Chapter 2: The Ten Kinds of Giving and Their Rewards

The Buddha said to Shariputra, "You should understand now that the karma of killing is extremely heavy. In the past, you and I traveled to the city of Pataliputra. In that great city, there was an elder's daughter named Devadatta. She gave birth to a son, whose beauty was unparalleled, like a red lotus flower, even celestial maidens could not compare. The mother cherished him deeply. She carried him to me and said, 'World-Honored One, my child is as lovely as a heavenly youth. I love this child more than my own life, a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand times over.' I then told her, 'Good woman, you should know that all ordinary beings cherish their own lives like the ocean swallowing rivers—never satisfied. How can you claim to love your son? What proof do you have?'"

The woman replied, "World-Honored One, I love this child so much that even if a fire were to engulf my body, I would never let him go."

At that time, the World-Honored One, wishing to guide that woman, manifested through his spiritual power four yakshas, each holding a fiery mountain that approached from all four directions. When the fire was still far away, the woman used her own body and her clothing to shield her child. As the flames drew closer, she raised her hands to cover her face, using the child to block the fire. The Buddha said to her, “You claim to love your child—why then do you use him to shield yourself from the fire?” The woman replied, “World-Honored One, I beg you to save me—I no longer care for this child.” The Buddha withdrew his spiritual power, and mother and child were both cooled. At that moment, she awakened the mind of supreme, true enlightenment.

The Buddha told the woman, "You love yourself and you love your child. Why would you take your own life or lead others to take theirs? You should know that killing brings terrible retribution. Those who kill will certainly fall into the Avīci Hell, the place of the most intense suffering, and be subject to the laws of King Yama. What are these severe laws? King Yama proclaims six times a day and night the ten evil consequences of killing:

"First, the karma of killing living beings leads one to be reborn in the Hell of Blazing Knife Mountains, where one is cut apart by spinning blades, dismembered joint by joint, and torn into eighty-four thousand pieces. In a single day and night, one experiences sixty billion births and sixty billion deaths. At that time, King Yama rebukes the sinner: 'You took pleasure in killing living beings, and now you suffer this torment. Is this enjoyable? You will now repay your debts to others for hundreds of millions of kalpas, and it will never be exhausted!'"

Secondly, the karma of killing living beings inevitably leads one to be reborn in the Sword Forest Hell. There are eighty-four thousand sword trees, each eighty-four thousand yojanas tall. Each tree bears eighty-four thousand sword branches, each branch bears eighty-four thousand sword blossoms, and each blossom bears eighty-four thousand sword fruits. Those who have committed killing ascend these sword trees, their minds reaching the tops of every sword tree, while the rest of their limbs spread throughout the sword forest. Each joint extends across eighty-four thousand sword branches, their bones scraped and marrow pierced. Sword blossoms and sword fruits penetrate every part of their bodies, shattering them into fragments as fine as mustard seeds. In a single day and night, they experience eighty-four thousand births and eighty-four thousand deaths. Such is the retribution for the karma of killing. At that time, King Yama rebukes the sinners: "You delighted in killing living beings, and now you suffer this torment. Do you find this enjoyable? For hundreds of millions of kalpas, you must repay the debts owed to others, and still, you will never finish repaying them!"

"Third, the karma of killing living beings leads to rebirth in the Cauldron Boiling Hell. There, in boiling water that bubbles a hundred thousand times, the flesh is completely stripped from the bones. The person is then placed on a bronze pillar, where they naturally revive. A hundred thousand thorns transform into iron blades, and the person cuts off their own flesh to eat, only to fall back into the boiling water. In a single day and night, they undergo eighty-four thousand births and eighty-four thousand deaths. At that time, King Yama rebukes the sinner, saying: 'You delighted in killing living beings, and now you suffer this torment. Do you find this enjoyable? You must now repay the debts owed to others for a hundred thousand kalpas, and still it will never be exhausted!'"

Fourth, the karma of killing leads to the Iron Bed Hell. There, a single iron bed measures fifty yojanas in length and width. Iron spikes from all four directions pierce the heart, while a massive iron-wheeled cart crushes the skull, splitting the body from the feet downward. In a single day and night, one undergoes eighty-four thousand births and eighty-four thousand deaths—such is the retribution for the karma of killing. Then King Yama rebukes the sinner: "You delighted in killing living beings, and now you suffer this torment. Do you find this pleasurable? For hundreds of thousands of kalpas, you must repay the debts owed to others—a burden that will never be exhausted!"

Fifth, the karma of killing living beings leads to rebirth in the Iron Mountain Hell. There, iron mountains stand on all four sides, shaped like iron caves, and fire erupts from within them, blazing from every direction. Five yakṣas appear, hacking the sinners' bodies into four pieces and casting them into the flames. The four mountains then close in, crushing them to dust. Fire-birds suddenly arise, and iron-beaked crows, along with iron snakes, burrow into their joints, shattering their bones and sucking out the marrow. For a single day and night, they undergo eighty-four thousand births and eighty-four thousand deaths—such is the retribution for the karma of killing. Then King Yama rebukes the sinners: "You delighted in killing living beings, and now you suffer this torment. Do you find this pleasurable? For hundreds of thousands of kalpas, you must continue repaying the debts you owe others, and still it will never be exhausted!"

Sixth, the karma of killing leads to the Iron Net Hell. There is a great iron mountain, hundreds of thousands of yojanas high, filled with boiling iron liquid. An iron net covers it, and between each mesh, countless iron-beaked insects burrow into the condemned from the crown of their heads, piercing through bones and marrow, and emerge from the soles of their feet. In a single day and night, they experience eighty-four thousand births and eighty-four thousand deaths. Such is the retribution for the karma of killing. Then King Yama rebukes the sinners: "You delighted in killing living beings, and now you suffer this torment. Do you find this enjoyable? Now you must repay the debts of others for hundreds of millions of kalpas, and still it will never be exhausted!"

"Seventh, the karma of killing living beings leads to rebirth in the Crimson Lotus Hell. There is a lotus there with eighty-four thousand petals. Each petal resembles a mountain of blades, five yojanas high, with billions of sword-forests all ablaze at once. The sinners sit within. When one petal opens, as it unfurls, the fiery mountains and sword-forests burn their flesh and shatter their bones, bringing a hundred kinds of agony. When this phenomenon occurs, a hundred thousand blade-mountains simultaneously slice through them. In one day and one night, they die eighty-four thousand times and are reborn eighty-four thousand times. Such is the retribution for the karma of killing. At that time, King Yama rebukes the sinners: 'You delighted in killing living beings; now you suffer this torment. Do you find this enjoyable? Now you must repay the debts to others for hundreds of thousands of kalpas—and still it will never be exhausted!'"

The eighth is the karma of killing. It leads to the Hell of Five Deaths and Five Revivals. There are five great mountains there, with five hundred billion razor wheels on their peaks. Above these, great water wheels rest upon the razor wheels. The sinners are there, their bodies spread open like flowers, lying upon sheets of ice. From the five directions, the mountain razor wheels come, crying out "Alive! Alive!" They cut the body into five pieces. Five times they die, five times they are revived, their bodies crushed to dust like powder. In a single day and night, they experience eighty-four thousand births and eighty-four thousand deaths. Such is the retribution for the karma of killing.

Then King Yama rebukes the sinner, saying: "You took pleasure in killing. Now you receive this suffering. Do you find this pleasurable? Now you must also repay the debts to others for hundreds of thousands, millions of kalpas—a debt that can never be fully settled!"

Ninth, the karma of killing living beings leads to rebirth in the Hell of Poisonous Snakes. In this hell, there are countless fiery iron snakes, each as long as thousands of yojanas. They spew venom from their mouths, like red-hot iron pellets, which enter the sinner’s body through the crown of the head and spread to every limb and joint. Innumerable snakes spew poison and fire, burning the sinner’s body. In a single day and night, they experience eighty-four thousand births and eighty-four thousand deaths. Such is the retribution for the karma of killing. At that time, King Yama rebukes the sinner, saying: “You took pleasure in killing living beings, and now you suffer this torment. Do you find it enjoyable? For hundreds of thousands of kalpas, you will continue to repay the debts you owe to others, and this suffering will never end!”

"Tenth, the karma of killing living beings leads to rebirth in the Hell of Iron Shackles and Fetters. There, iron mountains twelve yojanas high serve as shackles, flaming iron pillars and nets sixty yojanas wide act as fetters, and iron dogs spewing fire from their mouths form the handcuffs. Iron arrows rain down from the sky, piercing the heart. The shackles, fetters, and handcuffs transform into molten copper pellets that enter through the eyes, course through every joint and limb, and exit from the feet. In a single day and night, one endures eighty-four thousand births and eighty-four thousand deaths. Such is the retribution for the karma of killing.

Then King Yama rebukes the sinner: 'You took pleasure in killing living beings. Now you suffer this torment. Do you find this enjoyable? For hundreds of thousands of kalpas, you must repay the debts owed to others—a burden that can never be fully settled!'"

At that time, the World-Honored One said to Shariputra: "The karma of killing leads to suffering in the hells—this is called the immediate retribution. Then, upon being reborn as a human, one will suffer much illness and a short life. Further, in the four modes of birth among all beings, one will endure endless and immeasurable suffering of every kind."

What is the precept against stealing? The precept against stealing means to generously give all beings their wealth, possessions, and the means to sustain their lives. Therefore, the Buddhas teach that the precept against stealing is like sweet dew—cool, peaceful, and secure. Upholding this precept is called the path to heavenly rebirth, the place of attaining the Way, the robe of Nirvana, and the life of liberation. For this reason, the Buddhas praise the practice of not stealing, as it cuts off the cause of rebirth as a hungry ghost.

The karmic retribution for stealing brings ten kinds of misfortune:

First, the karmic retribution for stealing will inevitably lead to the Flesh Mountain Hell. There, the sinners have necks as massive as mountains, with hundreds of thousands of heads. On each cheek of every head, a fleshy mound grows. From the Iron Mountains, hundreds of thousands of iron dogs emerge, snarling, barking, and fighting to devour them. Iron nails shoot from the dogs' mouths, piercing through the sinners' heads and exiting from their heels. Their skin is stripped away and spread over iron thorns spanning hundreds of thousands of yojanas. Their bodies and skin endure agony for eighty-four thousand years, their hearts feeling as if slashed by knives, trapped in unbearable suffering. This is called the first karmic retribution for theft. At that time, King Yama rebukes the sinners: "You took pleasure in stealing, and now you suffer this torment. Do you find this enjoyable? For hundreds of millions of kalpas, you must repay the debts of others, and it will never end!"

Second, the retribution for theft leads to rebirth among the hungry ghosts. Their bodies grow immensely tall, reaching fifty yojanas in height. When they walk, their steps sound like five hundred carts rumbling. Between their joints, fire blazes like ten flaming chariots. When hungry, they devour iron pellets; when thirsty, they drink molten copper. Their hair is like iron spikes, twisting and entangling their own bodies. For hundreds of thousands, millions of years, they endure immeasurable suffering, never once hearing the sound of water or grain. This is called the second retribution for stealing.

At that time, King Yama rebukes the sinners: “You took pleasure in stealing, and now you suffer this torment. Do you still find it enjoyable? Now, for hundreds of thousands, millions of kalpas, you must repay the debts you owe to others—a burden that will never be exhausted!”

Third, the retribution for theft is to be born in the Icy Hell. For millions upon millions of years, one is clothed in ice from eight directions, like a blooming lotus. One gnaws on one’s own flesh, and fiery arrows pierce the heart. This is the third karmic retribution for theft. Then King Yama rebukes the sinner: “You took pleasure in stealing, and now you suffer this torment. Do you still find joy in it? For millions upon billions of kalpas, you will repay the debts of others, yet never finish!”

"Fourth, the retribution for theft is rebirth among the rakshasas. The females are as beautiful as celestial maidens, with lovely faces, while the males have a thousand eyes, their heads bound with iron, dog-like fangs protruding upward, and flames blazing from their ears. When the females move seductively, their entire bodies burst into flames. They drink blood, devour flesh, consume fire and charcoal, eat pus and vomit. For hundreds of thousands of years, they endure the existence of rakshasas, suffering immense torment. This is the fourth karmic retribution for stealing."

"At that time, King Yama rebukes the sinners: 'You delighted in theft, and now you suffer this pain. Do you find this enjoyable? Now, for hundreds of thousands of kalpas, you must repay the debts you owe others—a burden that can never be fully settled!'"

Fifth, the retribution for theft is rebirth in the Iron Deer Hell, where one takes the form of an iron deer with thousands of heads, thousands of hands, thousands of tails, thousands of hooves, and thousands of layered hides. Five hundred billion iron tigers and hundreds of billions of iron lions tear off its skin, and between each layer of skin, countless iron spikes grow, sharp as swords and knives, cutting through bone and piercing marrow. The suffering is immeasurable, endured for millions of years without end. This is called the fifth retribution for stealing.

Then King Yama rebukes the sinner: "You delighted in stealing, and now you suffer this torment. Do you find this enjoyable? For hundreds of millions of kalpas to come, you will repay the debts of others, and still it will never be finished!"

Sixth, the karmic retribution for theft manifests in the human realm as being born naked, dark, and emaciated, with squinting eyes and foul-smelling breath. One constantly dwells in prisons, tasked with cleaning filth and excrement, serving as a slave for the royal household. Though born among humans, their appearance resembles that of oxen and horses. Fathers show no love for their children, and children show no filial piety toward their fathers; mothers show no love for their children, and children show no filial piety toward their mothers. For hundreds of thousands of years, they endure immeasurable suffering. This is called the sixth karmic retribution of theft.

At that time, King Yama rebuked the sinners, saying, “You took pleasure in stealing, and now you suffer this torment. Do you find this enjoyable? Now, for hundreds of thousands of kalpas, you must repay the debts you owe to others—a burden that will never end!”

Seventh, the retribution for theft is to be born into the Great Hell of Blades and Swords. There, forests of blades and swords stretch endlessly, beyond measure. There are sinners whose bodies are like iron jars, a hundred thousand yojanas in height and breadth. Hell wardens drive them forward, kicking them like wind-blown flowers, onto the tips of sword-blossoms. Upon hundreds and thousands of sword-blossoms, their skin is flayed into countless pieces; their bones are scraped clean to the marrow, then they fall from the air. Upon the blade-blossoms, the myriad thorns of the blade-flowers flay their skin into immeasurable strips, split their bones into countless fragments, pierce through to the marrow, and stab the heart. They long for death but cannot find it. From the four directions, iron mountains transform, giving birth to innumerable iron caltrop thorns, like great crossbow bolts, all simultaneously shooting into their hearts. For countless billions of years they endure such suffering. This is the seventh retribution for stealing.

Then King Yama rebukes the sinners: "You delighted in theft; now you receive this suffering. Is this delightful? Now you must also repay the debts of others for hundreds of thousands, millions of kalpas, and still you will never finish!"

"Eighth, the retribution for theft is rebirth in the Volcano Great Hell. There, the sinner's body transforms into one with hundreds of thousands of heads. Upon its back, it carries five hundred fiery, monkey-shaped beings. These creatures wield flaming knives, stripping the sinner's skin and casting it onto the volcanic mountains. From the sinner's own mind, fire-wolves arise, gnawing on their bones, penetrating to the very marrow. Their body becomes like a mass of fire, and they flee in all directions, yet they can never escape the volcanic mountains. They endure ten thousand kinds of suffering, longing for death but unable to find it. For hundreds of thousands, millions of years, they suffer in this way.

Then, King Yama admonishes the sinner: 'You delighted in theft. Now you receive this suffering. Is this to your liking? You must now repay the debts owed to others for hundreds of thousands, millions of kalpas, and still you will never finish!'"

"Ninth, the retribution for theft is rebirth in the 'Pierced Nose' Great Hell. In the Pierced Nose Hell, there are twelve iron hooks that pierce the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and tongue. The body is beaten with clubs, teeth are broken, and the skin of the face is peeled away, turning into strips of flesh. These are then placed into the mouth, transforming into great fiery arrows that shoot from the heart down to the feet. Death is sought but cannot be found, and for hundreds of thousands, millions of years, suffering continues like this. Then King Yama rebukes the sinner: 'You delighted in stealing, and now you endure this torment. Do you find this pleasant? Now, for hundreds of thousands, millions of kalpas, you must repay the debts you owe to others—a burden that will never end!'"

"Tenth, the retribution for theft is to be born into the Flaying and Skinning Hell. There, one lies on an iron bed while prison guards use knives to flay the skin and cut out the heart, yet one never dies, enduring such suffering for hundreds of thousands of years. At that time, King Yama rebukes the sinner: 'You took pleasure in stealing, and now you suffer this torment. Is this enjoyable? For hundreds of thousands of kalpas, you must repay the debts you owe others, and still, it will never be enough!'"

What is meant by the precept of abstaining from sexual misconduct? The precept of abstaining from sexual misconduct brings five benefits, praised by all Buddhas of the past, present, and future. One who abstains from sexual misconduct abides in the dignified conduct of the Buddha and possesses a fragrance of virtue like that of the Buddha. What are these five?

First, do not let the eye consciousness be moved. Do not gaze upon lustful sights. If you happen to see such forms, regard them as you would maggots in filth, as a knife piercing the heart, as fire scorching the eyes. Let no affection arise in the mind. All is impermanent, cut through by change. When the eye's fire flares up wildly, what affection could there possibly be?

Second, do not listen to lustful sounds. Even if you hear them, do not let your ear-consciousness be stirred. The ear organ may find pleasure in them, but foolish, deluded sounds stir the forest of poisonous snakes, planting seeds of craving. This is called the "thief wind" that arises from the ear root, born of false perceptions. It is like the howling of a yaksha—what love is there in that? These are illusory echoes that the foolish cling to. They agitate the senses, exposing human voices that flow from the river of delusion and craving, following the current of the five desires. Know deeply that this is a thief, and do not let your ear-consciousness be moved.

Third, when the nose perceives a scent, one should understand that this scent arises from the eight winds. The wind of ignorance stirs it, the wind of craving blows it forth. All fragrances, such as those from flowers, arise from deluded thought and are mistakenly taken as real. They emerge from the nose consciousness, which arbitrarily labels them as "fragrant" or "delicious." The nose consciousness is agitated, and thus all plants and flowers are called fragrant. The Tathāgata, however, restrains the body, neither smelling fragrance nor stench. He comprehends that these are not true, and does not praise scents or tactile sensations.

Fourth, the tongue consciousness remains unmoved. They do not speak of worldly gain, nor do they praise sensual affairs. Their mouth never utters words of sensual desire, touch, or pleasure. They do not dwell in the maddening, sticky house of delusion, nor do they delight in speaking of pleasurable things that increase ignorance, the five thieves, folly, and attachment. For this reason, all Buddhas keep the tongue consciousness unmoved.

Fifth, the mind is still and unmoving. It does not give rise to lustful thoughts, does not dwell on lustful matters, does not imagine lustful pleasures, does not stir the root of lust, and does not allow the consciousness of lust to turn. Like the mind of liberation, it abides in the place of stillness and cessation, dwelling in the city of constant joy, secure and free from contrivance. Following the Buddha's mind, it rests in the reality of suchness, directly entering the eighteen great emptinesses and the nine kinds of Nirvana.

The Buddha and the Bodhisattvas attain five virtues: their forms are pure, always born from lotuses; their bodies are clean, free from defilement, and their minds are serene. Therefore, the Buddhas teach the precept against sexual misconduct as the most supreme purity, unsurpassed merit, complete with five benefits. It is praised and extolled as the cause for liberation, inexhaustible and boundless. Sexual desire is an extremely heavy fetter, binding without a rope—like an old elephant sinking in the mud of the five desires. It is the root of all transgressions. The fault of lust, I shall now explain:

Lust brings ten kinds of harm. What are these ten?

First, those who are consumed by lustful desires, even if they are born in the heavenly realm as the god Indra, indulging in the pleasures of the five senses, their minds are like thieving dogs, constantly intoxicated and never awakening, drowning in the swift river of sensual pleasures.

Second, those consumed by lustful greed, even if they are kings with great power and authority, become slaves to passion, driven by base desires. They may amass great wealth, but like fire fed with firewood, they never know satisfaction. They lose themselves and their kingdoms, and after death, they fall into the evil realms.

Third, those consumed by lustful greed are forever bound to others. They are driven by the six thieves, with the great elephant of impermanence treading upon their backs. Their minds are like wild monkeys, unaware of the many dangers. Consumed by the fire of desire, they no longer recognize parents, siblings, or sisters. Like pigs and dogs, they carry burdens for one another, devoid of all shame.

Fourth, those consumed by lust and lewdness are constantly drinking the foul pus and blood of women. For countless eons, they remain trapped in the womb, dwelling amidst the organs of digestion and reproduction. Their bodies become garments for swarms of worms, and they feed upon the female organ.

Fifth, those who are consumed by lust and desire have minds as sharp as knives and eyes like burning chariots, cutting down and scorching away all the roots of their virtuous deeds.

Sixth, a person consumed by lustful desire, when among the assembly of nobles, will ignite the fire of afflictions and feed the fuel of craving. Their mind seeks to exploit and take, like a rakshasa demon. When among the assembly of Brahmins, they feel no shame, like a phantom conjurer who only performs deceptive tricks and speaks of impure matters. When among the assembly of monastics, they do not understand refuge. They stir up the roots of their passions like glue sticking to grass; defiling afflictions surround the root of their mind. The fires of the six senses blaze up, burning the seeds of goodness, destroying the pure white karma of past virtuous conduct. Their every movement, even raising a hand or taking a step, is like a sharp blade. Their eyes burn like fierce flames, their mouth is like a rakshasa, and every pore of their body is driven by the fire of lust.

Seventh: Those consumed by lust and desire create eight kinds of harmful actions: killing living beings, making tools for killing such as knives, swords, and clubs, arranging illicit unions between men and women, uttering gross falsehoods, drinking alcohol, singing songs that glorify sensual indulgence, or stealing all kinds of precious vessels and ornaments to adorn their own body—which is but a heap of worms. Driven by the mind-king, their eyes, like vicious dogs, greedily devour filth and impurity.

Eighth, those who are consumed by lust are driven by their desires. Their hearts burn like a great fire and are as hard as a mass of iron. They are bound to fall, destroying their pure conduct, and will inevitably be reborn in hell.

Ninth, those who are consumed by lustful desires, when their bodies perish and life ends, will in the blink of an eye—like a thrown pearl—inevitably fall into the Red Copper Hell. This Red Copper Hell measures seven thousand yojanas in length, width, and height. It resembles a forest of copper flowers, beneath which lies an iron bed. Upon the bed, there are hundreds of thousands of yojanas-high, eight-sided pillars of blazing copper. At the top of each pillar is a mirror, and within these mirrors naturally appear images of women or forms of men. Lustful individuals, stirred by affection and desire, ignite their passions, and at that very moment, flames erupt. The copper flowers transform into massive, scorching iron nails, the copper pillars turn into boiling molten copper, the cauldrons of soup and iron beds blaze with fire, the women transform into dogs, and the men into blades. The sinners are driven and trampled upon, enduring immeasurable suffering—gnawing on red-hot iron pellets, swallowing molten copper, unable to find death. They suffer for countless years, their lifespan lasting an entire kalpa.

Tenth, those who are consumed by lustful desires cannot see the Buddha. It is as if a thick cloud obscures their vision, corrupting their pure conduct. Such individuals are certain to fall into the Avīci Hell, where their bodies will fill the entire prison, and they will endure for one kalpa. Tossed and turned, they will suffer for yet another kalpa. At that time, King Yama will rebuke the sinners, saying: "You delighted in lustful desires, and now you suffer this torment. Do you find this pleasurable? For countless kalpas, you will repay the debts you owe to others, and this retribution will never cease."

After death in hell, they are reborn among pigeons and doves, or take the forms of dragons and serpents—all for defiling the pure life. For a hundred or a thousand lifetimes, they will not see the Buddha, nor hear the Dharma, and in the end, they will never attain the Way.

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke in verse:

The Buddha said to Shariputra: "If one can master one's mind and body, refraining from acts of lust; master the eyes, not gazing upon seductive sights; master the ears, not listening to seductive sounds; master the nose, not inhaling seductive scents; master the tongue, not tasting seductive flavors—this is what is called possessing complete Wisdom and walking the Noble Eightfold Path. By purifying body and mind through abstaining from lust, one is like a lotus flower unstained by dust and filth. The attainment of the Stream-enterer's path, the Once-returner's path, the Non-returner's path, the Arhat's path, the Pratyekabuddha's path, and the supreme Great Way—all arise from this purity of non-lust."

The Four Kinds of Verbal Karma are: lying, divisive speech, harsh speech, frivolous speech, and speech that praises wrong views.

The Buddha told Shariputra: "The four faults of speech involve ten great evil deeds. What are these ten?"

First, those who speak falsely and slander others, claiming to have heard what they have not heard, declaring they have attained the fruit of the path when they have not, asserting they have seen what they have never seen—such evil people, even if they are not ill, are like rabid dogs.

At that moment, the World-Honored One spoke in verse:

"Malicious speech" means that even if one's mouth is filled with fragrance, it stinks like a corpse, for one constantly takes pleasure in speaking of others' wrongdoings. The words that come from such a mouth are like thorns, knives, swords, spears, excrement, urine, worms, and pus. In the heavens and among humans, no fragrance surpasses kind speech; in the three realms, no stench exceeds malicious speech.

Second, a person who speaks harshly, the words they spit out are like raining iron pellets, burning and destroying the homes of others. In the future, such a person will fall into the great hell, where their body will be scorched by hot iron and they will drink molten iron. Even if they are reborn in the human world, they will become a mangy dog or a leper, and for countless kalpas they will constantly feed on pus and blood. Their thoughts will be entirely impure, in complete harmony with evil.

Third, duplicitous speech. A person who speaks duplicitously is like water and fire: they say what was not done was done; when others do good deeds, they speak clean and honest words, yet such a person wildly and arrogantly claims it is not so; what others have not done, they falsely claim was done. All people in the world never take pleasure in seeing such a person. They are certain to fall into the great evil paths, where a copper saw will cut their tongue into thousands of pieces.

Fourth, frivolous speech. Frivolous speech means turning what is above into what is below, and what is below into what is above; jesting without restraint, using clever words and sharp rhetoric; speaking useless words, harmful words, meaningless words; praising sensual desires, uttering unclear thoughts, spreading dark speech—sharp as thorns, dense as a forest, ensnaring sentient beings. For such evil karma, when this person’s life ends, they will fall into the Thorn-Forest Hell, where hundreds and thousands of iron thorns will hook their tongue and tear it into countless pieces.

Fifth, praising wrong views. A person with wrong views has a mouth like a blazing fire, burning all virtuous roots. They have no father, no mother, no Buddha, no Dharma, no Sangha of monks, no Arhats, no Pratyekabuddhas, no teacher, no friend, no good spiritual guide. Their mind is like a fierce wind, uprooting all trees of virtue—this is a great thief. They deny cause and effect, their mouth like a great flood, sweeping through the three realms. Indulging in unrestrained lust, teasing their peers, committing the five heinous acts, severing wisdom, violating the four grave prohibitions, and descending into the crimes of the Avīci Hell—all arise from wrong views, perverted thoughts, and evil intentions. The evil wind stirs up wicked, unwholesome speech; the fires of Avīci Hell give rise to iron spikes on the tongue. Such false speech, harsh speech, divisive speech, idle chatter, and praising wrong views—this greatly evil person, though in the world, composed of the four elements and adorned with the five aggregates, should know: the earth element is iron mountains, forests of blades, trees of swords, hundreds of thousands of iron spikes, countless iron insects, iron-beaked birds, iron nets, and chariots of thorns that crush their body. They should know: the water and fire elements are molten copper, countless boiling cauldrons, hot iron pellets, and rivers of boiling filth and iron flowing through their joints. They should know: every joint, large and small, naturally becomes like a bronze pillar; fires arise simultaneously from the six sense bases, burning body and mind, casting them into the great hells. They should know: the wind element is like hail and rain, countless forests of blades and hundreds of thousands of trees of swords, moving through their limbs, born from ravines and valleys. They should know: the five aggregates are five thieves; the eighteen rākṣasas belong to the hellish race, subjects of King Yama. Consciousness becomes hot iron, appearing like molten copper, filling the Avīci Hell. Those who were arrogant, strong, powerful, with harsh speech, cursing, slandering, and reviling others—where are they now?

The Buddha said to Shariputra: "One who speaks harshly, tells lies, slanders others, engages in frivolous talk, or praises wrong views—such a person is not merely a thief to one individual, but becomes a great plunderer to all heavenly beings and people in the world. It is like a band of robbers, powerful and unrestrained, who burn down a city, slaughter all its inhabitants, and even destroy all people across the four continents. How great, then, is the retribution such a person will receive?"

Shariputra said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, the offenses this person has accumulated are as vast and immeasurable as Mount Sumeru."

The Buddha said to Shariputra, "Although this person incurs great retribution for their misdeeds, it is not as severe as the immense and heavy retribution brought about in a single moment by false speech, harsh speech, divisive speech, frivolous speech, praising wrong views, or slandering the Dharma. Upon the destruction of their body and the end of their life, they will fall into the great hells, suffering endlessly for immeasurable eons, beyond the power of even a hundred thousand Buddhas to save them. The Buddhas see that those who slander the Dharma are born together with the hells of the ten directions and perish together with them. Therefore, the wise should guard their body and speech!"

The Buddha said to Shariputra: "If one upholds these ten virtuous precepts and abandons the ten evil deeds, they will be reborn in the heavens as Brahma kings, or descend into the human realm as wheel-turning monarchs. Through the teaching of the ten virtues, they will forever be separated from the hells and the three lower realms—just as a flowing stream eventually reaches the ocean of Nirvana. But if one violates the ten virtuous precepts, they will fall into the great hells, enduring immeasurable suffering for countless ages. Shariputra, you must earnestly uphold the practice of the ten virtuous precepts and eradicate the ten unwholesome deeds."

Then Shariputra and the entire assembly, having heard the Buddha's teaching, joyfully accepted and put it into practice.

The Sutra on the Ten Wholesome Precepts Spoken by the Buddha