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CHINESE SUPERSTITIONS - University of Oregon

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— 257 —<br />

author <strong>of</strong> the "Treatise on the Infernal Regions", Yuh-lih c/i'ao-<br />

chwan 3£ M # r$ I 1 )' was tne urst to & ive currency to the new<br />

legend. According to this fanciful writer, Hades should not be<br />

divided into 8 hot and 8 cold hells, but into 10 Courts or Depart-<br />

ments, over each <strong>of</strong> which presides a judge or demon-king.<br />

The first Court is a kind <strong>of</strong> ante-chamber, where souls are<br />

examined, and then conducted to their destined abodes <strong>of</strong> torture.<br />

The Tenth Court is rather an outer hell, where souls who have<br />

expiated their crimes, are reborn in a lower or higher state <strong>of</strong><br />

existence among the six classes <strong>of</strong> created beings (2). The number<br />

10 is thus practically reduced to 8.<br />

Each <strong>of</strong> these 8 divisions comprises a large hell, and 16 small<br />

ones. Each has its special sort <strong>of</strong> torture, devised to punish certain<br />

classes <strong>of</strong> crimes (3).<br />

If we add to the above infernos the "hell <strong>of</strong><br />

females" (4), and the "city <strong>of</strong> suicides", we have the following aggregate:<br />

8 large hells -f- (8x16 = 128) +2 = 138 hells <strong>of</strong> all kinds (5).<br />

The following division <strong>of</strong> Hades is also found in the work<br />

entitled "Sutra <strong>of</strong> the Sea <strong>of</strong> Triple Darkness leading to the vision<br />

<strong>of</strong> Buddha", Kwan-fuh San-mei-hai-king = ||| fjflj 8fc M $£•<br />

Hells where the nose is cut <strong>of</strong>f ,, ,, 18<br />

Small hells ,, ,, 18<br />

Frozen hells ,, ,, 18<br />

Middling hot hells ,, ,, 18<br />

(1) See on the Author <strong>of</strong> the "Treatise on the Infernal Regions". Chinese<br />

Superstitions. Vol. VII. p. 254. note 2.<br />

(2) Buddhism holds there are only 6 forms or ways <strong>of</strong> existence, through<br />

which living beings can pass, and under which every thing that has life must<br />

be classed. These classes are gods, men, Asuras (demons inhabiting spaces<br />

under the earth), animals, Pretcts (ghosts ever consumed with hunger), and<br />

beings undergoing torments in hell. Monier Williams. Buddhism, p. 121.<br />

(3) Waddell. The Buddhism <strong>of</strong> Tibet, p. 92 (The Buddhist Hells).<br />

(4) See on the "hell <strong>of</strong> females". Chinese Superstitions. Vol. I. p. 84-86.<br />

(5) Edkins. Chinese Buddhism, p. 365. — Monier Williams. Buddhism,<br />

p. 120. — Hardy. Manual <strong>of</strong> Buddhism, p. 26.— Geden. Studies in the Religions<br />

<strong>of</strong> the East. p. 575 (Buddhism).

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