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- Touring the Fourth Tribunal –
Meeting with Wu Guan Wang
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- JiGong: One year has
passed and the new year is now with us. Last year, 8th
Moon 15th Day, Sheng Xian Tang received the Order to
write the Book: Journeys to the Underworld. Up till now half a year
has already gone by and time passes like the revolving lantern. How
many times in a person’s life can he enjoy Chap Goh Meh? We can see
children playing about with lanterns. Those who are more elderly
look at the mirror, and try to see if there is an increase in the
number of white hair on their heads. If a person does not now begin
to think of morality, when does he ever intend to do so? Generally,
planning for the year starts in spring, and so with regard to human
beings they should begin to plan for the future when they are still
young. First of all one must treasure time. Secondly one must
treasure one’s own life. Yang Sheng, we will now prepare to tour
Hades. You must try to be steadier.
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- Yang Sheng: Gongxi Facai.
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- JiGong: Gongxi Gongxi,
but I do not dream of Facai (prosperity) because I have gold and
jade in abundance; I would very much prefer to have a good son.
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- Yang Sheng: You are the
one who renounced the world and here you mention wanting a son;
isn’t it against the rules of Buddhahood?
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- JiGong: You have judged
me wrong. What I meant was that the world should have more
intelligent, honorable, upright and glorious sons rather than
numerous clever but deceptive sons; then only can there be peace on
Earth, in which case I will not have to busy myself rushing about to
save humanity.
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- Yang Sheng: Master, your
speech is charming but nowadays, people expect that as soon as a
child is born, it will bring good luck and prosperity to the
parents, and the prevailing trend is to wish one another Gongxi
Facai immediately, rather than to give birth to a child and hoping
that the baby will bring luck and prosperity in due course.
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- JiGong: It does not mean
that clever boys only can earn money but there are also cunning
women who can earn money! Ha, ha. I am afraid I have made mistake in
my speech. We must now prepare to tour Hades; step on the lotus
flower platform quickly.
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- Yang Sheng: Why is it
that this year, the lotus flower platform appears larger?
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- JiGong: Your burden is
heavy and the journey long. You have advanced in your morality and
therefore this lotus flower seat must also get bigger.
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- Yang Sheng: I feel I
cannot accept this honor to occupy the lotus flower seat. I have
committed quite a number of sins. Therefore how can I occupy this
lotus flower seat?
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- JiGong: Although the
lotus flower grows from the filthy pond, the flower itself is pure.
So, if human beings can be like the lotus flower, it will be quite
alright. Quickly get up on the lotus flower platform and we will
tour the Fourth Tribunal.
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- Yang Sheng: I am safely
seated. Dear Master, you can start.
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- JiGong: I am in good
spirits today and I will sing a song. This song is to advise human
beings by:
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- 1] Asking human beings why do they hurry. It is because of the
three meals.
- 2] Asking human beings what they pray for. It is because of fame
and name and gain and constantly worrying.
- 3] Asking human beings why they are enamourous. It is because
they are in love which will ruin their health.
- 4] Asking human beings what they are thinking about. They are
thinking about rubbish and indulging in vain hopes.
- 5] Asking human beings what they are worrying for. Why engage in
unreasonable and ungainly pursuits.
- 6] Asking human beings what they have gained in the end.
Constantly being busy during their whole life and at death they are
empty handed.
- 7] Asking human beings why ravage women. Remember what they do
to others, the same will be done to their wives and daughters.
- 8] Asking human beings what are they waiting for? Quickly go and
practise ascetic undertakings.
- 9] Asking human beings how do they go about ascetic practices?
Exactly like the lotus flower which grows from the filthy pond; be
like the lotus flower.
- 10] Asking human beings what is true happiness? To be on board
Guan Yin’s Barge of Compassion which ferries departed souls from
this world of care to the realms of bliss.
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- We have arrived Yang Sheng, get down. This is the Fourth
Tribunal.
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- Yang Sheng: Oh, this is
really the Forth Tribunal.
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- JiGong: Wu Guan Wang and
Officers are here, so let us go and pay our respects.
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- Yang Sheng: Our humble
respects to you, Wu Guan Wang and Officers. I am Sheng Xian Tang’s
representative who has been ordered to write the Book; Journeys to
the Underworld. JiGong has kindly brought me here; so please give me
every assistance.
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- Wu Guan Wang: Please
make yourself at home. So early in the new year you have been so
hardworking already getting information for the Book. We greatly
appreciate your hard work which goes a long way to increase your
morality. Will JiGong and Yang Sheng please follow us inside for a
short rest?
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- Yang Sheng: Thank you,
Wu Guan Wang, for receiving us so very kindly.
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- Wu Guan Wang: Please
have a seat. General, quickly serve nectar to our guests.
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- Yang Sheng: Thank you so
much, Wu Guan Wang.
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- JiGong: Yang Sheng, you
are very lucky, Wu Guan Wang gives you nectar to drink. Do you know
that this nectar is a very rare beverage in Heaven? After drinking
this nectar you will become more intelligent and enlightened.
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- Wu Guan Wang: Don’t be
shy; quickly drink the nectar.
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- Yang Sheng: Wow, it
smells good; so good in fact that the smell enters my very heart. I
am beginning to have a cool and refreshing feeling which turns into
a feeling of warmth. I must thank Wu Guan Wang very much for this
honor. I am determined to complete this Book, come what may.
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- Wu Guan Wang: Don’t
stand on ceremony. This nectar comes from the Fairy Pond. Everyone
of the Ten Tribunals serves this nectar. After drinking it one’s
spirituality will become brighter. In Hades, the Officers are
allowed to drink Heavenly tea only. The soldiers of Hades are
allowed to drink Pure Tea only. Because of the different levels of
position and seniority there must of course be some different
standards of treatment.
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- Yang Sheng: How do you
handle the cases that come before this Fourth Tribunal?
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- Wu Guan Wang: I am in
charge of 16 small Prisons; in addition, there are other types of
new prisons. Nowadays because human beings on Earth commit new types
of sins, so therefore, we must have new types of prisons to handle
them. When sinful human beings die, their souls are sent to Hades
where they have to pass through Gui Men Guan after which they have
to appear before the Magic Mirror to prove their sins to decide
which Tribunal they have to be sent to be sentenced according to
what kind of sin they had committed. Presently, I have to handle a
case, so will you please follow me to the court to see for yourself
what goes on.
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- Yang Sheng: Yes, I see
that inside, the Ox-head-horse-faced soldiers are dragging a male
soul who, seen from outside, appears to be a person of position,
like manager or chairman. He has a good looking face and bright;
slightly bald. I don’t know what sins he had committed but he looks
very frightened.
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- Wu Guan Wang: This
fellow was very smart and cunning. When he was alive, he was a
businessman dealing in Western medicines and was expert in making
medicines and pills. He manufactured imitation patented medicines
and cheated people thus becoming rich. Now that his life has
expired, the soldiers of Hades have brought him here to be sentenced
by me.
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- JiGong: Time is up, so
we have to return. We will come again next time and ask this sinful
soul to relate his story. We must seek Wu Guan Wang’s pardon for
this sudden break in procedure because of lack of time.
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- Wu Guan Wang: Never
mind, General, soldiers and staff, escort JiGong and Yang Sheng out
and bid them goodbye.
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- JiGong: Quickly leave
this Office and prepare to return.
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- Yang Sheng: Thank you,
Wu Guan Wang and all Officers for your hospitality. We are now
leaving.
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- JiGong: Yes, quickly
step on the lotus flower platform and prepare to return.
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- Yang Sheng: Yes, Sir; I
am securely seated. We can now start.
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- JiGong: We have arrived
at Sheng Xian Tang. Yang Sheng, get down. Soul, return to your body.
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- End of Journey No 22
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- Fourth Tribunal
- Wu Guan Wang
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