CHAPTER 55                                                                      VISIT TO THE 10TH PALACE INTERVIEW WITH THE KING OF THE REINCARNATION PALACE                                                                                                                                                               Buddha Tse Kong who manifested on May 9th, 1978. Year of the Horse                                               POEM                                                                                                                                                                The King of Hell is just and stern                                                                                                               Contemptuous shadows are stupefied with fear                                                                                       Their belongings are given to their children                                                                                             Lonely, they now cry and rail in despair.                                                                                                    Buddha Tse Kong: Up to now, we have visited nine palaces of hell, and we’re going to visit the 10th one. The book “Voyages to Hell” is coming to its conclusion. The 10th Palace is the site of the Reincarnation-Wheel, where the souls will be sent to an unkown place, as fuzzy and indefinite as doom. They are all in a semi-conscious state and are unable to discern the east from the west, the north from the south. That is why man on the earth is so inquisitive about his previous life. And the spiritual adept must look for his origin. If people have a ready answer to this question and know about their origin, then there will be no need for spiritual regeneration leading to enlightenment. Get ready, son. The lotus dais is now waiting for us.                              Yang Ts’ien: Just as a moment, Master. Some of my acquaintances want to print the “Voyages to Hell” and give them free to the people. Before the distribution is made, they have to address prayers to the genii of the kitchen. But instead of the antique brickbat-trivet which used to be the residence of the genii, the households of today are cooking their meals on stoves and cooking-ranges. Then, what should they do?                                                                                             TK: Men’s dwellings have changed from tiny thatched cottages to large buildings of concrete and stone, but it’s not because of this reason that the genii of the kitchen doesn’t exist. This is only the matter of upgrading one’s kitchen. In ancient times, the kitchens were dirty, with plenty of soot, smoke and ashes, and the genii of the kitchen did not even refuse to reside in the households. Food has always been prepared in the kitchen, and it is indispensable for the maintenance of man’s life. As goes a dictum, “wherever smoke exists, men exist”.                             Our forefathers used to estimate the native density of a region with the words “smoke and inhabitants”. The function of the genii of the kitchen is to watch over man’s life and man’s food provision which is granted by God. The brickbat-trivet of yore and the cooking range of today are analogous because they all must use fire as the means to cook. For this reason, the genii of the kitchen has also been named as “the Lord of the Vital Essence and of the Virtuous Fire”. In the olden days, man used petrol to light the lamp but nowadays, we use the switch to turn the light on and off. Even though the material means has been upgraded, the presence of the genii and the Immortals don’t cease to manifest in the sacred places such as in the churches or the pagodas. Sciences may progress indefinitely, and modern architecture may construct multi-storied skyscrapers, but man’s intuitive cognition remains unchanged. Saints and genii are always by our side, and the genii of the kitchen is always there, in front of us.                                YT: Your explanation is quite clear. The households’ style may change completely but rice, bread, salt, oil and vinegar are as necessary now as they were several centuries ago. I am now on the dais, Master.                                                                                                                                                TK : Here we are. Come down.                                                                                                                      YT : The 10th Palace is ahead. That noisy group seems waiting for us.                                                 TK: The King of the Reincarnation-Wheel and his staff are coming toward us. Let’s pay them our respects.                                                                                                                                                      YT: My humble reverences to you and your staff. I am Yang Ts’ien from the Temple of the Sages. With the order of God, we come here to pay you a visit and to collect information.              The King: You have visited most of the main palaces, from the first to the tenth, and gone through dark roads to fulfill the mission of rescuing mankind. It’s a tremenduous credit on your part. Please come inside to rest for a moment.                                                                                           TK: Because the time is limited, we cannot rest for the moment. Will you take Yang Ts’ien to inspect the 10th Palace instead?                                                                                                                     The King : Of course, it’s my pleasure, Buddha Tse Kong.                                                                      YT : May I ask you why the sinful souls are more crowded in this place than in other Palaces?     The King: It’s because ours is the terminus of all palaces. As my name indicates, I am the King of the Reincarnation who takes care of the transmigration of the souls to outer space. All the reincarnated souls must first gather here. Therefore, I’m very busy and my task is pretty complicated. Please come to visit the “Observatory of Life on earth”.                                                    YT: Thank you. This observatory with transmigrated stairs, rising high to touch the clouds, is extending to a great height.                                                                                                                             TK : I’ll give you a hand.                                                                                                                                  YT : Thank you very much, gracious Master.                                                                                              TK: If you climb the celestial stair without counting on the might of your spiritual heart, you will not succeed, sonny. A regenerated man who wavers to progress doesn’t go far.                        YT: Here we are at the top of the observatory. Every sight here reminds me of an observatory on the terrestrial world. Ahead, I hear nothing but confused sounds. The space around is immense; the horizon is without end. Where are we now?                                                                                        TK: In order to reach this station of the observatory you have to climb 360 steps. This figure corresponds to 360 degrees of a celestial circle. We are here on a celestial station, which is very distant from hell. Out there in the large openess are the four main continents. Since your clairvoyance is not yet opened, the extend of your sight is limited. Let’s me cast this illuminating pearl to help you see farther.                                                                                                                             YT: O, miracle of miracles! Your pearl illuminates every place, as a beacon does on a foggy night. Naturally, I can see the remotest areas now. It’s just like a view of the earth-surface seen from a space vehicle in the air. The spectacle of the four points differ, one from the other. Isn’t that America I see over there? The population is dense, people are seen going back and forth, and there are many high buildings. Its architectural style is identical with the one I saw in the movies.                                                                                                                                                                TK: That’s America. From this high celestial station, we can see all of the continents. The reincarnated souls are dispersed by the Reincarnation-Wheel to every corner of the world. Their destinations are in accordance with man’s affinities. Let’s go down now.                                           YT : Certainly, Master.                                                                                                                                     TK : It’s getting late. We hope to come back next time. Goodbye to you, Your Majesty.                   The King : Indeed, we won’t retain you. Generals, line up to greet the guest.                                     TK : The lotus dais, Yang Ts’ien.                                                                                                                     YT : I’m ready, Master.                                                                                                                                     TK: Here is the temple. Back to your body, son.