..续本文上一页d for your mother is double that of ordinary beings, I have come to show you where she is.”

　　婆罗门女合掌向空，而白空曰：「是何神德，宽我忧虑。我自失母以来，昼夜忆恋，无处可问知母生界。」时空中有声，再报女曰，我是汝所瞻礼者，过去觉华定自在王如来，见汝忆母，倍於常情众生之分，故来告示。」

　　"The Brahman woman suddenly lunged toward the voice she was hearing and then fell, injuring herself severely. Those around her supported and attended upon her and after a long time she was revived.

　　Then she addressed the air saying, I hope the Buddha will be compassionate and quickly tell me into what realm my mother has been reborn. I am now near death myself.”

　　"Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One told the worthy woman, After you make your offerings, return home quickly. Sit upright and concentrate on my name. You will soon know where your mother has been reborn.”

　　 婆罗门女闻此声已，举身自扑，肢节皆损。左右扶侍，良久方苏。而白空曰：「愿佛慈愍，速说我母生界，我今身心，将死不久。」时觉华定自在王如来，告圣女曰：「汝供养毕，但早返舍，端坐思惟吾之名号，即当知母所生去处。」

　　"The Brahman woman bowed to the Buddha and returned home. The memory of her mother sustained her as she sat upright recollecting Enlightenment-Flower Samadhi Self-Mastery King Thus Come One.

　　"After doing so for a day and night, she suddenly saw herself beside a sea whose waters seethed and bubbled. Many evil beasts with iron bodies flew swiftly back and forth above the sea.

　　She saw hundreds of thousands of men and women bobbing up and down in the sea, being fought over, seized, and eaten by the evil beasts.

　　She saw Yakshas with different shapes. Some had many hands, some many eyes, some many legs, some many heads. With their sharp fangs they drove the offenders on towards the evil beasts. Or the Yakshas themselves seized the offenders and twisted their heads and feet together into shapes so horrible that no one would dare even look at them for long.

　　时婆罗门女寻礼佛已，即归其舍。以忆母故，端坐念觉华定自在王如来。经一日一夜，忽见自身到一海边。其水涌沸，多诸恶兽，尽复铁身，飞走海上，东西驰逐。见诸男子女人，百千万数，出没海中，被诸恶兽争取食啖。又见夜叉，其形各异，或多手多眼、多足多头、囗牙外出，利刃如剑。驱诸罪人，使近恶兽，复自搏攫，头足相就。其形万类，不敢久视。

　　During that time the Brahman woman was naturally without fear due to the power of recollecting the Buddha.

　　"A ghost king named Poisonless bowed his head in greeting and said to the worthy woman, ”Welcome, 0 Bodhisattva. What conditions bring you here

　　”

　　"The Brahman woman asked the ghost king, ”What is this place

　　”

　　"Poisonless replied, ”We are on the western side of the Great Iron Ring Mountain and this is the first of the seas that encircle it.”

　　"The worthy woman said, ”I have heard that the hells are within the Iron Ring. Is that actually so

　　”

　　"Poisonless answered, ”Yes, the hells are here.”

　　"The worthy woman asked, ”How have I now come to the hells

　　”

　　"Poisonless answered, If it wasn”t awesome spiritual strength that brought you here, then it was the power of karma. Those are the only two ways anyone comes here. "

　　The worthy woman asked, ”Why is this water seething and bubbling, and why are there so many offenders and evil beasts

　　”

　　 时婆罗门女，以念佛力故，自然无惧。有一鬼王，名曰无毒，稽首来迎，白圣女曰：「善哉，菩萨，何缘来此？」

　　时婆罗门女问鬼王曰：「此是何处？」

　　无毒答曰：「此是大铁围山西面第一重海。」

　　胜女问曰：「我闻铁围之内，地狱在中，是事实否？」

　　无毒答曰：「实有地狱。」

　　圣女问曰：「我今云何到达狱所？」

　　无毒答曰：「若非威神，即须业力，非此二事，终不能到。」

　　圣女又问：「此水何缘，而乃涌沸，多诸罪人，及以恶兽？」

　　Poisonless replied. These are beings of Jambudvipa who did evil deeds. They have just died and passed through forty-nine days without any surviving relatives doing any meritorious deeds on their behalf to rescue them from their distress. Besides that, during their lives they themselves didn”t plant any good causes. Now their own karma calls forth these hells. Their first task is to cross this sea.

　　Ten thousand yojanas east of this sea is another sea in which they will undergo twice as much suffering. East of that sea is yet another sea where the sufferings are doubled still again.

　　What the combined evil causes of the three karmic vehicles evoke is called the sea …

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