The Blacksmith King of the Seventh Hall

This is a record of an interview with King Taishan, the ruler of the Seventh Hall of Hell, who sought deliverance at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre in Australia. This account reflects upon his life as a blacksmith approximately 248 years ago. Recorded by Practitioner Su on July 23, 2015.

Practitioner Su: "We respectfully invite King Taishan of the Seventh Hall. King Taishan is truly dignified."

King Taishan: "Namo Amituofo."

Practitioner Su: "Namo Amituofo, King Taishan. It is a pleasure to meet you today. We have not met before; I rarely invite you—usually, I invite the First or Fifth Hall. I am so pleased to be able to invite you today. May I ask, King Taishan, where were you from?"

King Taishan: "I am from Zhejiang."

Practitioner Su: "Oh! Zhejiang—that is the same hometown as Venerable Master Chin Kung. Tell me, King Taishan, what were the circumstances that led you to become the King of the Seventh Hall of Hell?"

King Taishan: "I was a blacksmith."

A Blacksmith with a Compassionate Heart

Practitioner Su: "A blacksmith?"

King Taishan: "Yes, but I was not like an ordinary blacksmith! The work I did might have appeared coarse and heavy to others, but in truth, my heart was very refined—very delicate."

Practitioner Su: "Did you study Buddhism?"

King Taishan: "You have seen right through me! Hahaha!"

Practitioner Su: "If you studied Buddhism, then you must have had meditative concentration."

King Taishan: "I did study Buddhism, and I did possess a measure of meditative concentration."

Practitioner Su: "One could not be so calm and focused without studying the Dharma. You understood the principles, and naturally, your blacksmithing was different from everyone else's."

King Taishan: "Of course. If I were an ordinary blacksmith, I would have made whatever was requested. Beyond agricultural tools, I would have sold knives for slaughtering, but as time went on, I sold fewer and fewer of those. I always advised people: as long as it involves the act of killing, one should not do it."

Cultivating Merit Through Kindness

Practitioner Su: "That is incredible! You were accumulating merit. Advising others to abstain from killing is a form of 'fearless giving'—you were truly compassionate."

King Taishan: "Whether it was for tilling the soil or general tools, I always strove to make them better and better."

Practitioner Su: "You were widely cultivating the roots of merit, King Taishan. You were diligent in performing good deeds!"

King Taishan: "Because of this, the word spread throughout the area where I lived. People would say, 'This blacksmith—he is a strange one. He is a blacksmith, yet he is afraid to sell his own knives and axes. He is a monster, a real monster!'"

Practitioner Su: "(Smiling) You were compassionate; you were truly walking the Bodhisattva path."

King Taishan: "It is true! I would tell them the knives were no good. If I had not taken up the trade of a blacksmith to warn those who were truly slaughtering and harming lives, how would they have ever stopped? Later on, even when I made agricultural tools, I would tell them, 'You must be careful. When you till the land and plant crops, you must be careful. Even when turning the soil, you must be compassionate.' No other blacksmith had a heart like mine."

The Mystery of the Waiting Souls

Practitioner Su: "Your heart was kind. You constantly reminded everyone, teaching and admonishing them with all your heart and soul. Your methods were so skillful!"

King Taishan: "My business grew larger and larger, and it became more and more successful."

Practitioner Su: "Even without selling slaughtering knives, your business thrived. You truly understood the benefits of cultivating goodness and receiving blessings."

King Taishan: "People from other villages would come to find me to buy the tools they needed for their farms."

Practitioner Su: "Wow! When the heart is kind and merit is accumulated, business naturally prospers!"

King Taishan: "Indeed. I wanted everyone to know the benefits of cultivating goodness and receiving blessings."

Practitioner Su: "May I ask your original name? What were you called when you were a blacksmith? And at what age did you pass away?"

King Taishan: "(Writes down: Wu Gangmeng)"

Practitioner Su: "(Smiling) Wu Gangmeng."

King Taishan: "I will write down the age at which I died: sixty-three."

Practitioner Su: "In those days, living to sixty-three could be considered a long life! How long ago did you pass away?"

King Taishan: "Hmm, let me see... about two hundred and forty-eight years ago."

A Life of Sharing

Practitioner Su: "Two hundred and forty-eight years! You passed away at sixty-three, so your health must have been quite good. What were the circumstances of your passing?"

King Taishan: "Before I speak of that, I must mention that I was famous not only for my blacksmithing, but for one other thing."

Practitioner Su: "That is wonderful! Please share it with our fourfold assembly of disciples."

King Taishan: "I was joyful in giving and joyful in sharing."

Practitioner Su: "Namo Amituofo."

King Taishan: "Because of the advice I gave to those who cultivated their fields, they would often bring their produce to share with me."

Practitioner Su: "You were well-liked! Did you do any farming yourself?"

King Taishan: "Yes, I did! When people brought me delicious vegetables or rice, I would share them with others. I would always pass them on to those in need."

Practitioner Su: "You did very well! You did not keep it all for yourself; you shared with others. Your heart was truly vast! How many children did you have?"

King Taishan: "I was particularly fond of children."

Practitioner Su: "And how many children did you have?"

King Taishan: "I never married."

Practitioner Su: "Oh! You never married? That is truly remarkable!"

King Taishan: "I never married, but I had a mother. There was a maid who cared for my mother when I was young. Later, she married my father, and she continued to care for us. We called her 'Zhang Sao'—our housekeeper. Our home was not large, and our business was not large, so we did not call her a 'housekeeper' in the formal sense; we just called her Zhang Sao."

Practitioner Su: "So Zhang Sao was the one who looked after you?"

King Taishan: "Zhang Sao looked after us all along."

Practitioner Su: "And she never married either?"

King Taishan: "That is right. She never married. She actually kept urging me to marry, but I refused. I would tell her, 'You should...' because she was getting older. Eventually, I came to treat her as my own mother, and so I never married."

The Vision of the Suffering

Practitioner Su: "That is wonderful. You relied on each other. Now, King Taishan, you mentioned you passed away at sixty-three. What were the circumstances of your passing?"

King Taishan: "It was just like any other day. Blacksmithing requires a bellows. You have to pump the air to heat the fire, then use tongs to grab the iron, pull it out, and hammer it."

Practitioner Su: "You heat the iron until it is red, then hammer it, and use tongs to hold it. Do you shape it into whatever you want?"

King Taishan: "Yes! You hammer it while it is red so that it does not take as much effort. When it cools down, you have to put it back into the fire to heat it until it is red again before you can continue hammering. Once it is shaped, you quickly put it into water—*hiss*—"

Practitioner Su: "(Smiling) *Hiss—hiss—*"

King Taishan: "Practitioner Su knows this well. *Hiss—* once it is done, you attach the wooden handle, hang it up, and display them one by one. That is how it was. On that day, Zhang Sao brought me my lunch. After I finished eating, I took a short nap—(snores loudly)."

Practitioner Su: "Oh! Your snoring is quite loud."

King Taishan: "(Snores loudly) I fell asleep. When I woke up, I looked outside my shop and saw a long line of people!"

Practitioner Su: "Who were these people in the long line?"

King Taishan: "I did not know who they were. It was strange! Why was there such a long line of people?"

Practitioner Su: "What kind of people were they? What did you see?"

King Taishan: "They were very strange. Some were limping, their hands and feet were crippled, and they looked like they were in great pain."

Practitioner Su: "Oh! Were they people with disabilities?"

King Taishan: "Some seemed very poor, others looked sickly. They were like beggars, yet not quite beggars; they looked like wanderers, or perhaps refugees fleeing from disaster. There were many different types. I thought, 'How strange! Why are these people lined up behind my shop, outside my house? Is there some mistake?' I was just a blacksmith; I had nothing to give them. So, I just went back to my blacksmithing. This continued for about five days."

Practitioner Su: "It was like that for five days?"

King Taishan: "Every time I finished my lunch."

Practitioner Su: "During your nap?"

King Taishan: "I always took a nap at noon, because the work was physically demanding."

Practitioner Su: "So you still had to use your strength and maintain your physical stamina to work as a blacksmith?"

King Taishan: "Yes. This scene kept repeating. I saw them every day, and they started to seem familiar. After five days, I was completely baffled. 'What is going on? Why is this happening?' On the fifth night, I went back and said to Zhang Sao, 'Zhang Sao, I have something I would like to ask you. Every day when I take my nap after lunch, I have this dream. They seem to be waiting for me, as if they are pleading for my help. I do not know what to do.' Zhang Sao said, 'Oh, young master, let me tell you. It does not matter. You have never married, so why not take the wealth you have accumulated—the money you have saved—and perform charity at our shop door? Provide disaster relief!'"

Practitioner Su: "So Zhang Sao wanted you to provide food for them?"

King Taishan: "Yes, yes!"

Practitioner Su: "Your Zhang Sao was compassionate; that is truly wonderful!"

King Taishan: "That is what Zhang Sao taught me."

Practitioner Su: "That is excellent! She hoped you would perform charity and accumulate merit!"

King Taishan: "I felt that, 'Hey! This is exactly what they were waiting for or pleading for in my dreams.' I listened to Zhang Sao's advice and took a sum of money for her to handle, to make offerings. Zhang Sao handled it beautifully every day. We started using that money—giving as much as we could—and began to form karmic connections with them. During those days, I stopped blacksmithing. It was just Zhang Sao and me, and I even found one or two neighbors to help. The four of us began to perform charity."

Practitioner Su: "Being able to perform more charity and good deeds, and having the heart to make offerings—that is accumulating merit!"

King Taishan: "We did this for about a week. It seemed like there were still many people coming every day! I did not know where they all came from. Sometimes they looked like new faces, but anyway..."

Practitioner Su: "They were all people from out of town, right?"

King Taishan: "I did not think too much about it. As long as they came, I would make offerings."

Practitioner Su: "That is right! The more you give, the more you gain!"

King Taishan: "So, I just kept doing it, day after day. About seven days passed, then eight, nine, and finally the tenth day! After these ten days—well, almost ten days—by the eleventh day, hardly anyone came by anymore! It was quite strange! Then, Mistress Zhang said to me, 'Young Master, I think we should just stop here.' There weren't many people left, just a few, so we just kept things small, placing the food on the table in my shop. From the tenth day onwards, I just left the food out on the table."

Practitioner Su: "So, you still left it there for anyone who wanted to take it?"

King Taishan: "Yes, they could help themselves. I just left it on the table for anyone to take."

Practitioner Su: "Wow! Your generosity is truly vast!"

King Taishan: "The bags were left open so people could take what they needed. Then, on the day after the eleventh day—the twelfth day—I was just going about my usual routine, eating my meal and taking a nap. In my dream, I don't know why, but it felt so natural. I saw someone enter in my dream."

A Visit from the Underworld

Practitioner Su: "Were they wearing red clothes?"

King Taishan: "Yes! Practitioner Su, how did you know?"

Practitioner Su: "That was a judge from the Hall of the King of Hell!"

King Taishan: "Exactly! And behind him was someone with a very stern expression. Looking back now, I realise it was a jailer. The jailer had come with the judge. He called out to me, 'Wu Gangmeng, wake up! Wake up!' I asked, 'Is there something you need?' I looked at the jailer beside him; he was expressionless and looked quite intimidating. I remained respectful, however, because I had studied Buddhism! The judge then said to me, 'Please, come with me.' He wanted me to follow them. Naturally, I asked, 'Where are we going? Could you tell me where we are headed?' He replied, 'An Imperial Decree has arrived. You are to come to our Hall of Yama to serve as the King of Hell!' I said, 'You must be joking!'"

Practitioner Su: "Hahaha! Were you frightened?"

King Taishan: "I said, 'Judge, you are dressed in red, so you must be a judge, right? With those red robes, you are definitely a judge! But am I really to be the King of Hell?' He replied, 'That is correct. It is clearly written on the Imperial Decree.' I took a look, and it was true! My name, Gangmeng, is quite rare; not many people are named that."

The Unexpected Appointment

Practitioner Su: "And then what happened?"

King Taishan: "I thought, 'Alright! But I don't know how to do it.' I didn't think too much about it, so I followed him to the Seventh Hall. 'Since it has come to this, there is no point in asking further questions, so I will just go with you.' The difference was that I really did follow them (makes the sound of footsteps: 'thud, thud, thud')."

Practitioner Su: (Makes the sound of footsteps: 'thud, thud, thud') "That is a lot of walking! So many steps!"

King Taishan: "Every step I took, I was filled with fear."

Practitioner Su: "Did you count how many steps you took?"

King Taishan: "I have forgotten the number of steps. I only remember thinking, 'Why on earth am I the one becoming the King of Hell?'"

Practitioner Su: "But isn't your name Gangmeng? What are you afraid of?"

King Taishan: "Well, well, well... we arrived. Actually, as I walked, my legs were still a bit weak. It is ironic that my name is Gangmeng. Just as you said, Practitioner Su, I didn't even know why I was named that. My mother once told me that I was actually quite timid. Later, I said to the judge, 'Judge, I hope you don't mind me saying this, but although I look like a blacksmith who seems quite strong, in reality, I am very timid.' The judge replied, 'You don't need to be timid. Our jailers will assist you! Once the jailers line up on both sides, how could you possibly be timid? You don't need to be afraid; you only need to know how to judge cases.' So, I had no choice but to accept. Since the judge said so, I took the position."

Ascending the Throne

Practitioner Su: "Ascend the bench! Majestic—"

King Taishan: "Practitioner Su, you say that so well! I changed my clothes, though I felt quite uncomfortable. I was used to my own clothes, which were very comfortable and allowed for easy movement. But these clothes..."

Practitioner Su: "That outfit of yours is beautiful. The silk and satin are so light and soft!"

King Taishan: "Yes, they are! And it was just like that. The judge said, 'Good, you may take your seat.' I said, 'Should I shave this beard? It would look better, wouldn't it?' The judge replied, 'No need. This is perfect. With your beard grown like this, you look much more dignified!'"

Practitioner Su: "That is the truth."

King Taishan: "I really listened to the judge and did as he said. And so, I officially took my post as the King of Taishan of the Seventh Hall."

Practitioner Su: "The Imperial Decree stated you were the King of Taishan, so you sat down, and the jailers below shouted, 'Majestic—Majestic—'"

King Taishan: "Yes! The jailers lined up in two rows. As soon as I stepped onto the stairs and took my seat, they shouted, 'Majestic—'"

Practitioner Su: "Once you were seated, the spectacle was grand! You began to judge cases."

King Taishan: "Yes! I began to judge cases. When I sat down, they brought my life records for me to see. They had written down so much—what good deeds I had done, what good deeds I had done... they had it all clearly recorded! If I hadn't seen them writing down my deeds, I wouldn't have dared to believe it. But once it was written down, it seemed that the things I usually did had all become good deeds. Things that were originally just small matters in the world were all recorded as acts of Goodness."

Practitioner Su: "Everything we do in this world, whether good or evil, is recorded. There is not the slightest deviation!"

King Taishan: "It is true! It is very subtle. Even the moment a thought arises, we cannot deceive them."

Reflecting on the Past

Practitioner Su: "Every bit of your life in this world, the principles of the universe, are self-created. Many who study Buddhism should understand this. Now, King Taishan, you know that in our interviews, you have come to the Fragrant Light Buddha-land, and you know that we have interviewed the past lives of those from the first to the sixth halls. Today, in interviewing you, you mentioned that in these 248 years, you went to hell in one of your past lives?"

King Taishan: "It was in my eleventh life."

Practitioner Su: "How did you end up in hell in your eleventh life? And may I ask, in these 248 years—you said you have already passed away, meaning you have been dead for 248 years, but you were a blacksmith who died at 63. How do these 248 years fit in? The time doesn't seem to match up?"

King Taishan: "There is one thing you do not know, Practitioner Su. Actually, those 248 years... I died at 63, right? If you ask me about those 248 years, I can only say that for me, it was a complete blank."

Practitioner Su: "What do you mean by these 248 years? Because you have been 'passed away' for 248 years, but you are currently Wu Gangmeng who died at 63."

King Taishan: "I, Wu Gangmeng, died at 63."

Practitioner Su: "But you died at 63 and went to serve as the King of Taishan in the Seventh Hall, so I don't understand this 248-year period."

King Taishan: "Sigh! I only know that I was spinning in space, just spinning."

Practitioner Su: "Oh! You were spinning in space for 248 years?"

King Taishan: "Yes! I was spinning in space!"

Practitioner Su: "Before you were reborn and appeared in the world?"

King Taishan: "Yes! I was just spinning there, spinning, until suddenly one day, a woman was praying, burning incense and praying, and that is how I became this Wu Gangmeng."

Practitioner Su: "You mean you were in space for 248 years, and then you were spinning, spinning, and a woman was burning incense and praying—praying for a child, was she?"

King Taishan: "Yes, the woman was burning incense to pray for a child."

Practitioner Su: "And you entered that woman's womb, which is your current mother. You naturally entered this woman's womb, is that right?"

King Taishan: "That is how I entered my mother's womb."

Practitioner Su: "So you mean for 248 years, you were just a blank in space?"

King Taishan: "Yes, a complete blank."

Practitioner Su: "Why was it a blank in space? You need to find out. What happened after those 248 years, in the 249th year? What were you doing? Who were you, and what was your name?"

King Taishan: "Practitioner Su, I was being controlled! Looking back now, it seems I was being controlled."

Practitioner Su: "You were controlled for 248 years? Controlled by what?"

King Taishan: "I was controlled by a beam of light."

Practitioner Su: "What was your profession before you were controlled? If we find that out, we will know."

King Taishan: "I only know that before those 248 years, in that space, my last thought was jumping off a cliff. After I jumped, there was a beam of light, and that was it."

Practitioner Su: "So you spent 248 years in space. What was your identity when you jumped off the cliff?"

King Taishan: "Someone was chasing me to kill me."

Practitioner Su: "Chasing you? What was your name then? Write it down. What was your name 240 years ago?"

King Taishan: (Writes down: Zhang Xiaoxi) "Zhang Xiaoxi, 'Xi' as in hope."

Practitioner Su: "What did you do, Zhang Xiaoxi? Why were people chasing you to kill you?"

King Taishan: "It seems I was a thief."

Practitioner Su: "You were a thief?"

King Taishan: "I was a thief because I had no food to eat."

Practitioner Su: "So you robbed people, and they chased you to kill you?"

King Taishan: "I had nothing to eat, so I passed by, saw something, grabbed a few things, and ran. As a result, I was chased, chased until... actually, I am very timid. I was chased until there was no way to escape, chased to a cliff, and I jumped off."

Practitioner Su: "Oh my!"

King Taishan: "Because I was afraid that if I were caught, I would be beaten to death."

Practitioner Su: "And once you jumped, you entered that space?"

King Taishan: "Because of the chase—originally it was just the shopkeeper chasing me, but I don't know why, suddenly a whole crowd was chasing me, so I jumped because there was no other way."

Practitioner Su: "Hahaha!"

King Taishan: "So I am thinking, no wonder I am timid; I was already timid back then."

Practitioner Su: "Now, let us return to the main point. You, Zhang Xiaoxi, were a thief who grabbed things and ran. People chased you, and that is how you entered that space for 248 years."

King Taishan: "Yes, yes! That is how it was!"

Practitioner Su: "And after 248 years of spinning in space, a woman was burning incense."

King Taishan: "Yes, burning incense, and there was smoke. She was so sincere, so sincere in her prayers, and she was kowtowing. At that time, she was chanting the name of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva."

Practitioner Su: "So, that woman was your mother. You were also seeking a child, and as it happened, you fell into her womb; that is why you were named Wu Gangmeng. Your filial piety in this life was a result of your parents' upbringing!"

King Taishan: "Indeed, indeed!"

Practitioner Su: "Your parents taught you to do good deeds from a young age. They understood the laws of karma and cause and effect—that one reaps what one sows—and that is how you succeeded. Otherwise, you were being hunted by others, and after you jumped, you entered that space, correct?"

King Taishan: "What I meant was that a beam of light controlled me."

Practitioner Su: "Who was that light?"

King Taishan: "It was what we call 'space'! I do not know either."

Practitioner Su: "You are now the King of Hell, the King Taishan of the Seventh Hall."

King Taishan: "I only know it was a form of control, a space, a control."

Practitioner Su: "You are the King of Hell now, but the problem is how you entered that space, how you suddenly fell into it. We must uncover the answer to that."

King Taishan: "I only know that when I jumped off that cliff, there was a beam of light."

Practitioner Su: "Was it a beam of light that captured you?"

King Taishan: "Yes! Just a beam of light."

Practitioner Su: "No, at your final moment, when you jumped off the cliff, your last thought was just to escape with your life, wasn't it?"

King Taishan: "Yes! I just wanted to escape!"

Practitioner Su: "You had no other thoughts."

King Taishan: "But once I jumped, it was a blank. Because at that moment, when I jumped, it suddenly went blank."

Practitioner Su: "And then a beam of light captured you."

King Taishan: "The final piece was blank, and that is how I entered that light."

Practitioner Su: "After being captured, you spent two hundred and forty-eight years in that space, is that right?"

King Taishan: "Yes, two hundred and forty-eight years in that space."

Practitioner Su: "Two hundred and forty-eight years later, you saw someone burning incense and praying for a child, so you entered, and that became..."

King Taishan: "The woman became my mother."

Practitioner Su: "And your name was Wu Gangmeng, right?"

King Taishan: "That is so, I was called Wu Gangmeng."

Practitioner Su: "That makes it clear. Now, are we counting back eleven lifetimes from Wu Gangmeng?"

King Taishan: "Should I count the two hundred and forty-eight years from Wu Gangmeng or from Zhang Xiaoxi?"

Practitioner Su: "Use Wu Gangmeng; Wu Gangmeng is better."

King Taishan: "Counting two hundred and forty-eight years from Wu Gangmeng..."

Practitioner Su: "Remove the two hundred and forty-eight years."

King Taishan: "Calculating it that way, what emerges is the eleventh lifetime."

Practitioner Su: "The eleventh lifetime. So you are currently in the eleventh lifetime after Wu Gangmeng. Looking back, how did you end up in the hells during those eleven lifetimes? Xiuli knows about this, right?"

Practitioner Xiuli: "I don't know!"

King Taishan: "Practitioner Su, please explain it clearly!"

Practitioner Su: "Indeed! If this isn't clear, people will ask. Your two hundred years don't match up with this sixty-three-year-old life!"

King Taishan: "I didn't think that much about it; I just said it directly. It turns out to be like this, and I..."

Practitioner Su: "Aren't you King Taishan?"

King Taishan: "I am King Taishan, but I don't want to look back at my past lives!"

Practitioner Su: "You must look back. You cannot avoid looking at your past lives. We must let the world understand that people have past lives upon past lives, so they can know how terrifying the laws of karma and cause and effect are."

King Taishan: "I look back at my past lives, and I know the previous Kings of Hell; everyone speaks quite explicitly. Fortunately, I, Wu Gangmeng, never married! Hahaha!"

Practitioner Su: "Hahaha! You were also harmed by a woman, weren't you?"

King Taishan: "Oh! No reaction, no reaction, hahaha! I've been listening to what they say!"

Practitioner Su: "Hahahaha! If you had a reaction, you'd be finished."

King Taishan: "Oh! Wait a moment, I said no reaction, but it happened so fast—it seems I am having a reaction after all."

Practitioner Su: "Hahahaha!"

King Taishan: "This is terrible, this is terrible! This won't do, which is why I don't want to look back. Once I look back..."

Practitioner Su: "The Alaya consciousness is too terrifying!"

King Taishan: "Practitioner Su, how can we talk like this? I don't want to, I didn't want to, but once you bring it up, I say I don't want to, but it's no use!"

Practitioner Su: "How exactly did you end up in the hells during those eleven lifetimes? Tell us. This is also to save the world; the Alaya consciousness ruins people. If one does not immigrate to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss, it simply will not do."

King Taishan: "I suddenly feel this beard is quite useful!"

Practitioner Su: "Women won't dare to follow you or touch you. Hahahaha!"

King Taishan: "It's prickly; who would dare touch it!"

Practitioner Su: "It's all prickles, hahaha! Too many prickles, hahahaha! Oh my goodness!"

King Taishan: "I suddenly feel cowardly again."

Practitioner Su: "Hahaha! Your heart is actually very upright!"

King Taishan: "So, one's appearance and one's heart are not consistent. Appearance—one can have a kind face but an evil heart without anyone knowing, Practitioner Su, a kind face but an evil heart without anyone knowing."

Practitioner Su: "Your heart is upright. Now the question is, what role did you play in your eleventh lifetime? Let's pretend we are acting in a play. What was your role in the eleventh lifetime?"

King Taishan: "I didn't look like this back then!"

Practitioner Su: "Were you a man or a woman?"

King Taishan: "I was a man, and a very handsome one at that!"

Practitioner Su: "Oh! In your eleventh lifetime, you were a man, and a handsome one."

King Taishan: "At that time, I was a scholar, and I looked so good! I was impeccably dressed; my clothes were always neat and tidy every day. I was very satisfied with myself. When I went out, I would even check my posture."

Practitioner Su: "Were you very wealthy? Did your parents have money, or did you earn it yourself?"

King Taishan: "It was probably middle-class; I didn't have to worry about food or clothing. You couldn't call it great wealth, but I didn't lack for anything. At the time, I was a man of letters, so you can imagine..."

Practitioner Su: "You liked to recite poetry and write lyrics."

King Taishan: "Reciting poetry and writing lyrics were my greatest loves."

Practitioner Su: "You were intoxicated whenever you saw a poem, right?"

King Taishan: "Every line of poetry would tug at the heartstrings!"

Practitioner Su: "Then the poems you wrote must have been very good!"

King Taishan: "I wouldn't dare say if they were good or bad, but compared to others, it was a way to cultivate my inner substance. I also went to the capital for the imperial examinations. At the time, I became an official; I eventually earned an official position."

Practitioner Su: "Did you marry?"

King Taishan: "Yes, I was a handsome man, so good-looking—how could I not have married?"

Practitioner Su: "Did you have children?"

King Taishan: "I had one son and two daughters."

Practitioner Su: "What were their names? Write them down, one son."

King Taishan: "My name at that time?"

Practitioner Su: "Yes, the name from your eleventh lifetime."

King Taishan: "(Writes down: Lin Rushu)"

Practitioner Su: "That's a wonderful name! So you came from a scholarly family. Your parents were very good at naming children."

King Taishan: "Should I write my son's name?"

Practitioner Su: "Yes, write the son's name too. What was his name?"

King Taishan: "(Writes down: Lin Shengxue) Should I write the two daughters' names too?"

Practitioner Su: "You may."

King Taishan: "(Writes down: Lin Xingniang, Lin Manyi)"

Practitioner Su: "An eldest daughter, this eldest daughter..."

King Taishan: "The eldest daughter was called Xingniang."

Practitioner Su: "And one was Lin Manyi. You really did choose very good names!"

King Taishan: "The second daughter was called Manyi because she was beautiful, so she was called 'Satisfactory'."

Practitioner Su: "So you had a very happy family, one son and two daughters. How did you end up in the hells?"

King Taishan: "My appearance was refined, and I was gentle and cultured; I looked like someone who could make a very good impression. When I was an official at court, I possessed clever wisdom."

Practitioner Su: "I see. Did you constantly strive to improve yourself?"

King Taishan: "I knew how to read people's hearts."

Practitioner Su: "So you were someone who followed the wind and changed direction!"

King Taishan: "Therefore, I treated the noble people who promoted me with great dedication."

Practitioner Su: "That means you were very good at paying lip service while acting differently, only for those who had utility for you!"

King Taishan: "At that time, this noble person was a Prime Minister. I tried my best to please him, tried my best to flatter him, to cater to him, to win his favor. Naturally, he listed me among his confidants. In fact, there were so-called factions among officials at court."

Practitioner Su: "Yes, everyone was building their own camps, all creating karma!"

King Taishan: "What we call factions today—actually, I should say I was more compatible with this person, so I interacted with him often."

Practitioner Su: "And you listened to what he said!"

King Taishan: "Yes, and I was less compatible with that person, so I interacted with him less."

Practitioner Su: "You were a very realistic person!"

King Taishan: "Of course, in the imperial court, if the Emperor had any opinions to hear from the officials, we would act according to our shared views, so we would stand on this side or that side. Naturally, I tried my best to stand on the Prime Minister's side. The Prime Minister is coughing."

Practitioner Su: "He (Practitioner Xiuli) is your Prime Minister? Oh my goodness! He is your Prime Minister!"

(Practitioner Xiuli coughs)

King Taishan: "Coughing, coughing, coughing very severely."

Practitioner Su: "Amitabha! These Causal Conditions are truly complex! In your eleventh lifetime, he was your Prime Minister, and your Prime Minister had a miserable time! All because of emotion."

King Taishan: "Later, this Prime Minister trusted me greatly because of the floods. The Jiangnan region was often prone to rain, and the floods were also due to the fact that, at the time, there was no one who truly knew how to govern the rivers, to manage these river waters, to let them flow so they wouldn't overflow, to prevent the floods from becoming a disaster. If there had been a way to dredge the water, there would have been no disaster, but at the time, the floods required disaster relief."

Practitioner Su: "This disaster relief money—that is money to save lives! If you embezzled any of it, the laws of karma and cause and effect will follow you forever!"

King Taishan: "I gained the Prime Minister's approval. The Prime Minister was also compassionate at the time and wanted the Emperor to know the full extent of the disaster. Later, because of these disaster relief funds, and since I was the Prime Minister's confidant, I was responsible for handling them. Every time I handled these relief funds, I had already discussed it with the Prime Minister."

Practitioner Su: "Think of how many disaster victims needed to be saved! That is money to save the world! For every cent of that money you took, the laws of karma and cause and effect will follow you forever!"

King Taishan: "When I say 'agreed upon,' I mean this: we divided the funds into specific categories. First, there was the engineering portion—what people today call 'construction costs.' Then, there was the disaster relief fund. Disaster relief was further split into food and grain supplies, and finally, medical funds for those who truly required treatment. I meticulously maintained the ledgers for these three categories. Every person who came to collect funds from me had to sign their name. They had to sign it to indicate they had received the money. This was a necessary precaution; at the very least, it provided proof and documentation. For those who did not know how to write, we helped them. They only needed to press their..."

Practitioner Su: "If they were taking money, they had to press their thumbprint."

King Taishan: "Yes, pressing their thumbprint with the round seal we had prepared. Once that was done, it was sufficient. That was how it worked. So, to put it bluntly, I pocketed quite a significant amount of money from those funds."

Practitioner Su: "Wow! That is a very heavy sin."

The Web of Corruption

King Taishan: "But that money was meant for the parts of the engineering project that required 'smoothing over'! I had to hire people to find the root cause of why the flooding was happening. At the time, it wasn't that I didn't want to find the cause, but there were no capable people—no experts who truly knew how to manage water control. I did invite people to help, or at the very least, I asked the local officials to provide some simple water control methods. We tried using sandbags or planting trees, but it was all too late. It was all too late. So, regardless of whether it was the engineering funds, the grain money, or the medical funds, my ledgers looked perfectly clear. Every single item was accounted for, clear and transparent. But in reality, it was all a mess, because a large portion—not all, but a significant amount—fell into my..."

Practitioner Su: "Your own pocket. You will definitely go to the hells for this. You must go to the hells! This was money meant to save suffering beings!"

King Taishan: "But I was quite clever; I didn't swallow it all by myself!"

Practitioner Su: "You gave it to the Prime Minister? Did the Prime Minister want it too?"

King Taishan: "Of course, I gave some to the Prime Minister as well. The Prime Minister's wife was greedy, so I started with her. Every time, I would present grand gifts first—silks, hairpins, head ornaments. I would show her, 'Look, this is jade, this is emerald.' I gave these things to her. She knew they were of extraordinary value, but she never suspected a thing. She knew that even the Prime Minister rarely bought such items. She only saw my 'respect' for the Prime Minister, so she didn't doubt me. I would just say, 'Oh! I am so grateful for the Prime Minister's cultivation of me, so, Madam Prime Minister, these are just tokens of my gratitude and admiration for you.' That was how it went. Later on, whenever it was the Prime Minister's birthday, I would send large sums of silver."

A Family of Greed

Practitioner Su: "Your Prime Minister seems very greedy!"

King Taishan: "The wife was the greedy one. I only sent silver to the Prime Minister on his major birthdays, and he felt it was only right and proper!"

Practitioner Su: "Did the Prime Minister not know?"

King Taishan: "Because he really did look after me quite a bit, that was just how it was. I didn't realise I was committing such a sin. I felt I still had a conscience; I didn't pocket the entire amount. I didn't do that—it was only about half."

Practitioner Su: "The way you talk, that is exactly why you went to the hells—not because of the women!"

King Taishan: "The women were just as you mentioned earlier; I had some personal matters, which is why I felt a certain way. Otherwise, when it comes to official duties, I actually felt nothing. As for the women, well, in that era, having three wives and four concubines was not exactly rare."

Practitioner Su: "How many wives did you have?"

King Taishan: "I had three wives and four concubines."

Practitioner Su: "So you had them all, and your wives didn't object?"

King Taishan: "Yes, because I was an official! My wives couldn't do anything about me!"

Practitioner Su: "You were greedy for that money, and you caused that flood. Now, all those victims are looking for your Prime Minister. So many flood victims are looking for him. Hahahaha!"

King Taishan: "It's not just the Prime Minister they are looking for; they are looking for the Prime Minister's wife too."

Practitioner Su: "That wife is Zhuo Shuling, isn't she?"

King Taishan: "I didn't say that!"

Practitioner Su: "This is serious! No wonder those two can never finish delivering those flood victims! Your wife back then was so greedy! The current wife is actually quite upright."

King Taishan: "Oh! Everything is a matter of Causal Conditions. Otherwise, if you hadn't interviewed the Ten Kings of Hell, I would never have been able to see our Prime Minister and his wife."

The Price of a Heartless Life

Practitioner Su: "King Taishan, you spoke very well today! King Taishan, how old were you when you passed away, back when you were Lin Rushu?"

King Taishan: "Sigh! I felt pain right here (pointing to his heart)."

Practitioner Su: "Heart pain. The beings say you had no heart or liver! That is why you had heart pain."

King Taishan: "I had nightmares every night. At that time, I actually passed away quite early. Early!"

Practitioner Su: "Right, how old were you when you got sick?"

King Taishan: "I was about forty-eight when I fell ill and passed away."

Practitioner Su: "Forty-eight, that is very early! It is because you lacked virtue that you died so young!"

King Taishan: "It hurt right here (heart). It is truly as Practitioner Su said—I had no heart or liver!"

Practitioner Su: "With so many flood victims, of course your heart would hurt."

King Taishan: "In my dreams at night, I saw all those flood victims, their bodies all wet and soggy."

Practitioner Su: "Oh my! The poor flood victims, all wet and soggy, coming to find you!"

King Taishan: "'Save me! Save me!' (cries of someone drowning). They were sinking."

Practitioner Su: "Namo Amituofo. You created karma, and now the karmic retribution has manifested!"

King Taishan: "It happened again. Every day in my dreams, they came back. 'Save me!' Standing there, all wet, in the middle of the river, the flowing river."

Practitioner Su: "Oh my! Namo Amituofo, I think you were going insane."

King Taishan: "Every time I woke up from those dreams, my whole body felt weak."

Practitioner Su: "Did you repent? Where is the money? Where is the money you pocketed?"

King Taishan: "The money was in my wife's hands. She was the one who managed it!"

Practitioner Su: "Where is your wife?"

King Taishan: "I said it was in my wife's hands. My wife, my wife."

Practitioner Su: "What is your wife's name?"

King Taishan: "My wife is not here; she is in a pile of money."

Practitioner Su: "Your wife became a money-worm. Look at that, you caused your wife to be greedy, and now she is a money-worm!"

King Taishan: "Oh! Practitioner Su, my wife is in a pile of money, and she is even licking the money!"

Practitioner Su: (To the disciple beside her) "Write down his wife's name. He hasn't written his wife's name yet."

King Taishan: (Writes down: Lin Shi Jin Chou)

Practitioner Su: "Acting, acting, the Prime Minister is here, how can people just come? Acting, acting, the Prime Minister is here! This is shocking, isn't it? Your wife is called Lin Shi Jin Chou, right?"

King Taishan: "In the local dialect, it is called 'Jin Chou' (Golden Silk)."

Practitioner Su: "Right! Jin Chou. And she is in a pile of money?"

King Taishan: "Yes, I see her licking the money!"

Practitioner Su: "Licking money—that is a money-worm!"

King Taishan: "A money-worm. I see her licking the money and getting stuck to it."

Practitioner Su: "Good, a money-worm, Jin Chou!"

King Taishan: "I kept having those dreams, and later I became weaker and weaker, weaker and weaker."

Practitioner Su: "And the doctors couldn't cure you."

King Taishan: "No matter how many tonics or herbal soups I took, it was useless."

Practitioner Su: "That was because you were drowning; the flood victims were dragging you away."

King Taishan: "Every day I kept coughing up phlegm, coughing and coughing, vomiting, as if my stomach was going to come out."

Practitioner Su: "You were choking to death in the flood; of course you would vomit. It is immediate retribution! After you died at forty-eight, what kind of punishment did you receive in the hells? Based on what you said, did your Prime Minister go to the hells too?"

King Taishan: "The Wolf-Devouring Hell. They took my heart and lungs and... (makes a tearing sound)... I... (emits a scream of extreme agony)..."

Practitioner Su: "Oh my! Tearing out his heart! You couldn't take that money with you, so how was it worth it!"

King Taishan: "It is true! That is how it was. Practitioner Su, whenever I think of the past... please, please deliver me."

Practitioner Su: "Alright, let me deliver you. Take refuge in the Buddha, do not enter the hells; take refuge in the Dharma, do not fall into the hungry ghost realm; take refuge in the Sangha, do not fall into the animal realm. My Buddha is compassionate. He is out. Wolf-Devouring, how many hells did you go to?"

King Taishan: "I went to the Wolf-Devouring Hell."

Practitioner Su: "What other hells?"

King Taishan: "Of course, there was also the heart, because my heart was not good!"

Practitioner Su: "The heart-gouging hell. Two hells."

King Taishan: "I was very miserable; I went to two hells."

Practitioner Su: "And later, what kind of animal did you become?"

King Taishan: "I became... Practitioner Su, now that you ask me, the image that appears is that my feathers were all plucked out."

Practitioner Su: "You became a chicken!"

King Taishan: "Anyway, all I see is that my feathers were plucked out."

Practitioner Su: "Only a chicken has its feathers plucked out!"

King Taishan: "And I was even hung up."

Practitioner Su: "Right! You were a chicken with your feathers plucked, hung up for sale, with only the tail left. How long were you a chicken?"

King Taishan: "I was a chicken for two lifetimes."

Practitioner Su: "That is too easy on you! You caused so many people to drown, and you were only a chicken for two lifetimes!"

King Taishan: "After two lifetimes, I became a sparrow. The third lifetime was as a sparrow. I became small, I became small, so I was a sparrow. Because I was very good at sophistry and very good at talking, I turned into a sparrow, chirping and chirping everywhere."

Practitioner Su: "Always talking, the sparrow goes 'chirp, chirp, chirp.' You were a sparrow—that is too easy! You should have been a horse to repay your debts."

King Taishan: "I was a chicken for two lifetimes and a sparrow for one. So, everywhere I went, the sparrow would chirp and chirp, and that was it. And I was even killed by someone who threw a stone at me; it hit my head and killed me."

Practitioner Su: "King Taishan, so in your eleventh lifetime you were an official, and your three wives and four concubines turned into a chicken that had its feathers plucked, and then a sparrow. How was that worth it! And did your Prime Minister go to the hells? Your Prime Minister was also very bad."

King Taishan: "The Prime Minister also had to receive his retribution, of course."

Practitioner Su: "Was the Prime Minister's punishment heavier or lighter than yours? Was yours lighter or his lighter?"

King Taishan: "The Prime Minister was actually different from me, because I was the one who went to flatter his wife first, but later on, the birthday money was also given to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister received his retribution; he was also very miserable in the hells! And the hells he went to were no less than mine. The Prime Minister knows it himself!"

Practitioner Su: (Shaking her head)

Practitioner Su: Tell him, how many hells did he go to? He truly does not know. If he knew, he would have awakened today, but he is still not awake.

King Taishan: But the Prime Minister himself knows, yet he has not awakened! He is in a half-awake, half-dreaming state. He is suffering greatly right now, so it is impossible to satisfy his wishes!

Practitioner Su: Is it because he still clings to the personality of a Prime Minister that he is suffering, and thus does not want to wake up? Then, how many hells did the Prime Minister go to?

King Taishan: May I write it down?

Practitioner Su: Write it! Do not be afraid. Write it, you can write it, and his wife must also be revealed.

King Taishan: Practitioner Su, you are making things difficult for me!

Practitioner Su: You are King Taishan today; do you want to be interviewed or not?

King Taishan: Of course, this is part of the interview process!

Practitioner Su: This condition is the truth, not a negotiation. We must bring the truth to light to be fair to the beings who suffered in the floods!

King Taishan: Oh! The Causal Conditions are truly like this.

Practitioner Su: Which hells for the Prime Minister? Which hells for his wife?

King Taishan: The Prime Minister went to what is called the Copper Pillar Hell.

Practitioner Su: Copper Pillar Hell. He has been to that Copper Pillar Hell many times; there is no need to elaborate. He paid a heavy price for his dealings with men and women.

King Taishan: It is truly miserable to see him in the hells!

Practitioner Su: How many lifetimes did he spend in the Copper Pillar Hell?

King Taishan: It only shows him embracing the pillar, but it does not reveal how many lifetimes.

Practitioner Su: It is not just about the number of lifetimes. The Copper Pillar is one, but what other hells?

King Taishan: He was also in the Brain-Gouging Hell!

Practitioner Su: Brain-Gouging Hell, for his schemes! What other hells?

King Taishan: But the Prime Minister I saw was not that evil!

Practitioner Su: What other hells? Tell me more. The human heart is deep and unfathomable. Go on, what other hells?

King Taishan: Practitioner Su, are you asking about the Prime Minister in this lifetime, or his entire history?

Practitioner Su: Just this lifetime for the Prime Minister is enough. You need to dig it all out. If he heard this, he would faint and have to be carried out.

King Taishan: Then it is just those two.

Practitioner Su: Very well. Now, his wife—what hells for the wife? Write it down.

King Taishan: Practitioner Su, actually, if you want me to ask, since I have already started writing, I dare to write everything. But I feel that this is enough.

Practitioner Su: Indeed! How many hells for the wife? Greed for wealth.

King Taishan: Actually, Practitioner Su, regarding the Prime Minister's wife, I did speak to her later on. As the gifts I sent became increasingly expensive, she said, 'This Master Lin,'—she called me Master Lin—'you send such expensive gifts, surely...' because she was very clever, the lady was very clever, 'surely you must be doing this for some benefit!' I had no choice but to tell her the truth. However, I did not dare to say everything I had embezzled; I only said that I had gained some benefits from the disaster relief funds. I told her that, so she is just like me...

Practitioner Su: You and the lady were in cahoots.

King Taishan: Heartless and soulless. Because later, every time, I would give a portion to the Prime Minister's wife.

Practitioner Su: Then what hell did she go to?

King Taishan: She, like me, was...

Practitioner Su: Oh! The Wolf-Devouring Hell. What else?

King Taishan: She was also in the Copper Pillar Hell.

Practitioner Su: She was also in the Copper Pillar? Did she have an affair? She was the Prime Minister's wife and still went looking for men? Looking for you? Looking for you?

King Taishan: This cannot let the Prime Minister know.

Practitioner Su: This is serious. So you had a relationship with her. Hahaha! It cannot let the Prime Minister know, so that is how it was. Oh! Namo Amituofo, how did things turn out like this?

King Taishan: Now you know why the Prime Minister sometimes hated her; there was a reason.

Practitioner Su: Oh! So you were caught between the two of you. Were you more handsome than the Prime Minister? How tall was the Prime Minister back then?

King Taishan: Of course I was more handsome than him, because I was younger than him!

Practitioner Su: His wife was also the type to be drawn to handsome men!

King Taishan: Indeed! Practitioner Su, every time I had to...

Practitioner Su: Hahahaha!

King Taishan: Practitioner Su, it was the gift-giving and the private meetings, and I had to make sure the maids were sent away. You can imagine, I didn't just send gifts once; the opportunities were many. Once, twice, three times—naturally, there was affection!

Practitioner Su: And the Prime Minister didn't know?

King Taishan: The Prime Minister was busy with state affairs!

Practitioner Su: How tall was the Prime Minister back then? Honestly, was he 180 centimeters?

King Taishan: The Prime Minister was not short; he was quite tall!

Practitioner Su: Now I want to find the reason, King Taishan. Why is the Prime Minister so short now, only 140-something centimeters? Tell us, why did he become so short?

King Taishan: That is not within my scope of duty.

Practitioner Su: Hahaha! Whether it is in your scope or not, you must explain it clearly. Oh! King Taishan, you must do a good deed. Anyway, people don't recognize him; we will just write it down. If people ask about the Prime Minister, we won't say who it is! Come, how did he get shorter and shorter? It is because he had no conscience, because he did not know the suffering of beings, so he became shorter and shorter. For the sake of men, she would do anything.

King Taishan: Practitioner Su, it is emotion. For the sake of emotion. You are right! She could not see the suffering of beings. Whenever her husband got angry, it was like mountains collapsing and the earth splitting!

Practitioner Su: It is because of emotion that she kept getting shorter and shorter. It is not worth it! The main thing is that she could not realize her true nature. What a pity!

King Taishan: It is truly a pity, it is not worth it. Emotion killed her. Emotion—as long as there is the sensation of the physical body, the feeling of the flesh, every piece of emotion that one cannot let go of attaches itself to one's own body. Sometimes it grows on the front, sometimes on the chest, sometimes on the buttocks. Look at what is called lust.

Practitioner Su: So people in the world today with such large buttocks are all because of lust! Hahahaha!

King Taishan: Practitioner Su, because every physical sensation and emotion remains, it will keep attaching itself, like an attachment to the whole body, covering the whole body, connected and attached.

Practitioner Su: Wow! King Taishan, your analysis is very clear and precise!

King Taishan: How could he have his previous height! And actually, my Prime Minister—why did the wife have affection for me? The Prime Minister actually had a bad temper and was arrogant. Bad temper and arrogant, haughty.

Practitioner Su: He is still very arrogant now, and his temper is still bad.

King Taishan: Haughty. And the Prime Minister's wife was actually quite good-looking.

Practitioner Su: The wife was a beauty, that is why you dared to take the risk, right?

King Taishan: But she had been suppressed for too long. As long as I was slightly kind to her, the Prime Minister's wife would cry and weep in front of me at the beginning, saying, 'You don't know!'

Practitioner Su: She loved you, so she was crying and weeping for you to see!

King Taishan: Indeed! So I would hold her. I would say, 'My lady, do not be sad!' She would lie on my shoulder and cry very miserably. Of course, I had to comfort her!

Practitioner Su: According to you, the Prime Minister was wearing a green hat and didn't even know it. Oh! Being a human is not fun. This spirit reincarnating, back and forth, it is truly terrifying!

King Taishan: I don't want to come back! I don't want to come anymore. This reincarnation—I have been a high official, and I have been a blacksmith.

Practitioner Su: Alright! Now let's see what hells his wife went to?

King Taishan: Copper Pillar, and just like me, heartless and soulless.

Practitioner Su: Wolf-Devouring, only two hells? And later, what did she reincarnate as in the animal realm?

King Taishan: Like me, when she first came out, she was a chicken.

Practitioner Su: She was also a chicken? How did she become a chicken? That seems too easy for you! What do you feel?

King Taishan: I don't know. We were just chickens. Being a chicken is not easy either! Being a chicken and having to do that thing is quite difficult.

Practitioner Su: After being a chicken, what did she become? You were a sparrow, what was she?

King Taishan: The wife went through the snake realm.

Practitioner Su: She was more poisonous, she was a snake. It is terrifying! Look, she has been wandering until now.

King Taishan: Actually, in the end, she hated everything. She hated the Prime Minister and she hated me.

Practitioner Su: Why did she hate you?

King Taishan: Do you know why she hated me? She hated my appearance for making her lose her self-control.

Practitioner Su: Hahahaha! Oh! King Taishan, you really dare to speak. You speak very well, this is truly it, hahahaha! Alright, King Taishan, you spoke very well today. Now the question is, do you want to save your family?

King Taishan: Yes, I want to save them.

Practitioner Su: Save that Zhang Xiaoxi, who didn't marry for 248 years. Lin Rushu, who died at 48, that is your wife, right? This Lin Shi Jin-chou.

King Taishan: Yes, Lin Shi Jin-chou.

Practitioner Su: Son Lin Shengxue, daughter Lin Xingniang, and another one, Lin Manyi.

King Taishan: Please, Practitioner Su, have compassion.

Practitioner Su: It is the great compassion of Amitabha Buddha. Alright, let's call them. Where is the wife?

King Taishan: She is a money-worm, Practitioner Su, she is a money-worm.

Practitioner Su: And what is the son?

King Taishan: My son is in the ghost realm writing petitions for others.

Practitioner Su: And the eldest daughter?

King Taishan: The eldest daughter is very special. My eldest daughter is also in the ghost realm, working as a boss lady, she sells...

Practitioner Su: Sells what?

King Taishan: She is a restaurant owner.

Practitioner Su: The second daughter, what about Manyi, Lin Manyi?

King Taishan: Manyi, oh! Why is she an old procuress?

Practitioner Su: She became a clam (Taiwanese dialect). Old what?

King Taishan: (Writes down: Old Procuress)

Practitioner Su: Old procuress. Where did she become an old procuress? She is an old procuress in the ghost realm.

Fellow Practitioner: Pimping.

King Taishan: No, I should say she opened that kind of...

Practitioner Su: A tavern where women accompany men for drinks!

King Taishan: She was originally beautiful, then she became a courtesan, and later she turned into an old procuress.

Practitioner Su: She is also in the ghost realm.

King Taishan: She is in the ghost realm.

Fellow Practitioner: There are old procuresses in the ghost realm too?

King Taishan: It is in the so-called brothels. The old procuress is the one who helps introduce which girl to which wealthy person.

King Taishan: "The cases coming before me are becoming increasingly heavy. The crimes being committed are even more severe than before. If you are ignorant, you will inevitably fall into the animal realm. Do not be ignorant! If you act without a conscience, you are inviting disaster. Of course, as long as there is greed—whether it is the so-called greed for wealth, greed for fame, or any other form of greed—anything related to greed will result in karmic retribution. Once there is greed, negative karma is created. Once there is greed, a selfish 'self' emerges, and naturally, one becomes capable of committing any atrocity."

The Responsibility of Public Office

"Especially those serving in government or working in public offices must be extremely careful. Especially regarding the welfare of the common people, one must never line one's own pockets; one must always think of the people first. Otherwise, this is having no heart or lungs, and of course, one will receive retribution—having one's heart and lungs dug out. Since you are meant to serve the people, you must serve them with integrity, not exploit them. These are very heavy sins. Therefore, in my hall, for killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct—anything related to these—I use the so-called fiery burning. Their bodies must be burned to truly burn away their negative karma and awaken their true conscience."

Practitioner Su: "Every single drop of our actions is governed by the laws of karma and cause and effect!"

The Preciousness of Human Life

King Taishan: "Only then can they know how to proceed. When they are reincarnated as a human again, or after their retribution is finished and they are reincarnated, they can cherish the opportunity when they obtain a human body again."

Practitioner Su: "Namo Amituofo speaks of the preciousness of the human body; one can become a Buddha, one can become a Bodhisattvas, one must cherish it!"

King Taishan: "All Goodness, what is called 'following the flow of Goodness,' must have a heart of Goodness, and it is about helping the masses."

A Call for Purity and Virtue

Practitioner Su: "Today, King Taishan, your account of your annals is excellent. This is for the entire universe. People today are not as simple and honest as they were in the past. Being able to interview King Taishan today, telling people that one must still be kind-hearted, still be pure and full of Goodness, is truly important!"

King Taishan: "Yes. Accumulating virtue is important!"

Practitioner Su: "We thank King Taishan very much today. Gratitude, Namo Amituofo."

King Taishan: "Gratitude, Practitioner Su."

Practitioner Su: "Namo Amituofo, please take your seat."