Master Zhenlin’s Commentary on Lingmei’s Sutra-lecturing Trip to the Hell

Master Zhenlin’s Commentary on Lingmei’s Sutra-lecturing Trip to the Hell

It is very well-said at the outset:
Text:
People sigh at how short and suffering life is. They remain greedy despite the blessings on them. They forget that the blessings are accumulated over their past lives, and they shall be subject to the wheel of life and death after the blessings are drawn down. They would be driven to tears should they know how much they have been through.
Commentary:
Our lifespan is about one hundred years. You may think it is long, while in fact it is short and suffering.
We are blessed in the way that we have food to eat and clothes to wear. Nonetheless, we continue to be greedy and ask for more and better.
It is really a pity that many fail to take good advantage of the blessings and apply real efforts to cultivation. These people fail to realize all the blessings they have, the good food, the nice clothing, are but attributable to merits and virtues accumulated in previous lives. If we do not cultivate in the present life, we will exhaust all the blessings, merits and virtues accrued, and shall still be subject to the wheel of transmigration after we die. I am sure you’d all be driven to tears should you know how much suffering and torturing you have gone through before born as a human.
Text:
At the behest of Master, I went for a sutra-lecture trip while sitting in meditation, to ferry over the sentient beings. My contemplation showed that those people were waiting for me. I said, “Why such a hurry? I have just returned from another realm.” Nevertheless, they were in such misery. In a flash of thoughts and amidst rays of golden light, I arrived at the Hell. King Yama greeted me in person, and made obeisance to me. I also saw numerous hell beings kneeling down before me. Before I could take a closer look, King Yama said, “Venerable Master, thank you for your kindness to come here. Please forgive us for being so anxious. It is all because there is too much suffering and we can only gain release with the merits and virtues of the Sutra. Please have mercy on us and proclaim the Sutra so that we get the benefits…”
I replied, “At Master’s behest, I have come here to lecture the Sutra of Longevity for you. Please calm down. Do not get too anxious. I will do my utmost to lecture it for you, and you please listen attentively to gain the most benefits from the Sutra. There is no need to describe to you how numerous the benefits you shall gain if you receive fully the power of the Sutra.

Commentary:
This passage is rather easy to understand. As is written, “At the behest of Master, I went for a sutra-lecture trip while sitting in meditation, to ferry over the sentient beings. My contemplation shows that those people were waiting for me. I said, “Why such a hurry? I have just returned from another realm.” They were in such misery.” In a flash of thoughts and golden light, she arrived at the Hell.
King Yama said, “Venerable Master…Please forgive us for being so anxious. It is all because there is too much suffering and they can only gain release with the merits and virtues of the Sutra. Please have pity on us and bless us with the Sutra…” It was in the Hell and the language used was quite plain.
Lingmei was kind of reluctant, and said, “At Master’s behest, I have come here to lecture the Sutra of Longevity for you. Please calm down. Do not get too anxious. I will do my utmost to lecture it for you, and you please listen whole-heartedly so as to gain the most benefits from the Sutra. I am not going to dwell on how many benefits the Sutra will offer.”
Text:

I recited to them the Sutra of Longevity, “At the same time, before expounding the Dharma, the Buddha, with His Spiritual Power, emitted different colourful lights, such as green lights, yellow lights, red lights, white lights and other lights, which shone forth from His face. In every ray of the colourful lights, there appeared uncountable Transformation Buddhas. Every Transformation Buddha was able to carry out inconceivable tasks of the Buddha, and transform uncountable and limitless Transformation Bodhisattvas. Everyone of the Transformation Bodhisattvas again praised, and sang about the merits and virtues of The Buddha. The lights which were emitted by the Buddha were subtly wonderful and immeasurable. They shone forth pervasively up to the Heavenly Dwelling of Neither Thought Nor Non-Thought and down to the Avici Hell, which covers eighty-thousand Yojanas. Those living beings who had encountered the illumination of the Buddha's Lights would naturally be mindful of the Buddha. Hence they were able to obtain skills-in-means in Zen concentration and attain the fruition position of The First Ground.”
Commentary:
Anyone in the Hell who encountered the illumination of the Buddha’s lights shall gain release from it. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas ferry the hell beings over by emitting lights on them.
As is said in the passage, Buddha light shone forth. Those living beings who had encountered the illumination of the Buddha's Lights would naturally be mindful of the Buddha and place faith in the Buddha Dharma.
What does “obtaining skills-in-means in Zen concentration and attaining the fruition position of The First Ground” mean? It means they become Bodhisattvas who have just brought forth the Bodhi Resolve. See, this is how superb and wonderful to ferry them over with the Sutra of Longevity.
What about “eighty-thousand Yojana”? The Avici Hell covers an areas of eighty-thousand Yojana. When the Buddha light shines forth, it illumines even the Hell completely. Nevertheless, the hell beings have to make sincere repentance over their offences first. The light emitted by the Buddha can carry out a lot of Buddha tasks. The Buddha task includes not only making repentance, but also propagation of the Buddha Dharma. The Buddha light is just inconceivable.
Text:
As I spoke the Sutra for them, the Hell transformed into Pure Lotus Pond and all the offenders felt refreshed and blissful. I no longer felt fearful as when I had first arrived. I found myself sitting on a lotus and expanding endlessly, and emitting fine beams of light that pervasively illumined the Hell. It was not until then did I realize that the Hell was of more than eighteen layers. I had been to the Hell before the trip and I could hardly bear it to see how torturing it was.
Just when I was thinking that King Yama had yet to brief me on the Hell, he started to introduce to me the kings of each hell hall. I saw many familiar faces. Pardon me as I am not supposed to tell you who they are. I do bring back their words, though.
Commentary:
“As I spoke the Sutra for them, the Hell transformed into Pure Lotus Pond and all the offenders felt refreshed and blissful. I no longer felt fearful as when I first arrived. I found myself sitting on a lotus and expanding endlessly, and emitting fine beams of light that pervasively illumined the Hell.” Fine beams of light are none other than the Buddha Light. The Buddha light got expanded endlessly. All the hell halls got merged as one when the Buddha light shone upon them. Everything became clear to her. Lingmei did not realize until at that time that the Hell was of more than eighteen layers. She had been there before and it was just too horrifying. She could hardly bear to see it in her previous trip.
Soon after she gave rise to the thought that King Yama had yet to introduce the Hell to her, King Yama felt it and started the introduction about the hell halls and kings of them. She saw many familiar faces. I had told Lingmei that she might meet people she knew when in the Hell but she was not supposed to reveal who they were.
Text:
One of them said to me, “Please do convey the message to my descendants that they should perform more good deeds, and preferably cultivate the Buddha Dharma. The merits and virtues thus accumulated would benefit their descendants too. They should not simply rely on the virtues and merits I left to them. When they are all used up, nobody can help. Master, I shall always keep in mind your kindness and compassion.” I did convey the message for him, except I cannot reveal who he is.
Commentary:
She is not supposed to reveal who he is, otherwise he would be in trouble. His descendants would keep pestering him. It is fine just to convey the message for him. He wanted his descendants to perform meritorious deeds, cultivate the Dharma, and accumulate merits and virtues that would further bless their descendants. See, our virtues and merits can be shared by our descendants, even if you do not want them to. If you do evil, your descendants shall receive the retribution and suffer for it.
Many people do not know why they are blissful and think that it is all predestined. They indulge in dining and drinking and squandering the merits and virtues. When they are exhausted, nobody could help, not even if their relatives are senior government leaders. This is the message the hell beings wanted Lingmei to convey for them.
“Master, I shall always kept in mind your kindness and compassion.” They were truly grateful to Lingmei. Lingmei did convey the message to them. After all, they were so sincere, except she was not supposed to say who they were. Certainly she should not do so.
Text:
Another one said to me, “My son was unkind to me when I was alive. Now the retribution has befallen him. Master, may you please exhort him to uphold the Sutra, cast away the evil habits and do good deeds? I can never thank you enough!” Still another one spoke to me, “Master, I felt purified and enlightened hearing you proclaim the Sutra. I now bid you farewell…” I cannot tell you who they are. It is a heavenly secret. Many of them have gained release from the Hell after listening to me lecture the sutra. I am not supposed to go to details about them.
Commentary:
Another one said to her, “My son was unkind to me when I was alive. Now the retribution has befallen him. Master, may you please exhort him to uphold the Sutra, cast away the evil habits and do good deeds? I can never thank you enough.” Why did he say that? They knew Lingmei well. Lingmei, too, met some whom she had known before. Before her trip to the hell, I had told her that those who knew her for sure would come to ask her for help. Anyway, she is not supposed to go to details about it.
Text:
I could not bear to see more. Before I took my departure, the earth spirits and Yama Kings of all the hell halls knelt down and made obeisance to me. They offered me with the merits and virtues they had accumulated. How could I afford to accept them? I transferred them all to Master.
King Yama came to me, made obeisance, and said, “Thanks to the blessings of the Buddha, the Hell has been transformed pure. It has been long since we last heard the Buddha’s talks, but your great love is felt today here in the Hell. The purity and clarity shall stay with us from now on, and we look forward to having you with us again. Master, may you please tell the people that the suffering in the hell is extreme beyond comparison. Please exhort them to cultivate the goodness and uphold the precious Sutra, and do it non-stop, generation after generation. It is indeed a pity that planting karma and receiving retributions constitutes a cycle that never comes to an end. Only the Sutra can release people from it.” I replied, “I will remember how sincere you are”, and was back.
Commentary:
When Lingmei was about to leave, the many earth spirits and the kings of all the Yama halls knelt down and bowed to her. They even made offerings to her with their merits and virtues. That was really really superb. You can understand it well. Lingmei said she could not afford to accept such huge offerings and transferred them back to Master.
Let’ see what King Yama said to her, “Thanks to the blessings of the Buddha, the hell has been transformed pure. It has been long since we last heard the Buddha’s talks, but your great love is felt today here in the Hell. The purity and clarity shall stay with us from now on, and we look forward to having you with us again.”
See, King Yama knew Lingmei would be visiting them again sometime in the future. He wanted her to exhort human beings that it is torturing to the extent of beyond comparison in the Hell. Word falls short to describe how suffering it is in the Hell. Besides, there are so many hells. Read the Earth Store Bodhisattva Sutra, and you should know how many and torturing. The Earth Store Bodhisattva listed but some of the hells. They are just so many hells. King Yama, therefore, hopes that we human beings would cultivate goodness, uphold the treasure of the Sutra of Longevity, and never stop doing it generation after generation. It will be great if we all recite the Buddhist scriptures. The merits and virtues accrued will be immeasurable.
“It is indeed a pity that planting karma and receiving retributions constitutes a cycle that never comes to an end. Only the Sutra can release people from it.” The Sutra of Longevity is very effective as it can be understood by all in their original consciousness. Lingmei replied to King Yama, “I will remember how sincere you are”, and returned back.
Text:
After I was back, I heard a voice speaking to me, “ Worthy Disciple, it is a rewarding trip. Your mind has borne fruit even without blossoming of flowers. You have exerted kindness and compassion, and may return to Master…” Tears rained down on my cheeks. I fell down and made obeisance to Master. Again, the voice said to me, “You have tried your best. The mission has yet to be fulfilled. The journey is still on. Listen to the Buddha Sound with your mind. Buddha knows how dearly you hold Master in reverence.”
Commentary:
It was me speaking to Lingmei. Really good remarks!
We are now practicing the Six Paramitas, namely, to give expansively, to uphold the precepts firmly, to be patient always, to be diligent constantly, to cultivate concentration diligently, and to clearly penetrate wisdom. Besides, as we cultivate more, we shall gain spiritual penetrations, but we are not supposed to show them off before ordinary people. We should be no different from ordinary people.
“You have exerted kindness and compassion, and may return to Master”. She should be back to be with Master after performing such a meritorious deed.
The next line is how Lingmei felt: “Tears rained down on my cheeks. I fell down and made obeisance to Master.”
I then said to her, “You have tried your best. The mission has yet to be fulfilled. The journey is still on. Listen to the Buddha Sound with your mind. Buddha knows it if you hold Master in reverence dearly.” I arranged a new task for her soon after she returned.
Text:
Upon Master’s instruction, I visited the Hell again this morning. It was still of untold suffering. Soon after I said, “King Yama, please”, the King appeared before me, and asked, “Master, is there anything I can do for you?” I asked the King how come the Hell remained so suffering.
King Yama replied, “The living beings have committed so many offenses that the Hell is crowded almost beyond its capacity.” It sent a shiver to my soul. I asked Master for a bestowal of power so that I could recite the Mantra from the Sutra of Longevity for them. In less than a second as I recited it, the Hell was transformed into a Pure Lotus Pond. Those hearing it gained release instantly. King Yama bowed to me and said, “Master, we can never repay your kindness enough. The suffering in the Hell is untold. The Sutra is more precious than gold and we shall uphold it diligently. I’d like to exhort all the living beings to cultivate to improve themselves. In this way, they shall never have to be tortured in the Hell.
Commentary:
This is quite an interesting passage. Lingmei visited the Hell again when sitting in meditation. It remained the same, with untold suffering. She then asked King Yama where he was and soon the King appeared before her. Lingmei asked him how come the Hell still remained so. Lingmei was thinking she had ferried over some many hell beings and it was purified when she lectured the Sutra of Longevity. However soon it was back to what it had been.
King Yama explained to her that it was because living beings had committed to many offenses, making the Hell so crowded that it could hardly house more. That sent a shiver to Lingmei’s soul. She then read a mantra from the Sutra of Longevity for them to ferry then over. The mantra worked very well in the Hell. Immediately the Hell was transformed into a Pure Lotus Pond. Those who listened to it gained release.
You may ask how come it is crowded beyond its capacity. The world population is but 5.6 billion, and she had already ferried over so many. If you think so, you get the scope wrong. It is not just those from the Jambudvipa but the living beings from all the Six Paths that fall into the Hell, the flying birds, crawling beasts, swimming fish, and even spirits in the Heavens. Lingmei has travelled several times to the twenty-eight Heavens, and they are populous beyond calculation. Those from the Jambudvipa, Purvavideha, Aparagodana, Uttarakuru also fell into the Hell. Would you still say that all of them can be taken across at one breath? There are many who have yet to fall that need your help to ferry.
King Yama bowed to her and said, “Master, we can never repay your kindness enough. The suffering in the Hell is untold. The Sutra is more precious than gold and we shall uphold it diligently. I’d like to exhort all the living beings to cultivate to improve themselves. In this way, they shall never have to be tortured in the Hell.”
King Yama asked us to practice cultivation to improve ourselves. By doing so, we won’t fall into the Hell, where the suffering is untold.
The Buddhist scripture is very powerful. Some people simply recite it and enter the Heaven Realm. It can be very easy. Whoever is diligent gets rewarded. Be diligent! Apply real efforts to cultivation!
Text:
The trip brings home to me an important truth: The Sutra of Longevity is really a treasure, but we’d better uphold the Sutra ourselves. While I can recite it to ferry over those offenders in the Uninterrupted Hell who have committed the five unwholesome deeds and who otherwise will never obtain a release, they have to sincerely repent and reform first before being released.
Commentary:
She thought it over after she was back. She realized the Sutra is really a treasure. Still, we should work to uphold it ourselves. Those offenders in the Hell can only gain release when they make sincere repentance. This is certainly the very truth. They do not get released if they do not accept it wholeheartedly even the Sutra is recited for them. The key is faith.
Other than the Sutra of Longevity, there is another Buddhist Sutra that can deliver the deceased. Read the Mantra contained in the Sutra of the Whole-Body Relic Treasure Chest Seal Dharani, the Heart Secret of All Tathagatas for seven times, and we can deliver a deceased ancestor to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss. No matter how long he has been in the Uninterrupted Hell, once the Mantra has been recited for seven times for them, they get released immediately.
Text:
Master, I have now somewhat understood your thoughts. We are obliged to rescue the beings. The Buddha ferries over whoever wants to be rescued. We ferry others over as we rescue ourselves. The other shore is not that far away. Turn the light and reflect within, and we shall reach it.
Amitabha-Buddha! Let us work to practice cultivation and improve ourselves!
Commentary:
Still, sometimes there is something we cannot do. As is written in the following passage, the key is to turn the light and reflect inwardly. Do not wait till we are dying to turn the light within. Always reflect inwardly. As we keep cultivating, we shall realize that the other shore (of perfection) is not far away. In fact, “the other shore” is but an analogy drawn by Shakyamuni Buddha. He compares transmigration in the Six Paths as the sea of suffering, the Buddha Dharma as a raft. As long as we get on the raft, row it towards the other shore, and once we reach it, we succeed.
We need to stay in accord with conditions as we work to rescue people. Some of you are so kind and compassionate that you cannot wait to ferry people over before they ask for help. It certainly works if they do not need it. That is why “the Buddha ferries over whoever wants to be rescued.” If they do not want it, they may even think you are trying to inflict harm on them. You would end up making it worse if they turn out to slander against the Dharma. No need to impose it on people. Just do it as the conditions ripen.
Ok, with this we now come to the conclusion of the lecture.
We’d like to transfer the merits of the lecture to all the beings across the Dharma Realm in the ten directions.

May you come to cultivate the Buddha Dharma and certify to the fruition as soon as possible!

May the merit and virtue accrued from this work,
Adorn the Buddha’s Pure Lands,
Repaying the four kinds of kindness above,
And aiding those suffering in the paths below.
May those who see and hear of this,
All bring forth the resolve for Bodhi,
And when this retribution body is over,
Be born together in Ultimate Bliss.
Amitabha-Buddha! May we all be filled with the joy of the Dharma!