CHAPTER 53                                                                     VISIT TO THE PRISON WITH BITING AND DRILLING VIPERS                                                    Buddha Tse Kong who manifested on April 19th, 1978. Year of the horse (1978)                               POEM                                                                                                                                                                 Repentance is a way to purify man’s karma                                                                                               Devoid of worldly dust, he touches the original supra                                                                             Paradise is reserved only for the good                                                                                                         While hell entertains the hearts of vampires.                                                                                              Buddha Tse Kong: Paradise grants admission only to the people who have learned the Tao and accumulated good actions and great merits, that is the honest and sincere persons. Hell, on the other hand, is ready to give hospitality to dishonest elements, wicked persons, scoundrels and swindlers. Because of these two opposing features, heaven and hell don’t have the same type of visitors. In other word, the gambler will be attracted to visit a gambling place. But a person of different taste like you, will not be concerned about gambling. In hell, that person who has no interest in gambling will not be allowed to cross the “Lake of Lightning and Thunder”. And the genius-guardian will not permit him to even make a step to visit the place. Therefore, if you have no interest in gambling, then you will never follow the path to which the inveterate gamblers are rushing. Let’s prepare for another tour to hell. Come on the lotus dais, son.               Yang Ts’ien : Order executed, Master. Ready for departure.                                                                   TK : Here we are. Disembark.                                                                                                                          YT : What place is this?                                                                                                                                    TK: Do you see the Mandarin-Governor and his staff who are coming in our direction? They are the dignitaries of the prison with biting and drilling vipers.                                                                 YT : My respectful salutation to his Excellency and to the Generals.                                                      The Mandarin: I received the order to meet our guests of honour. Would you mind coming in, gentlemen?                                                                                                                                                         YT: Your hearty welcome touches me greatly, Excellency. Let’s come in right away. Mercy upon me! All those snakes creeping along the ground! The spectacle provides an alarming terror to those who see it. Coiling, stretching, interweaving, red and purple snakes, each one is the size of an arm. They aim at the sinners’ mouths to bite and crawl down the throats, enter deeper inside the sinners’bodies and perforate and outlet at the navel. Some of the sinners have holes all over their bodies, and fresh blood is gushing out of the gaping holes. Pale-looking, they fall unconsciously to the ground. Moans and high-pitched screams are deafening. The spectator feels electrified with all his limbs trembled with horror. May I ask what crimes the sinners have committed?                                                                                                                                                         The Mandarin: This prison is given the name of “Bitting and Drilling Vipers”. Inside is a multitude of red and purple vipers. They don’t excavate the earth for a refuge, but prefer to drill into the mouths and umbilicuses of the sinful souls. Hence comes the name of the drilling vipers. All those people who, in their life, didn’t behave uprightly and didn’t obey the law, who were corrupt or guilty of misuse of money and bribery, who appropriated public properties, who did harm to other people in order to satisfy their greed for money, in brief, all those whose hearts were as cruel as vipers have to suffer this punishment. Those who created misfortune for others, acted fraudulently, sowed hatred and dissension among men, killed other people while hiding their weapons, sharpened their daggers for an ulterior vendetta, are to be punished here. In our time, many contractors building public edifices and private houses seek to exploit the workmanship, and steal building materials, which may cause catastrophes in the future. They are like the snakes digging their lairs underneath the earth. They are despicable men. After their death, they not only suffer the chastisements of other places, but are also sent here for complementary punishment.                                                                                                                          YT: For torment, this must be one of the most dreadful ones! Are there other categories of sinners to come here and suffer?                                                                                                                   The Mandarin: I only list a number of the most severe sins. Sins are multiforms and the sinners are judged after their particular cases.                                                                                                           TK: The people who love to dig the small hole with a sharp buffalo’s horn certainly get little done. What can they get after all? Man’s life is so transient. Why don’t they simply live in good conscience instead of using their know-how to pursue dishonest gains? Look at those sinful souls being led to torture! They stagger, wail, moan, and suffer indescribable pains. It’s a heart-breaking sight. I hope that human beings will discontinue using buffalo’s horn, after reading the book “Voyages to Hell”. Otherwise, they will be like and eel-catcher who stretches his arm to rummage for an eel, but touches a venomous snake which bites his hand. Isn’t he trapping himself to death? Our visit is long enough. Sweet home is waiting, Yang Ts’ien.                             YT : Your explanations are excellenct. They help us greatly. Now, we must take leave.                   The Mandarin: Muster your men, generals, for the farewell salute.                                                    TK: Your body is there, son.