The Judge of the Eighth Hall: A Testimony from the Underworld

This interview was recorded on July 23, 2015, at the Hsiang Kuang Pure Land Buddhist Centre. Practitioner Su, a dedicated lay practitioner known for her ability to communicate with spirits and beings from various realms to facilitate their deliverance, conducted this session with the City King of the Eighth Hall of the Underworld. The City King, who once lived as a teacher and later as a physician, shares his transition into the role of a judge in the afterlife and the profound lessons he has learned regarding the laws of karma and cause and effect.

Practitioner Su speaks:

"Namo Amituofo. We respectfully invite the City King of the Eighth Hall to take his seat. Greetings, City King. Namo Amituofo. It seems we have never met before."

The City King speaks:

"Indeed! We have finally met today."

Practitioner Su:

"I usually call upon those closest to us, so it is a great honour to meet you today."

The City King:

"Practitioner Su rarely calls upon us in the Eighth Hall. You know how busy we are! One hundred days after a person passes away, they arrive at my hall."

The Hundred-Day Arrival

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! So, one hundred days after death, they report to your hall?"

The City King:

"That is correct. If the sins they committed in the human world are light, they do not reach my hall. However, if their karmic retribution for sins committed in the world is heavy, they naturally arrive here."

Practitioner Su:

"When you preside over the court, if their sins are heavy, can you execute them immediately?"

The City King:

"I would not call it 'execution.' It is simply that everyone must face the consequences of their own laws of karma and cause and effect. They arrive here because of what they have done. Every hell under my jurisdiction involves what you might call extreme torture."

The Reality of Karmic Fire

Practitioner Su:

"I see the jailers lighting fires!"

The City King:

"Yes, it is scorching hot. The fire ignites from within their own bodies. They burn themselves and suffer the retribution for their actions. This is the result of immense negative karma!"

Practitioner Su:

"It is truly terrifying. Today, by interviewing you, the City King of the Eighth Hall, we can reveal the reality of these hellish punishments to the world. Let us open this book to the public so they may see that hell truly exists! Let us spread the message: 'Do not commit any evil; practice all that is good.' Every single action, every drink and every bite, cannot be deviated from. Truly, studying the Buddha’s teachings is of the utmost importance. The Buddha’s teachings are a form of education."

The City King:

"Indeed. What Practitioner Su says is very reasonable. If those currently suffering retribution in our hells could have heard Practitioner Su’s Dharma talks earlier, they would not have had to commit such sins."

A Rare Opportunity for Deliverance

Practitioner Su:

"That is true. It is because no one taught them. That is why the Buddha is compassionate. Namo Amituofo is filled with great compassion and pity for the world; he appears in the world to teach and transform beings. To be able to interview the Ten Kings of Hell and have them speak the Dharma in the present moment—this is an opportunity difficult to encounter in millions of years! Now, City King of the Eighth Hall, where are you from?"

The City King:

"I am from Nanning, Guangxi."

Practitioner Su:

"And before you became the City King of the Eighth Hall, what was your profession?"

The City King:

"I was a teacher."

Practitioner Su:

"Teaching is a noble profession! A private school teacher—that is incredible! Teaching accumulates virtue. You must have had students everywhere."

The City King:

"Students everywhere. I suppose one could say that. The students I taught did not just read the Three Character Classic or books written by Confucian scholars. I also taught them the etiquette of daily life and how to treat others."

The True Wisdom of Education

Practitioner Su:

"Wow! That aligns perfectly with the true Wisdom, true benefits, and true reality taught by the Buddha’s teachings—complete and without deficiency!"

The City King:

"Yes, and most importantly, I focused on their character."

Practitioner Su:

"To work so hard to provide such beauty for children is to truly cultivate merit!"

The City King:

"I used stories and storytelling—what you might call 'singing while speaking'—to teach my students. Sometimes, I would even let them perform plays; that way, they were interested."

Practitioner Su:

"Wow! By having your students perform, you were helping them return to the purity of their original nature!"

The City King:

"Sometimes, when I had been talking for a long time and their spirits were low, I would let them take over the speaking, or have them perform a play. That was how I taught them."

Practitioner Su:

"Wow! With such teaching methods, children would naturally love to study. You were primarily helping them understand the principles of being a human being through books. May I ask, City King, how long did you teach?"

The City King:

"Not more, not less—I taught for forty-nine years."

Practitioner Su:

"Forty-nine years! At what age did you start?"

The City King:

"I started when I was young—I believe I began at seventeen."

Practitioner Su:

"Wow! Teaching for over forty years—did you have any children?"

The City King:

"I did take a wife, but we had no children."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! Having a wife but no children is not bad either. Look, the students you taught were all your children. How wonderful!"

The City King:

"Yes, precisely because I had no children of my own, I treated all my students as if they were my own flesh and blood."

Practitioner Su:

"Wow! Now your 'children' are everywhere. You must feel very happy!"

The City King:

"Yes. Even in my old age, they would still come back to visit me, just like my own children."

The Final Lesson

Practitioner Su:

"That is right! May I ask, City King, at what age did you pass away? Did you teach until you were old?"

The City King:

"By the time I was old, they called me 'Old Master'."

Practitioner Su:

"'Old Master' is a great title! A lifetime of contribution."

The City King:

"I believe they started calling me 'Old Master' when I was in my fifties. I actually taught until I was sixty-six, and then I stopped."

Practitioner Su:

"Wow! To spend a lifetime teaching, using such skillful means and performances—you truly met the standard of great Goodness in the world."

The City King:

"I started teaching at seventeen, beginning with the children of three neighbours in the street. I taught them in my own home. I taught from then until I was over sixty, and then at sixty-eight..."

Practitioner Su:

"You passed away at sixty-eight. Was it a peaceful passing? What were the signs?"

The City King:

"Before going to sleep, I had a habit of reading. I would enjoy my books, and only then would I undress and go to bed. My wife would always bring me a cup of what she called 'health-nourishing soup'."

Practitioner Su:

"Yes, yes. What was in this health-nourishing soup?"

The City King:

"It was very simple: longan and something called 'jiuniang' (fermented glutinous rice)."

Practitioner Su:

"Longan and fermented rice soup is very fragrant; I have had it before."

The City King:

"Fermented rice with a bit of longan, and sometimes black dates. Sometimes fermented rice with black dates, sometimes with longan—that was it."

Practitioner Su:

"So that is the health-nourishing soup! What kind of health does it nourish?"

The City King:

"It dispels cold. It can remove the cold from the body."

Practitioner Su:

"You are teaching us how to make health-nourishing soup! Now we know: longan, black dates, and fermented rice can nourish the body."

The City King:

"If one is feeling particularly weak, you can add a little egg to the fermented rice. That is all you need; nothing else is required."

Practitioner Su:

"Egg! So you can add egg too!"

The City King:

"Yes! Adding the egg makes it delicious!"

Practitioner Su:

"Wow! You teach so well! You said that at sixty-eight, while you were drinking this fermented rice soup, is that right?"

The City King:

"I mean that before I went to sleep, I would always read. My wife would bring the soup, and that day was no different. She brought it, and then she went to bed. I continued reading the articles I liked. I don't know why, but that day, as I was reading, I just fell asleep while leaning over."

A Student Remembered

Practitioner Su:

"You fell asleep. Did you dream of anything?"

The City King:

"I dreamt of my student."

Practitioner Su:

"Had this student passed away, or were they still alive?"

The City King:

"This student had already passed away."

Practitioner Su:

"How old was this student when they passed?"

The City King:

"I still remember; among all the students I taught, he was the one I cherished the most."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! Was he clever and lively? Was he your favourite?"

The City King:

"He was both clever and thoughtful. Whatever I taught him, he would never forget. And he knew how to show filial respect to me. This respect was not about money or grand gifts—no. For example, if I were thirsty, he would know and bring me water. If I wanted to wipe something, he would bring me a cloth. If I wanted to reach for something, he seemed to know. If I wanted to pick up some books, he would hand them to me immediately. After this happened several times, I became particularly fond of this student."

Practitioner Su:

"This student of yours could draw inferences about other cases from one instance. He sounds a bit like our Renhao!"

The City King:

"Yes! Very similar!"

Practitioner Su:

"Renhao is a good boy; he can also draw inferences. He is clever!"

The City King:

"His thoughtfulness was unmatched by anyone else. I taught for so long, and no one was as thoughtful as he was."

Practitioner Su:

"He died very young. How old was he?"

The City King:

"He passed away at twenty-four."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh my! Why so early? Was it an accident or an illness?"

The City King:

"He... he fell into a pond. Sigh!"

Practitioner Su:

"A pond! He fell into a pond and died?"

The City King:

"Yes. He had to help with the farm work."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! He fell in by accident! He didn't know how to swim, did he?"

The City King:

"He did not know how to swim. Sigh!"

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! How careless!"

The City King:

"His parents were devastated. His mother was the first to come and tell me that he had accidentally fallen and died. I was heartbroken and mourned for many days."

Seeking Deliverance

Practitioner Su:

"Does the City King know where he is now? What was his name? Please write it down."

The City King:

"Should I write the name of the King of Hell, or the name I used when I was teaching?"

Practitioner Su:

"Of course, the name you used when you were teaching. City King, what was your name when you were a teacher? You haven't written it yet."

The City King:

"(Writes: Gao Wenchang)"

Practitioner Su:

"His name as a teacher was Gao Wenchang. Very well! And what was the child's name?"

The City King:

"(Writes: Cai Weiguo)"

Practitioner Su:

"I would like to ask you: he died, is he currently in the ghost realm?"

The City King:

"He is still there. He is in the pond; he should still be there."

Practitioner Su:

"You have become a King of Hell, and he is still in the ghost realm after all these years?"

The City King:

"He is still in that pond!"

Practitioner Su:

"He has been in the pond for so long?"

The City King:

"He is still crouching under the embankment. He is still crouching in that spot under the embankment."

Practitioner Su:

"I see, I see him now. The problem is, I am asking our City King of the Eighth Hall: I have heard people say that those who fall into water must 'grab a substitute'. Is it true that he has to grab someone else to take his place before he can be reincarnated?"

The City King:

"He is just waiting for the right conditions."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! He is waiting for a substitute! Namo Amituofo. He is waiting, but I think you should tell him not to. Why? Because if you know, you could grab someone else. I once heard a story about a water ghost who was waiting for a substitute, but when he realized the person had an elderly mother and children at home, he decided not to grab them. Later, he was elevated!"

The City King:

"That is indeed true. But he has not been able to wait for anyone. I don't know why; he has never managed to wait for anyone."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! By your calculation, how many years has it been? You taught for forty-nine years, and after that, you became the City King of the Eighth Hall. How much time has passed?"

The City King:

"I should first explain how I came to be the City King of the Eighth Hall."

Practitioner Su:

"Right, please go ahead."

The City King:

"I just mentioned this student; I would like to ask Practitioner Su for help in a moment."

Practitioner Su:

"No problem. His name is Cai Weiguo."

Practitioner Su:

"Namo Amituofo. I, the Buddha, am compassionate. Let us first relieve his suffering. Please ascend the lotus seat. 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. May warmth return to your body! Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo. Return to your original state, return to the past. Come, do you see your teacher there?"

Cai Weiguo (crying):

"It's so cold! It's so cold!"

The City King:

"Weiguo! Weiguo!"

Practitioner Su:

"Your teacher loves you the most, Cai Weiguo!"

Cai Weiguo (crying):

"It's so cold!"

The City King:

"Weiguo, stop crying. You have finally come up."

Practitioner Su:

"Now, feel the warmth. Namo Amituofo. With the Buddha’s blessings, may your body become warm. May you sweat, may the Buddha’s power bless you. Now, the problem is that your teacher is calling you. You must understand, you must chant 'Namo Amituofo'. Can you chant it?"

Cai Weiguo:

"Namo Amituofo."

Practitioner Su:

"My Buddha is compassionate. I will first relieve your suffering. Please ascend the lotus seat. 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. Be reborn in the Pure Land, be transformed. Please ascend the lotus seat. Skanda Bodhisattva, please protect him. Good, let us bring him up. There, he is no longer cold; he is already on the lotus seat."

The Call to Duty

The City King:

"I mentioned that I first saw Cai Weiguo in a dream. Then, I saw another student."

Practitioner Su:

"There is another student? Did that student also die?"

The City King:

"This student came to lead me."

Practitioner Su:

"Did this student come to take you away?"

The City King:

"He said, 'Teacher, please come with me.'"

Practitioner Su:

"May I ask, how old was this student when he passed away, and what was his name?"

The City King:

"(Writes: Li Zeyuan)"

Practitioner Su:

"Li Zeyuan. How old was he when he passed?"

The City King:

"He passed away at forty-eight."

Practitioner Su:

"He was quite old! How many years did he study with you?"

The City King:

"He started studying with me when he was in his twenties."

Practitioner Su:

"He was forty-eight, so he studied with you for twenty-eight years."

The City King:

"Later on, he was busy, so he didn't come every day."

Practitioner Su:

"So he was an old student. And this student called you out, so you came out, right?"

The City King:

"When he died, in the dream, he said he was a jailer."

Practitioner Su:

"Li Zeyuan is a jailer? He is in the Eighth Hall, then?"

The City King:

"He said he was a jailer."

Practitioner Su:

"So the judge didn't come to call you; he came to call you."

The City King:

"He came to call me: 'Teacher, please come with me.'"

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! Why didn't the judge come to invite you? Why didn't the judge come?"

The City King:

"I don't know. Since he was my student, I just followed him. We walked, walked, and walked to the gate."

Practitioner Su:

"You walked to the gate."

The City King:

"We crossed over, pushed open the door, and only then did I realize this was the Eighth Hall."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! You walked to your own gate and it was the Eighth Hall?"

The City King:

"It wasn't my gate; my student was leading me."

Practitioner Su:

"Right, right. How many steps?"

The City King:

"Li Zeyuan was leading me."

Practitioner Su:

"Right, right. How many steps?"

The City King:

"I didn't count the steps; I only know it was very fast."

Practitioner Su:

"Right, the space is terrifying!"

The City King:

"Very fast! Very fast! Very fast! It was about this much of a turn (three steps)."

Practitioner Su:

"One, two, three—that's it. Three steps."

The City King:

"It was more than three steps."

Practitioner Su:

"Three, four, five."

The City King:

"We arrived."

Practitioner Su:

"Five steps and you arrived at the Eighth Hall?"

The City King:

"Yes. At that moment, the judge came out."

Practitioner Su:

"The judge was already there; the judge was inside."

The City King:

"Yes, the judge was waiting for me. He was waiting for me, looking like this, as if he were welcoming me, and then he did this (bowed)."

Practitioner Su:

"This judge is very refined; he looks very refined. When the judge came, what happened? Please, City King, introduce it to us again."

The City King:

"The judge said: 'Time is extremely urgent! And there is not much time for you to prepare.'"

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! No time to prepare?"

The City King:

"That is what he said to me. I said: 'I don't understand what you mean by not prepared.' He said: 'Because it is needed now, as the Ten Kings of Hell have all sought rebirth in the Western Pure Land.'"

Practitioner Su:

"Yes, the Ten Kings of Hell have all gone to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss."

The City King:

"As we get to the later ones, the Eighth Hall is naturally very tricky. If we leave the Eighth Hall empty, it becomes even trickier! So, they thought that since you are well-read and reasonable, you must be a person of great wisdom."

Practitioner Su:

"He said you are a person of great wisdom!"

The City King:

"So it was reported to the Heavenly Court, and the Jade Emperor’s decree was issued, hoping you would take on this great responsibility."

Practitioner Su:

"The Jade Emperor’s decree ordered you to take the position of City King?"

The City King:

"That was it. I was thinking, I am a scholar. How could I possibly manage the Eighth Hall?"

Practitioner Su:

"You are being modest!"

The City King:

"And at that time, he also took me everywhere to have a look. His meaning was that this hall, and that hall, and that hall—Practitioner Su, every hall is flowing with blood."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh my! The punishments are very miserable; I have seen them."

The City King:

"And very terrifying. Every punishment is very miserable."

Practitioner Su:

"Like the Weighing Hell, the Iron Pellet Hell..."

The City King:

"And the Nail Bed Hell."

Practitioner Su:

"May I ask—I will ask secretly, please don't write this down—many famous people in society today create karma. Is the Iron Pellet Hell truly where they receive punishment in your hall?"

The City King:

"Practitioner Su, of course they must receive punishment. Because they said things that influenced many people and caused social chaos, naturally, they must be poured into the Iron Pellet Hell."

Practitioner Su:

"So many people go to the Iron Pellet Hell?"

The City King:

"But I do not handle cases privately! When I handle cases, there is no private discussion. Wrong is wrong, and there is sin. When I was the City King, there was no private discussion."

Practitioner Su:

"Everything must be fair to be the City King."

The City King:

"Now I can talk to you privately, but when handling cases, I did not talk privately. It is fair!"

Practitioner Su:

"Now I am asking you secretly. Are famous people in society also receiving punishment in hell? We won't say their names."

The City King:

"Yes! This must be made clear!"

Practitioner Su:

"We want to verify it. They must have a heart of repentance to be able to leave, right?"

The City King:

"Yes. As long as they repent, the retribution will not last for a very long time."

Practitioner Su:

"Yes. Even famous people who have created karma must receive retribution."

The City King:

"Yes. And because of this, Practitioner Su, what kind of person is the King of Hell? Every bit must be according to the rules. And I have also heard Practitioner Su’s Dharma talks—they are excellent! And I see that Practitioner Su can truly perform Chao Du (Spiritual Deliverance)."

Practitioner Su:

"This is the Fragrant Light Buddha Land; it is the blessing and power of the Buddha."

The City King:

"It is truly possible to use the power of Namo Amituofo to deliver so many beings!"

Practitioner Su:

"To study the Buddha’s teachings, one must truly practice. Then one can have this power. It is all the blessing of the Great Compassionate Namo Amituofo."

The City King:

"To deliver people—delivering people is nothing! Even spirits are delivered; it is inconceivable. Even those of us with such heavy sins can be delivered!"

Practitioner Su:

"My Buddha is compassionate and delivers immeasurable and boundless suffering beings."

The City King:

"Yes. So the Kings of Hell naturally seek deliverance. I beg Practitioner Su, now the Ten Kings of Hell are also following Practitioner Su to be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss."

Practitioner Su:

"No problem. Now we must assist the Fragrant Light Buddha Land in helping suffering beings be delivered to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss."

The City King:

"What Practitioner Su says is reasonable. Let us first help the Fragrant Light Buddha Land. If you need help, please tell me, Practitioner Su."

Practitioner Su:

"Otherwise, if you do not accumulate merit and virtue, how can you reach the Land of Real Reward?"

The City King:

"Yes. This Land of Real Reward is very important to us!"

Practitioner Su:

"Yes, this must be done by accumulating merit and virtue. Without accumulating merit and virtue, how can there be a Land of Real Reward? Don't you agree?"

The City King:

"Yes. That is very reasonable."

Practitioner Su:

"So we must all work a little harder. If we follow the universal principles, we can 100% reach the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss."

The City King:

"That is reasonable! One must practice the Truth."

Practitioner Su:

"It makes sense. Come, rest, drink some water."

The City King:

"Practitioner Su, the judge also made it clear to me. The judge said, 'You were able to help so many students in the human world!'"

Practitioner Su:

"You were a good teacher!"

The City King:

"Actually, besides teaching students, I really treated them as I just said—I treated them like my own children. So he said that shows you have a heart of benevolence. He also saw that when I handled matters among the students in the private school, I was fair, so he felt I was the most suitable person for this position. Furthermore, because of the jailer, it was hard to refuse, so I had to become the City King of the Eighth Hall. That is how I sat on the throne of the City King!"

Practitioner Su:

"Today we are speaking the Truth. If you do good and accumulate virtue, the Jade Emperor knows! In the universe, if we do good things for society today, there will be a light. This light is... the extent of your light is like how you were able to become the City King of the Eighth Hall—it is because of the size of this light, the level of this degree, that you were able to become the City King. So the Imperial Decree is the will of the Jade Emperor, ordering you to come and serve. You have accumulated virtue; this is not something just anyone can do. This is also true. People say we should do more good things in this world. Look at you, you kept doing it, kept doing it, and you had no children, yet you gave so much for the children. Honestly, you and your wife had more children who were filial to you than if you had given birth to sons and daughters yourself."

The City King:

"Yes, yes! That is truly the case!"

Practitioner Su:

"And where is your wife now?"

The City King:

"My wife was also a woman of the 'three obediences and four virtues.' She was truly my good wife."

Practitioner Su:

"Where has she gone now?"

The City King:

"She is in the human world."

Practitioner Su:

"Then there is nothing to be done about the human world."

The City King:

"In the human world, she is the wife of a wealthy family. Because when I was teaching my students, my wife always helped take care of them in the role of a mother. She also cooked delicious food; my wife made excellent snacks and pastries, and she would always bring them for the students to eat."

Practitioner Su:

"People with love either ascend to heaven or are born into wealthy families. Every bit, the universal principles will not be biased!"

The City King:

"I truly never complained about my wife; she was a virtuous wife!"

Practitioner Su:

"Good. Now we want to talk about how you were able to teach in Nanning, Guangxi. What were you in your past life, to be able to teach in a private school with such love? That is, your past life before Gao Wenchang."

The City King:

"I was actually always in the private school."

Practitioner Su:

"You were in the private school in your past life too?"

The City King:

"I couldn't go inside to study; I was listening from the side. I couldn't go in; I could only listen from the side."

Practitioner Su:

"Was your family very poor, with no money to enter the private school?"

The City King:

"My family had no money, so I could only stay on the side."

Practitioner Su:

"In your life before Gao Wenchang, what was your family's profession? What about you yourself?"

The City King:

"We were vegetable farmers."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! Vegetable farming is very good!"

The City King:

"We sold vegetables at the market."

Practitioner Su:

"So you liked to read, but because you had no money to enter the private school, you just listened to the lectures from outside the door, right?"

The City King:

"I would hide in the cracks of the door and eavesdrop."

Practitioner Su:

"Eavesdropping through the cracks of the door! You had great diligence. Your achievement today is not accidental."

The City King:

"You know, but there were young masters inside—the wealthy sons of rich families. They were quite overbearing!"

Practitioner Su:

"I know. Wealthy disciples look down on the poor. Was the teacher good to you?"

The City King:

"The teacher was actually very kind, but the young masters would reject people. 'Poor kid,' they would call me. 'Poor kid, stay away, get lost!'"

Practitioner Su:

"Then how did you do good things and eventually become a teacher?"

The City King:

"Because I was, as I said, a vegetable farmer. The teacher of the private school was also very kind to me. I would actually use a stone to write on the ground. When the teacher wrote, I would write on the ground. I would write and see, and sometimes I would use bamboo or a tree branch to write characters on the ground."

Practitioner Su:

"No paper? You could just write on the ground?"

The City King:

"I learned the characters. Every time the teacher finished school, I would smile at him. He would ask me: 'Did you learn well today?' I didn't dare to speak, so I just nodded."

Practitioner Su:

"Wow! The teacher was so compassionate!"

The City King:

"Later, the teacher saw that I was very diligent every day. He asked for my name and gave me some paper, seeing that I was so diligent. As the days passed, I slowly grew up. I actually treated the teacher as my own father. The teacher was also very fond of me. Later, I went to the teacher’s home, and the teacher actually adopted me as his foster son."

Practitioner Su:

"Why is she (Practitioner Xiuli) coughing so much? City King, why is Practitioner Xiuli coughing? How did this come about? Tell us."

The City King:

"Hahaha! Actually, she has some connection to me."

Practitioner Su:

"She has a connection too?"

The City King:

"She was a wealthy young master in the past, and she often called me: 'Poor kid, get lost!'"

Practitioner Su:

"Oh my! She was also a young master, and she even drove you away and scolded you as a 'poor kid'?"

The City King (nods):

Practitioner Xiuli:

"I'm sorry. I was ignorant in the past. I repent!"

Practitioner Su:

"Arrogance, looking down on people—oh my! This sin, sin, sin. Why is her throat coughing? What does it mean? It means she shouted at you: 'Get lost, poor kid, go!' Is that it? Namo Amituofo. Later, you became the teacher’s foster son, right?"

The City King:

"I became his foster son, and the teacher also gave me money to go to the capital for the examinations."

Practitioner Su:

"The teacher had vision!"

The City King:

"I went to the capital for the examinations, and the teacher taught me many principles of being a human being. This teacher was a good teacher! He knew I was honest and sincere, so he took care of me like a son, because I had lost my father early in life and only had my mother."

Practitioner Su:

"You were an only child, right?"

The City King:

"Only my mother. After my father gave birth to me, he encountered misfortune."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! You lost your father early in life."

The City King:

"My mother raised me, so we were vegetable farmers. My mother only knew how to grow vegetables, so later I often took vegetables to the teacher. Whenever I grew vegetables, I would give them to the teacher for his household. Later, I went to the capital for the examinations, and I became a civil official."

Practitioner Su:

"Wow! You truly held your head high! You truly stood out from the crowd."

The City King:

"At that time, I knew that reading was not easy. I later became what was called a Hanlin Scholar."

Practitioner Su:

"Incredible! You were always diligent!"

The City King:

"I suggested to my Emperor that we should set up more places for private study. If every town could have some public places for reading, more people could learn to write characters and recognize characters."

Practitioner Su:

"Wow! You practiced what you preached. To allow the whole world to recognize characters—that is boundless merit!"

The City King:

"And to be able to learn and read—this can help open their wisdom. If they can also know the Four Books, and the principles of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame..."

Practitioner Su:

"Cultivating culture and the norms of conduct—these are the principles of being a human being. Wow! You achieved all of that!"

The City King:

"Yes, the principles of being a human being and doing things. So this was adopted. After I submitted the suggestion, it was adopted by the Emperor, and it started from my own hometown. The people of my hometown, the brothers and elders of my hometown, were very grateful, because the Emperor and various places also did it. It was because of this—I didn't know I could do so well."

Practitioner Su:

"Teaching, educating the younger generation to fulfill their duties and maintain their integrity—incredible!"

The City King:

"I only knew it was a good suggestion. And in this suggestion, when I was suggesting it to the Emperor, I actually told my story to the Emperor I respected most. Why I had this—because what I revealed, whether it was my conduct or my sincerity, the Emperor could understand. And I was someone who did not... in the officialdom, I was neutral. I didn't lean left or right. I was neutral, but I never criticized anyone."

Practitioner Su:

"The way of teaching is sincerity! You achieved the Middle Way, not clinging to either side!"

The City King:

"I only focused on the matter, not the person."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! Treating people and handling affairs with sincerity is the way to happiness."

The City King:

"When I encountered things, I only spoke of the principles of the matter. If the principle was correct, I would do it, without criticizing anyone for what they did. Even if they didn't do well, I wouldn't speak of it. I only spoke of how to do the thing to make it complete; how to do it, and whether the subsequent impact would be good or bad. I only analyzed the matter. So the Emperor trusted me greatly. When I proposed these things, the Emperor was very willing to do them. That is how I did it."

Practitioner Su:

"After you accumulated merit, you were able to become a teacher and a King of Hell today. This is also the result of accumulating virtue over several lifetimes. People say it is 'cultivated over several lifetimes'."

The City King:

"I thank my teacher, my foster father."

Practitioner Su:

"You repaid your foster father, right?"

The City King:

"Of course I repaid my foster father. In the end, my foster father lived with me."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! Did he have no wife or children?"

The City King:

"He had a wife and children, but because his sons had all started their own families, and his daughter-in-law was not very filial..."

Practitioner Su:

"Not knowing how to be filial to parents is to be a person without blessings."

The City King:

"So I took care of him."

Practitioner Su:

"Wow! You are truly good! You earned it."

The City King:

"I had lost my father since I was young, and I always kept the teacher’s kindness in my heart. I always remembered it, so I treated him well every day. He was also happy to share with me, and the teacher also wrote excellent calligraphy."

Practitioner Su:

"Good calligraphy—brush calligraphy. You could learn a lot from him."

The City King:

"The teacher wrote good books."

Practitioner Su:

"You know quality. The older an old person gets, the more valuable they are. Their experience is richer. Whatever you ask them, they will give you the best experience! This is also your blessing, and you were able to repay his kindness. Good, now we know. So after you taught, you became the City King. You passed away at sixty-eight. Now, let us look back. How many lifetimes back did you go to hell?"

The City King:

"I went to hell in my ninth lifetime."

Practitioner Su:

"What were the circumstances of your going to hell in your ninth lifetime?"

The City King:

"In my ninth lifetime, people called me Hua Tuo."

Practitioner Su:

"Hua Tuo, the traditional Chinese medicine doctor?"

The City King:

"Everyone said so. 'Hua Tuo of the present day'—it meant my medical skills were excellent."

Practitioner Su:

"Could you cure any difficult or complicated illness?"

The City King:

"My medical skills, my experience in pulse-taking, and my technique for treating illnesses were excellent."

Practitioner Su:

"Was your pulse-taking first-class?"

The City King:

"So the plaque they gave me said 'Hua Tuo of the present day'."

Practitioner Su:

"People gave you the title 'Hua Tuo of the present day'."

The City King:

"'Hua Tuo of the present day', yes. Practitioner Su, you are well-read! 'Hua Tuo of the present day'—I have seen it."

Practitioner Su:

"Being able to treat illnesses, people were grateful to you, so they gave you a plaque."

The City King:

"Yes, they gave me many plaques saying I was Hua Tuo of the present day."

Practitioner Su:

"How many years did you practice as Hua Tuo in your ninth lifetime?"

The City King:

"Looking back now, I grew up in a pile of medicinal herbs since I was a child."

Practitioner Su:

"Was your father a traditional Chinese medicine doctor?"

The City King:

"My father was a medicinal herb merchant. A medicinal herb merchant must bundle the herbs, then wrap them with paper."

Practitioner Su:

"Yes, I have seen traditional Chinese medicine shops where the herbs are bundled in bundles."

The City King:

"Bundle them, write whose it is, pack them up, and bundle them again. These herbs must be smelled first."

Practitioner Su:

"You even have to smell them?"

The City King:

"And you have to see how dry or wet the herbs are. Some herbs need to be sun-dried, some don't necessarily need to be dried so much. So he had categories, so he would organize them well..."

Practitioner Su:

"You were very clever; you had this interest in the pile of medicinal herbs since you were a child."

The City King:

"Because of that environment, that environment made me accustomed to these smells. 'Oh, this is licorice.' I would taste it, chew it, and I could even suck on it. I would chew until there was no juice left, then suck on it again, and then spit it out. This licorice is not bad; my mouth was still dry, and it had a sweet feeling. 'Oh, what is this?' It was different. I would taste it. 'Why is this so bitter?' I would try everything. My father let me do it; he didn't specifically teach me. But one day..."

Practitioner Su:

"How old were you?"

The City King:

"I was about twelve years old."

Practitioner Su:

"Could you already diagnose illnesses?"

The City King:

"No. My father said: 'Son, my son! Come with father! I need to deliver these medicinal herbs to a certain traditional Chinese medicine shop.' We were wholesalers."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! You even had wholesale for traditional Chinese medicine!"

The City King:

"I suppose we weren't wholesalers; we were medicinal herb merchants, so we provided for them. We were medicinal herb material sun-dryers and organizers. We were probably 'rough embryos'—in the local dialect, we were 'rough embryos'—we processed them well and then took them there. My father told me to go with him to a traditional Chinese medicine shop in the city."

Practitioner Su:

"Wow! Your father was teaching you how to recognize them; you were his successor!"

The City King:

"I rarely went to the city. I didn't go often. Once I entered the city, I felt it was quite fresh. The city was a bit different from our countryside. I even saw a little girl about my age with two braids. Not bad."

Practitioner Su:

"Did you greet her?"

The City King:

"I stole two glances, didn't tell my father, and then I moved forward to follow my father, helping to push, because it was too heavy."

Practitioner Su:

"Didn't you have little girls in the countryside?"

The City King:

"My father was pulling, pushing, pushing. We arrived at 'Huichuntang' (Writes: Huichuntang). He told me to go. I was also quite clever. I looked—why was this shop's business so good? There was another door, and he said: 'Zhang Sanguo, next one prepare... Huierleng prepare.' Strange! Calling names."

Practitioner Su:

"Calling names?"

The City King:

"I thought, you have to call names to buy medicine? And there was such a long line, about ten or so people, about fourteen or fifteen people were waiting." My father said: 'Children shouldn't meddle in affairs.' I said: 'Dad, I can't! You finally brought me to the city. If I don't learn something, wouldn't this trip be in vain? Let me go and take a look, okay?' Dad said: 'Okay, go quickly and come back quickly! I still need someone to help me. This uncle is helping me; I can't let him keep helping us. We have to contribute some effort ourselves.' I said: 'Okay!' As a result, I said: 'I will try to be quick.' I went to peek. There was a cloth, I entered this door, there was a cloth. While he wasn't paying attention, I lifted it, slipped my body in, and stood on the side to watch. Oh, there was a doctor taking a pulse."

Practitioner Su:

"Taking a pulse. It was a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. You sold the medicinal herbs to him as the medicine guide."

The City King:

"Hmm, that doctor told him to open his mouth and stick his tongue out a bit."

Practitioner Su:

"To see if your bowels are clear. The first thing a traditional Chinese medicine doctor does is look at your tongue."

The City King:

"Oh! (Makes a gesture of sticking out the tongue) Then he wrote, wrote, wrote."

Practitioner Su:

"Using a brush to write. He should be using something to treat his illness, using some medicinal herbs to treat his illness."

The City King:

"Then he handed it to another person and said: 'Go down and get the medicine.' And he said to this one: 'Next one.' That business was very good! I was curious. I didn't forget what Dad told me. I had to go back to Dad's side: 'Dad, look at the rough work we do...' Because the uncle gave my dad money, and I saw the one who just looked at the medicine, the one who had his pulse taken, he took out money at the counter, took the medicinal herbs, and it seemed that the medicinal herbs he picked out, the money he paid, was the total of all our medicinal herbs. I looked at it—this is just a few doses of medicine, this package of medicinal herbs, a few packages, looking at it, it was only three packages of medicine. And we had so much... how can this be!"

Practitioner Su:

"Oh my! Your father gave birth to a clever son."

The City King:

"I said to Dad: 'Dad, do you know the one inside? The one who specializes in this (taking pulses).' Dad said: 'That is called a doctor.'"

Practitioner Su:

"You want to learn traditional Chinese medicine from him. You have wisdom!"

The City King:

"I said: 'Dad, he said we have been sending medicinal herbs to him for years. Dad, you are familiar with him. Dad, can I learn from him?' Later, Dad thought, 'Oh my! This... he said: 'You little brat, you're really clever!'"

Practitioner Su:

"Hahahaha!"

The City King:

"'Okay! Then Dad will wait for him to rest tonight, and Dad will invite him to eat.' That night, Dad took him to eat. My dad is very stingy, but for my sake, he ordered wine, side dishes, and there were side dishes and wine! And there were steamed buns, and I cared most about those meat buns!"

Practitioner Su:

"Does the doctor have time to eat with you?"

The City King:

"Dad said to go to the restaurant, so we went to the restaurant!"

Practitioner Su:

"Wow! You invited this doctor; you have hope now."

The City King:

"The doctor only went when he had time. We waited there, waited until he finished seeing patients, and then we went."

Practitioner Su:

"You really want to learn!"

The City King:

"Of course I waited until he finished seeing patients. After he finished, the doctor also needed to eat, right? My dad said: 'Oh my! I have come many times, and I have seen you busy. I have never had time to see you. Today, I happened to be busy until now, and you also happen to have time now. Let me invite you to a meal! My son also arrived, so I brought him along to deliver these medicinal herbs today.' Then he brought me along."

"After bringing me, the three of us ate there. I obediently sat next to my dad, and I kept stealing glances at this doctor. When I looked at him, he looked at me, and I felt embarrassed, so I gave this doctor a very obedient look. My dad said: 'Oh my! We are actually quite hard-working, and my son, I have been thinking, since he is in the medicinal herb business, he should understand some pharmacology and medicine. I wonder if you are missing a helper here?' My father said it like that. I pulled my father (whispering): 'No, no! I don't want to be a helper, Dad, I don't want to be a helper.' Dad said: 'Don't make noise, don't make noise. Children should speak less when adults are talking.'"

"Then the doctor drank a few sips of wine, ate some dishes, and my dad started to toast him again. After eating, the doctor seemed not full, and my dad said: 'Then do you want it? Are you missing someone? Someone to sweep the toilet?'"

Practitioner Su:

"Hahahaha!"

The City King:

"'No, no.' The doctor said: 'No! I see your son also stole glances at me several times. I see he has a clever look. I am missing someone by my side.'"

Practitioner Su:

"Wow! You have great blessings! He took a fancy to you at a glance."

The City King:

"He said he was missing an assistant by his side. What is called 'by his side' is the assistant by his side. Sometimes he would serve tea and water, sometimes he would write the prescription, and I could handle it directly, so he wouldn't have to bother. That was it. My dad is clever, right? My dad is clever, right? So that meal was not eaten in vain!"

Practitioner Su:

"Yes! Dreams come true!"

The City King:

"My dad said again: 'Then when should he start?' I, of course, pulled my dad again: 'Of course today, of course today! Will it be too long?' The doctor was also straightforward: 'Since you have come such a long way, let him stay and start today!' My dad was humble again: 'But I didn't bring any clothes for him, and I didn't bring any travel expenses for him.' The doctor was quite good and said: 'It doesn't matter, I will handle it. When you come next time, you can bring his clothes together.' Just like that, I became his..."

Practitioner Su:

"A good assistant for traditional Chinese medicine."

The City King:

"Calling it an assistant, actually this doctor had a conscience. He really wanted to teach students."

Practitioner Su:

"He taught you. He taught you."

The City King:

"Yes, he even taught me how to look at people's eyes, the eyeballs, the white of the eyes, how to look; he taught me how to look at people's tongues, the root of the tongue; he taught me how to look at people's hands. Pulse-taking was all taught by him."

Practitioner Su:

"Yes, this is a very important point; he taught you everything!"

The City King:

"And what medicine, he told me to memorize, memorize! Memorize it. Then he would ask me every period of time, 'How is this?' Of course, for the sake of money, for the sake of money, I naturally knew I had to be serious. At midnight, when others were sleeping, I didn't dare to sleep. I still had to memorize what he taught me today!"

Practitioner Su:

"Oh my! Your seriousness can make you the best traditional Chinese medicine doctor."

The City King:

"I was very diligent every day. And I was very quick. Before he saw patients, I would tidy up his desk until it was clean."

Practitioner Su:

"Your wisdom, sincerity, and diligence are the basics. You achieved them all. Wow, good!"

The City King:

"I would prepare the tea and water he needed, the temperature was just right; I would also prepare his small hand-wiping towel; the cushion on his hand, I would also prepare it all."

Practitioner Su:

"I say, to learn things, one must have your spirit; one will definitely succeed."

The City King:

"I would prepare everything. Every day I made him very satisfied."

Practitioner Su:

"So you can draw inferences from one instance; this is the most basic condition for learning traditional Chinese medicine."

The City King:

"That was it. Actually, I was always very good to him every day."

Practitioner Su:

"How many years did it take you to learn traditional Chinese medicine?"

The City King:

"Learning this, it is impossible to learn it in a very short time, because one must have experience."

Practitioner Su:

"Yes, human life is at stake. Experience must be rich; there cannot be the slightest mistake!"

The City King:

"This medicine is not a joke. If you take the wrong medicine, if it is ordinary, it is fine. If you take the wrong medicine guide, sometimes it will make the illness worse."

Practitioner Su:

"Right. How many years of experience did you have with him to be able to prescribe accurate medicine?"

The City King:

"I followed him for a total of... I followed him since I was twelve, I followed him for twelve years."

Practitioner Su:

"Twelve years, that means you learned to be accurate when you were twenty-four, right?"

The City King:

"Yes, after twelve years with him, I still continued to follow him. After twelve years, why do I say twelve years? He started letting me try to take people's pulses."

Practitioner Su:

"Pulse-taking is the most important thing in traditional Chinese medicine."

The City King:

"Between twelve and fifteen years, he was training me to try, teaching me to take pulses, letting me try to take pulses. The pulses I took, he would take again. Can Practitioner Su understand?"

Practitioner Su:

"Yes. He wanted you to take the pulse, state the cause of the illness, and then he would take the pulse to verify it."

The City King:

"Before he took the pulse, I took the pulse first."

Practitioner Su:

"Right. Looking at your pulse-taking, he knew whether you were accurate or not."

The City King:

"After I finished, he would take the pulse last. For three years, he was training my pulse-taking. After fifteen years, he started teaching me how to prescribe medicine. The amount of medicine, one qian, two qian—he started teaching me."

Practitioner Su:

"Wow! Learning traditional Chinese medicine is not simple!"

The City King:

"Then he taught me how to prescribe medicine. Actually, he was teaching me all along, but he only really let me pick up the pen for patients with lighter illnesses, or for those nourishing their health. He would let me try first. So that was it. Actually, during those fifteen years, I was also very grateful to him."

Practitioner Su:

"You must be grateful. Knowing kindness and repaying kindness is the true nature of being a human being."

The City King:

"I am grateful for his teaching. He probably saw that my aptitude was not bad. I also took very good care of him. This is human nature, isn't it? So he was very good to me. But at this time, I was getting older. Twelve years old, fifteen years of learning—that made me twenty-seven."

Practitioner Su:

"Almost thirty."

The City King:

"Twelve years with him, and those three years, wasn't he training me to take pulses? Fifteen years. Twelve plus fifteen is twenty-seven. Twenty-seven, plus two more years—he wasn't always strongly letting me prescribe the medicine!"

Practitioner Su:

"You didn't take a wife or have children either."

The City King:

"I wouldn't take a wife until I achieved something!"

Practitioner Su:

"Oh my! Praise! Go on."

The City King:

"So, next, I was thirty, and he had already recognized me."

Practitioner Su:

"You were the best successor!"

The City King:

"So I stayed there for a total of seventeen years. During those seventeen years, I was very good to him, and he was very good to me. Later, he also got old, and he handed the shop over to me."

Practitioner Su:

"He handed the shop over to you?"

The City King:

"He didn't hand it over to his children; he handed it over to me. Basically, the money I earned, I still gave to him."

Practitioner Su:

"Right. Knowing kindness and repaying kindness, you will have great achievements."

The City King:

"I always gave it to him. Whatever he gave me, I took. This time lasted for about two or three years."

Practitioner Su:

"You are a very upright person."

The City King:

"He didn't take it from me anymore. So I started on my own at thirty-three, because he had always let me have the shop, but I still gave him money. That was it. Then why did I go to hell? When I started what sounds good as 'practicing medicine to save the world', I started making money."

Practitioner Su:

"Yes, you were already a licensed traditional Chinese medicine doctor."

The City King:

"Actually, I wasn't just saving the world; I started making money. I knew this line was profitable since I was a child, so I started making money. Everyone who came had an illness."

Practitioner Su:

"You talk like that—you were already possessed by a demon, your heart was corrupted."

The City King:

"Practitioner Su, do you understand? Everyone who came had an illness."

Practitioner Su:

"Wow! How could you have such an improper heart? There will be retribution."

The City King:

"Because I wanted to make money!"

Practitioner Su:

"You don't know the laws of karma! What cause, what fruit—the net of heaven is vast, but nothing escapes!"

The City King:

"My business was very good! Later, my business got better and better. My master, the one who taught me this..."

Practitioner Su:

"He also knew you were wrong, right?"

The City King:

"He felt I was a bit strange, felt I was a bit weird."

Practitioner Su:

"Didn't he tell you? Tell you that this is wrong."

The City King:

"He didn't tell me, but I found that he was observing me."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! He knew you were already improper."

The City King:

"I found that he was coming to the shop more and more frequently. I felt he was suspicious of me, so I harmed him."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! What did you use to harm him?"

The City King:

"What did I use to harm him? I used tonic medicine to give to him."

Practitioner Su:

"You gave him tonic medicine. He is a traditional Chinese medicine doctor; wouldn't he know?"

The City King:

"I was very good to him, so naturally..."

Practitioner Su:

"He is a doctor; he knows some tonic medicine cannot be eaten!"

The City King:

"Tonic medicine—I used very ordinary tonic medicine, ordinary tonic medicine."

Practitioner Su:

"How can ordinary tonic medicine kill someone?"

The City King:

"The ordinary tonic medicine he ate, he felt more energetic. At first, when he had no defense against me, I started using tonic medicine for him, so he got used to eating this thing and having energy, having energy, having energy."

Practitioner Su:

"He is a doctor himself; how could he be so careless!"

The City King:

"Yes, he didn't suspect me either. That was it. Later, he ate these, his body got better and better, and the better he got, naturally he had to have some release, have some release, have some release."

Practitioner Su:

"You mean you let him find women, right?"

The City King:

"I also followed his wishes."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh my! You are very poisonous!"

The City King:

"I didn't feel it was poisonous at the time!"

Practitioner Su:

"Were you possessed by a ghost at that time, your heart was improper, and you entered the Demon Realm?"

The City King:

"Looking back now, sigh!"

Practitioner Su:

"He originally didn't take a wife, but you turned him into someone who wanted women, right? This is truly very poisonous."

The City King:

"He actually had a wife and children."

Practitioner Su:

"He had a wife and children."

The City King:

"Sigh! Anyway, later I harmed him. The bad things I did myself, I have..."

Practitioner Su:

"Retribution. There must be retribution. Being ungrateful and forgetting kindness—you must go to hell!"

The City King:

"Ungrateful and forgetting kindness—I am ungrateful and forgetting kindness. And I myself used medicine for the sake of making money, using medicine to harm people. Some medicine made their illness worse instead. At first, my medical skills were not bad, I could still treat people, because I had to maintain this. Later, the more I earned, the more I would add some things to make them want to eat it again."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh my! You are like Brother Lai in your past life, selling poisonous medicine, just like morphine, just like heroin. Oh my!"

The City King:

"In the past, they didn't call it heroin; they called it poppy."

Practitioner Su:

"It is morphine! Eating it will cause an outbreak, will cause bankruptcy!"

The City King:

"At that time it was called poppy."

Practitioner Su:

"Wow! You were a doctor—that is truly terrifying!"

The City King:

"So my end was very bad."

Practitioner Su:

"You died alone later, and you didn't take a wife, right?"

The City King:

"Right, I didn't take a wife."

Practitioner Su:

"Then did you come to take revenge? Looking back, did you come to take revenge on this doctor? Is that it? How did he harm you in your past life?"

The City King:

"I should be taking revenge. In my past life, my family was destroyed because of him."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! Your family was destroyed because of him. How was your family destroyed? Did he occupy your wife?"

The City King:

"Forced my wife to take medicine, forced my wife, forced."

Practitioner Su:

"Told your wife to submit to him, right?"

The City King:

"Forced medicine, forced."

Practitioner Su:

"This is your ninth lifetime. How many lifetimes back was it when you came to take revenge?"

The City King:

"It was just the previous lifetime."

Practitioner Su:

"Tenth lifetime. How could you come to take revenge so quickly? Didn't he go to hell? He harmed your wife; he should have gone to hell!"

The City King:

"He forced my wife to take medicine, forced my wife, forced."

Practitioner Su:

"No, the problem is that you are in the ninth lifetime, he is in the tenth lifetime. He should have gone to hell!"

The City King:

"Soul-stealing medicine, soul-stealing medicine, soul-stealing medicine—do you know it?"

Practitioner Su:

"I know, eating it will make you faint. No, the problem now is that you are in the ninth lifetime, he is in the tenth lifetime. Didn't he go to hell?"

The City King:

"He forced soul-stealing medicine, did all sorts of evil to my wife, did all sorts of evil to my wife. When I knew, I was furious, and that was it. After being furious, I also went to settle the score with him."

Practitioner Su:

"Settle the score, how did you settle it?"

The City King:

"Of course, we fought fiercely."

Practitioner Su:

"You beat him to death."

The City King:

"(Nods)"

Practitioner Su:

"Beat him to death, and you still have hatred. You should have gone to hell! There is no reason to be reincarnated so early."

The City King:

"I don't know. I only know I went to the King of Hell’s Hall, and I also told the King of Hell that I was not reconciled. I went to the King of Hell’s Hall to appeal that I was not reconciled."

Practitioner Su:

"So you gave birth to this child?"

The City King:

"I gave birth to this child."

Practitioner Su:

"You didn't go to receive retribution first?"

The City King:

"No impression."

Practitioner Su:

"This man also came to be reincarnated, but he is older than you!"

The City King:

"I don't know why. I only know I was not reconciled. I know that, here, the complexity..."

Practitioner Su:

"This is complex, very complex. It is very fast! How could you come down in the ninth lifetime, the tenth lifetime—he should have retribution!"

The City King:

"He has retribution, that's right. The retribution he received, I see now it is quite..."

Practitioner Su:

"Hell!"

The City King:

"Of course. I don't know why his retribution can..."

Practitioner Su:

"Can pause."

The City King:

"Can be paused. I don't know why?"

Practitioner Su:

"Retribution paused. You are now..."

The City King:

"What is called, when he was judging the case, it should have been in the Fifth Hall. We were in the same prison. We were in the same prison. Because we fought fiercely, we died at the same time, died at the same time."

Practitioner Su:

"Right. You died at the same time. Now I have a puzzle, which is that in the tenth lifetime he should go to receive retribution, how could you know him in the ninth lifetime?"

The City King:

"When we died at the same time, I was in the Fifth Hall."

Practitioner Su:

"Did he reincarnate immediately?"

The City King:

"I went to appeal, I went to the Fifth Hall to appeal, to appeal to the King of Hell."

Practitioner Su:

"Where did he go? Did he reincarnate?"

The City King:

"When I was appealing, I don't know why I told the King of Hell: 'I am not reconciled. Although I am dead, he is also dead, but what I want to say is he occupied my wife first, forced my wife to take medicine, occupied my wife. Is this for me to receive retribution, and for him to receive retribution too!' At this time, the King of Hell also summoned his spirit, his departed soul."

Practitioner Su:

"Is his departed soul him? Is this doctor him?"

The City King:

"It is the doctor. We were both there, there to reason it out, the King of Hell of the Fifth Hall to reason it out."

Practitioner Su:

"And the result?"

The City King:

"We said one sentence, I said one sentence, it seemed like it never stopped, never stopped. Later, the King of Hell said to that one: 'You two want to end it like this.' Because this involves, involves the previous, in front of this lifetime, several lifetimes have relationships, and we are even more entangled."

Practitioner Su:

"Entangled and unclear, right? Several lifetimes are all entangled and unclear."

The City King:

"Entangled and unclear, not yet clear. At that time, it was not clear. I also said, then the King of Hell said: 'Okay! Then you go reincarnate and talk about it!'"

Practitioner Su:

"Reincarnate. Then he reincarnated earlier than you, otherwise his age would be older than yours."

The City King:

"He reincarnated earlier than me. At that time, he reincarnated, but I didn't reincarnate immediately."

Practitioner Su:

"Were you in the ghost realm?"

The City King:

"My soul, what is called my spirit, this departed soul—he went to reincarnate, I returned to the government, returned to my wife who took care of me after I died, and my child."

Practitioner Su:

"Is your child in the ghost realm or the human world?"

The City King:

"I have been in the ghost realm taking care of my wife."

Practitioner Su:

"Your child is also in the ghost realm, right?"

The City King:

"I have been taking care of him. My child is in the human world."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! I see. So you couldn't let go of your wife in the ghost realm, and your child in the human world, so you ran back and forth, right?"

The City King:

"I have been taking care of him. Ghost realm wife, human world child."

Practitioner Su:

"So he reincarnated earlier than you, right?"

The City King:

"Yes, so this causal condition is very complex."

Practitioner Su:

"How old were you when you knew him?"

The City King:

"This doctor, when I knew the doctor, he was already thirty-four."

Practitioner Su:

"Thirty-four. You were twelve at that time. He came out twenty-two years later."

The City King:

"That is about the time. So the King of Hell said, then you go and reincarnate the things of this lifetime, since it is not clear, do you want to go and truly resolve it, or how to conclude it?"

Practitioner Su:

"So he told you to go and reincarnate. As a result, you harmed him again. There is cause and effect, right? Wow! This is very complex! Good, where is your teacher now?"

The City King:

"You are talking about this doctor."

Practitioner Su:

"Yes, this traditional Chinese medicine doctor. What is his name?"

The City King:

"(Writes: Pang Jiqing) Pang Jiqing."

Practitioner Su:

"Pang Jiqing. Where is he now? Where is he now?"

The City King:

"He is in the ghost realm, also practicing traditional Chinese medicine."

Practitioner Su:

"Practicing traditional Chinese medicine. He learned this medical skill—it is not simple. How could he be so good at medical skills in his past life?"

The City King:

"Tasting a hundred herbs, treating the plague. Let him get his wish, save the whole plague. I accompanied him to find medicine, looking for medicinal herbs in the mountains. When he was looking for medicinal herbs, I was by his side. The thought I had when I tasted a hundred herbs was: even if I die myself, it doesn't matter. But since the King of Hell of the Fifth Hall said so at that time, I should also resolve it with him, resolve it, resolve it!"

Practitioner Su:

"Enemies should be resolved, not knotted, otherwise you will be entangled for lifetimes."

The City King:

"Since the King of Hell of the Fifth Hall wanted us to resolve it ourselves, I think I should also resolve it with him, and I should no longer blame him, because I also harmed him very miserably."

Practitioner Su:

"Yes, look at you now, you have become the City King of the Eighth Hall!"

The City King:

"It is also gratitude. One thought of kindness saved me!"

Practitioner Su:

"One thought of kindness is inconceivable. Let's call that traditional Chinese medicine doctor over in a moment!"

The City King:

"Good, good!"

Practitioner Su:

"City King, how many hells did you go to?"

The City King:

"I later went to the so-called Nail Board Hell."

Practitioner Su:

"Nail Board Hell. Next, what other hell?"

The City King:

"I went to the Nail Board Hell, and then I went to the so-called Heart-Gouging Hell."

Practitioner Su:

"Heart-Gouging Hell."

The City King:

"Because my heart was really not good."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! Two hells. Did you go to the animal realm after coming up?"

The City King:

"I actually still had hatred at that time, so I went to the snake realm."

Practitioner Su:

"Was it a good snake or a poisonous snake?"

The City King:

"I was a poisonous snake. Why? Because my hatred was very strong, so I was the most poisonous snake."

Practitioner Su:

"Your hatred is very heavy, so you were the most poisonous snake!"

The City King:

"Yes! You cannot have hatred. Having hatred harms yourself!"

Practitioner Su:

"This, this is very terrifying. Your hatred as a child was very heavy, naturally you went astray. This is very terrifying. How can the Alaya be so terrifying!"

The City King:

"Yes, Practitioner Su, with this causal condition today, Practitioner Su must let everyone know about this entanglement of the Alaya consciousness. Good and evil are mixed, and one cannot be the master!"

Practitioner Su:

"The terrifying Alaya, sigh!"

The City King:

"Entanglement! It cannot be removed."

Practitioner Su:

"Not being able to control oneself is like having an attraction; one must go to take revenge. How many lifetimes were you a snake?"

The City King:

"I also forgot how many years I was a snake. In my first lifetime, I had my head chopped off."

Practitioner Su:

"The snake had its head chopped off, so you reincarnated as a human?"

The City King:

"The first time I was a snake, my head was chopped off. It was chopped off with an axe."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh my! What about the second lifetime?"

The City King:

"Chopping my head was a woodcutter chopping trees."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh my! Where is that person?"

The City King:

"He is also in the ghost realm."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh my! Why did he chop your head? Was there hatred?"

The City King:

"He was frightened and beat me to death."

Practitioner Su:

"Now it is like this. You want to deliver someone now, City King, hurry up and say it."

Practitioner Su:

"The doctor in the ninth lifetime didn't write his name. What is the doctor's name? Come."

The City King:

"(Writes: Yang Yilin)"

Practitioner Su:

"Now who do you want to deliver? Write it down."

The City King:

"Did you write my student?"

Practitioner Su:

"Cai Weiguo was already invited out just now."

The City King:

"Then my jailer, named Li Zeyuan."

Practitioner Su:

"Let's call him in a moment, Li Zeyuan. Next?"

The City King:

"Can I write my teacher?"

Practitioner Su:

"Yes, the teacher is the teacher! The teacher who cultivated him, Gao Wenchang’s teacher. Gao Wenchang’s teacher, the one who taught, write here."

The City King:

"(Writes: Wu Renxu)"

Practitioner Su:

"Wu Renxu, good. Where is he? Ghost realm? Where is the teacher?"

The City King:

"Ghost realm, he is in the ghost realm. He is in space, he is still teaching."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! Teaching in space."

The City King:

"He is attached to the sense of achievement of teaching as a teacher, the sense of achievement of teaching, he is teaching."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! Teaching in space. Who else needs to be saved? Now your student who is a jailer, next, the teacher. Who else needs to be saved?"

The City King:

"My father, my father who was a doctor."

Practitioner Su:

"Father needs to be saved, but this teacher also needs to be saved."

The City King:

"My teacher just..."

Practitioner Su:

"That is, the doctor I mentioned needs to be saved. What is the doctor's name? Come."

The City King:

"Written, already written. Written, already written. Then my father, my father."

Practitioner Su:

"Father, his father."

The City King:

"My father, I was called Yang Yilin at that time, my father was called Yang Ziyuan (Writes: Yang Ziyuan)."

Practitioner Su:

"Is he also in the ghost realm?"

The City King:

"He is also in the ghost realm."

Practitioner Su:

"Yes, in which realm?"

The City King:

"He is also in the ghost realm."

Practitioner Su:

"Yes, good. That is it. Anyone else?"

The City King:

"Mother, in this lifetime of Yang Yilin."

Practitioner Su:

"Yang Yilin’s mother, then this (Yang Ziyuan) is the father. Both are in the ghost realm."

The City King:

"(Writes: Yang Shi Wangmei)"

Practitioner Su:

"This is my mother, she is always burning fire to cook..."

Practitioner Su:

"Still cooking in space, right?"

The City King:

"Cooking herbal soup."

Practitioner Su:

"Oh! In space! It is easy to call those in space."

The City King:

"Cooking herbs."

Practitioner Su:

"Call the father first. Come, let us call Yang Yilin’s father, called Yang Ziyuan. Yang Ziyuan, Yang Ziyuan, your son Yang Yilin is calling you, Yang Ziyuan. Arrived, Yang Ziyuan, your son Yang Yilin is over there. My Buddha is compassionate, 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. Come, please ascend the lotus seat. Look, do you see? Do you hear the chanting of Namo Amituofo?"

Yang Ziyuan:

"Yes, I hear it often."

Practitioner Su:

"Now your son is incredible, he has become the City King of the Eighth Hall."

Yang Ziyuan:

"I have never met him."

The City King:

"Dad, Dad."

Yang Ziyuan:

"Yes! Little brat!"

The City King:

"Dad!"

Yang Ziyuan:

"Made money, dressed so well!"

Practitioner Su:

"Now it is like this. Because of time, I will give you 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. First ascend the lotus seat and listen to the sutras. On Sunday, I will send you to the Western Land to be with your son, okay? Good, please ascend the lotus seat."

"Now call Yang Shi Wangmei, that is Yang Yilin’s mother. Oh! Still burning things. Good, my Buddha is compassionate, Namo Amituofo, Namo Amituofo, spirit return! Namo Amituofo, come, Namo Amituofo. Son is over there."

The City King:

"Mother."

Yang Shi Wangmei:

"Child! Mother misses you! Why are you dressed so decently today? My child!"

Practitioner Su:

"Child wants to call you to the West. Look over there first, look, your husband is above. Now you must listen to the sutras. On Sunday, I will send you to the West. You must know how to chant Amituofo. Come, Amituofo."

Yang Shi Wangmei:

"Amituofo."

Practitioner Su:

"Only then can you be with your son. Come, I will put you on the lotus first. 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. Ascend the lotus seat, protect him."

"Next is his doctor Pang Jiqing. This one must be called first, the one who harmed the traditional Chinese medicine doctor, called Pang Jiqing."

The City King:

"He is currently practicing traditional Chinese medicine in the ghost realm."

Practitioner Su:

"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. Get up!"

Pang Jiqing:

"Who is looking for me? I am very busy!"

Practitioner Su:

"Now it is like this. Yang Yilin has already become the City King of the Eighth Hall. Now I want you to come and see the West, because it is too hard. You have done good things now, you should go to the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss."

Pang Jiqing:

"He has no conscience!"

Practitioner Su:

"He has no conscience, yes. But now he wants to take you to the West. So I will give you refuge. 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. First listen to the sutras."

Pang Jiqing:

"I have heard it, Namo Amituofo."

Practitioner Su:

"Then listen to the sutras now. Come, 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. Be reborn in the Pure Land, my Buddha is compassionate, ascend the lotus seat."

"Now let us start calling his former teacher."

The City King:

"My student, Li Zeyuan, jailer."

Practitioner Su:

"Good, jailer, Li Zeyuan, jailer."

Li Zeyuan:

"Here!"

Practitioner Su:

"You led your teacher to become the City King of the Eighth Hall!"

Li Zeyuan:

"Yes!"

Practitioner Su:

"You also want to go to the West, right? This doesn't need to be said."

Li Zeyuan:

"I also want to line up (referring to jailers lining up to protect and take care of the practitioners of the Fragrant Light Buddha Land, and seeking rebirth in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss at the Thrice Yearning Ceremony), but I haven't lined up yet."

Practitioner Su:

"My Buddha is compassionate. Now I will put you on the lotus seat, and send you away at the Thrice Yearning Ceremony on Sunday. 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. Be reborn in the Pure Land, be transformed, ascend the lotus seat and listen to the sutras."

The City King:

"Call my teacher Wu Renxu!"

Practitioner Su:

"Wu Renxu is in space, good. Come, Gao Wenchang is calling."

The City King:

"Still teaching."

Practitioner Su:

"Still teaching in space. Come, Wu Renxu, your favourite student Gao Wenchang is calling you, hurry, return! Gao Wenchang is looking for you."

The City King:

"Teacher, Teacher."

Practitioner Su:

"Namo Amituofo, my Buddha is compassionate, open! 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. Namo Amituofo, my Buddha is compassionate."

Wu Renxu:

"Wenchang!"

The City King:

"Teacher, are you well?"

Wu Renxu:

"Very well, I am teaching, very busy!"

Practitioner Su:

"Teacher, you must chant Namo Amituofo, you know! Teacher must chant Amituofo to be with Wenchang. Good, come, I will instill Namo Amituofo in you. My Buddha is compassionate, Namo Amituofo, first ascend the lotus seat and listen to the sutras. Come, 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. Ascend the lotus seat."

"Good, now please let the City King of the Eighth Hall give us some teachings. City King, please give some teachings."

The City King:

"Sigh! What is called 'sowing what cause, reaping what fruit', especially those who save the world, those medical personnel must be especially careful, especially in how they treat people, and even more so, they cannot be ungrateful and forget kindness. Ungratefulness and forgetting kindness are all because of what is called selfishness. Those who commit this great sin are all killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and lying, and killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and lying are also selfish and self-interested, and they use their own eloquence to cheat and obtain wealth that should not be obtained. These are all creating evil causes."

"So try to change what should be changed. You cannot be greedy, and you cannot have any greed. Whether it is greed for money, greed for sex, or greed for desire, these are all causes for hell. It won't do! If you can start from small good deeds and develop good habits, you won't have to take a trip to hell. Naturally, if you do this, a kind heart will naturally get good retribution; otherwise, the most important thing is the Alaya consciousness, which you cannot resist. Selfish thoughts and evil views can control you, and then you will create karma."

Practitioner Su:

"The terrifying Alaya, sigh!"

The City King:

"Entanglement! So I advise people in the world to do more good deeds."

Practitioner Su:

"Gratitude! Gratitude to our City King for his teachings today. Actually, the Alaya is very complex. Now, whether visiting the twenty-eight heavens or hell, it is all the Alaya making trouble. None of our spirits can be the master. My Buddha is compassionate, Amituofo created the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Now let us all repent and change, the Ten Good Deeds must be followed, only then can we be reborn in the Western Land of Ultimate Bliss. Good, we thank the City King. Now we have arrived at the Eighth Hall. Then we are grateful, let us chant ten times, come."

(Practitioner Su leads the practitioners present to chant the name of Amituofo ten times, sending off the City King of the Eighth Hall.)