ENG
Immortals and mortals, all shrouded in haze,
Trials they must pass through life's winding maze.
How many find wisdom, break free from the chain,
Escaping the cycles of suffering and pain?
Three men died on the same day, and their souls met in the underworld.
Kneeling before the judge, the judge pointed to one soul and said, "In life, you were a thief, robbing and injuring others, bullying the innocent. Now, I sentence you to the Mountain of Knives to atone for your sins." The man wailed, "My kins burnt gold and silver paper ingots for me, and they could fill ten storerooms. If you show mercy, all that wealth is yours." The judge remained unmoved, flicked his sleeve, and had the underworld soldiers take him away.
The judge then pointed to the second soul and said, "You shall be reborn as a human." The soul protested, "I diligently practiced Buddhism, did many good deeds, and never harmed any living being. Why must I endure the suffering of reincarnation?" The judge replied, "A human may see a hundred springs, but the grass knows only one. Being reborn as a human is already a privilege. Do you wish to be reborn as a beast?" The soul was displeased and said, "Life as a human is arduous. I practiced Buddhism, and it should grant me escape." The judge snorted coldly, "Today, Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha is not here. Whether you escape or not is not up to you." He flicked his sleeve, and the underworld soldiers took him away.
Finally, the judge pointed to the last soul and said, "In life, you stole mind cores, and made pills which harmed lives. Now, I sentence you to the Pool of Blood to cleanse your sins before you can reincarnate." Just as he was about to have the underworld soldiers take him away, a celestial captain in golden armor flashed into the hall, threw a military order on the table, and said, "He has attained profound enlightenment. This is a summons from the Celestial Court. The Admiral has sent me to escort him to become a celestial soldier." Hearing this, the soul was overjoyed and quickly followed the celestial general out.
Three men died on the same day and their souls were brought before a judge in the underworld. The judge examined each soul and announced their fates. Underworld soldiers stood ready to carry out the sentences, and the judge used small gestures like flicking his sleeve to signal them.
The first soul had been a thief in life who robbed and hurt people and bullied the innocent. The judge sentenced him to the Mountain of Knives to atone for those sins. The man tried to buy mercy by saying his family had burned gold and silver paper ingots that could fill ten storerooms, offering that wealth for clemency. The judge refused the bribe, remained unmoved, and the underworld soldiers took the thief away.
The second soul claimed to have diligently practiced Buddhism, done many good deeds, and never harmed any living being. The judge declared that he would be reborn as a human. The soul protested, arguing that a true practitioner should be freed from the suffering of reincarnation. The judge answered with a proverb about human rebirth being a rare privilege and warned that he could have been reborn as an animal instead; he also pointed out that Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha was not present to grant any special escape. The judge showed no sympathy, flicked his sleeve, and the soldiers took this soul as well.
The third soul had stolen mind cores and made pills that harmed lives, so the judge ordered him sent to the Pool of Blood to be cleansed before he could reincarnate. At that moment a celestial captain in golden armor burst into the hall, threw down a military order from the Celestial Court, and declared that the man had attained profound enlightenment. The captain said the Admiral had sent him to escort the soul to become a celestial soldier. The underworld sentence was effectively overridden, the soul rejoiced, and he followed the celestial officer out.
Overall, the scene shows a bureaucratic afterlife where deeds determine punishment or rebirth, but higher celestial authority and spiritual attainment can change a soul’s fate. Bribes are useless, moral practice can lead to a human rebirth but not automatic liberation, and sudden enlightenment or a summons from the Celestial Court can elevate someone from punishment to a higher role as a celestial soldier. The interaction highlights the roles of the judge, underworld soldiers, Bodhisattva Kṣitigarbha’s potential influence, and the Celestial Court’s power.