Part 23 (1/2)

Your mother is the butcheress, Pelkyi,23 Who came here five years ago.

You are the offspring of these outcaste butchers.

Now you have come here - haven't you?

The year is the Water Female Pig,24 And this year your feeding [in the human world] has come to an end.

All those of eastern India Call you 'Red-handed Butcher'; All those of southern India Call you the 'wrongdoing Laksanraka'; All those of western India Call you 'Black Low-caste Butcher'; All those of northern India Call you the 'Black Killer of All'.

Your caste is the black candla caste And your family line is that of wrongdoing butchers.

All generations of your family without exception Will take the path to h.e.l.l.

When you were killing, you seemed happy; When you ate, it seemed tasty, But does it taste so good now?

What use is your clever, slick-talking tongue [now]?

Now the time has come for you to experience suffering, In retribution for the million animal lives [you have taken].

If you don't experience this suffering, Then millions of creatures will have lost everything, And you, Laksanraka, will have gained everything.

As far as retribution for your crimes is concerned, Even Dharmarja with his mighty stature Cannot stop the effects of your negative actions, The greatest of which was burning down the temple, And the smallest of which was the killing of lice.

This is why you have acc.u.mulated [all] these [black] pebbles.

So it is best if you prepare yourself to move on.

[Get ready to] go swiftly on this black path!

[There], the sealed copper cauldron [that awaits you] is wide and deep, The waves of boiling bronze are fierce, The fiery ma.s.s of past actions is intensely hot, And the messengers of Yama have scant mercy.

Dharmarja's att.i.tude is extremely fierce, The weapons of past actions are sharply pointed, And the black winds of past actions are very powerful.

Now is the time for you to go to such a place!

Though I really do have compa.s.sion for you, I am nonetheless very, very satisfied!

You must carry on your back the weight and measure, Which you used as a fraudulent weight and measure!

You must wear at your side the weapons With which you killed many sentient beings!

You cannot deny or misrepresent these things!

Now the time has come for you to go To the citadels of the eighteen h.e.l.ls.

(He begins to lead [Laksanraka] away.) DHARMARAJA:.

Alas! How pitiful! How terrifying!

When one has obtained a human form, One should proceed, with highly purposeful virtuous conduct, On the path of liberation, where inferior rebirths are left behind; And [thus] one is never separated from peace and happiness.

But on this occasion when you obtained a human life, You threw away positive actions like dirt, And seized upon negative actions, For which reason you have wasted this highly meaningful human body, Which is difficult to obtain.

Since you have done nothing at all, other than return empty-handed [from this life], You are [only] carrying the burden of your negative acts! How sad!

Since the actions you have carried out must ripen upon yourself, You cannot be protected even by the power of a thousand buddhas.

So I cannot respond to this, [your appeal], in any way!

Since the results of the premeditated negative acts, Which you carried out when you had freedom, Will all come to ripen upon you, Even though you wail and lament, No one at all should feel sorry for you.

Even though you have hopes in me, I have no means to act in any way.

Since this mirror of past actions, which reflects phenomenal existence, Truly depicts the natural expression of virtuous and negative acts, How can it be that no past actions will appear in the case of wrongdoers?

When the deity who is your good conscience And the demon who is your bad conscience Compare the black and white pebbles of past actions, Happy is the man who has acc.u.mulated virtue!

How very remorseful are you, who have acc.u.mulated evil!

On this dangerous red pa.s.sageway traversed by all, When you are brought to trial by the executors of Yama's rites, Even though you may have been once very powerful, Here, it will be of no avail!

Now is the time for the hearts and lungs of all great wrongdoers to be torn apart!

Since you have practised non-virtue, This reckoning of your past actions Will be quicker and more powerful than lightning, So by fleeing you will not escape, And by showing remorse, this will be of no help!

How pitiful are the human beings of Jambudvpa Who do not strive to practise the [sacred] teachings!

There will be no way of helping them.

This detailed accounting of positive and negative past actions Forbids even the most minute negative deeds - So what are those humans who have no scruples thinking of!