Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 202

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Sketch of Kwanyin.

APRIL..

these regions of the lost we have forests of swords in order to recom- pense those who make it their business to transgress with their mouths by everywhere dealing, out to vulgar eyes and ears, their insidious calumnies. We inflict the punishment of plucking out eyes, and extirpating tongues, in order to recompense those who sow discord among friends, and those also who curse and swear.

We have too the punishment of ripping out the intestines for the purpose of awarding retribution to those whose hearts are daggers, and whose tongues are spears (persons of dark and intriguing designs). Those who dash people into wells are rewarded by being plunged into a deep river; those who beat and flog both males and females receive the punishment of the whip and the club; those superiors who oppress inferiors, and who injure birds and beasts with stones and arrows, are punished by tigers and serpents; those who, when living, were not benevolent with their riches are punished by being made to become hungry devils, and those who inveigle their fellows are recompens- ed by means of a forest of spears. All the certain punishments of hell are innumerable, and who can say that the eyes of Heaven aré not discriminating, and who can escape from the net of hades?

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All the kings of perdition who attended Kwanyin at the golden bridge had immense and ornamented umbrellas, and under foot was a red cloud colored carpet, while they also had a ruby chariot in which to receive Kwanyin, attended by singing girls. Shen express- ing her thanks to them, said, 'I have no virtue, and how dare I dis- grace your affectionate summons?' The kings all replied, 'We have heard of your vast mercy and tender compassion, and we wish to at- tend at the banquet of your sacred books that we may not lose the smallest portion of your instructions.' Shen then exclaimed, Ometo, the supremely excellent! and they beheld her folding her hands, and offering up prayers, upon which flowers indiscriminately fell from heaven, the earth became covered with the golden water-lily, the whole of hell's iron instruments and brass frames were shivered to pieces, and more than eight thousand regions of perdition were entirely annihilated, while all the guilty were released from hell, and permitted to ascend to the mansions of heaven. Then all the execu- tioners of the said punishments represented to Shen, saying, There is 'a superior and there is an inferior principle; there are those who are good and those who are wicked; if there is no hell what will be the lot of murderers? And what will there be for those to fear who com- mit wickedness in the world? Such places for repaying a guilty world should not be few, but you have come here, and in your a

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