JOURNEY NO 3   -   16th September 1976
 
Touring the Registration Office
 
Jigong: Yang Sheng, are you prepared to tour the Underworld?
 
Yang Sheng: I will follow you, Master. I have now climbed up the platform of the lotus
                      flower and have also closed my eyes.
 
JiGong: Proceed….We have arrived; you can alight now.
 
Yang Sheng: Why are there so many people on the road and in such confusion? I see
                       they are human beings and are crying. Why are they here?
 
JiGong: This place is ‘Ying Yang Jie’. All these people are the souls of those human
               beings who have just died; the souls have to come here to account for their
               actions on Earth. Please do not ask me so many questions. I will bring you
               to the Registration Officer and you can ask him as many questions as you
               like and he will reply.
               ( JiGong and Yang Sheng on entering the Registration Office went to see
                  the Registrar.)
 
Registrar: Welcome, JiGong and Yang Sheng. On your previous visit you were running
                  out of time and had to leave in a hurry and so I could not entertain you. I now
                  extend to you both a very warm welcome and I will be only too please to
                  answer any question Yang Sheng wishes to ask.
 
Yang Sheng: Thank you, Registrar. Can I ask what kind of place is this Ying Yang Jie?
 
Registrar: Ying Yang Jie is the sorting out place of Ying and Yang where the souls of
                  all dead human beings must come first to report their arrival. When a human
                  being dies his earthly record of actions and deeds is transferred to the
                  Underworld Registration Office for immediate inspection. If, during his
                  lifetime on Earth he did more good deeds than evil deeds his soul would
                  be sent to an Officer-in-Charge of the good souls department to tour Heaven,
                  but if he did more evil deeds than good deeds his soul would be taken care of
                  by an Officer-in-Charge of the evil souls department to undergo appropriate
                  punishment at Hell’s First Stage.
 
Note: See Journey No 1 when Yang Sheng was introduced to the Cave of Hell
 
Yang Sheng: To come to another question. Actually how many stages of existence has a
                       Human being?
 
Registrar: Human beings actually have three original forms of existence. The first one in
                  Heaven, the second on Earth and the third in Hell. On Earth, he goes through
                  the process of living his life doing good or evil as the case may be. Therefore,
                  in his lifetime on Earth if he did many good deeds, his soul will go to Heaven
                  but if he led an evil and sinful life, his soul will be sent to Hell which is like a
                  prison and he will be punished for all his sins committed when alive.
 
Yang Sheng: Another question please. When a human being on Earth dies, his relatives
                       burn silver joss paper (called ‘feet paper’) and light oil lamps (called ‘feet
                       lamp’). What is the actual meaning of these kinds of practice?
 
Registrar: When a human being dies his soul is much confused so his relatives burn 
                  silver joss paper in the hope that his soul can use the silver joss paper as
                  money to ‘buy’ his way about; and they light the lamps in the hope that the 
                  soul’s path may be brightened. In fact there is no need for the silver joss paper
                  or oil lamps because if the dead person in his lifetime did good deeds, 
                  his soul would be sent to the Heavenly path and if he did evil deeds his soul
                  would be sent to the path that leads to Hell.
 
Yang Sheng: In this present world there are so many modern and scientific equipments
                      available to human beings. When a person dies his relatives make paper
                      horses, motorcars, radio and TV sets, sofas, spring mattresses and beds
                      and many other modern implements to burn for him. Does the dead
                      person’s soul actually receive such things and are these of any use in the
                      Underworld?
 
Registrar: Human beings living on Earth are very simple-minded and stupid and are like
                  small children. Just think, firstly, does the soul have a licence to drive a
                  motorcar in the Underworld? Secondly, the roads there are narrow and rugged
                  and are not safe for driving. Thirdly, there are no petrol or gas stations.
                  Regarding electric fans, spring mattresses and beds, although these are useful
                  on Earth, they are not required in the Underworld because platforms and
                  wooden bunks are already provided. Their souls should be thankful if there
                  is some orderliness in the place and should not expect to be comfortable and
                  enjoyable. If a person had led an evil and sinful life on Earth how can he
                  expect to use such articles in the Underworld when he will surely be sent to
                  Hell to undergo punishment for his sin? Human beings on Earth do not
                  understand the conditions here and are just dreaming that what is useful
                  on Earth is also useful in the Underworld.
 
Yang Sheng: Master, during the first visit to the Underworld I saw Xintou Shan and now
                      here is Ying Yang Jie. I am very confused.
 
JiGong: Alright I will now bring you to Xintou Shan. Registrar, we are leaving and so
              Goodbye.
 
Yang Sheng: Registrar, on my part I thank you very much for answering so fully my
                       various questions. I now take leave of you. Master, just now you
                       mentioned about Xintou Shan and Ying Yang Jie, please give some
                       more information about them.
 
JiGong: The first journey we went to Xintou Shan; we are there now.
 
Yang Sheng: Wa! The words Xintou Shan are clearly in front of me. Why is it that the
                       words Ying Yang Jie have suddenly disappeared?
 
JiGong: Because human beings on Earth do more evil deeds than good deeds, Xintou
              Shan is really Ying Yang Jie. When a human being dies the soul is brought
              here by the fierce devils of the Underworld. The soul is in a dirty condition and
              when the eyes are dazed by the brightness of the top of Xintou Shan the soul
              suddenly falls to the foot of Xintou Shan where there is a dark and bottomless
              Cave which is called Wu Di Dong connected by a road to Ying Yang Jie. If a
              righteous and good soul arrives at Xintou Shan the top of the mountain changes
              into a big road and there are guardian angels waiting to receive him. Or if the
              dead person had been an average person and had done a fair amount of good
              deeds, a guardian spirit will lead his soul to Ying Yang Jie by means of a
              20 foot road at the side of the mountain. At Ying Yang Jie, the guiding spirit
              will bring the soul to report to ‘Ming Wang’ who will inspect the records of
              his good as well as his evil deeds whilst on Earth
 
             After the records have been inspected and weighed Ming Wang will issue either
             of the following awards:
 
A]  if the dead person was generally a good person whilst on Earth, Ming Wang
will direct a Heavenly Spirit to conduct the soul to ‘Ju Shan Suo’ where the
soul is left to train himself for perfection.
 
            B]  if the dead person was average, neither too good nor too evil whilst on Earth,
                  the soul will be placed under the charge of a Heavenly Spirit to undergo
                  further training and improvement.
 
           Well, Yang Sheng, there is not much time left so we must return to Sheng Xian
            Tang.
 
Yang Sheng: As you have ordered, Master. I have already climbed up the lotus flower
                      platform and closed my eyes….
 
JiGong: We have now arrived at Sheng Xian Tang. Yang Sheng, quickly open your eyes
              and get out. Your soul will now re-enter your body. 
             
 
End of Journey 3