爾時佛母摩耶夫人 恭敬合掌 問地藏菩薩言 聖者 閻浮衆生 造業差別 所受報應 其事云何 地藏答言 千萬世界 乃及國土 或有地獄 或無地獄 或有女人 或無女人 或有佛法 或無佛法 乃至聲聞辟支佛 亦復如是 非但地獄罪報一等 摩耶夫人重白菩薩言 且願聞於閻浮罪報所感惡趣 地藏答言 聖母 唯願聽受 我粗說之 佛子 若有衆生 不孝父母 或至殺害 當墮無間地獄 千萬億劫 求出無期 若有衆生 出佛身血 毀謗三寶 不敬尊法 亦當墮於無間地獄 千萬億劫 求出無期
Ěr shí fó mǔ mó yē fū rén gōng jìng hé zhǎng wèn dì zàng pú sà yán shèng zhě yán fú zhòng shēng zào yè chā bié suǒ shòu bào yìng qí shì yún hé dì zàng dá yán qiān wàn shì jiè nǎi jí guó tǔ huò yǒu dì yù huò wú dì yù huò yǒu nǚ rén huò wú nǚ rén huò yǒu fó fǎ huò wú fó fǎ nǎi zhì shēng wén pì zhī fó yì fù rú shì fēi dàn dì yù zuì bào yī děng mó yē fū rén zhòng bái pú sà yán qiě yuàn wén yú yán fú zuì bào suǒ gǎn è qù dì zàng dá yán shèng mǔ wéi yuàn tīng shòu wǒ cū shuō zhī fó zǐ ruò yǒu zhòng shēng bù xiào fù mǔ huò zhì shā hài dāng duò wú jiān dì yù qiān wàn yì jié qiú chū wú qī ruò yǒu zhòng shēng chū fó shēn xuè huǐ bàng sān bǎo bù jìng zūn fǎ yì dāng duò yú wú jiān dì yù qiān wàn yì jié qiú chū wú qī
Key Message
The karma of sentient beings leads through specific actions to specific consequences; the Kṣitigarbha Sūtra describes the law of karma vividly to guide beings toward good and away from evil.
▸The Chapter on Observing the Karmic Connections of Sentient Beings proceeds as a dialogue in which Māyādevī (摩耶夫人) — the Buddha's mother — asks Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva about the karma of beings and the retribution they receive.
The Chapter on Observing the Karmic Connections of Sentient Beings proceeds as a dialogue in which Māyādevī (摩耶夫人) — the Buddha's mother — asks Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva about the karma of beings and the retribution they receive. Kṣitigarbha first notes that across countless worlds there may or may not be hells, and the presence of the Buddha-dharma varies — no single standard of karmic retribution applies universally. Then at Māyādevī's request, he describes the specific evil destinies awaiting beings in Jambudvīpa (閻浮提, our present world). Those who are unfilial to their parents or go so far as to kill them will fall into Avīci hell (無間地獄) for tens of billions of kalpas with no prospect of escape. Those who draw blood from the body of a Buddha, slander the Three Jewels, and disrespect the Dharma will likewise fall into Avīci hell for tens of billions of kalpas with no prospect of escape. Through this vivid and specific description of karmic retribution, the chapter conveys the practical teaching to perform good deeds and avoid evil.