Excerpt from Master Lu’s Q&A (266), 20 November 2018
On 2 November 2018 after I finished praying at the Guan Yin Citta Centre, Guan Yin Bodhisattva communicated telepathically with me, “I have ordered a Dharma Protector to take you to the Underworld tonight. There are matters regarding GuanYin Citta to be dealt with.
While I was sleeping that night, I felt that I was lighter than usual in the dream and my soul was escorted by a Dharma Protector to the Hall of the King of Hell in the Underworld. After handing over the scroll to the King, I stood to the side. There were two offenders kneeling on the ground. Both of their bodies were so charred that I couldn’t tell their gender.
That day, the King of Hell looked very solemn and stern. He glared and pointed at the offender on the left and said, “This offender was ordained as a monk when he was alive. His cultivation was not up to the mark, so he was of poor character, knowing nothing about heaven and earth. I have heard trials of humans in the Underworld for nearly a thousand years, yet I wouldn’t dare to claim that I have a complete grasp of the universe as well as matters concerning heaven and earth. You were only a monk practising for merely a few years, how much do you know about heaven and earth? (During my last visit to the Underworld, the King of Hell in charge of Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door’s matters in Country X was transferred from another Hall and he has been responsible for the enforcement of law for many years.)
“It is ill-befitting of you as a Buddhist cultivator to act so arrogantly. Guan Yin Citta is a Buddhist practice initiated by Guan Yin Bodhisattva who has assigned her disciple to the human world to save sentient beings who have affinities with her. Her disciple, Jun Hong Lu, preserved and sustained the Bodhisattva’s vow to spread her message of compassion. Even if you deluded mortals are blinded by ignorance, you shouldn’t have undermined the Dharma Door and destroyed the wisdom-life of millions of fellow Buddhists. Guan Yin Bodhisattva shows mercy towards you, but you should be responsible for your own karma. Though you have cultivated for years and made an in-depth study of Buddhist scriptures, the profoundness of Buddha-Dharma and the number of practices is not what you human beings can fathom.
“Forget it, I don’t wish to say anything more. Being a Buddhist monk, why didn’t you observe the Buddhist precepts? Using Buddhism as a front, what had you done behind people’s back? You donned the robe of a Buddhist monk, but what you did really brought disgrace to Buddhism. You unlawfully embezzled money donated by Buddhists. The precepts that you violated are considered to fall within the Five Great Misdeeds (patricide, matricide, killing an Arhat, shedding the Buddha’s blood, and causing schism in the monastic community), as well as the Four Great Prohibitions (deeds of killing, stealing, sexual misconduct and lying). Upon your death, you were sent to the Hell of Burning Flame for you to experience the agony of being burnt every day. These flames were created by the desires in your mind. In view of the merit and virtues that you had accumulated by reciting sutras and performing chanting rituals for the dead, you will be reborn in the human realm after your punishment is over.”
Next, the King of Hell pointed at the offender on the right and reprimanded, “When you were alive, you had a colleague who was practising Guan Yin Citta. Your ignorance of Buddhist precepts was self-explanatory, but you had also committed many deeds of verbal misconduct, and you obstructed Guan Yin Citta practitioners from propagating Buddhism. Don’t you know you are guilty of all kinds of evil? You had never done any good deeds when you were alive. On top of that, you were indulged in going whoring, gambling and drinking. After you were killed in a fatal car accident, you were sent to the Hell of Burning Flame. In view of the fact that you were kind-hearted and willing to help others, and because you committed the crimes out of ignorance, you would be permitted to be reborn in the human realm after you serve your time. The scroll in my hand shows that Guan Yin Bodhisattva has mercy on you, that’s why this Heavenly Child was assigned to deliver it to me, instructing me to show leniency towards you, and to allow this Heavenly Child to watch the trial so that she can share it with human beings to caution them against creating evil karma. You are allowed to use this merit accrued therefrom to reduce your negative karma so that you can be released from hell sooner.”
Afterwards, the King of Hell allowed me to return. I was enveloped in golden light which brought me back to the human world.
When I awoke, I was choked with emotions about the scenes that I had seen. The Underworld is very strict with those who defame the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, unlike the more lenient way they deal with other offenders, allowing them to plead for leniency.
From this incident, I couldn’t help bringing forth a heartfelt feeling of appreciation and reverence for Guan Yin Bodhisattva for her compassion. Her compassion knows no bounds. I’m ashamed of myself for not cultivating well enough as I still fret over trivial matters in this human world.