(continued from previous issue)

The flying wheels of swords, which I had encountered, directly target important spots on the convicts' bodies. These sword wheels slice through convicts' necks, arms, ankles, heads, waists, etc. while they try to flee, screaming. The swords multiply in numbers while continuing to slice the convicts' bodies into smaller pieces until the bodies become just a pile of mashed flesh.

This is:

Soaring in the sky, these gliding blades

Between life and death people transmigrate

Finding no exit, desiring to escape

Sounding like spring thunder, the giant wheels grind away.

*　 *　 *

The netherworld king said to me, "A friend of yours shall transmigrate into this hell."

Upon hearing this news, I felt great sadness.

"What offenses did my friend commit," I inquired.

The netherworld king answered, "Your friend constantly urges others to let go and not be absorbed in worldly pursuits. In truth, however, he is the one who is most absorbed in these pursuits. On the surface, he appears to be a Confucian gentleman, but in reality he is a two-faced phony."

The netherworld king continued, "He uses all of his energy constantly plotting against other people. Becoming the mastermind, he is the person pulling the strings behind the scenes. This kind of person seems good on the surface, but his heart is misdirected. The giant wheel is waiting to grind his skull. It will grind his skull into powder to be used as fertilizer, allowing him to fully experience the suffering of having the giant wheel grinding at his head."

I asked, "Is there nothing that can be done?" I really wanted to save him.

The netherworld king responded, "How to save someone whose nature is to scheme and plot against other people? He grinds down other people with his plots and schemes]; Hell shall grind him down in return. The giant wheel of hell awaits him."

*　 *　 *

I am earnestly informing everyone, "Wealth and poverty is set down by the heavens. Even the most extraordinary scheme will ultimately become empty."

Dear holy disciples, I ask you, "Even if you obtain the entire world, but lose your lives in the process, what do you really gain?"

(the end)

(From Book #187 "Manifestations of the Netherworld")

(本文選自蓮生活佛第187冊著作「地獄變現記」文章「飛刀輪」)