《老子说罪福大报应经(敦煌本)》

There are ten kinds of unwholesome conduct that bring corresponding evil retribution, and likewise ten kinds of faithful and wholesome conduct that bring corresponding blessings.

At this time, among those assembled there was a Zhenren (Perfected Person) named Huitong. He composed his bearing and observed proper ritual courtesy, then addressed Laozi: “I have often heard that ignorant beings commit ten kinds of unwholesome evil karma, yet I do not clearly know what they specifically are. I earnestly ask you to explain them in detail, so that everyone may understand and take them as admonition.”

Thereupon the Exalted Laozi told him again: “The first kind of unwholesome evil karma is this. In the defiled land of the southern world of Qixian (Abandoning the Worthy), there are women who are by nature stingy and greedy. They hoard and store up wealth, unwilling to give it away, and unwilling to cultivate merit or seek a good name. Because they have created such karma, after death they are reborn in the hungry-ghost realm, where hunger and thirst are unbearable and they have nowhere to turn. When hungry they eat charcoal; when thirsty they drink the essence of fire. Flames born of hunger and thirst burn their entire bodies. Because they have no store of blessing that might rescue them, they can hardly escape this suffering.

After passing through ten thousand kalpas, if by chance they are born again as human beings, they will be poor and solitary, their lifespan diminished and their years cut short, unable to live out the span that should have been theirs. If one wishes to eliminate this first great offense, created by stinginess, greed, and a refusal to do good, one can do so only by reciting the name of the ‘Greatly Compassionate One Who Seeks Out Cries of Suffering and Comes to Their Rescue, the Supreme Primordial Worthy.’ Only then can one be spared the retribution of poverty and freed from the suffering of a diminished lifespan and early death.”

The “hungry-ghost realm” is one of the six paths spoken of in both Daoism and Buddhism, a mode of existence long tormented by hunger and thirst. “Karmic conditions” (yeyuan) are the causes and conditions accumulated through conduct that bring corresponding retribution.

The second category of unwholesome karma refers to a person who, after accepting property entrusted by another for safekeeping, deliberately denies the debt and refuses to return it, going against conscience and breaking faith with others. After death, such a person likewise falls into the realm of hungry ghosts, tormented by unbearable hunger and thirst and with nowhere to go. When hungry, they eat charcoal; when thirsty, they drink the Jing (essence) of fire, and the fierce flames born of hunger and thirst burn the body. Because they still owe another’s property, it is very difficult to leave the realm of hungry ghosts. After the passage of ten thousand kalpas, even if they are reborn as a human being, they will be born with fistulas—skin ulcers that are difficult to cure—which even a physician cannot heal. They will also often be wrongly accused, suffering injustice with nowhere to appeal. If one wishes to eliminate, within this second category of unwholesomeness, the great sin of going against conscience by accepting a trust and failing to return it, only by reciting the name “Greatly Compassionate and Greatly Merciful Primordial Supreme Honored One Who Seeks the Sound and Saves from Suffering” (Daci Dabei Xunsheng Jiuku Yuanshi Wushang Zunzhe, the title of a Daoist deity, meaning the Primordial Honored One whose compassion is vast and who comes to relieve suffering upon hearing a cry for help) is it possible to be spared this retribution of fistulas and to escape the plight of being wronged with no means of redress.

The third category of unwholesome karma refers to a person who kills another with their own hands, or who pays money to hire someone to kill another. Those whose sinful karma is profound likewise fall after death into the realm of hungry ghosts, tormented by unbearable hunger and thirst and with nowhere to go. When hungry, they eat charcoal; when thirsty, they drink the Jing of fire, and the fierce flames born of hunger and thirst burn the body. Because they bear the burden of another person’s life, it is very difficult to leave the realm of hungry ghosts. After the passage of ten thousand kalpas, even if they are suddenly reborn as a human being, they will meet with epidemics spreading through the household; their line of descendants will be cut off, the whole family will perish, and after death there will be no one to offer sacrifices. If one wishes to eliminate, within this third category of unwholesomeness, the great sin of killing, only by reciting “Greatly Compassionate and Greatly Merciful Primordial Supreme Honored One Who Seeks the Sound and Saves from Suffering” is it possible to be spared the retribution of pestilence and to avoid the fate of the family’s extinction and of having no one left to perform sacrificial offerings.

The fourth category of unwholesome karma refers to a woman who, behind her husband’s back, secretly hides food, avoids the men and women of the household, refuses to share with others, and furtively eats rich, greasy food by herself. Because of this evil karma, after death she falls into the realm of hungry ghosts, where hunger and thirst are unbearable and she wanders about with nowhere to go. When hungry, she can eat only charcoal; when thirsty, she can drink only the Jing (essence) of fire. The fierce fire born of hunger and thirst burns her body; the suffering is hard to endure, and for a long time she cannot gain release. Only after ten thousand kalpas may she be reborn to receive retribution as a dog that guards its food, bereft of the affection between mother and offspring; the moment food appears, they tear at one another and fight to seize it.

If one wishes to eliminate the fourth category of unwholesome karma—that is, the grave offense of eating in secret—only by chanting the name of the “Greatly Compassionate and Greatly Merciful Supreme Worthy of the Primordial Beginning Who Seeks Out Cries and Saves from Suffering” (the title of a revered deity in Daoism, meaning the supreme worthy who, in compassion, saves beings from suffering and comes to their aid in response to their cries) can one be spared the karmic retribution of eating alone and being reborn as a dog, and also be freed from the condition in which mother and offspring among dogs do not cherish one another.

The fifth category of unwholesome karma refers to sentient beings whose minds are not sincere: when they prepare purificatory food offerings (zhai), these are impure, yet they still present them in offering to their teachers and elders. Such people likewise fall after death into the realm of hungry ghosts, where hunger and thirst are unbearable and they drift about with no place to which they may turn. When hungry, they can eat only charcoal; when thirsty, they can drink only the Jing of fire. The fire of hunger and thirst burns their bodies; the suffering is hard to endure, and for a long time they cannot gain release. Only after ten thousand kalpas may they be reborn to receive retribution as a dog that eats human filth and always carries a rank, foul odor on its body.

If one wishes to eliminate the fifth category of unwholesome karma—that is, the grave offense of preparing zhai food that is not pure—only by chanting the name of the “Greatly Compassionate and Greatly Merciful Supreme Worthy of the Primordial Beginning Who Seeks Out Cries and Saves from Suffering” can one be spared the karmic retribution of being reborn as a dog that eats human filth, and also be freed from the condition of a dog’s body that constantly bears a rank stench.

The sixth kind of unwholesome conduct is to deceive and falsely accuse good people, shut them in prison, cut off their water and food, and drive them to the brink of death in order to satisfy one’s own selfish desires. After death, such a person likewise falls into the realm of hungry ghosts, confined in sorrow and anguish and constantly tormented by hunger and thirst: when hungry, one eats charcoal; when thirsty, one drinks the Jing (essence) of fire. The flames born of hunger and thirst scorch the body; the pain is unbearable, and escape is hard to find. After passing through ten thousand kalpas, even if one is suddenly reborn as a human being, one will often meet unexpected calamities and be seized and imprisoned, thereby repaying the debts of wrongful grievance incurred in the past.

If one wishes to remove the great offense caused by the sixth evil act—falsely accusing the good—only by chanting the name of the “Greatly Compassionate, Greatly Merciful, Unsurpassed Worthy of the Primordial Beginning (Yuanshi) Who Seeks Cries and Saves from Suffering” may one be spared the retribution of constantly meeting sudden disasters and dissolve the old debts of grievance.

The seventh kind of unwholesome conduct is that a man eats and drinks alone and does not give food to relieve his wife and children. He himself enjoys abundant meals and lets food pile up and go to waste on the table, while his wife and children can only smell the fragrance and never taste it—still less can relatives and friends receive so much as a single meal. After death, such a person likewise falls into the realm of hungry ghosts, enduring hunger, thirst, and sorrow, tossed about in affliction with no way out: when hungry, one eats charcoal; when thirsty, one drinks the Jing of fire; the flames born of hunger and thirst burn the body, the pain is unbearable, and release is hard to find. After ten thousand kalpas, even if one is suddenly reborn as a human being, one will be lonely and impoverished, living by begging for food, with clothes worn out and shoes worn through, suffering for a long time.

If one wishes to remove the great offense caused by the seventh evil act—failing to provide food and drink for one’s wife and children—only by chanting the name of the “Greatly Compassionate, Greatly Merciful, Unsurpassed Worthy of the Primordial Beginning Who Seeks Cries and Saves from Suffering” may one be spared the retribution of lonely begging and also escape the plight of tattered clothing and worn-out shoes.

The eighth kind of unwholesome evil karma is that some people pursue profit to excess: they mix water into wine, add ash, and even put in earthworms and the like, so that the wine looks better in color and tastes sweeter, and thereby deceive the common people. They do this themselves and also teach others to do the same, persisting for a long time without reform.

After death, such people likewise fall into the realm of hungry ghosts, where hunger and thirst are unbearable. They are tossed about in suffering and can find no way out. When hungry they eat charcoal; when thirsty they drink fire-essence (something like fire). The fire born of hunger and thirst burns their bodies, so that their agony is beyond endurance and they can hardly escape it. After ten thousand kalpas, if they are reborn as human beings, they suffer from edema (swelling of the body), pant for breath when they walk, and have a withered, sallow complexion. If one wishes to eliminate the grave offense of the eighth unwholesome karma—deceiving others by mixing water into wine—only by reciting the name of the “Greatly Compassionate and Greatly Merciful Unsurpassed Venerable of the Primordial Beginning, Who Seeks Out Cries and Relieves Suffering” may one possibly be spared the edema and the withered, sallow complexion brought by karmic retribution.

The ninth kind of unwholesome evil karma is that some people are fierce and violent in temperament, very difficult to discipline, always act according to their own ideas, and will not listen to the advice of others.

After death, such people likewise fall into the realm of hungry ghosts, where hunger and thirst are unbearable. They are tossed about in suffering and can find no way out. When hungry they eat charcoal; when thirsty they drink fire-essence. The fire born of hunger and thirst burns their bodies, so that their agony is beyond endurance and they can hardly escape it. After ten thousand kalpas, if they are reborn and take on a new body, they often become water buffaloes: fierce in temperament and hard to tame, they also suffer the pain of having their noses pierced. If one wishes to eliminate the grave offense of the ninth unwholesome karma—a fierce and violent temperament—only by reciting the name of the “Greatly Compassionate and Greatly Merciful Unsurpassed Venerable of the Primordial Beginning, Who Seeks Out Cries and Relieves Suffering” may one possibly be spared rebirth as a water buffalo and the suffering of a pierced nose.

The tenth kind of unwholesome conduct is that of a person who, in trading and selling aromatics, charges a high price yet hands inferior incense over to others, greedy for profit and deceiving customers.

After death, such a person likewise falls into the path of hungry ghosts (the realm in which one suffers hunger and thirst on account of karmic offenses). A foul stench constantly rushes straight into the nostrils; hunger and thirst are unbearable, and there is nowhere in any direction to go. When hungry, one can eat only charcoal; when thirsty, one can drink only the essence of fire (Jing). Flames born of hunger and thirst scorch the body, so that the pain is past enduring and there is no way to escape. Only after passing through ten thousand kalpas does the chance of rebirth arise, and one is reborn as a dung beetle (an insect that feeds on excrement), rolling feces into pellets and eating them as choice food.

If one wishes to extinguish this tenth great offense, committed by deceiving customers in the sale of incense, only by reciting the name of the “Greatly Compassionate and Greatly Merciful Unsurpassed Honored One of Primordial Origin Who Seeks the Sound of Cries and Saves from Suffering” (the title of a Daoist deity, meaning the supreme honored one who is merciful, relieves suffering, and comes to the rescue in answer to cries) may one be spared the karmic retribution of rebirth as a dung beetle that feeds on balls of dung.

At this point the Most High Laozi again told Perfected Huitong: in the Pure Land of Nansheng in the East (the pure land of the East), there are good women who cultivate sincere good faith and wholesome conduct.

The first kind of person who cultivates sincere good faith and wholesome conduct reveres and trusts sacred images, joining with others to restore and venerate them, to construct them, and to make offerings to them, and the effort expended is considerable. In the life to come she will be reborn into an eminent and noble household, always held in respect by others, enjoying glory, wealth, peace, and happiness life after life, with descendants flourishing and the family growing powerful.

The second kind of person who cultivates sincere good faith and wholesome conduct reveres and trusts the scriptures and the teachings (Jing), never slackening in hearing and reciting them, honoring and making offerings to the classics, and urging others to recite them. In the life to come she will be born in the human world, rejoicing in auspicious blessings life after life, her family honored, and the path of official service continuing without break.

The third kind of virtuous practice is to respect and revere the Dharma master (one who transmits Buddhist and Daoist teachings), to donate Dharma robes, to make offerings of fragrant oil, and to provide meals of abstinence. Merit of this kind can move and communicate with the various heavens. When one is reborn as a human in a future life, the body is free of illness, one’s natural endowments and appearance are outstanding, and moral character and blessings are transmitted from generation to generation.

The fourth kind of virtuous practice is always to cherish compassion, to refrain from killing and instead to release living beings, and broadly to rescue and protect all sentient beings possessed of blood and Qi (vital energy). Such a person enjoys long life in a future existence, does not die young, and in life after life has a healthy body and does not meet with unexpected calamities. At the end of this passage the original text adds the further sentence “病，资貌绝伟，冠善蝉联,” which appears to be textually disordered and whose meaning is difficult to determine with certainty; afterward the fourth kind is repeated once more.

The fifth kind of virtuous practice is to be humble and yielding, and not to contend for superiority; to mediate quarrels and bring people to cease their disputes. When one is reborn as a human in a future life, one’s appearance is pleasing, one’s speech pleasant to hear, and one’s bearing proper, so that those who look upon one do not grow weary.

The sixth kind of virtuous practice is diligently to cultivate fasting and the precepts, to restrain oneself, not to do what violates the norms, and not to let the practice of fasting and the precepts fall into neglect. When one is reborn as a human in a future life, one is intelligent and perceptive, reads widely in the Jing (scriptures), and is able to understand the principles within them. The original phrase “空无法理” is suspected to be corrupt; here it is understood, according to the sense of the text, as “comprehending the principles and meanings of the scriptures.”

The seventh kind of virtuous practice is not to publicize others’ private affairs, not to sow discord among relatives, and to maintain upright conduct and a calm state of mind. When one is reborn as a human in a future life, wealth and official emoluments are abundant, surpassing those of the people of one’s locality, and life is leisurely and at ease. The original “戍艳反” is suspected to be a phonetic note or a corrupt character and cannot be reliably interpreted.

The eighth kind of virtuous practice is not to regard oneself as always right and others as always wrong, and not to exalt oneself while belittling others. When one is reborn as a human in a future life, one’s bearing is dignified and fine, one’s stature tall and outstanding, and one’s speech clear, upright, and pleasant, so that others are glad to heed one’s opinions.

The ninth kind of virtuous practice is to care for orphans, to show concern for the elderly and the sick, and to give aid to the poor. When one is reborn as a human in a future life, one possesses prestige and virtuous conduct; others respect and submit to one and do not oppose one; one is honored and esteemed, and also incurs little resentment.

The tenth kind of virtuous practice is not to be stingy with money and property, not to treat people differently according to whether they are noble or humble, and to serve guests with propriety; at the same time, to care for orphans, show concern for the elderly and the sick, and give aid to the poor. When one is reborn as a human in a future life, one possesses prestige and virtuous conduct; others respect and submit to one and do not oppose one; one is honored and esteemed, and also incurs little resentment. In the original, the result here is the same as that of the ninth kind, and the same content concerning care and charitable aid is repeated.

Those who practice the tenth kind of good conduct do not begrudge wealth, nor do they treat others differently according to high or low status. They receive travelers with respect, and both the welcoming of arrivals and the seeing-off of departures are arranged in good order. After they are reborn as human beings in a future life, no matter where they live or what they do, they will be held in respect by others, and gifts will not be lacking.

Those who have not yet cultivated these good deeds, if they hope to obtain the blessed rewards brought by these ten kinds of good conduct, should recite the name “Greatly Compassionate and Greatly Merciful, the Supreme Honored One of Primordial Beginning Who Seeks Out Cries and Relieves Suffering” (a title of a Daoist deity, meaning the Primordial Honored Deity who, out of compassion, saves beings from suffering and, upon hearing a cry, extends aid). Only in this way may they obtain the corresponding karmic fruit.

Thereupon the Perfected Huitong heeded the instruction of the Exalted Divine Honored One and came to understand both the ten kinds of evil karma created by sentient beings and the ten kinds of good conduct that sentient beings ought to cultivate. Reflecting that these teachings could benefit himself as well as help others, he respectfully requested that what he had heard be spread abroad, so that everyone might clearly comprehend it. Those attending the assembly, upon hearing this, rejoiced, snapped their fingers in approval, bowed together once more, performed the rite of prostration before the Honored Deity, and practiced in accordance with the teaching.

Scroll Seven of the Scripture of Great Retribution (Da Baoying Jing): sinful karma has ten kinds of retribution, and merit and virtue likewise have ten kinds of retribution.

The collation notes in the text explain that some characters were originally missing or erroneous; the editors supplied or emended characters according to the sense of the surrounding passage. Among these, wordings such as “humility and yielding” are conjectural.

9. In the original manuscript of the scriptural text above, some characters were written in popular vernacular forms or variant forms; when the text was transcribed, they were uniformly changed to the commonly used traditional characters.