In late Chinese mythology, Diyu is hell. Ideas about it were formed under the influence of Buddhism, which penetrated into China at the beginning of our era. There were ideas about six forms of rebirth that were assigned to the deceased in Diyu. Those who did only good are born again in the guise of princes, generals and dignitaries, the less virtuous - in the guise of merchants, scientists, artisans and farmers, or widows, childless, orphans. Birth in the form of animals, birds and insects or reptiles was considered punishment.
According to ancient Chinese beliefs, the souls of the dead go to the Yellow underground spring, or to the Haoli area, or to Mount Taishan, and their fate is determined by the spirits of the earth and mountains. In the 4th-6th centuries, Taoist sages mentioned Lofeng, the capital of the underworld, located on a mountain in the far north, and later six heavenly palaces, into which the souls of the dead were distributed. In the 9th century, a description of 24 underground courts on Mount Fengdu appeared. At this time, Chinese Buddhists began to imagine the ten halls of Diyu. Around the 13th-15th centuries, a hierarchy of deities of the underworld emerged, headed by the supreme ruler Yu-di, to whom the god of the dead Ditsang-wan (this is the Chinese version of the Buddhist bodhisattva Kshitigarbha) is subordinate. Subordinate to him, in turn, are the princes of the ten courts - the Yan-vans (this name comes from the name of the Indian god of death Yama). The duty of the god of the dead is to save souls from Diyu. He was to visit hell and, out of compassion and love, allow souls to be born again and transfer them to heaven. His attributes: a staff for opening the doors of hell and a pearl, the light of which illuminates the path in the underworld. In addition, there is the “Great Emperor of the Eastern Mountain” Dongyuedadi, to whom the ten princes of Diyu are subordinate.
Diyu consists of ten courts, each of which has sixteen halls for punishment. In the first trial over the great sea on the Black Road at the Yellow Spring, Judge Qinguang-wan, the chief of the other judges, interrogates the souls of the dead. He sends the sinless to the tenth judgment seat, where they receive the right to be born again, the sinners to the “mirror of evil” on the terrace facing the east, in which they see the reflection of their bad deeds. The court has a “court of hunger”, a “court of thirst” and a “chamber for replenishing sacred texts” (monks who charge a fee for reading prayers for the dead without reading them to the end end up in it). Qinguang Wang sends the souls of suicides back to earth in the guise of hungry Egui demons (except for those who committed suicide out of loyalty to duty, filial piety, or a desire to maintain chastity). After the expiration of the life span allotted to them by heaven, they end up in the “city of the dead in vain” Wangsicheng, from where there is no way to another birth. There was a belief that they could return to earth and be reborn if they inhabited someone else’s bodily shell, so the souls of the dead haunt the living, trying to kill them to death.
The second court is ruled by Chujiang Wang. It is located in the south under the sea. Accompanied by the spirits of Zhenning, which means “shaggy dog,” and Chi-fa, “red-haired,” the souls of men and women who entered into illicit relationships, the souls of thieves, bad doctors, etc. go here. Sinners live here in sewage, they are stabbed with pitchforks.
The third court - Heisheng ("black rope") - includes those who thought that the emperor did not care about his subjects, as well as careless officials, wives deceiving their husbands, etc. It is located in the southeast under the sea. After the interrogation of Judge Sundi-van, the devil Daligui ("strong man") brings the sinners here. Their throats, arms and legs are tied with rope, their sides are stabbed, their hearts and livers are squeezed with pincers, their hearts are planed, they are beaten on their knees, their eyes are gouged out and their skin is torn off.
The Lord of the Fourth Judgment is Wuguan-wan. This included those who did not pay taxes, overweight customers, sold counterfeit medicines and rice soaked in water, as well as those who paid with counterfeit silver, cheated when selling material, stole stones from the pavement and oil from street lamps, were jealous of other people's wealth, did not fulfill promises to lend money or medicine, threw broken glass into the street, scolded evil spirits, lied and intimidated people and etc. Here there is a “river of sewage” Naihe, the bridge across which is guarded by a poisonous snake and an evil dog. The souls of murderers who have stained the kitchen, hearth or temple with blood are thrown into the “blood pond” of Xueuchi.
The head of the fifth judgment, which is located in the northeast under the sea, is Yan-wan. He previously headed the first court, but was transferred here because he released to earth the souls of sinners who died from accidents. Here the hearts of souls are taken out. Yan-wan is helped by the Ox Head and Horse Face, who accompany the souls of sinners to Vanxiantai - “the terrace from where they look at their home.” A staircase of 63 knife steps leads there. Along it climb those who did not fulfill the last will of their parents, did not fulfill the laws, did not help with money while they had it, wives and husbands who dreamed of something else while their spouse was alive, etc. From the “terrace” sinners see their home and hear the speech of loved ones.
The sixth judgment of the dead is in charge of Biancheng-wan. It is located in the north under the sea, and those who disrespectfully addressed the gods, who stole gilding or jewelry from their images, those who did not take care of the covered paper and books, etc. end up here. The heart is cut out here and thrown to the dogs.
The seventh judgment seat is ruled by Taishan-wan. It is located under the sea in the northwest. Those who robbed, abandoned a newborn, gambled for money, ate human flesh (they are recorded in a special book of “belly and death”, doomed to eternal hunger if they are born again), slanderers (they are punished in the “tongue-pulling out” hall) end up here.
The eighth court (it is located in the west under the sea) is headed by Dushi-van. Those who were disrespectful to their parents and did not bury them are sent here; For this, their life in the next birth was shortened. If the sinner corrected himself, the god of the hearth, Zao-wang, wrote on his forehead the hieroglyphs “fulfilled,” “submitted,” and “corrected.”
In the ninth court of Pinden-wan, surrounded by an iron net, arsonists who produced poisons, bad books and obscene paintings, and expelled the fetus with the help of potions are executed. Their heads are cut off, cut into small pieces or strangled with a rope. This judgment seat is located in the southwest under the sea.
In the tenth judgment seat, which is located in the east under the sea, there are six bridges: gold, silver, jade, stone and two wooden. These bridges connect hell and the world of the living. Judge Zhuanlun-wan decides who should be reborn into whom, and every month lists of souls are sent to the first judgment, and then to the spirit Fengdu-shen, on the border between hell and earth. Here the souls enter the pavilion of the goddess Men-po - “Auntie Men”, where they are given the drink of oblivion.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru