respective worlds.
By the way, I do not advocate consuming foods and drinks that have been offered to the ancestors. This goes out to ESPECIALLY pregnant ladies. Because ancestors belong to the Yin realm, while we living beings are in the Yang realm. Consuming their food will introduce excessive Yin ghostly qi in our bodies, destroying our Yang energy.
Whether the baby is lost through abortion or miscarriage, the mother should still do a short confinement to nurse her body back to better health. Apart from registering for bardo deliverance, the parents should also enshrine a tablet for the baby spirit at the temple, and cultivate repentance practice.
If you wish to:
❤️ demonstrate filial piety and help your ancestors be reborn in a better realm,
🤒 help your sickly family member to seek blessings and deliver his/her karmic creditors,
👶🏻 register for bardo deliverance for your aborted/miscarriaged child,
❤️ resolve the debt of enmity between you and your karmic creditors and sign them up for bardo deliverance,
I strongly recommend that you can register for this Saturday's, 30 March 2019, Qing Ming Bardo Deliverance Pure Land Trinity Homa Ceremony, presided by my Root Guru, His Holiness Living Buddha Lian-Sheng.
The Pure Land Trinity, otherwise known as the The Three Saints of the West, comprised of the leader Amitabha Buddha, Avalokitesvara (Guan Shi Yin) Bodhisattva on His left who holds a purification vase and willow leaves, and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva on His right who holds lotus bud.
When you can recite the name of Amitabha Buddha single-mindedly, as you pass on, you will see The Three Saints of the West and the entourage of sages appearing to welcome you with your lotus throne. You will then be reborn in the Western Pure Land of Paradise.
If you cannot do it, as you die, you will see your ghostly ancestors throwing a welcome party for you, as well the Ox-Head and Horse-Face Hell Guards, and the Black and White Impermanence deities coming for you. At this time, you can only rely on the supreme transcendental powers of an accomplished cultivator to deliver the dead.
Why do I have faith that Living Buddha Lian-Sheng can help you? Because I have personally experienced it myself. The story of my family, my ancestors and myself is written in this FB article: goo.gl/KbCcXW
To register for this Saturday 3pm, Qing Ming Bardo Deliverance The Three Saints of the West Homa Ceremony, please register an account online at the website of Taiwan Lei Tsang Temple, and use the online registration system to sign up for the Homa Ceremony:
💻 Taiwan Lei Tsang Temple website: ➡️ https://tbsec.org/
📩 Online Homa Registration URL ➡️ https://goo.gl/TnVyyW
📩 Guide to Online Registration ➡️ https://bit.ly/2O0DlSH
(The deadline for online application for every Saturday's Homa Ceremony is till Friday 5pm. After which, you will have to email the temple with the downloaded forms.)
Registration for ancestors:
Name of the deceased or 李(your surname)氏歷代祖先。
Registration for fetal spirits:
XXX (name of Mother)之水子靈,
Address would be either the tablet temple address or the mother's residential address.
The donation amount for Homa Ceremony registration is entirely your choice. But in my humble opinion, if you are too stingy to your ancestors, they may very well appear in your dreams to give you a good spanking. 😄
virtuous western 在 玳瑚師父 Master Dai Hu Facebook 的最讚貼文
《天天父母親節》(English version below)
EVERYDAY IS FATHER'S AND MOTHER'S DAY
妳你知不知道,妳你是怎麼出現在這人間的?妳你知不知道,妳你的眼睛,是如何能見到光明,見到這世界的?妳你知不知道,妳你的耳朵,是如何能聽見聲音的?妳你知不知到,妳你的鼻子,是如何能夠呼吸的?妳你知不知道,妳你的舌頭,是如何能嚐到百味的?妳你知不知道,妳你的口,是如何能說話的?妳你知不知道,妳你的身體如何有的?這一切都是我們父母的精和卵結合的生命,還有十月懷胎、安胎、養胎,以及臨盆時的恐慌,與危險而所造就的。
佛、道、儒三教,皆大力倡導孝心、孝行。若妳你說妳你不必行孝,
原因一:妳你是西方信仰。
原因二:妳你無任何信仰。
原因三:妳你是孤兒。
原因四:妳你父母已不在人世。
原因五:妳你不是父母最寵的孩子。
告訴妳你,西方信仰的教義,其實就同中國的儒教,提倡己立而立人,己達而達人,也就是先把人的基礎,給打好。有人將儒教,歸類爲人乘,這段落的開頭吾已寫到,儒教也大力倡導孝心孝行,西方信仰既同於儒教人乘,都在講做人的基礎,哪有不必行孝這種邪說與歪理。除非這人不想做人,祇想做畜生。
行孝根本和信仰,毫無關係。行孝乃是做人的基本良知,倫理的道德。因此,祇要妳你是人的話,行孝是天經地義的。孤兒的由來,依然是爸媽的精卵,依然懷妳你,托著妳你,含著生命的危險,才把妳你給生出來。要不然,妳你連孤兒,這兩個字都沒有。生父生母妳妳或許,沒機會盡孝行孝,但妳你可以好好的孝敬孝敬養父養母呀!若父母已不在人世的妳你,可以天天唸佛修法,迴向她他們轉投更好的境界。要不妳你最起碼,也應奉公守法,不爲非作歹,行坐皆正啊!吾,玳瑚師父,實實在在,告訴妳你,吾並不是父母最寵的孩子,但吾自修自正,大力以佛法與玄學,廣利冥陽眾生,也常爲她他們法會報名與主祈,修法迴向之等等,以報父母難報之恩啊!
很多人總喜歡在所謂的父親節及母親節時,帶父母上餐館用餐,或包個利市給父母,或買個禮物送父母,或帶父母出國遊玩。這些是無可厚非的,也是人之常情。不過,這裡有幾點,大家必需得有所認知,才能真正的算得上,慶祝父母親節。
一、父母親節並不是,中華民族所定立。
二、帶父母親上餐館、出國遊玩、送禮物,是慶祝但更是享樂。
反一切的享與用,都是在消耗我們的福。而我們的福一旦被享完,災禍也就隨後跟著來。這些就是爲什麼,前幾天才慶祝父母親節,家裡其中一老就身體有恙,工作上、生意上皆不順逐等等。古德有言,聖哲有言、祖師有言,每天晨起向父母微笑請安、隨順父母,與父母一同昇華心靈,對父母關懷備至,遠比唯在父母親節,給於她他們的「享與用」,來得更實在更實惠。表示對父母的感恩,不是也不可在一年一度裡,而是將以上吾所寫的,實現在每一天裡,這就是天天父母親節。
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Do you know how did you appear in this human world? Have you got any idea how you get the ability of sight to see light, and this world? Do you know how your ears are able to hear sounds? How about your nose? Do you know how you can breath through it? Do you know how you can taste a hundred different flavors through your tongue? Not forgetting your mouth, do you know how you get the ability to speak? Lastly, do you know how your body is formed? All these are attributed to our parents' sperm and egg, the 10-month pregnancy, miscarriage prevention, fetal nourishment, not to mention the fear and danger when it is time to give birth to us.
The 3 schools of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism all strongly advocate the virtues of filial piety. If you say that there is no need to be filial, there must be a few reasons:
Reason No. 1: You are of a western faith and religion.
Reason No. 2: You have no faith or religion at all.
Reason No. 3: You are an orphan.
Reason No. 4: Your parents have already passed on.
Reason No. 5: You are not your parents' most doted child.
Let me tell you thus, the Western faith preaches similar dogma to that of the Chinese Confucian school of thought: Just as you would like to establish yourself in the world, so allow others to establish themselves. Just as you seek to understand things, so allow others the same opportunity. In other words, first lay a solid foundation as a human being. Some people classify Confucianism as The Way To Be A Human Being. As I wrote at the beginning of this paragraph, Confucianism also strongly espouses the virtues of filial piety, and the Western faith is similar to Confucianism in preaching the foundation qualities a human should have.
Therefore, it is nonsense and evil saying that one does not need to perform filial duties. Unless this person does not wish to be a human, but only an animal.
Being filial has absolutely nothing to do with faith and religion. It is the basic foundation of the human conscience and moral principles. Therefore, as long as you are a human, being filial piety is the unalterable principle of Heaven and Earth. Even an orphan is borne out of his or her parents' sperm and egg, and the exhaustion and risk of the pregnancy period and delivery. Without this, you won't even be able to be called an orphan. As an orphan, you may not have the opportunity to perform filial duties to your biological parents, but you can do it dutifully for your foster parents!
If your parents are no longer alive, you can recite the Buddha's name and perform spiritual cultivation everyday, and dedicate the merits to a better afterlife for them. Or at the very least, you can abide by the law, abstain from evil doings and be a righteous person in your daily living! I, Master Dai Hu, can honestly tell you that I am not my parent's favourite child. However, I self-studied and corrected myself. I put in great effort to benefit sentient beings, both in the worlds of the living and the dead, with Dharma and Chinese Metaphysics. In addition, I accumulate merits for them by regularly registering them as primary supplicants in numerous puja sessions, and through my daily Buddhist practices, etc. All these to repay the huge and impossible-to-repay debt of gratitude to my parents!
On the other hand, all forms of enjoyment and usage exhaust our store of good fortune. When our good fortune are fully depleted, misfortune will strike. This is why a few days after a Father's or Mother's Day celebration, you encounter situations like sickness in one of the old folks at home, obstacles in your career or business, etc. The ancient virtuous teachers, sages and masters have these sayings, that we should greet our parents with a smile every morning, follow their wishes, and progress spiritually together with them. We must also show meticulous care and concern towards them.
These practical actions speak volumes, and dwarf the once-a-year showering of dinner and gifts on Father's or Mother's Day, for their indulgence and usage.
Expressing our gratitude to our parents cannot be performed only on a single day each year. Follow what I wrote above, and actualize your filial piety every day. And we will have Father's and Mother's Day every day.
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【開放預購】PRE-ORDER OPEN
《向善向上 2》Towards Kindness, Towards Betterment 2
心可造天堂,心可造地獄。
改命必從心起,改運必先行動。
30則真人真事的度眾故事 30 real-life deliverance stories of Master Dai Hu
全彩色的漫畫 Comics in full colour illustration
中英文翻譯 In both English & Mandarin
192頁 192 pages
此書將於2018年11月底印刷完畢,目前開放預購,預計12月15日之前以Smartpac寄出 (本地郵寄),屆時也會在台灣金石堂書局同步上架。價格大眾化,包涵全球運送,無需再付郵資。
歡迎大家踴躍支持,人手一冊,也可將此書贈送給鄉親父老、親朋好友,帶領他們向善向上,迎接更美好的未來!
https://booklaunch.io/masterdaihu/towardskindness2
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The mind can create Heaven. It can also create Hell.
Transformation of your destiny begins from your mind.
Transformation of your luck begins from taking action.
My new book should reach the shores of Singapore in 1st week of December 2018. Pre-order is now open and the books are estimated to be mailed out through Smartpac, by 15 December. At the same time, it will be on the shelves of Taiwan KingStone bookshops.
The economical price includes global delivery (Smartpac mailing for Singapore addressees, registered mail for overseas mailing).
Looking forward to your enthusiastic support! May everybody has a copy and gift copies of this virtuous book to your family and friends and together, embrace a beautiful future!
https://booklaunch.io/masterdaihu/towardskindness