Wonderful Metaphors in the Pure Land School
淨土宗妙喻
Metaphor 63: Pierced by a Spear Three Hundred Times a Day
We hear about the incessant suffering in hell. How severe is that suffering? This is the question posed by one of Shakyamuni Buddha’s disciples.
The Buddha replied with a question, “Can you imagine the pain and suffering of being pierced by a spear one hundred times each in the morning, at noon, and at night; resulting in broken bones and torn flesh?
The disciple answered: “It is hard to imagine the pain caused by being pierced even just once by a spear.”
At this time, the Buddha picked up a small pebble and put it in his palm, using it as a metaphor, and said, “If the pain of being pierced by a spear three hundred times every day is likened to such a small stone, then the real suffering in hell is as huge as the snowy Himalayan mountains.
Such suffering is unimaginable.
If we truly believe in karmic retribution, the existence of the Six Realms of samsara, the punishment of hell, and the indescribable agony of Avici Hell, we would be deeply vigilant in our actions, avoiding evil deeds and doing good. We would also make it our lifelong aim to find a good teacher and the right Dharma, to attain liberation in this life. We understand that the purpose of practicing the
Dharma is to end the cycle of birth and death, and we also know that we would inevitably fall into hell if we were not liberated from samsara. We would therefore not delay our Dharma practice until the next life.
63. 三百槍喻
然而地獄之長苦，是哪種程度之苦呢？
曾有弟子請示此事。
釋尊反問：「早上、中午、晚上，各受一百隻槍所刺，骨肉碎裂，那樣的苦， 汝等以為如何？」
弟子回答：「僅僅受一枝槍所刺，其苦已難想像。」
此時，釋尊拾起一粒小石頭置於掌上，而譬喻說：「每日受三百支槍所刺 之苦，若譬喻為如此之小石，則真正受地獄之苦，便猶如喜瑪拉雅雪山之大 了。」
這是怎樣也無法想像的大痛苦。
一個人如果確實知道有善惡報應、有六道輪迴，有地獄的刑罰，有無間罪 那種不能訴說、無法形容的痛苦，他一定打自內心深深警惕，同時也會儘量 去惡行善，而且會盡其一生去尋師訪道，尋求今生必定解脫之道，不等來生。 因為他知道修行本來就為了「了生死」，既然遇到了佛法、可以修行而了生死 ，所以不等來世；他也知道生死不了脫，危險很大，輪迴不出就難免墮落地獄。
Namo Amituofo!
