Great Construction
Supplementary on the Worlds of Hell
Next, I write comprehensively on the other realms of hell.
The realm of demons, which can be illustrated by the common phrase shūra o moyasu [be tested by fire, literally, “burn a demon”] is where spirits continue to suffer, for example, as in the cases of defeat in conflict, spirits become captives of the thoughts of revenge, and because personal ambition cannot be fulfilled, there are feelings such as the suffering from anguish that continues from the previous life. Spirits in the realm of demons, whether in the physical or spiritual worlds can be saved relatively quickly through faith.
The realm of lust is as the name indicates spirits who have become the hungry ghosts of lust. For males, these are individuals who fall from the sins of having treated many females as toys, not caring about violating chastity and causing many to fall into misfortune. For such sins, these spirits are attacked by groups of females they had tricked and made to face terrible circumstances. The suffering that ensues is probably sufficient to make anyone inevitably repent. The suffering that ensues as penalty for the numbers of females by whom the sin was created in addition to the amount of resulting sin is no simple matter. From this it can be seen that those who would cause females to fall into misfortune due to their own pleasure should take note. From this description it can seen that the amount of sin on males is great, but rarely there is also sin on the side of females. For their own pleasure or ambition, these women happily sell their chastity, pimp other females, and cause males to suffer, and these spirits as well fall into the realm of lust.
Scorching hell is a realm of hell to which fall as punishment those spirits who either committed arson or who carelessly caused fires that led to the sacrifice of the life and property of many people.
In the hell of snakes many snakes collect together so the pain and suffer is indescribable. This penalty is for those who have harmed others for their own gain. For example, individuals in positions of power such as presidents of large companies or banks who harm large numbers of people through their own irregularities or politicians who through poor administration and politics cause others to fall into suffering as a result of which grudges attach which also happens to those instigators of conflict who are the targets of revenge by those who were sacrificed in war.
The hell of ants is the realm for the sin of killing. For example, the killing without reason of insects, birds, small animals, and such. The spirits of those killed become ants and torment the perpetrators. In regards to the hell of ants is the following account I heard from a witness to this scene. One time a snake was coiled up on top of a log. Several sparrows saw this snake and started attacking it. In the end, this snake fell off the log and died. Left as is for several days, the body of the snake turned into many ants. These ants formed a large group that climbed into the branches of a tree and found the nest of the sparrows that contained baby sparrows that were still unable to fly. They attacked the chicks and killed them all. The account illustrates the terrifying nature of the attachments of snakes.
Beehive hell is the realm of suffering from the stings of countless numbers of bees. An example of this suffering is the following account. Previously I had a woman follower who was a hairdresser. A friend of hers became spiritually possessed one time, and the friend asked a person of religion for a spiritual examination upon which it was discovered that a good customer of her friend who had been a geisha had died and fallen into beehive hell. She had possessed the person in order to ask to be saved. At that time, the female medium was the believer of a certain religion for which she was very devout. According to the spirit, it was put into a small room that could fit only one human being in which hundreds of bees indiscriminately attacked every part of the spirit’s body. It could not bear the pain and asked for help. The reason for its penalty was that as a geisha it had made many men suffer and when it had entered the spiritual world, the jealousy of the many wives had become bees and sought revenge.
As is related in the accounts of hell, red and blue demons perform the roles of jailers using iron bars with spikes to beat the spirits who resist and do not follow the rules. The beatings are more painful than when the spirits had had a physical body, because in a physical body the nerves are covered by skin. When there is no physical body and only spirit, the nerves are struck directly, so it is said that the pain is unbearable. And so, what many spirits in hell say is that no matter how much they suffer, they are at a loss because they cannot commit suicide. Indeed, they are already dead. In this regard, the spiritual world is truly exasperating. Also, when the dead travel in hell, it is said that they ride a vehicle of fire. Because spirits in hell gradually improve their situation through their own suffering and through the offerings made by their descendants, descendants should not neglect care of their ancestors.
Once I saved a spirit by enshrinement, and soon after, it possessed me. The spirit said: “Today I have come to express my thanks and ask a favor. Because of you, I am so happy because I have been saved to utmost bliss. I am sure you understand my happiness.” Indeed, the moment I had been possessed I did feel an indescribable intense happiness. The spirit’s request was that it wanted me to ask God that it not be reborn as a human being. I thought this a peculiar thing to say and asked the reason. It said, “Unlike utmost bliss where there are no worries and it is a world of joy, in the mundane world, no matter how hard you try, you cannot get enough to eat; I’m fed up with it.” Its comments suggested that going to the spiritual world was not necessarily a bad thing, and that death could be pleasurable. Which means that while living in the physical world, one should accumulate good deeds and make oneself qualified to go to heaven.
Next, I will give a general outline of the conditions of other spirits apart from those of human beings.
Glimpses of the Spiritual World, Jikan Library, Volume 3, page 58, August 25, 1949
* * *
translated by cynndd
“Jigokukai no Tsuzuki,” originally published as the fourteenth chapter of the third volume of the Jikan Sōsho (Jikan Library) series, Reikai Sōdan (Glimpses of the Spiritual World), August 25, 1949, and reprinted while Meishu-sama was still alive in the essays anthology for ministers Goshin Sho: Shūkyō Hen (Divine Writings: Volume on Religion), page 146, March 25, 1954, has, as far as is known, not appeared in translation.