Dear Dharma Friends, Today we are gathered here in the city of Chung-far to discuss the topic of heaven and hell. Chung-far is situated in the central part of Taiwan and is the transportation hub between the north and south. Similarly, our saha world is a mid-way station bet-ween heaven and hell. There are two roads ahead of us, one to heaven and one to hell. The one we choose is up to us. While most of us would prefer heaven over hell, why is it that some of us end up in hell? Further, what do we have to do if we want to be reborn in heaven? These are important questions, and our understanding in these matters can help us choose the right path so that there will be no sur-prises.

There is a tale in the sutras which relates why some people enter heaven while others fall into hell. A man on his death bed took his last breath, and his consciousness was set free from his body. He thought he was a good man and would no doubt be reborn in one of the heavens. After wandering for a while, he finally came before a heavenly gate. He knocked, but no one answered. He knocked louder, but still no answer. He began to bang on the shut door and protested, "Open up! If this is joke, I am in no mood for one. I was a good man and gave to cha-rity. Why do you not let me in?"

Suddenly, the voice of the Jade Emperor came over the gate saying, "True, you have given alms and done some good, but it is not enough to offset the unwholesome karma you have also accumulated. You operated a gambling house, indirectly ruining the lives of many. Not only is there no place for you here, I have to send you to face judgment in hell."
With these words, the man was escorted to hell. As he stood waiting for judgment, he pleaded his case, "King Yama, I hope you have not forgotten that I have always made you offerings. Please show me your mercy."

King Yama replied sternly, "I thank you for the offerings, but I also have to be fair. You have taken the lives of many animals, and they had all filed complaints against you. We have rules here, too. I cannot put friendship ahead of justice. You still have to reckon with the consequences of your actions."

This tale shows us that there are just causes lead-ing to rebirth in heaven or hell. If we do not have the right understanding of what constitutes wholesome acts, we may be in for a surprise when we have to face the consequences of our actions. 

I. Understanding the Heavenly and Hellish Realms

Many religions believe in the existence of hea-vens and hells, and Buddhism is no exception. More accurately, Buddhism believes in the existence of a heavenly realm and a hellish realm. These two realms together with the asura, human, animal, and hungry ghost realms make up what we call the six realms of existence, and which realm we are reborn into depends on our cumulative karma. The heaven-ly realm is in turn made up of the six heavens in the realm of desire, the eighteen heavens in the realm of form, and the four heavens in the realm of form-lessness. The hellish realm consists of eighteen hells: the eight burning hells, the eight freezing hells, the hell of isolation, and the secondary hell.

The six heavens in the realm of desire (or the kar-maloka) consist of Caturmaharajakayika, Trayas-trimsa, Antariksa, Tusita, Nirmanarati, and Paranir-mitavasavartin. Caturmaharajakayika is guarded by the four guardians of Indra: Vaisramana in the north, Dhrtarastra in the east, Virudhaka in the south, and Virupaksa in the west. Trayastrimsa is also known as the Thirty-Third Heaven, It is ruled by Indra, often referred to as the Jade Emperor in Chinese folklore. Tusita is often mentioned in the sutras be-cause this is where Maitreya Bodhisattva currently teaches. These heavens are called the heavens of desire because the celestial beings here still enjoy sensual pleasures.

There are eighteen heavens in the realm of form, or the rupaloka. In these heavens, there is no dis-tinction of gender, and the celestial beings here have no desire for sensual pleasures such as eating and resting. They do, however, still have form, and they look magnificent. They find joy in the Dharma and in quiet contemplation.

In the four heavens of the realm of formlessness, or the arupaloka, celestial beings have transcended both the limitations of form and the desire for sen-sual pleasures. They do not have a physical exis-tence, only a spiritual one. They live in the joy of the Dharma and in constant dhyana.
Like the heavenly realm above, the hellish realm is also made up of many hells, eighteen to be exact. Like the artistic renditions of Dante's masterpiece the Inferno, the Chinese also have many vivid de-pictions of the agony in the hellish realm. The tor-tures in hell are also frequently incorporated in Chinese myths and folklores. The sufferings come in many form, such as burning, freezing, whipping, and isolation.

One of the eight burning hells is called Samjiva, or Undying Hell. It is a place for those who have caused great harm to others. In Samjiva, beings are chopped up, poked at, or ground to pieces. This is not the worst part, yet. If they become unconscious under the pain, they are revived with a cold wind so the cycle may start all over again. Beings in Kala-sutra, or Black Rope Hell, are first measured with a black rope, then they are marked and sawed into pieces like a piece of wood. The third of the eight burning hells is called Samghata. This is where two ranges of mountains meet to crush those who are being punished. In Raurava (wailing) and Maharau-rava (big wailing), the pain is so great that wailing permeates the place. Burning by fire is the punish-ment in Tapana (burning) and Pratapana (intense burning). In Avici, or Endless Hell, the punishment is most intense and continues without pause.

Beings in the eight freezing hells are exposed to extreme cold. In the Arbuda hell, the extreme cold causes frostbite and blisters. In Nirarbuda, the colder still condition causes the blisters to rupture. The Atata, Apapa, and Hahadhana hells are named after the clattering sounds that beings there make as they shiver in the biting cold. In the remaining three hells, the cold causes the flesh to crack, leaving marks resembling huge lotus buds.

The hell of isolation and the secondary hell are located in the midst of our saha world, in ravines, on mountain peaks, or even in the sky above. As long as sentient beings continue to act in unwholesome ways, these hells and their gruesome punishments will continue to exist.

II. Conditions in Heaven and Hell

Celestial beings enjoy many blessings. Take, for instance, the manner of their build. They are tall and dignified in appearance. While the average height of modern man is around 180 centimeters, celestial beings are many times taller. In Caturmaharaja-kayika heaven, celestial beings are 300 meters tall. In the rupaloka heavens, the height of celestial beings can reach up to 265,000 kilometers! Com-pared to us, celestial beings are indeed gargantuan. If you think this is preposterous, just consider the tiny ants on the ground. When they look up at us, they must think that our stature is beyond imagi-nation.

The life span of celestial beings is incredibly long. Most of us do not even live to one hundred years. In Trayastrimsa, life span can reach hundreds of thou-sands of years. In the celestial scheme of things, such a life span is not particularly long; life spans in the arupaloka heavens are many, many times longer than that.

What good is a long life if celestial beings do not enjoy their lives? Through the accumulation of wholesome karma over many lifetimes, celestial beings enjoy a worry-free life. They are not in want of anything. The notion of work is non-existent, for they do not have to toil to provide themselves with shelter and food. When they need food, all they have to do is reflect on it and food will appear. This type of pleasure that is not driven by wants is called "desireless joy." Life in the heavens is free of grief, worry, and hatred. In the rupaloka and arupaloka heavens, celestial beings derive their joy from the calmness of mind and the quiet contemplation of the Dharma. They see through the impermanence of material desire and the suffering that such pleasure germinates.

While the heavens are such delightful places, the bliss is not everlasting. Heavenly blessings are the results of wholesome karma and as such are con-ditioned. Regardless of how long and blissful ce-lestial life is, it is still bound and limited. When the effects, or rewards, of their wholesome karma come to an end, they still have to course through the cycle of rebirth like all of us. Human beings age, so do celestial beings. The end of their life spans is ac-companied by the emergence of the five decaying signs. Their clothing becomes old and dingy, the flowers on their crowns wither, their bodies begin to perspire, their once fresh fragrance turns stale and sour, and they become agitated and uneasy. Even in arupaloka, the realm of formlessness, the bliss is bounded. When blessings are exhausted, celestial beings there experience pains like that of being burned, drowned, or whipped by severe winds. Be-cause the heavenly realm is still part of the six realms of existence, impermanence still rules and the law of cause and effect still applies. As long as there is arising, there is ceasing.

What are the conditions of life in hell? Hell is the most painful realm among the six realms of exis-tence and is reserved for those with the most weigh-ty unwholesome karma. To help us visualize the sufferings there, we can close our eyes and imagine what it is like to walk on burning sands or up a mountain of knives while carrying heavy loads and being whipped time and time again. Multiply this pain many times over and we still cannot appro-ximate the suffering in hell. One of the greatest pains on earth is to struggle in vain to stay alive. In hell, the worst part of the suffering comes from not being able to die and so escape the pain. 
The suffering in hell has five aspects. First, punishment is continuous without reprieve. Second, the body experiences different kinds of pain all at the same time. Third, time seems to stretch on with-out passing. Even if one were to lose consciousness from the pain, one would be revived again to face further torment. Fourth, the implements of punish-ment are numerous. Some are chained to pillars of fire, others are doused with melting copper, and others still are subjected to extreme cold. Fifth, the hellish realm is ceaselessly full of all kinds of living beings.

How is it that we know of the conditions in the heavens and hells? Do we have any testimonials of people who have witnessed the joys of heaven or the torments in hell? In Section 146 of the Tai-ping Kuang Chi (General Records of Tai-ping), we can read about the experience of the founding emperor of the T'ang dynasty when he visited the underworld. Section 45 of the Fo Tzu Tung Chi (Records of the Buddha and Early Patriarchs) is a record of the Sung scholar Ou-yang Hsiu's eyewitness account of the underworld and his meeting with King Yama. From the sutras, we learn that the Buddha went to Trayastrimsa to teach the Dharma to his deceased mother. On another occasion, the Buddha took one of his disciples, Nanda, to visit the heavens and hells. Nanda was lax in his practice, and the Buddha used the skillful means of showing Nanda the blessings that would await him if he would practice diligently. Later when Nanda practiced for the sake of heavenly blessings, the Buddha took him to tour the hells to show him that heavenly rewards do not last forever. When Hsu-yun, the great contemporary monk, was a hundred and twelve, he visited the Tusita heaven during one of his sitting meditations. There he saw Maitreya Bodhisattva teaching the Dharma. Maitre-ya pointed to an empty seat to his east side and invited him to sit down. After he settled himself, he realized that Ananda and Venerable Hsuan-tsang were there as well. Hsu-yun stayed in samadhi2 for nine days. After he came out of samadhi, he re-counted what happened to his disciples who re-corded the testimonial in his biography. These are but a few of the testimonials of those who have seen the conditions in the various heavens and hells.

III. Entry Into Heaven or Downfall Into Hell

We all wish to go to heaven, but what are the causes that lead one to be reborn into the heavenly realm? The sutras tell us that the highway to heaven is paved with the three meritorious acts of giving alms, observing the precepts, and practicing medi-tative concentration. Giving alms is not just about the giving of money. It is not an exclusive practice reserved only for the rich. There are many ways to practice generosity, such as the giving of ourselves or helping others when we are needed. Even simple gestures like a greeting, a few words of encourage-ment, or a smile are acts of generosity, and the merit from such generosity is not any more or less than the giving of money. While these acts of generosity are essentially effortless, they are often the catalyst to our success. In today's society, niceties have given way to cynicism. When we see someone doing good, we often wonder what his ulterior motive is. Cri-ticism has taken the place of praise or encourage-ment. When we see someone succeed, we may ques-tion if the success is well deserved. Such negative attitudes have a way of eating us up and rob us of the joys of life. If we are generous and compas-sionate, we will see the best in every situation. We will find heaven wherever we are.

Observing the precepts is like obeying the laws of the land. A progressive society is ruled by the laws of the people. When the public observes the laws, prosperity has a chance to take root. When everyone observes the precepts, a community is morally strong. Within the Buddhist tradition, the most basic precepts that we all should observe are the Five Precepts: refraining from killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, and the taking of in-toxicants. The common theme of these precepts is to refrain from violating yourself or others. To refrain from killing is to respect the lives of others. To refrain from stealing is not to infringe upon the pro-perty rights of others. To abstain from sexual mis-conduct is to respect the body and integrity of others. To abstain from lying and false speech is not to impugn others' reputations. To abstain from into-xicants and stimulants is to avoid doing mental or physical harm to ourselves. We now live in a world in which the providing of security is a booming business. The myriad security measures that keep the crooks out also make us prisoners of our own homes. If everyone were to keep the Five Precepts, we could even return to a time when we did not need to lock the doors at night. The world would be a much better place. 

The third element for being reborn into the hea-venly realm is meditative concentration, or calmness of the mind. When we are calm, we are in control of our actions, enabling us to observe the precepts. Even in our daily lives, meditative concentration is a reprieve from the hectic pace of the day. When we are tired, a few minutes of sitting meditation can re-fresh our energy much better than an hour of sleep. First, we sit in a lotus position, either a full lotus or half lotus. Second, we close our eyes and mouth, and relax our facial muscles with a light smile. Third, we concentrate the mind by counting our breaths. We all know how to breathe, but our breathing is often rushed and unrefined. The object in counting our breaths is to moderate our breathing from one that is hasty to one that is gentle and unhurried. The slower the breathing, the better it is. Lastly, the mind is calmed so that the internal tranquility mirrors the external quietude. The serenity of meditative con-centration is a slice of heaven.

While the highway to heaven is paved with the three meritorious acts of giving alms, observing the precepts, and meditative concentration, the gate to hell can only be opened by transcendental power, grave unwholesome karma, and the strength of vows. Anyone who has attained transcendental power can freely access the heavenly realm and hellish realm. Transcendental power is not based on magic but grows out of compassion and meditative concen-tration. Maudgalyayana, one of the Buddha's disci-ples, was renowned for his transcendental power. Once when the Buddha was away in Trayastrimsa teaching the Dharma to his mother, King Kausambi became so distraught by the absence of the Blessed One that he asked Maudgalyayana to take a sculptor there to sculpt an image of the Buddha. At another time, Maudgalyayana wanted to know the where-abouts of his deceased mother. He used his trans-cendental vision and saw his mother suffering in hell. On the advice of the Buddha, he realized trans-cendental power alone could not overcome the force of karma, and his mother could only be saved by the merit of honoring the Sangha. This is the beginning of the Ullabama Dharma Service, by means of which many beings have been saved. Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva has tremendous transcendental power, a direct result of his compassion to help all sentient beings in their times of need.

The sutras say, "The incredible force of karma exerts its effect even from afar. When the effect ripens, there is no hiding from it." Karma means action, in particular volitional action. Inherent in all our actions, or karma, is a force which when it works itself out becomes the effect. When we cause pain and suffering, we leave behind a force that will boomerang back onto us, driving us into the hellish realm. Sentient beings are reborn into the hellish realm as a result of their unwholesome karma and not because of the judgment handed down by a god or yama king. We reap what we sow. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about this. When we die, we leave everything behind, that is with the exception of our karma. If we do not want to be reborn into the hellish realm, we should be vigilant of the karma we create.

While sentient beings are driven into hell by the force of their unwholesome karma, buddhas and bodhisattvas manifest in the hell worlds out of their vows of compassion to help those suffering there. Bodhisattvas know that, like sick patients who are in desperate need of the physician's care, the beings in hell cry out for help and relief. Out of compassion, they do not hesitate to help the suffering beings in hell. Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva's commitment to save all beings in hell is well known. Knowing full well that there will always be sentient beings who will always create unwholesome karma, he did not hesi-tate to vow, "As long as one sentient being remains in hell, I vow not to enter buddhahood." "If I do not enter the doors of hell, who will?" The enormity of his compassion is only matched by the immensity of his task.

IV. Interpreting the Meaning of Heaven and Hell

Where exactly are the heavens and hells located? Heaven is not necessarily up above and hell down below. We can find heaven and hell right here on earth. While we say celestial beings enjoy plentiful material comforts and luxury, in many ways we are no different. Look at life in prosperous countries like Taiwan or the United States. We have plenty of varieties of food from all over the world. In terms of accommodation, we enjoy all kinds of amenities. By the touch of a button, we get to watch news as it happens in all corners of the world. Most houses come with wall-to-wall carpeting, cushioning our feet as we walk around the house. Airplanes can take us to many destinations, and telephones allow us to stay connected with our friends in far away places.
The hellish sufferings described in the sutras can also be witnessed right here on earth. Because of global warming, many animals and human beings have died of heat exhaustion when struck by a prolonged heat wave. The heat in the desert reminds us of the torment in the burning hells of hell. When mountaineers got lost and had to stay outdoors in frigid weather, they got a taste of freezing hell. Ma-ny animals are slaughtered everyday. They are cut up into pieces, and the pain they endure is not unlike the torment in Samjiva. The Chinese like to eat exo-tic food, and often the ways in which these animals are killed are incredibly inhumane. Snakes are rip-ped out of their skins alive, and birds are chased out of their homes so that their nests can be collected for sale. We create a hell right here on earth.

Open the newspaper and we can read about the atrocities of war everyday. While we read with hor-ror about the suffering that was inflicted on the Jews during the Holocaust, we human beings still have yet to learn our lesson. The ethnic cleansing in the Balkans is an example of a living hell. In Africa, over twenty million people are infected with the AIDS virus. Many children are orphaned and the problem is growing everyday. The famine of Ethio-pia is another example of the epic proportion of suf-fering that is right here on this earth. 
We do not even have to look outside of ourselves to find heaven and hell. According to the T'ien-t'ai school of Chinese Buddhism, our one thought embo-dies the three thousand chiliocosms. Similarly, the Yogachara school says that all phenomena are crea-tions of the mind. We human beings are constantly swayed by the changes of the external environment. Sometimes, we feel like we are on cloud nine, and at other times we find ourselves in the depth of de-pression. When we get up in the morning and our minds are clear, we are in the realm of buddhas. When we are hungry and become impatient with the people around us, we behave like hungry ghosts. When we have arguments with others and our minds become filled with hatred, we are knocking on the doors of hell. The Vimalakirti Sutra says, "When the mind is pure, the land is pure." If we can look at the world without agitation, heaven surrounds us. We do not have to look far for heaven and hell; they are within our mind.

The following Ch'an story is an example of how we create heaven and hell. Once a warrior went to visit Bai-yin, a Ch'an master. The warrior asked, "Is it true heavens and hells really exist? How do we go to heaven and avoid hell?"

The Ch'an master glanced up and asked noncha-lantly, "What do you do for a living?"

"I am a warrior."

The Ch'an master answered jeeringly, "Look at yourself, do you call yourself a warrior?"

The warrior was furious. He had asked the ques-tion respectfully, and he did not expect to be treated like this. He pulled out his sword and waved it in front of the Ch'an master. Bai-yin laughed, "See, the doors of hell are now wide open."

The warrior caught himself. He quickly put back his sword and apologized. The Ch'an master smiled and told him, "Now, you've just opened the gates of heaven." Where are the heavens and hells? Heaven and hell are right here on earth. They are also in our mind. We hold the keys to both of them. The door we open is entirely up to us.

We all want to go to heaven. We have just said that the heavenly realm is this wonderful place where beings look magnificent, live longer, and are free of the mundane worries of life. The sutras also teach us that the highway to heaven is paved with the three meritorious acts of giving alms, observing the precepts, and practicing meditative concentration. Does it mean that the heavenly realm is the be all and end all? No. Celestial beings do enjoy years of heavenly bliss, but their happiness is limited and impermanent. The sutras tell us that a Buddhist prac-titioner should seek rebirth, not in the heavenly realm, but in Amitabha's Pure Land. What is a pure land? How does it differ from the heavenly realm? A pure land is different from the heavenly realm in one key area. The heavenly realm is still within the six realms of existence, and as such there is birth as well as death. When the life span of celestial beings is exhausted, they also go through an aging or decay-ing process. Amitabha's Pure Land is outside the cycle of rebirth. Sentient beings are reborn there by transformation into a lotus flower. Once one reaches the Pure Land, one does not regress back into the wheel of rebirth. Some of you may then say that the Amitabha's Pure Land is the same as the heaven of the Christian religion, and the difference is just a matter of semantics. Actually the two are not the same. Venerable Yin-shun, a contemporary master, pointed out two differences between the Buddhist Pure Land and the Christian heaven. First, in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss3, there is complete equality, with no class difference. This is not true for the Christian heaven where only God is God and other heavenly beings will never become God. In the Pure Land, everyone can become a buddha. Second, Christians believe that going to heaven is the final fulfillment or the ultimate state. This contrasts with the Buddhist teachings that one still needs to prac-tice even after being reborn into the Pure Land. In the Pure Land, as one is reborn by transformation in-to a lotus flower, one must continue to practice until the lotus flower blooms. In other words, one learns the Dharma and practices accordingly until buddha-hood is attained.

While it is commendable to aspire to be reborn in the heavenly realm or in a pure land, we should not make light of the fact that rebirth in the human realm is precious. We should not look at our pre-sence on earth as merely a stepping stone to the heavenly realm or a pure land, or a phase that we hope will soon come to pass so that we may be reborn in a "better" place. We should take our pre-sence on earth for what it is. We have disappoint-ments and sorrows, but we can also learn from our experiences. There are many distractions in this world, but we can look at them as material for our practice. In a certain way, the saha world is a better place to practice than the blissful heavenly realm. We are not lulled into complacency because we are constantly reminded through the many sufferings of sentient beings that the need to practice is urgent. The sutras teach us that "when the mind is pure, the land is also pure." We should do our part in creating a pure land on earth. When we practice the golden rule of treating others like we want to be treated our-selves, we are creating a pure land on earth. Through compassion and patience, we find happiness and peace.

Appendix

The six heavens in the karmaloka, or the realm of desire, are:
1. Caturmaharajakayika (The Caturma-harajakayika is guarded by the four guardian generals of Indra: Vaisrama-na in the north, Dhrtarastra in the east, Virudhaka in the south, and Virupaksa in the west.)
2. Trayastrimsa, 
3. Antariksa, 
4. Tusita, 
5. Nirmanarati, and 
6. Paranirmitavasavartin. 

The eighteen heavens in the rupaloka, or the realm of form, are:
-the three first dhyana heavens (or Prathamad-dhyana Bhumi) of
1. Brahmaparisadya,
2. Brahmakayika,
3. Mahabrahma,
-the three second dhyana heavens (or Diviti-yaddhyana Bhumi) of
4. Parittabha,
5. Apramanabha,
6. Abhasvara,
-the three third dhyana heavens (or Tritiyad-dhyana Bhumi) of
7. Parittasubha,
8. Apramanasubha,
9. Subhakrtsna,
-the nine fourth dhyana heavens (or Caturhad-dhyana Bhumi) of
10. Anabhraka, 
11. Punyaprasava,
12. Brhatphala, 
13. Asanjnisattva,
14. Avrha,
15. Atapa,
16. Sudrsa,
17. Subdarsana, and
18. Akanistha.

The four heavens in the arupaloka, or the realm of formlessness, are:
1. Akasanantyayatana,
2. Vijnananantyayatana,
3. Akincanyayatana, and
4. Naivasam Jnanasamjnayatana.

The eight burning hells are:
1. Samjiva (the undying hell),
2. Kalasutra (the black rope hell),
3. Samghata (the squeezing hell)
4. Raurava (the wailing hell),
5. Maharaurava (the deafening wailing hell),
6. Tapana (the burning hell),
7. Pratapana (the intense burning hell), and
8. Avici (the endless hell).

The eight freezing hells are:
1. Arbuda (blistering cold),
2. Nirarbuda (blister bursting cold),
3. Atata (teeth chattering sound),
4. Apapa (another teeth chattering sound),
5. Hahadhana (another teeth chattering sound), 
6. Utpala (freezing burns like green lotus blossoms),
7. Padma (freezing burns like red lotus blossoms), and
8. Madapadma (freezing burns like huge red lotus blossoms).