THE GREAT MAUDGALYAYANA RESCUES HIS MOTHER FROM HELL

From the Tun-huang Pien-wen Manuscript P2319

Now on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the heavens open up, the gates of hell swing wide, the karma of the Three Paths [of Pain] J is dis-

_ solved, and the Ten Commandments" overflow.

../ The assembly of monks~anghi'l has set down this date as a holy day of thariR-sglVing, and so the eight classes of supernatural beings" all come to observe this occasion. The assembly makes offerings of its worldly goods so that those who have passedaway may change their fate and improve their lot. For this reason, on the Avalamba Festi~ we offer up a hundred tasty sacrifices to the

'They are the hen of fires, the hen of blood, and the AsipatIra Hen of Swords.

'They are the opposites of killing, stealing, adultery, lying, speaking with a double tongue, slandering, filthy language. covetousness. anger. and perverted views.

3They are the eight classes of supernatural beings mentioned in the Lotus Sulra: deua {celestial spirits}. nag'll (dragons), yaksha (demons in earth. air, and hen), gandharva (musicians of the Shakra heaven-one of the eight heavens), asura (war demons), garuda (mythical birds). kinnara (musicians with men's bodies and horses' heads), and maharago (demons shaped like the boa).

.. This festival of all souls (Yu-lan hui in Chinese) takes place

1 on the fifteenth of the seventh month. when prayer services are said by Buddhist monks and Taoist priests and elaborate offerings are made to the Buddhist triad (see footnote 5) for the purpose of releasing from the purgatory the souls of those who have died on land and sea.

TRANSLATED BY EUGENE EOYANG

Honorable Triad' in supplication for divine mercy on the entire congregation, and first to rescue those who hang upside down from their distress."

Long ago, when Buddha lived in this world, he -had a disciple, Mu-llen [Maudgalyayanal.' whose secular name, before he joined the order, was Lopu. Mu-llen was deeply committed to the Three Treasure~ revered the Greater Vehicle [Mahayanal."IO~he wanted to go to another

country for new adventures, so he divided up his

'The Buddha. the Law, and [he Ecclesla,

a Hanging upside down refers to the condition of certain condemned souls, especially those for whom the Festival of Avalamba is held.

1 Maudgalyayana (or Maha-Maudgalyayana, or Maudgalaputra], noted for his miraculous powers. was one of the ten disciples of Shakyamuni (Shih-chia-mou-ni in Chinese), the principal Buddha. Formerly an ascetic, Maudgalyayana agreed with Shariputra, another major disciple of the Buddha known for his wisdom and learning, that whoever first found the truth would reveal it to the other. In Buddhist iconography, Shariputra appears on Buddha's right. Maudgalyayana on his left.

a Same as the Buddhist triad .

"The Mahayana school is one of the main traditions of Buddhism. It is now made up of various syncretistic sects found chiefly in Tibet. Nepal, China, and Japan. Emphasis is placed on compassion. universal salvation, enlightenment, and wls-

.~ .

443

I r - \-"1 .. -,'~.-

) , ('b

"; ..r t .,'. r ,'. \ ~'-

.l.;,'1""'-;· .. ··..;· --

.........

-...vL--\.":_ r •• ~';_ L't-_; 1""" f "----\ /.~·r· -: - ) tions 13 on the day of the surnrner sacrifices, with their cumulative stren@i'_~l!Q~save her. This is

why tile -B·udd_h~ in his compassion, instituted this mean2>1!.I}Q.establisl:le.c!..r,_b.~J:~~tiY21 of the Avalambgespecially for this purpose:' _ ..

THE ARCHETYPAL QUESTING MAN

The Great Maudgalyayana Rescues His Mother from Hell

worIdy possessions. He instructed his mother to initiate offerings, su pplying provisions to \'lllnd_!;ring Bud~onks as well as any other rm:_ndicants who came by. But after Lo-pu left, his

) mother became stingy and selfish, and the wealth which had been entrusted to her was secretly hidden away. Her son, in the course of time, completed his travels and returned home. The

mother told the son, "I have, as you instructed, given alms and built up our blessings." And so, because she had deceived both the secular and the holy community, she dropped straight away down to the Avichi Hell!" to suffer innumerable tortures after she died.

Lo-pu, after three years of mourning, offered himself to the service of Buddha, was admitted into the holy order, and devoted himself to religious practices. By obeying the Law, he2~ed the blessed state '<if an ·arhat in the end.!' Then, with his'triiiis<£iiaent eyes, he looked all over for his dear mother, but in all the six realms of life . 3md death.!" there was no tri!_c!! of her. Mu-lien-l

r consulted the World-Honored One [the Buddha]: \ "~h~:e is my good mother enjoying eternal

..bJissj .. '-.'--.J

To this, the World-Honored One answered Mu-lien, "Your mother has already descended down to the Avichi Hell, where she is suffering innumerable tortures. Alth~gh xou'~e attained the

I heightsof arhatship, what can you do? On.!}' the efforts of the ass.emble_qmmikSfi'omaIl direc-

There he sat down. facing the void, in meditation, etc., etc.

[20 lines] -_ _.

\ From the moment Mu-lien emerged from meditation, He quickly achieued sU/lema/ural power.

1: He came as suddenly as a clap if thunder, , And went away like the whirlwind.

, [4 lines]

Wilh the superontural status, he achieved spolltaneill''Throwing his magICal begging bawl [in the sky], he l;aped into

heaven.

In almost 110 time, he went

&1 the w_ay up-to the realm of Brahma, au etc, etc .. 89 lines]

unable to find his mother. Instead, he saw eight or nine men and wO!lli:)1 who were wandering around with nothing to do. Mu-llen stepped forward and asked their business and where they came from:

v\ .

I \

f"g:pu.fral1i:olllC time his parents died I'

(;Ylolll7led three ~ears until the obligalioll was at'tT.

\to henr music alld 1I0t rejoice spoils aile's appearallce; To eat delicacies alld not find them tast." is badfor flesh alld . ~ bone. - ..• - ....

It is said that the Tathngata [the Buddlla], when he was ill the

Deer Park, I:;

Took pity at ouce on all th» people of the world.

Today, I search for the Way in order to find the Talhagata, Alld go to the Twin Grot'e In to ask the Buddha, etc" etc." [40 lilies] IN

UNa, no! Don't bow toward me. Good souls, who are ~ou?

Why are you all milling around here, Wandering about with nothing to do?" 8 lines]

They replied, lelling the monk:

lilt's only because we have the same surnames and given

names,

That aur names were confused, and we were summoned here. We wandered aroundfar afew da)'s.

Proven innocent, we were released, and then went home, But we had be'!.n_b~'i!..d premalllr:e~r.famil!es.

[II lines]

To moan and bewail our [at» does no good in the end. [1 line]

Please go to lell the men and women in our families,

I Tell them to perf ann good taorhs 10 save the dead from misfortune, U etc .• elc.

Mu-Iien went to D~a to look for his fa-

\,11) I~', ther. At one gate, he met an old man, to whom he said, "I, a poor monk, was named Lo-pu when I was young. After my parents passed away, I left

~ v..~./ home and entered the order of Buddha, cutting

off my hair and shaving my beard. I'm now ~ ",f,,, known as Great Maudgalyayana, and I'm well known for my supernatural power:'

When the old man was told Mu-llen's childhood name, he knew that he was his son. "It's been so long since we last saw each other. How have you been?"

Lo-pu, or Mu-llen, recognized his good father and, after inquiring as to his welfare, asked, "And my good mother, where is she now receiving the rewards of happiness?"

"Your mother's karma," the old man answered, "while she lived, was different from mine. I obthe Ten Commandments, and obeyed the ";'d'\~liI"\.f Five Prohibitions.s! and so when I died my spirit lived on in heaven. But.your mother, all the days ,/\ofher Iife.xommitted n~si.ru; so when she

died, she dropped down to hell. Ask around for your mother in the dark alleys of Jambudvipa." 22 After hearing this, Mu-lien said farewell to his father and descended from heaven, But he was

On the day when Mu-llen went to the trees in the Twin Grove, he [h'!.c!_i!h:ea~Y~Q!!l~ an arhat. Howdid this come about? Truly the Lotus Sutra says; "rlieranks of the poor first accept the value, then dispose of the wastes." This is it. First one attains arhatship, then one follows the Way. Look at Mu-llen, sitting deep-in-the mountains in attitudes, of.!!Jeditation! Hi(fathe~ was lh'ing in Dsya~ra.''' . = -

Mil-lien cut off Ius hair, shaved his head,

And thereupon toent deep ill/a Ille mountains.

Dnrk c11Id deep. where it,was quiet, ulilll no one Ground.

13The text reads "the ten directions," which include the four cardinal and the fou r iruercardiual directions as well as "up" and "down."

J..1 In the manuscript P2319. the verse lines appear in a runon pattern. with no space between the lines.

13 The Deer Park (also. known as Mrigadava). the site of the Buddha's famous first sermon. was a retreat of the wise.

IQThe sal trees under which the Buddha entered nirvana.

G 17 "Etc., etc." (yUill yun in Chinese) is a formula used in the xt to in.di~te either an opportunity for further elaboradon r an ormssrcn.

IRThe figure indicates the number of lines found in the other scrolls.P?rticularly the contextually more complicate.~

52614, but not II! P2319.

I!I Devapura (or Devalckn) is the palace of the devas (the heavenly beings) and the abode of the gods. This sentence not in the Tun-huang pien-asm chi. .

Mu-llen remained silent for a While, and then he said, "Do you know [a certain] Lady Ch'ingtli?"

"No one among us knows her," they replied.

"Where does thelY::_ma K~live?" Mu-llen ': f 'e

then asked, -. .' vd

"Your Reverence," they answered, "go north several steps further, and you'll see in the distance a triple-layered gate, guarded by thousands of strong men, all wielding swords and staffs. This is the gate of the Yama King."

Mu-llen, upon hearing this, went north several ':t-'" paces and then saw the triple-layered gate, where i, the strong men were herding and prodding numberless sinners and driving them in, Mu-Iien went forward looking for his mother and, not being

able to find her, he stood by the side of the road

and cried loudly. Afterward he dried his tears and proceeded forward. After explaining why he was

"'The Avichi Hell, the last and deepest of the eight hot hells (vs, the eight cold hells), is the place where the condemned go thruugh endless cycles of suffering, death, and rebirth without

intepnission.., ,

lI~n arh~V is one who has acquired transcendent powers over nature, matter, time. and space. Arhatship is to be sueceeded either b)' buddhahood or by immediate entrance into nirvana (the state of perfect freedom and the absorption of the individual into the supreme spirit).

12 These represent the six directions of reincarnation. i.e .• three upper forms (the spirits of heaven, men. and awesome demons), and three lower forms (animals, hungry ghosts. and denizens of hell).

20 Brahma is the father of all living beings.

21 The first five of the Ten Commandments.

22 Jambudvipa is the southern one of the four continents which, according to Indian mythology, comprise the world.

445

444

THE ARCHETYPAL QUESTING MAN

The Great Maudgalyayana Rescues His Mother from Hell

there, he was permitted an aud~h the Iili!g. The gatekeeper let him in to see the king, who asked him to state his business.

When the kjng saw L\fu~lien came in,

He clasped his hands, shrank back, and nearl)' stood. uYOUT ReverenceJ you couldn't have any business here!" Then, hastily behind the desks, the two bowed to each other,

etc., etc. [29 lin!,,]

When Mu-lien had finished, the king called him up the dais to meet the Bodhisattva Kshitigarbha,23 and Mu-llen paid his respects.

"You've come to look for your mother?" "Yes, I've come to look for my mother." "Your mother committed many sins when she

was alive; she w.as~.Q'!!!p!.e.!ely and utterly evil, _ill!d must have_.droppe~ down to [hell]. You just go on, I'll be there right away." -

The king then summoned the keeRer of karma, the commissioner of fate, and the custodian of r~s, who all responded immediately and came before him.

"This monk's mother is Lady Ch'ing-t'i, How long ago did she die?"

"Your Majesty," the keeper of karma said, "Lady Ch'ing-t'i has already been dead now for three years. The record of her penance is filed with the recorder of the Heavenly Court as well as the commandant oft~Iountains:'24 The

I king summoned the ~ QQWvho respectively record good and evil deeds and sent them to the T'ai Mountains to check out which hell Lady

Ch'ing-t'i was in. The king added, "Your Reverence, you'd better go along with these two boys,

:l~ Kshirigarbha, one: of a grou p of eight Dhyani or Medltation Bodhisattvas, is the savior of lost souls and the deliverer from hell.

2.<4 Since the Han period, the worship of the Tai Mountains was combined with the Buddhist concept of hell to place the god of the: Tai Mountains as the counterpart of [he Varna King on earth: hence it is his line of duty to administer matters concerning life, death, reincarnation, the government of men and spirits.

and ask the General of the\~s)'s He should know where she's gone."

When Mu-llen heard this, he took his leave of (.j) the king and went out. B>fru:e.he-luiel ge~t a few steps, he came uponltheRiveLofFutility.t-B

\ There he saw countless sinners who had doffed

their clothes and hung them up on the trees, cry- 1· \_~ . ing over and over again in loud lament, wanting ',Y\v-7Y '1 to cross the river but unable to, pacing back and

forth, at sixes and sevens, holding their heads and sobbing. Mu-llen asked them what had happened:

All weeping and sobbing both eyes sore:

"We have been dead only a very short lime; Your mother, good monk, we really don't knm». In life we all committed man)' sins;

Only in suffering loday do we begin to repent.

You may have wives and concubines by the droues, But who would be willing to die in your stead? When you have departed from these depths,

\ Please report this to ourmucmd grandSoru:

. 'Never mind the white jade for our coffins;

;In vain, the yellow gold buried in our lambs. !Persislenl mourning. signs of sorrow are cif no use, ,And tabor music, stringed dirges, we can't hear. 'If you want to end our torment and suffering,

Nothing is beller than works if charity to save lost souls.',"

~.-" ---_._- --- ~

L.. .. I "Your Reverence, please pass on the message

, u for us, asking them to do more charity works in order to save the deceased. Aside from the Buddha himself, no one is able to save us. Good

monk, we hope very much that [the boats of] your bodhi [perfect wisdom] and nirvana [perfect freedom] will constantly appear to deliver all the living beings. The sword of wisdom is to be constantly sharpened, and the grove of worries is to be cut down, so that majesty spreads to all the hearts of the world. This may well be the fulfillment of the ideal of all the Buddhas. If we are to be delivered from the mire and the mud, this is indeed due to the great benevolence of your kind mother."'·

Mu-llen, after making inquiries, again went on.

2B The reading adopted here is vastly different from that of the Tun..iJuong pitn-wm chi, so far the most authoritative colleclion of pitn-wm tales. The editors of that collection treated this paragraph as a .descriptive passage rather than dialog. and made the following paragraph (as it is treated here) an un inter~pted par.l of the same passage. Their reading not only re~U1res ~u-h;n to go back to the human world right at this POlOt (an illogical move according to the situation) to transmit the message, but also requires the speaker and the tone of aU th~ subsequent se~1tences to be changed. On top of that, they mJspunctu~ted qUlle a few sentences in the middle of the pas-

~g~aCTfilS passage IS wri'"fienin-lhe-diretr5pel!"cn and epea!-S 10 pa~t the essence of the preceding rhyme passage is a ood Illustration of the fact that. in pim-wm literature. the connts of the rhyme passages and the prose passages often over-

p. ,

--' .. _-----_. _. " "-- '. . ... --_.. ... ~-

"The waters if Futility ruslt toward the west; Shattered rock, jagged cliffs-lhe wa:t is rough. Clothes taken off and hung an tree branches;

We haue nat been transferred, and must stay here.

B)' tile riverbank we ask thai our nallles be called; .1 Without our knowing it, our chests are soaked through. Only today we've come to realize what death lIIearu.

Two by two, under the trees, our tears of grief stream down. [18 lilies]

Oxhead demons, staffs in hand, an the southern bonk;

. Hell's guardians, wielding tridents, 011 the northern shore.

The eyes of those in the water bulge ont;

The tears o[thos.e.o!Uhe.rjverba!'k gushforth ...

ilHad we known how biller death would be, \ How would we not haue cuitiyated good deeds i~ .l!f:!:l·

Mu-llen then asked those whostood under the

trees by the River of Futility:

So heaven and hell are no fairy lale! .For those who sin and do nat care, the punishment of heaven.) [I line] . - ...... ----.

"I had a mother without mudi merit.

Her departed soul, therefore, dropped dawn here to the Three '

Paths;

After henring this, I've ventured to cOllie dowlI to hell. Tell me if you have an)' news of her."

The sinners all looked at Master Mu-llen,

::. He is a general in the retinue of the ten kings of the underworld responsible for keeping the book of life. After the Sung period, (his term is used to designate five individual spirits who were bandits in their former existence.

2& This is the inevitable river in purgatory to be crossed by all souls.

11'P2319 shows spaces between verse lines beginning at this point.

446

In a short while, he arrived at the place of the General of the Five Ways; there he asked for news ' of his mother:

The General of the Five Wa),s hod a hateful mien; His gold amlOr glimmered and his sword dazzled, Intimidating millions of souls around him-

All took flight on their hands and feet.

His call sounded like thundering earthquake; His angry eyes flashed like blinding light.

SOllie had their chests cut open, their hearts exposed; Others hod the skim of their faces peeled.

ALtI.!g.~g/J kl!!:!!!!! was a sage,

f!.uy_as scared 10 dea'iiL'-'

[I9lin~--

The general clasped his hands and said to the monk:

"Don't let tears .spoil )'OUT manllers;

Those who came this way are as mou)' as the sands ill the Ganges.

If I ask them about Lady Ch'ing-t'i, u,ho may knoui the answer?" etc., etc.

[8 lines]

"Have any of you seen Lady Ch'ing-t'P" the general asked those around him.

From the left, a,chief officer answered, "General, three y~,!rs .ago, .. t]:J~yas a certain Lady Ch'ing-t:i_whos.!!.l1l1.!P~. wa_~jQ.sqibed on -the tablets ofthe~.'::~chi Hell. Now she is sufferingthere,"

Mu-lien,uponnearfngihlS;- salcITothe general, "Would you please tell me, although all sinners receive judgment before the [Yama] King before they are sent down here, wh)1..!!JY mother has never-been brought.before, the ki_ng?"

.":'Good monk," the general replied, "there are

Ct\~O 'kinds_QLpeople in the world who are_not aU.Q.,;_ved an audience with the king. One includes those 'Wholiave'observed the Ten Commandments and the Five Prohibitions-these don't have to meet the king after their death, for their spirits will live on in heaven. The s~on.d:category in- " eludes those who in their lives did not practice I good deeds, but gave themselves to evil karma, so that when they die, they are sent fort~tn._, hell. They also do not see the king. \tJnly those .. _

~" .. -.".-" ..

447

THE ARCHETYPAL QUESTING MAN

The Great Maudgalyayana Rescues His Mother from Hell

who are half good and half evil getto see the kingJ Tire Mountoin of Kniues, blenched bones here alld there;

to have their fate judged. They will first go Th_e__Forest o(Swords, hUJJJ!.llL~[Q!¥~

through reincarnation, and then they wiII be re- 'rfyou want t~ put all :"d to the sinllers' climbing tire' ./

warded or punished according to what they de- Mountain of Knives, ,

" .,. . .... ._.. othing's better than cultivating the temple grounds. :

Aft M r h d h d thi h t d Planting fruit trees within tire monastery walls, \

er u- len a e.ar IS, e s a:te to Liberall's' I§-'eedlings. to grace.tlre-lemp~

search through the various hells for his mother. Of course, you call't give pleasure to these sillners,

Who will forever suffer torments numberless as the sands of Gauges.

[g /ines]

Bronze-tipped arroll'S whiz.zing by straight iuto the eyeMountaill of Knives, Forest of Swords, will cut us doum. Although the)' cnnuot return to l!fe ill n thousand J'enn, They still must suffer incessantly ill tire jungle of iron [knit'" nnd .1U.ords].

Mu-lien's tearsfiowed as I .. thought of the past; The fate of all creatures seemed tossed all the uiind. His good mother come to death's -oale of suffering; Her spirit had 10llg been uasted awn)', etc., etc. [15/ines]

When Mu-lien had finished, he moved on, and in a wink, he reached one of the hells. Mu-lien inquired ofthe guardian, "Does this prison have a Lady Ch'ing-t'l or not? She is my mother, which is why I've come looking for her."

"Your Reverence," the guardian replied, "this prison is full of men; there are no women here. A little further ahead, there is the Asipattra Hell of Swords. If you ask there, you will, no doubt, get to see her."

Mu-lien went on, and came upon another hell; the left side was called the Mountain of Knives, and the right, the Forest of Swords. In this hell, the tips of swords were lockeatn confrontation, with blood dripping down. There [Mu-lien] saw the guardian pushing countless sinners into this hell,

"What is this hell?" Mu-lien asked.

"This is the Asipaura Hell of Swords," a .raksha

repliedr.--- -

"~s, have been committed by the sinners here that they should be in this hell?" Mu-lien then asked.

"These sinners," the guardian said, "when they were alive, violate~e teI!1.e!~s .. defiled jhe monasteries, and were fond.of picking the fruits of the temp.l~ and stealing firewood and kindling from the temples. Now let them attempt to pull the sword trees with their hands; see if their limbs and joints can stay together."

Mu-llen, when he heard this, broke down in tears and went forward to ask the guardian, "In this hell, is there a Lady Ch'ing-t'i?"

"Good monk, is she related to you?" "She's my mother."

"Your Reverence," the guardian then replied, "in this hell there's no Lady Ch'ing-t'i, but if you go a little further, there is a hell which is only for women. You should get to see her there."

Mu-lien, on hearing this, went on ahead until he reached a hell that was ayojana'" high from top to bottom, with black smoke gushing up, and a stench to stink up the sky. He came upon a horse-headed raksha with an iron staff in his hand, standing there looking haughtily.

"What's the name of this hell?" Mu-lien asked, "This is the J;iell.n£.Bronze Pillars and Iron Bed.s,::_the . .raksha replied.

~~ did these poor souls commit in life that they should have dropped down to this hell?"

"In life," the guardian replied, "gil::ls.JYh_0 sedlKeJi___QQyS, bID'S who l\l..!'.!!.ligirls, as well as parents.and children who had inces~uOUsrela-

:r.sYajana was a rather ambiguous unit of measurement -. .n. has been described as the distance covered by a day's an army. and as forty, thirty, or sixteen Ii, and as eight (four krashas being equivalent to nearly thirty Ii).

448

tions, teachers and students who had affairs, and masteiSir;d_~e~ants who had liaiso-ris=t!1e'Yhave all dropped down into this hell, where the east is separated from the west with men and women each occupying one division."

T.E!)!!!!!{len.Ji~ds, their bod~ ,!!!~~e~wn:

The,,_men' are wrapped around Ihe bronzep.llars 10 rot. [6Imes]

The knives cui bone and fiesh, pierce right through.The (Words cut liver and gnll illto little pieces.

l> lil!'.s] . _ .

\ Their parents, if slill aliue, are building up blessingsfor them, !~ Qlli). ane out o{sroell mal' b~~ .. __ ~~.-~ Even let the Easten. Sea tum into a mulberry field:

The sinners will have yet 10 be released, etc., ezc.

When Mu-lien finished his inquiries, he went on n ahead. In a twinkling of an eye, he wa~ at another I.) ) hell. There, he asked the guardian, "Does this place have a Lady Ch'ing-t'i in it?"

"Good monk," the guardian said, "is Lady Ch'ing-t'i your mother?"

"Yes, she's my mother."

"Three years ago, there was a Lady Ch'ing-t'i _' who was among those who dropped down here,

but she was put on the roster for the Avichi Hell. So now she is over there."

Mu-lien faint<:c!.for a moment. He resumed his normal breath after a long while, a~n slowly went on ahead. Then he ran into «~ks~a, who guarded the way. Mu-lien questionea-n(m

[and the raksha replied]:

[24 lines]

"It appears we haoe a Lady Ch'ing-t'i here, Though I can'l completely confirm thai report. [z lines]

Bodies of new arrivals were streum aboul. Please take my advice and go back home.

~~j~one h~_lo l:!!!.~.!~_vain: u'd better go quickly 10 sei1lie Tathagata;

hat. use. is there in bealing your breast in despair?"

.I After Mu-lien learned of all these obstacles in the [various] hells, he immediately turned back.

Then, sailing up with his magic begging bowl, in a wink, he was in the Grove of Brahrna, where he circled the Buddha three times before sitting down in front of him. He looked up in reverence at the honored visage, his eyes not wavering. There, he spoke to the World-Honored One:

It's beet. a long time since I received instnrctions from the

Tathagata;

Throughout heaven and earth, I've cousto II II)' senrched. 0111)' my lntlrer has been able to live in heaven.

But my mother I haven't be", nble 10 meet face-to-face. When I heard she was suffering torments in the Avidri Hell, The mere thought of her wrenched me inside.

Raging fires, dragon serpents obstruct Illy progress:

In my ccnstemation, I call think of no other WO)'.

The Tathagata's hol.v power moves moun loins and oceans. All livillg crealures usuall\' benefit from his benevolence.

\SoI ~e..JlUrried-here to have YOII ex'pliJin -HOuf~~~ meet once aga.iJJ,'

The World-Honored One comforted the Great Maudgal-

yayana:

"Now, please, slOP your tears of grief.

TI .. sillS of the world are drawn out like siring:

They don't result from outsi!!! ssum. 'JM.,.

Som.ime hurry to bring him my abbot's staff); . ,.

[I call ward off the Eight Obslacles .. ~..1M7hree Calamities."

As often as possible, chant my name; . '<\1 j'

All the hells should. be. accessible .. to you.::_ . r;... I

Mu-llen assumed the Buddha's po~r, s~d away, and went down as fast as a wind borne . arrow. In a wink, he reached the \&!.iliiliey. StilI r.; I

\ in the sky, he saw fifty oxhead, horse-brained rak- i.: shas and yakshas, with teeth like jagged stumps,

mouths like bowls of blood, voices like thun- k;,-r

3U This term refers to the eight conditions in which it is difM ficult for someone to see the Buddha or [0 hear his Dharma (Law)-in the hells; as hungry ghosts; as animals; in Uttarakuru (the northern continent where all is pleasant); in the long-life heavens; as deaf, blind. and dumb; as a philosopher on earth; in the intermediate period between a Buddha and his successor.

31 There are two kinds of calamities. The minor three calamities. appearing during a decadent period in the world. are war, pestilence. and famine; the major ones, for the desu-nction of [he world. are fire, water. and wind.

449

_- .. __ .. _._-. ------

THE ARCHETYPAL QUESTING MAN

derclaps, eyes like flashes of lightnin~l way to heaven to report for duty. \WIlen they encountered ]\1u:ilen,-they yelted-at him from afar:

"Good monk! Don't come to these regions. ~s not a good place to come to. This is the road to hell. In the west, there is black smoke full of hell's poisonous vapors; if you inhale it, Your Reverence, here and now you will turn to ashes and dust."

"Goad monk, hauen't vou heard abou; the Auichi Hell?

Even iroll and rack, ill passing Ihrough ii, will nat be spared. Where is the hell aile speaks oj?

Toward the west, black fumes spurt forth aver there." M".:Ij!.~.mg.!!l~ .!lJl!Jdha:s.JJf!.tllwunlless limes;

"Hell was once my domain." ('.

Theil he wiped his tears ond shook Ill<!.taff'in the air, And all the demons feU like puffba Us on"'fi(. spat. Sweal poured aut like moisture from raillfnll;

Bewildered, hnrell)' cOI«ciole., Ihey could 1101 help but sigh. Three-pronged halberds dropped from their hands;

, Six-pain led pilchforks flew out of their nrms.

"Buddha has sent me to seemj"motlzer,

.To save her f~o.111 .Ih.e .f9jgmities of Ihe Auichi Hell." . Mu-lien did not slay still, but soared righl over;' ....

The lictors of "ell looked, bUI didn't dare black his way.

l:!This sentence seems to occur only in P2319. which does not have the more than five lines of prose represented by lines 2-7 of the 'ex' (largely based on 52614) on p. 731 of 'he Tunhuang pit1l.-w~n du.

Bul in this Avichi Hell, there was no such respiu. 82 lilies]

Suddenly, Ihey spied the monk standing there; iWareavert the:; had neuer made his acquaintance. Cerlainly no one person could be held 10 account, OIlZ\' the merciful power of Ihe Three Treasures.

450

The Great Maudgalyayana Rescues His Mather from Hell

Ch'ing-t'i, when she heard this, replied, FcilliroiiUl.I have"iioson who is a monk. He must

\~'-." .. '-'" -.-

When the guardian heard this, he returned to

the high tower to report: "Your Reverence, how could you have made such an error, taking that sinner in the hell as your mother? What's the reason for this nonsense?"

Mu-llen, when he heard this, broke down in tears. He told the guardian, "I was called Lo-pu when I was small. After my parents passed away, I entered the order of Buddha and became a

monk, assuming the name of Great Maudgalyayana. I hope that you've not been put out and would go back once more to make the inquiry."

When the guardian heard this, he went back to the sinner: "The monk outside claims his name

was Lo-pu whe~ ~eL~as small." ...---.

~~ 'Iflie was ca e o-pu as a child;o"Ch'ing-t'isaid, "then he is my son, my precious offspring, thi~ own flesh and blood!"

<Hearing ~freh'in1ft'i up, drawing out the forty-nine spikes, tied iron

chains around her waist, put shackles on her, and drove her outside the gate. This was how the mother and the son met.

shackles nraund her, full of pricks as fish scales.

A thousand years of punishment that cannot be imagined. From the seven apertures in the head, blood spurted forth;

Fire flared oul from the woman's mouth. [4 lines]

O.<heads held the cangue an bOlh sides; Stepping and stumbling, she came forward.

/ Mu-lien emlIaced his moiheT, burstil1E._~llt9. .. tears, .

. And crying:\,This_~~'!'.es from mv nol being a devoted son!"l

etc., etc .... .-.. :

£97 lines]

His mother was then driven back into the cell."

When Mu-liensaw his mojhergoback tQ, his bon~ped, his ~oke, and he ~d on his sobs, Then he stood up and beat.h~east, as

:IS This line only occurs in P2319.

if the Five Mountains trembled, and the seven apertures in his head all gushed blood. In the end, he seemed to die, but in time revived, an~ pmhed himsclr off the ground with his arms and put his clothes in order. He then leaped into the sky and to the place of the World-Honored One.

Mu-lien's feelings were all in a turmoil.

Whal others said seemed blurred: he heard nat at all. Afler a lang while, he wake with a revelation;

Throwing his begging bowl and leaping to the sky, he went to ask the Buddha.

Mu-lien told the Buddha all about his sorrow and suffering, And spake of the Mountain of Knives and the Forest of

Swards.

"By the grace of Buddha's overwhelming power,

I have managed to see my mather in the Avi,h; Hell."

[I6lines] .

"Yilur mather committed many sins in the life before,

So her saul went straight dawn to the Avichi Hell.

She can nat absolve herself from sin, after all this lime; And no one bull~a, no ordinary mO.'i.a.1 can

~1!'Jhis."

Then he called Ananda" and the ather disciples:

~er..mvsel[" ___

The Tathagata, leading the eight groups of supernatural beings, surrounded in front and back, shining forth radiance, shaking the ground, went to release the souls from suffering in hell:

The exalted wisdom of the Tathagata is equitable,

And in his compassion, he saves the multitude in hell. Innumerable worthies, a congregalion from all eight sectors, Fallowed in procession and moved as one.

Deep and hidden [was /he procession],

Heaven above, heaven below-1lothing quite so extraordinary! On the left, it was overwhelming; an the right, devastating:

Like mountain peaks peeking aut from above the clouds.

High and lofty, .

The vaults of heaven and of hell opened logether; Moving like rain, shaking like thunder,

Just like the moan rising round aver the sea.

[2 lines]

In the clouds, heaven's music wafts an the willows; On the air, a flurry of plum-blossoms floats dawn.

ar Ananda was the most learned disciple of the Buddha.

. '--' .'

"Good monk," the guardian of this hell asked, "what business do you have here that you should open the gates of hell?"

"The World-Honored One gave me the means to open them.""

"What did he give you to open theIfrwith?" "He gave me his twelve-ringed ibb_ot's~ to

open the gates." -

"Cood monk," the lictors, too, asked, "what is

yo~or~"a~lng ~~~e?"'_ "My mother is named Lady Ch'ing-t'i," Mu-llen replied, "and I have come to look for her."

When the guardian heard this, he went up to a high tower in the hell compound, raised a white flag, and heat on an iron drum. "Is there a Lady Ch'ing-t'i in the first cell?"

No answer from the first .

He went to the second cell, then to the third, M, """','[,'\1)). the fou rth, the fifth, and the sixth-and the an-

Mu-llen went on ahead until he reached an- swer was no each time". The..lictors went to the

other [part of the Avichi] hell. When he was abou t se~. cell and saw Lady Ch'ing-t'i nailed down

one hundred steps away, he was so overcome by .01!...lLp-lat.fgL111_~h fortY:!1~pikes, and called

fire and smoke that he almost fainted away. This out, "Are you Lady Ch'ing-t'i?"

Avichi Hell had iron walls that were high and "Yes," she said."

steep, so tall that they almost touched the sky. Then the guardian told her, "There's a monk

The horrors within were beyond description." All outside who claims to be your son."

of [the lic~ors] were oxheads and horse~aces. Even "The Tun.huang pien-wen chi reads: "If I didn't open them,

hearts of Iron and stone would quake WIth fear who would? The World-Honored One ga"e me 'he means to

and lose their souls. open them." P::!319 omits the first sentence.

[ 3~ The cnrresponding passage in the Tun-huang pien~wen chi is

Mu-lien, holding his slaff, moved forward to lisle II, much more complicated. In this text 'he guardian checks

To learn something about the turns for the better in the Avichi through the second cell all the way to the sixth one, asking 'he

Hell same question and going through 'he same Hag wavipg

. (though with different Hags at different celis) and drum beat-

In most hells there wculd nannall), be some rest, ing procedure. He received the same negative answer.

II Here the Tun~huang pien-wen chi reads: '

"If you're looking for Lady Ch'ing-t'l. that's me."

"Why didn't you answer me earlier?" :, "I was afraid that you might want to take me to another .

place for torture. That's why I didn't answer your call." ..

451

THE ARCHETYPAL QUESTING MAN

The Great Maudgalyayana Rescues His Mother from HeU

The Buddha-king steps forth, the jade tablet in hand; The Brahma-Iord from the rear holds the golden tablet. What can't befathomed can't befathomed:

Th§. transcendelE_poUleL.D_phe..IGlhagata liberales Ihe hell. Left and right, the supernatural beings of all classes;

Here and there, imperial guards of all directions,

In the Buddha's eyebrows flashed a thousand hues;

Behind his head, a halo-cloud in dauliug colors.

When the radiance permeates hell, it disintegrates-

The Forest of Swords, the Grove of Knives, crushed into dust. The IicIO;' of the hells, accepting grace, bow down on their

knees

And clasp their hands in supplication 10 the Buddha.

I f9.J11J.e.].-. .

J The sinners all gain rebirtl: in heaven;

; Oal;LfIu..lien's· inalher still go .. IlIIlIgry.3" ; Hell then is lolally transformed;

";",111 the end, the majesty of Shak),amuni prevails.

- .. - - - .. -._---_--

Mu-llen, beneficiary of Buddha's power, once again saw his beloved mother. But her sin was too

• :(\jde~ly rooted, and her karma lVaS difficu]; to cast .~.,. iI off; although she was able to avoid the stench of ~. .,...." hell, she nevertheless fell into the realm of the

;.,r /"hu~hosts." Although the misery is greatly

- \. recliiCed; there. is no comparison between the con-

ditions of [the realms of] bitterness and happiness. If one waLKs ili~(rontfie-fdaaTiind antid-

-pares her life], one feels the hardship increase a thousandfold. The throat feels like the tiny aperture of a needle, so small that water cannot drip through, while the head is like the T'ai Mountains, which [the waters of] three rivers are not enough to cover. Without one's even hearing so muchas a hint of water and drink, the months go by, the years pass, and the miseries of starvation must be endured. From a distaJ~~ool, refreshing waters can be seen, but up' close, they turnmto a pus flow. Delicious food, Cideclahle

meals, turn into blazing fire. '"

[Lady Ch'ing-t'i told her son.] "Your mother is

~ I suffering from hunger-pangs, and her life is

3ft The Tun~huang pien~T1Jtn chi reads; "Only Mu-llen's mother became a hungry ghost."

hanging by a thread. If you,don't tak@-pity-on me h01'L.ca~ssibly be called a?cl'evoted son'P 7 The paths of life and death are blocked of(~nd any future meeting is beyond prediction. If you wish to rescue someone from the perils of such emergency, the matter shouldn't be delayed. The life of monkhood is to rely on faith and devotion. Even though there will always be enough sustenance, I still fear that it is difficult for me to consume. Please, son, leave me, go to Rajagriha.?"

and see that I get something to eat." ~

M~-lien took leave of his ~other, tossed up his l c \

begg!ng_~!?_~ an~ed to e. ' ns. In a . :

wink, he arrived in the city of a'agrih -, At one

house after another, he beg rood, and

came to the residence of a elde, Seeing that it was not the hour for begging, the elder stopped him and asked him the reason: "Good monk, breakfast is over and the time for eating has passed. What are you going to do with this food you're begging for?"

Mu-llen responded to him, "Worthy elder,

After she passed au'a_\', this monk's mother's

Soul was sent directly down to the Auichi Hell,

Of late the Tathagaia saved her,

Her bod_l' all withered bones, her breath a wisp. This poor monk's heart broke, bit b.y bit;

Houi could a bystander know the pain?

I know I liaue come at the wrong time to beg;

I on~v intend to bring my mother some food to eat." When the elder heard this, I .. was startled,

His thoughts unsettled, his feelings uneasy.

[The elder's subordinates (?) said:]

"Golden saddles call not touch the pearl-bright heart. No reason to add makeup to a prett),face.

So, let us sing, let liS be happy;

A man's life is as llIzcerln;n a.'i n jlichrring candle. No one sees those enjoying bliss in heaven;

We only hear <if crowds of sinners in hell. There's time to eat and time to clothe onesel]. Don't learn to hoard thing: like a fool:

Better build liP kanna for the time to come,

For who can guarantee life from do» to dal,r When two people meet, no aile thinks of death; Wealth and riches must 1I0t be spared for the body. One da)" we pass away a7ld are placed ill coffills. ~Vhal use is it to water the gl'Qt.tS ill tlQin?

) Those who are uiise use wealth to do charitv Whereas fools use money to buy land and p;operty, All through life, aile st111ggles in search of riches;

But after death, ill the end, others will portion them out." The elder, hearing these words, was started bl' doubt:

"The blessed land, the Three Treasures, aTe dif.ficult to llleet," Hurriedly, he urged his subordinates 1I0t to waste allY more

time;

From the house, the)' took out food for the monk. A II of a sudden, hell disintegrated and dissolved,

Which "'ell the bright-minded Buddhasfind inconceivable, The elder held offerings <if food in his hands,

Wellt ouer to the malik, and· wished him uell:

...; \ "This is nOI JI",tJor YOllr Rever~;;;;~lze1 But so that ,all the sill,! . .':: __ C;!!}-E!)~'::'_____./; ~cewed the delicious food,

He put the food ill the beggillg bowl to tend to his mother. Then he went to the uiilderness [to meet his waitillg mother], Alld with a golden spoon, he fed her himself.

I

1 I", I

I

I

I

I

452

au This ancient Indian city. a little to the: suuthwest of the present city of Bihar. was important in early Buddhism. It was. the site: of the: council that is said to have been held after the death of the Buddha for the purpose of

ings of the Buddha and for establishing the basic di .. cipunarr. code.

1 The devotion of the elder who had donated the food had been profound, but it was not enougb..J.o expiate .<!~es~ tha~..!'!~_ deeply ingrained. When Mu-llen saw His mother-likethis, his insides were unstrung: "I have but the puny

strength of a lowly monk; my ability is limited, and 1 am but an insignificant man. Only by consulting the World-Honored One can one know the road to salvation." Now, let us take a look at how his mother ate:

When she SIZU' thefood, slit weill [oruxud to take it. Even before she ate it, out <if greed, she had already

started defending it.

"My SOli had brought food from the world of humans, With which he intended to cure my hunger pangs. The food does not seem to be enough for lIIyseif;

All of),ou, be patient and wait."

Ch'ing.!'i's karma of greed and selfishness was deep, So uhen she put food ill her gullet, it caught fire . And w_he.71 ~Wu-lien saw his mother touched bl' ames,

lJe became hy'~ie.ricai;b_eC1t_f.tis_br.easl.(!£1 to euel a mountai", From I,uears and nose, blood came slre~mTII·g ~i-zt,--And he cried out, "Oh, my poor mother!"

[24 lines]

"Now, the food COlIIIOt be put ill my 1II0uth, Alld the fire, for nu apparent reason, hurts me, Those who are COt'e/OIlS should remember this;

They will encounter a hundred or more misfortunes. Good monk, you are I{l)' most devoted SOil;

Get me some cold water to snlue my empty stomach."

~-lien, when he heard his mother asking for l war,yJ:, her breath scorched, her voice hoarse, remembered in a flash that south of Rajagriha there

was a great river, with vast expanses of water without end, named the Ganges, where he could find relief for his fire-singed, suffering mother. When people in the southern [continentlJambud- . vipa.saw this water, it was pure, clear, refreshingly cool river; when the mortals of heaven saw this warer, it was a cry!!.tal pond; 'when the fish and the tortoises saw it, it was a babbling brook; but ~n Ch:ing-t+Saw-~his-wate.r...iLbecame a pus flow with fi~e. She went to the water's edge and, with-

j

453

-----.---~-~ .. ---.-~

THE ARCHETYPAL QUESTING MAN

out waiting for her son's blessings, out of-ir!:ed supported herself on the shore with her left hand, and out of avarice dipped her right hand into the

j water, because her greed and avarice knew no bounds}" The water bad not. reached her lips when it turned into<fi.re.

When Mu-lien saw the food his mother ate turn 0. _I into fire, and the water she drank also turn into

r\ fire, he pounded his head and beat his breast in loud lamentation and tears. He came before the

j..jIl,. Buddha, paid homage three times, and addressed ~~: "World-Honored One, m your grace and mercy, please rescue my mother from her misery. Now when she eats food, it turns into fire, and when she drinks water, it also turns into fire. How might she be spared this ordeal of fire?"

"Mu-llen," the World-Honored One replied, "your mother cannot eat anything, and there is no way to overcome this without first celebrating, one year from_Jl.o.J!, on the fifteenth da y of the seventh month, theFesti0ITOfj_UeAVarnmba. Only then can she begin to eat."

.,., ~ , Mu-llen, seeing his mother starve, said, "World- Honored One, can this be achieved on the thir-

r- teen or fourteenth day each month? M'iiSi:she wait for the fifteenth day of the' seventh month each year before she can eat?"

I "It is not just fo'ryoitFi1lotlie~-that the'Fe;tiv'af, of Avalamba has been established on this day; it is' also for meditative exercises, the day for the I I arhats to attain the Way, the day of absolution for: \ Devadatta,"! the day of rejoicing for the Yama ,King, the day when all the hungry ghosts eat their

'!ill::.'. .. . . .- ---- - . -. -. - .-. , .

When Mu-llen heard the Buddha's instructions, he went to a temple tower on the outskirts of the

I city of Rajagriha and recited the sutras of the Mahay~chool to broadly establish the blessmgs of

~D The middle portion of this sentence does not make too much sense: this may be a case of textual corruption.

·u Devadatta was a cousin ofShakyamuni and his enemy. For his plots against the Buddha, he is said 10 have been swallowed up alive in hell.

I the Avalamba, so that his mother might have a meal to eat from that offering. ~Once..she_w.as fc::..ch..!:!m.ther and.son 'Ul'!Ln.lgst

sigh~_of each other. Mu-lien looked for his mother r--alLovertfiej?lace, but could not fOLilidlier;so- , r:- \ mournfully, with tears streammg down both . :::.J cheeks, he came before the Bu.!!Qha. Paying hom- 'tft •. ;.!\~ age to him three. times, he stood in front of him,

his hands clasped together, and, on his knees,

said, "World-Honored One, when my mother

took food and it turned to fire, drank water which

also turned into fire, it was possible for me to save

her from her ordeal of fire only through the com-

passion of the World-Honored One. So, on the

fifteenth dayof the seventh month, she wa7able

tp_e,g_t!l meal. But since then, my mother and i

have not seen each other. Is it because she has

dropped down to hell and is again on the way to becoming a hungry ghost?"

"Your mother has not fallen into hell nor into

the realm of h!!llg!1~._ghQ.ill.l:_t.ge World-Honored One replied. {'Because you attaineifmenr-troTIl '. \ reciting the sutras and establishing the blessings \

\'Ofthe Avalamba Festival, your mother has been transformed from the form of a hungry ghost into that of a black dog in Rajagriha. If you wish [to see her, you must go, without any discrirniination, begging at each house, whether rich or

IPoor, until yo . the gate of a very wealthy

elder, where alblack dog ill come out and nip a.t

\your cassock, rnout mg words as if it were

eman Tbis,.then,is-your-mother_" __ . - Mu-lien received these instructions and took his begging bowl and plate to look for his mother. Without any regard to the wealth or humbleness of the dwelling, he went through every lane and alley, all around, but could find no trac~. Then he came upon the residence ofarl...!:ldc:7.'and saw a black dog running out of the house.which began nipjilng at Mu-lien's cassock, at the same time making sounds very much like human

speech: "Oh,__m)'. own devoted son, if you could save your mother from the realm of the un-

454

The Great Maudgalyayana Rescues His Mother from Hell

derworld in no time at all; why can't you release me from this miserable state of being a dog?"

"Dear mother," Mu-llen said, "bec~Q.n was not devoted, calamity n!!.s b.;falielLJ!O.u •. and you have descended down to the Three Paths. Now, don't you prefer life in this form as a dog, or would you rather go on in the world of the

hun ,"

"Obedient son, ' his mother answered, "in this dog's life, can yap, move about, stay in one spot, sit, or sleep. If! am hungry, I can always go to the sewage pit and eat human offal; if I am parched,

I can always drink from the gutters to quench my

Ithirst. In the morning, I hear the elders chanting praises of the Three Treasures; in the evening, I hear the women reciting scripture. Of course I prefer this life as a dog, even if I have to pick up filth from all over,just so long as I don't have to ,hear the word 'hell' in my ears anymore." Mu-lien then to~ther to the front of a IDUU'UIIU>L stupa in~agri~, and for seven days seven_I.!ig_hts he chanted the ~tras, his confessions, and recited the abstinences. nIo~ haVing benefited from these devowas able to shed her dog skin and hang it

on a tree, once again assuming the body of a

"Mother," Mu-llen said, "it is not easy toachieve ! human form; it is not easy to be born in China; it

1\ is not easy to hear the law of Buddha; and it is not easy to develop a good heart. I ask you, mother, now that you have attained human form, to...e:_r- . f~m good works."

1Y1~ took his mother beneath the sal trees in the Twin Grove, where he performed his

homage t~~~a three times and, standing in front of him, said, "World-Honored One, would you look at the course of my mother's karma, examine it from the beginning, and see if there is any sin left still?"

The World-Honored One did not refuse to do what Mu-llen asked. He looked over the three realms of karma, checking her out for the slightest bit of sin.

Mu-lien saw that his mother's sins were expi~as overjoiecL He said, "'r>foilier, you should go to where you belong. The world of Jambudvipa is no place for you. Birth and death, there is no end to it. But in the west, the Land of \ the Buddha is most pe!isct."

Then, she telt herself spirited away by the deuas and dragons and escorted by the Heavenly Maidens, and taken to the Trayastrinsha Heaven!' there to enjoy everlasting bliss.

The first time this sutra was chanted, there were eighty thousand bodhisattvas, eighty thousand monks, eighty thousand male deacons, and eighty thousand female deacons, performing the ritual around and around, in joy and in the faith that this teaching would prevail.

The Great Maudgalyayana pien-wen, one scroll}'

~2 Trayastrinsha is {he heaven of Indra, one of the twelve spirits associated with the cult of the Master of Healing. The capital of this heaven is situated on Mount Surneru, the central : mountain of the nine mountain ranges of the universe.

.I31n the TUfi*huang pien-wm chi. this line is followed by tWO additional lines: "The sixteenth day of the fourth month of the seventh year of the Chen-ming reign period [921]. which is the eighteenth year of the calendar cycle, copied by Hsileh Anchfin, a trainee at the Pure Land Monastery. The script [of this scroll, namely, 52614] being of Chang Pac-ta."

455