#希有之華戒指
#WatLokayasutharam
#握佛寺

蓮花出污泥而不染的聖潔性，象徵佛與菩薩超脫紅塵，四大皆空;

蓮花的花死根不死，來年又發生，象徵人死魂不滅，不斷輪迴中。

佛教把蓮花看成聖潔之花，以蓮喻佛，象徵菩薩在生死煩惱中出生，而不為生死煩惱所干擾。

佛教有寶傘、雙魚、寶瓶、蓮花、白螺、如意、寶幢、金輪八種吉祥寶物，

釋迦牟尼把蓮花放在最崇高的位置。

由於蓮花在佛教上的神聖意義，佛經中把佛教聖花稱為「蓮花」，把佛國稱為「蓮界」，把袈裟稱為「蓮服」，把和尚行法手印稱為「蓮蕖華合掌」，甚至把佛祖釋迦牟尼稱為「蓮花王子」。

蓮是百花中唯一能花、果(藕)、種子(蓮子)並存的。

象徵我佛「法身、報身、應身」「三身」同駐。

其姿挺展，日艷且鮮;其貌熙怡，傲然獨立;

其根如玉，不著諸色;其莖虛空，不見五蘊;

其葉如碧，清自中生;其絲如縷，綿延不斷;

其花莊重，香馥長遠;不枝不蔓，無掛無礙;

更喜蓮子，苦心如佛;諄諄教人，往生淨土。

蓮花有五色:白、青、紅、紫、黃，稱為「五種天華」。

其中白、青兩色最受青睞。

白蓮花，梵文音譯為芬陀利。此花生長於佛國阿耨達池中，人世間難以見到，

故又稱「希有之華」。

青蓮花，梵文音譯為優缽羅。葉狹長，近下小圓，向上漸尖，青白分明，酷似佛眼，故在佛經中稱之為「蓮眼」，也即觀音菩薩的眼睛。

五種蓮花，為五大虛空藏菩薩所坐。

東方福智虛空藏，坐青蓮花，乘銀牛;

南方能滿虛空藏，坐赤蓮花，乘金象;

西方施顧虛空藏，坐白蓮花，乘琉璃馬;

北方無垢虛空藏，坐紫蓮花，乘獅子;

中央解脫虛空藏，坐黃金蓮花，乘水晶龜。

蓮華喻菩薩十種善法

一、離諸染污 菩薩修行，能以智慧觀諸境於一切法，不生貪愛，雖處五濁生死流中，而不為生死過失所染，比喻蓮花出於水而不為污泥所染也。(五濁者，即劫濁、眾生濁、煩惱濁、見濁、命濁)

二、不與惡俱 菩薩修行，唯欲滅一切惡，生一切善，於身口意，守護清淨，不與纖毫之惡共俱，比喻蓮華雖微滴之水，而不停留也。

三、戒香充滿 菩薩修行，放諸戒律堅持無犯，以戒能滅身口之惡，猶香能除糞穢之氣。故經雲:戒香芬馥，廣布充滿，比喻蓮華開敷，妙香廣布，遐邇皆聞也。

四、本體清淨 菩薩因持戒故，身心清淨雖處五濁之中，而能無染無著，比喻蓮華生時雖處污泥濁水，而自然潔淨無所染也。

五、面相熙怡 熙，和樂貌。怡，喜悅也，菩薩心常禪悅，則面無顰蹙，諸相圓滿，見者悉皆歡喜，比喻蓮華開時，令諸見才心意快然而生喜悅也。

六、柔軟不澀 柔軟則隨順，不澀則無滯，謂菩薩修慈善之行，復於閉法無所滯礙，充於內而形於外，故體常清淨，柔軟細紗而不粗澀，比喻蓮華，體性柔軟而復潤澤也。

七、見者皆吉 菩薩修行成就，形相美妙，凡所見者咸獲吉祥，比喻蓮華，芬馥美妙，人或眼見及夢見者皆吉祥也。

八、開敷具足 菩薩修行功成，智慧福德，莊嚴具足，比喻蓮華開敷而其華果具足也。

九、成熟清淨 菩薩修因既圓，妙果成熟，而慧光發現，能使一切有情見聞之者，鹹得六根清淨，比喻蓮華成熟，若眼睹其色，鼻聞其香，則諸根示得清淨也。

十、生已有想 菩薩初生之時，諸天人等咸樂護持，以其必能修習善行，證菩提果，比喻蓮華初生之時，雖未見花，凡諸人眾，咸生已有蓮華之想也。

《我和香的因緣之十二》
　
在大半生中，對於香的追尋始終未曾中輟間歇過，原因我想是除了每天都會供養品聞之外，對於曾經接觸過的一些研香師、製香師，以及藏家、品香等大家，所聽聞過的和香相關的異聞奇事實在太多，這也是令我在香的世界裡，一直以來幾乎有著靡他若石、礪山不變的興致，只要不至玩賞喪志，倒也把它當成陶情冶性的雅事。
　
由於和香接觸的時間較長且廣，所以往從之同好也頗多，並且涉及諸多行業和宗派。倒是有一位佛門中之退山長老，也是此中楚楚出塵逸士，此位退居隱修老和尚，本是默如長老的一位法兄弟。默如長老是我禪宗老和尚自天寧寺時期直至來台圓寂為止，至深至切的佛門兄弟，江蘇人。由於這層關係，故也得閒可以相約參訪，曾從其處聽聞過近代奇僧慧明老和尚的靈異事蹟，他曾入太虛大師閩南佛學院，也曾在雪竇寺閱《大藏經》，後於中年解行期間，值遇吾師，同入常州天寧寺⋯⋯而這位也算香界先行仕進之輩的長者，也是偶然在一次默如長老相關法席中有不期而遇之緣。
　
當時這位老和尚已近朝枚高齡，但卻仍然矍鑠抖擻，尤其一遇到維那相關念誦，便可以見識到這位老和尚中氣之飽滿，超越一般法師之餘音嫋嫋所可比擬，因此更引發我一探其修行之底蘊及閱歷⋯⋯。後來經由幾次參訪，方知此老之人生閱歷亦有其不尋常之處。
　
原來此老和我所結識的諸山老宿經歷各有迥異，一般而言，如我所承事學習過的老和尚，幾乎都是從極年幼便在寺廟裡學習，而這位老和尚卻是由道轉釋，並且極具神奇色彩，詭祕不可思議。當初初結識時，最引我好奇的是在佛教界幾乎所有胸前佩戴有佛珠的出家眾，我都會特別注意及好奇胸前所掛的佛珠到底是何材料。唯獨這位老和尚胸前所掛一百零八顆佛珠，如同切割全美的鑽石般，顆顆閃放出無垠的光芒，但其實它的光華一看便識，是標準的老沉香，也不知年代是否遙遠？只覺掛在老和尚身上有股自然脫俗華貴的氣質⋯⋯
　
「我當初年輕時非常仰慕我家鄉的一位道長，他的道號叫作玄一子，他的道法是緣自於茅山和龍門派兩個系統，他的俗家姓司馬，平日寡言如同木訥子一般，鎮日以靜坐、養丹為樂，當時他是依太清宮老道長學道有年，這太清宮是漢朝便有的一座老廟，我小的時候只要是老子誕辰那天便會起個清早，附近鄰里鄉民也都扶老攜幼，東方未白便踩著月光，結夥成群皆是為了去膜拜太上老君。這座廟源自於唐朝的李淵，把此廟封為太廟，唐高宗還追封太上老君為「太上玄元皇帝」，在唐玄宗的時代太清宮可說是全盛時期，受封的土地就有近百畝之廣，外型如同天上宮闕般雕樑玉砌、燦爛非常、雄偉無比⋯⋯我們小的時候最喜歡結伴到太清宮看老子，廟裡邊也留下了太清宮在最頂盛時期商賈權貴，日日皆是門庭若市，來訪賓客更是如潮水般紛至沓來，可說是川流不息不足以形容⋯⋯」從這段話聽起來老和尚和道家的淵源應該是源自於少年時期和太清宮的一位道士所結下的道緣⋯⋯。
　
「司馬道長和道家的淵源可說年久月深、源遠流長，最遠可以追溯到唐代的司馬承禎，他便是我們茅山派的祖師，也是南嶽派的宗師，有次閒談時，道長談興極濃，透露過司馬承禎其實和司馬懿也是有血緣的，因為他的祖先司馬馗便是司馬懿的弟弟⋯⋯司馬承禎自幼便是天才型的人物，所讀過書籍過耳成誦、過目不忘，因此每幾年家中的藏書便已讀遍，按理講，這種資質如果往仕途發展必可出將入相，但是他偏偏喜愛青燈古佛的雲水生涯，因此在二十一歲便遁跡道門，不久長居嵩山修煉上清道法，一切符籙無不熟嫻，乃至導引服氣、辟穀，於此期間五經通達，星氣了然，精通六甲，可以役使鬼神，金液諸經，暢然無礙，已達莫測變化之境⋯⋯」
　
老和尚當時看道長滔滔不迭，非常有興致地邊回憶邊話匣大開，訴說著過往在太清宮和司馬道長相隨的塵封往事，那時期伴隨著是荒煙般的年代，有不少受難的眾生就如同無法抑制的虛空中飄落的皚皚白雪，雖然平靜但卻無法遮掩虛實與悲歡，似乎在這深山內垣處才是避難的寶塔⋯⋯（未完待續）
　
王薀老師
　
✅歡迎點擊「發送訊息」，王薀老師將陪您解心愁。

「地獄空」攝影集即將在八月中元節前出版，由知名設計師與攝影家黃子欽設計，內附在下二位高徒精美繪製符咒、心經版畫書籤、愣嚴咒牌、尊勝咒語...等，感恩十方大德助印，希望疫情退散，平安喜樂，後記如下：

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2017年盛暑拍畢《巨神連線》，心律不整差點心肌梗塞向閻羅王報到，意識死神隨伺在側，人生苦短，如何了生脫死、盡斷煩惱、無所罣礙、遠離顛倒……總不得解，蒙釋迦摩尼佛開示飆淚三晝夜，聞佛法數載始知自我渺如塵埃，甚感慚愧。閒暇乃參訪名寺古剎，禮敬焚香佛陀菩薩羅漢諸神天仙王爺媽娘，台灣宮廟千奇百怪、宗派錯綜複雜（佛教、道教、一貫道、天主教、基督教、齋教、回教＆大同教、儒教鑾堂、天帝教＆天德教、慈惠堂＆勝安宮、軒轅教、道院、理教、萬國道德會、會靈山……）、神棍橫行（依人不依法、偶像崇拜、斂財、邪淫），因歷史變遷、社會動盪、政治鬥爭、意識形態等因素導致佛道混雜，但地獄造景稀少，後專注拍攝各殿閻王、判官、陰司、獄卒、七爺、八爺乃至一切罪人，各寺造景巧妙、耐人尋味，意境乖張溢於言表，造型扭曲非常人所能塑也，然匠心獨運、自成一格，專研西方藝術數十載方知真誠樸拙最美，絲毫不輸喬托（Giotto di Bondone，1267～1337）乃至米開朗基羅（Michelangelo Di lodovico Buonarroti Simoni 1475 ~ 1564）矣。

創立於1986年的石門金剛宮風景優美可眺望北濱，雖主祀四面佛，儒釋道眾神尊也不含糊，可過七星橋解厄、繞行五百黝黑羅漢敲鑼印心、跪拜亞洲最大臥佛涅槃像，安太歲自不在話下，甲子太歲爺雙眼長出手掌印象甚深，1994年經閻羅王指示廟公建造一條肚內設極樂世界及陰曹地府之神龍，行走暗黑通道觸動感應機關，只見面容猙獰受刑者呼天搶地喊冤、身邊盡是血肉糢糊殘肢敗屍腦漿塗地，十殿閻羅各司其職、威儀攝人。新北市林口區青嶺湖北文紫祥宮包公廟則以壁面彩塑地獄浮雕獨步全台，粉嫩色彩搭配卡漫風格，尤為造型簡直恐怖到可愛透頂，該廟主祀森羅殿閻羅天子包拯（包青天），陽世冤屈者可至此參拜祭解，求破懸案者眾，逢中元普渡皆以紙紮船渡亡魂至彼岸，全台唯一閻羅天子巨像籌備中，四周環繞墓地，適合修不淨觀也。台灣首尊彰化八卦山大佛旁南天宮（1971）地府則是首座電動地府，規模精小但驚嚇度破表，略顯破敗但五光十色仍蠻凶悍，出自已故台南大道長金登富之作，而電動神明起始可追溯至1960年代北港朝天宮。倒是嘉義水上鄉白人牙膏觀光工廠「戴相府」、「將軍府」設置十殿地府出乎意料之外，乾淨亮麗、ㄧ殿ㄧ間、簡單樸實。由高雄蓮潭龍虎塔龍口入內可見全臺唯一交趾陶地獄牆面，尊尊栩栩如生，續入龍身乃進聞聲救苦白衣觀音大士三十三化身浮雕隧道，造型設色甚為古錐。高雄大岡山超峰寺入口處「西方三聖蓮池海會」（阿彌陀佛、觀世音菩薩、大勢至菩薩巨像）旁設靜態十殿閻羅（1970年代初），雖略為陳舊然韻味猶存，續往上行可抵「證菩提道－釋迦如來應化事迹」雕塑園區，一攬世尊畢生精華。如來年邁時，琉璃國王為報長期被釋迦族輕蔑之傲慢心，世尊雖三次單獨伽跌坐 阻擋大軍進攻之路，但因緣果報無法逆轉，昔日婢女所生王子瞋恨無以復加，還是滅了祖國。自持神通第一目犍連不忍無辜百姓慘遭屠殺，遂以缽盛救度五百族人，最終卻化為血水，佛言神通廣大仍不敵千百劫業力，因緣果報屢試不爽。其母死後墜入餓鬼道飢餓難耐，目犍連遂展神通救渡，但所食尚未入口皆化為赤火，佛陀囑咐農曆七月十五日僧眾解安居自恣日，於盆中設甘露美食供養十方僧眾，因此超度亡母。後世「盂蘭盆法會」乃至「水懺法會」、「瑜珈焰口法會 」皆為消業障、斷塵垢之超渡儀軌，既渡亡魂也自懺悔。

台南麻豆代天府規模宏大、造型豔麗，不但可遊十八層地獄尚可逛天堂（1979年興建，1983年開放)，燈光絢爛、聲響駭人，獨自漫步宛如觀落陰、地獄走一回。先過「心頭山」、入「清心池」、進「陰陽界」、抵「交簿廳」、達「鬼門關」、遊「補經所」、探「枉死城」、行「奈何橋」，至ㄧ殿泰廣王照「孽鏡台」現造惡原形，睹抱柱、火床等小地獄。二殿楚江王開「陰查簿 」判案定奪，觀糞尿泥、餓鬼、舞池、寒冰、膿血、鞭韃、舌犁、劍葉、戟腹拋接、砧截……等小地獄。三殿宋帝王刑罰為倒吊、銅鐵刮臉、挖眼、搗樁、倒烤、吸血、穿肋、抽筋、蛆蛀等小地獄……兼遊「四生（胎、卵、濕、化）回魂府」。四殿五官王掌管腰斬、拔舌、沸湯、刺嘴、剝皮、箭樹、車崩、射眼……等十六小地獄。隨五殿森羅王豋「望鄉臺」回眸親人最終眼後觀擊膝、誅心、刀山、飛刀火石……小地獄。六殿卞城王別稱「大叫喚大地獄」，轄火牛、虎啖、噬腎、鉗嘴含鍼、釘喉、磨摧、砍頭……等小地獄。七殿泰山王為「熱惱大地獄」，窺烙手指、抽腸、頂石蹲身、油釜滾烹、割舌穿腮……等十六小地獄。八殿都市王掌管「大熱惱大地獄」兼火狗、鐵汁、鐵蛇、鋸劈斷肢、釘板、灸脊、鐵丸、磅秤……等小地獄。九殿平等王直轄十八層「阿鼻大地獄」，直透地心、內中陰森、不見五指、滿溢地漿，皆為極犯，另轄紫赤毒蛇鑽孔、夾頂、鐵鴉、針雨、蜂蠍……等小地獄。至十殿輪轉王上「觀生臺」、「轉劫所八司」（查驗司 、稽善司 、考過司 、恩怨司 、壽命司 、支配司、掌劫司 、授生司）後至「孟婆亭」飲「醧忘湯」忘盡前塵往事，依前世功德過金、銀、玉、石、木、竹六種橋樑至「轉輪臺（紫河車）」入六道輪迴轉生投胎。據《十八泥犁經》記載，人過世後七七四十九天為「中陰生」，經閻羅王審判善惡業力判定去留或懲罰百千萬劫，犯五逆重罪則墮入「無間地獄（阿鼻地獄）」永劫不復。地藏王乃幽冥教主，統轄十殿閻羅，逢三曹普渡便在各殿設「講道所」超度尚存善根之鬼魂。

人類居於五趣（阿修羅、人、傍生、餓鬼、地獄）雜居地五濁惡世之堪忍世界，犯十惡業（殺生、偷盜、邪淫、妄語、兩舌、惡口、綺語、貪慾、嗔恚、愚痴）者必墮三趣惡道。如何出「三界」（欲界、色界、無色界）二十八天？凡人無此意識，別說能破「十二因緣」（無明、行、識、名色、六入、觸、受、愛、取、有、生、老死）還滅門，更別想斷除「四聖諦」（苦、集、滅、道）集地八十一品見惑與八十八使思惑（五利使-身見、邊見、邪見、見取見、戒禁取見、五鈍使-貪、瞋、癡、慢、疑），了悟「五蘊」（色、受、想、行、識）本空、「十二入」（眼、耳、鼻、舌、意、色、聲、香、味、觸、法）空、「十八界」空，破俱生我執與分別我執、法執甚至空執，生十一處「善心所」（信、精進、慚、愧、無貪、無瞋、無痴、輕安、不放逸、行捨、不害），降二十六處「惡心所」（貪、瞋、癡、慢、疑、惡見、忿、恨、覆、惱、嫉、慳、誑、諂、害、憍、無慚、無愧、掉舉、惛沉、不信、懈怠、放逸、失念、散亂、不正知），須知善根斷盡則陷永劫輪迴、無垠轉世之苦。

地獄可能空滅嗎？若地獄空乏人間多鬼怪，地獄淨空世間何嘗非淨土？若能證空性何處現地獄？

地獄曠古來便廣泛流傳各部族間，老死生滅為自然運行之基礎、宇宙意識之核心，然今文明昌盛如咱城邦並非慾望消弭之所，惡性所及實無可根除，礙於憲法國家法律社會軍隊企業公司學校家庭團體之層層束縛不亞於十八層，乃遁於壓抑、束己情懷，暗埋心底、日久貪嗔痴慢疑怨噌會疊穢。而六塵未熄，心多妄念，妖魔鬼怪魑魅魍魎孤魂閃靈出沒於荒郊乃至人間，會靈於曠野密林以增性靈乃出世高人修煉之舉，我等凡人擅闖宛如迪士尼般之人造地獄，三魂七魄尚不足以出竅，驚邪恐怖淒厲猙獰倒滿足了自以為是的慚愧，豈不謬哉？

病毒肆虐年半有餘，全球確診者逼近一億八千萬，枉死者近四百萬，堪比戰爭規模，望眾生發慈悲心、令往生者安息、善待其他物種、平等有情眾生。地獄本空，唯妄念生起一切羨慕嫉妒恨而地獄現前。盡以此書作為世界新冷戰獨裁者、超限戰者、暗網駭客、陰險狡猾冷嘲熱諷落井下石者之良知備忘錄矣。

姚瑞中寫於2021年端午節

Postscript

I have been living recklessly in Taiwan for more than fifty years. According to Zi Wei Dou Shu (Purple Star Astrology), Tan Lang is the sole star in my house of Self. This star, which represents xxx, forms an equilateral triangle with that star Qi Sha and Po Jun on the square chart and constitutes a Sha Po Lang pattern. The pattern indicates a kind of turbulence and change, a life of wandering with ups and downs and it tells a lot about my life. After my ill-fated youth, I started from scratch and traveled around the world with exhibitions that I participated. Like a flaneur, I wandered around ruins, nature, and temples with every type of film camera obliviously. Thus, I founded the Hall of Illusion and claimed to be the master of the hall. Several times a day, I pondered a quote from the Diamond Sutra, “Everything with form is unreal.” In addition, I usually stayed in the darkroom developing film and enlarging those negatives overnight. However, I treasured the simplicity of the black and white world. The earthly, gaudy, garish, phony and pleasing qualities within colored photos make the images even more realistic than the real world. It is not my cup of tea, so I seldom took colored photos. In Confucian thought, the age of fifty marks the stage knowing the mandate of Heaven. I am now at my fifties and realize how ephemeral human life is. However, I am not an immortal, nor having sagelike characteristics. I just learned that the stage of stainless (the second bhūmi) and develop a pure mind that is free from doubt and defilement. However, I’m still far from the immovable state and need to practice.

In the summer of 2017, after filming the work Incarnation, I experienced a severe heart rhythm problem which almost triggered myocardial infarction and could have killed me. Consequently, I realized that death was waiting for me and the life is too short to figure out how I can liberate myself from the cycle of Birth and Death. I couldn’t comprehend how to be free from all afflictions and worries and how to avoid delusive ideas. I wept for three days and nights after being enlightened by Shakyamuni Buddha. Up to the moment, I felt ashamed that I failed to realize that the self is as insignificant as dust after these years learning and practicing Buddhism. Since then, I have visited famous temples and monasteries in my spare time, worshiping Buddha, Bodhisattvas, arhats, and all the deities and immortals. Taiwan’s temples are myriad with a enormous number of sects, including Buddhism, Taoism, Yiguandao, Catholicism, Christianity, Chinese religions of fasting, Islam& Baháʼí Faith, Confucianism, Tiandiism& Tian-De Teachings, Xiwangmu cult, Yellow Emperor Sect, Precosmic Salvationism, Liism, World Wide Ethical Society, séance cult, etc. Some people even claim that they can mediate communication between the deities or spirits of the dead with human beings, having their believer rely on themselves instead of the orthodox dharma or dogma and pay excessive respect and admiration for the mediums or objects, accumulating wealth through such an unfair means or even harassing their believer sexually. Due to Taiwan’s historical changes, social turbulence, political struggles, and ideological issues, Buddhism and Taoism are somehow mixed. However, there are few emphases on the concept of the hell. As I took photographs of Yama of each court, judges, wardens of the underworld, jailers, General Fan and Hsieh (the ghost escorts) and all sinners, I found few temples cleverly created hellish scenes that are intriguing, exaggerating, and extraordinary. However, the creations are unparalleled unique. I have been studying Western arts for decades and then I came to realize that simplicity makes the most beautiful works of art. These hellish scenes can even compete with works of Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337) and Michelangelo Di lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564).

Jingang Temple Shimen District, founded in 1986, overlooks the beautiful North shore. Although the temple is mainly dedicated to Phra Phrom (the Thai representation of Mahabrahma), spirits of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism can also be founded in the temple. The worshipper can go cross the Seven Star bridge to relieve bad luck, walk along the five hundred arhat statues and knock on the gong to affirm one’s Buddha nature. Furthermore, the worshipper can also prostrate themself before Asia’s largest statue of Buddha in Nirvana (the Reclining Buddha statue) and pacify the Taoist Tai Sui deity of the year. I was impressed by the Jia-Zi Tai Sui General that a pair of palms grow out of his eyes. In 1994, the biō-kong (the person taking charge of the temporal affairs of a temple) received a divine inspiration from Yama (the King of Hell) that he had to build a sacred hall in the shape of a divine dragon, with the interior designed according to the World of Ultimate Bliss and the Underworld. When the visitor walks in the dark hallway, they will see the tortured people (dioramas, of course) scrunching their faces and crying bitterly and loudly in excessive grief as the visitor triggers the mechanism. One will even find them in the midst of flesh, body liquid and blood, mutilated limbs, and rotten corpses. While each of the ten Yamas are focusing on their own duties, showing their sacred dignity that collect visitors’ attention. The Baogong Temple in Linkou District, New Taipei City exclusively features colorful depiction of hellish scenes in relief in Taiwan. With its pastel shades and cartoon-like style, the relief is both grotesque and adorable at the same time. This temple is dedicated to Bao Zhen (also known as Justice Bao) representing the incarnation of Yama. Living people who have been treated unjustly can come worshipping Bao Gong and receive exorcism. Therefore, many people come here for seeking to solve unsolved cases. In Zhongyuan Festival (the ghost festival), the temple will burn the Zhizha (paper craft) boat to ferry the ghosts to the other shore, which is the shore of enlightenment. The only giant statue of Yama in Taiwan is still in the making. The temple is surrounded by a cemetery, suitable for meditating on the loathsomeness and impurity. Nantian Temple (1971), located next to the Eight Trigram Mountains Buddha in Changhua, features the first animatronic underworld. Despite the small size, the animatronic underworld is intensely shocking. Though it’s slightly worn, the colorful dioramas are still brutally ferocious. The creator was the late venerable Dao Zhang (Taoist priest) Jing Deng-fu while the origin of animatronic deities can be traced back to the 1960s Beigang Chaotian Temple. On the contrary, the Whiteman Toothpaste Tourism Factory in Shuishang Township, Chiayi, features ten Yamas with individual booth. The place is unexpectedly clean and polished yet keeps a simple and modest tone. Then, the Dragon Pagoda of the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas at Lotus Lake in Zuoying, Kaohsiung, holds the only relief of hellish scenes made of Kochin ceramic. All the figures are vivid and life-like. If one goes further into the pagoda, they will see a relief tunnel of the thirty-three incarnations of the white-robed form of Guanyin (Avalokiteśvara) on a white lotus, with a lovely and interesting design. Another Hall of Yama is built in the 1970s next to the entrance of Dagangshan Chaofeng Temple, located in the Alian District of Kaohsiung. Visitors will also see three statues of the Three Holy Ones of the Western Pureland (Amitābha, Avalokiteśvara, Mahāsthāmaprāpta) which assemble at a lotus pond. Although the hellish scene looks somewhat antiquated, you may still find its previous charm. If one goes further, they will reach the sculptural garden of “Attaining the Bodhi Way: the Incarnation of Sakyamuni Buddha,” where the visitor can see the essence of Bhagavato’s (meaning the Blessed one, one of the common epithets for Buddha) life. When Tathāgata (another epithet for Buddha) was old, the king of Kosala wanted to avenge the arrogance of the tribe of Shakyas who had long despised him, regarding him as a son of a maiden. Although Buddha has sat in lotus position alone three times to stop the army from attacking his tribe. However, one can never reverse the cause and following karma. The prince born of a maiden was so furious that he eventually destroyed his homeland. Maudgalyāyana (one of the Buddha’s closest disciples), who is said to have had supernatural abilities that surpassed the other disciples, could not bear to see the slaughter of innocent people. Thus, he saved five hundred people of his tribe with a pātra (an eating utensil of Buddhist monks). Unfortunately, everything he did was in vain, those who were saved eventually turned into a puddle of blood. The Buddha said that the supernatural abilities cannot surpass the power of karma. The cause and effect work all the time. When Maudgalyāyana’s mother fell into the path of hungry ghost, he used his supernatural abilities to save his mother from hunger. However, all the food turned into fire before being fed to his mother. Later, the Buddha commanded the monks to put nectar and dishes in a basin on the 15th day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar for the monks from all directions to free his mother from reincarnation. In later times, the Ullambana Dharma Service, the Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance, and the Yoga Collection for Feeding the Searing Mouths Dharma Service are rituals to eliminate karmic hindrance and to cease to worldly delusions. Through such practices, one can free the dead as well as confess their repentance.

Madou Daitian Temple is a magnificent and colorful temple in Tainan. Not only can the worshippers visit the eighteen levels of Hell but also the Heaven (it was built in 1979 and inaugurated in 1983) here. The lighting and sound effects are stunning and frightening. When walking alone in the space, one may feel like taking a Guan Luo Yin trip (a Taoist necromancy which leads people’s spirits to hell and communicate with the dead ones) to visit the underworld prison. Before arriving the first court of the underworld, the visitor will walk through the Mountain of Heart Summit, the Pure Heart Pond, the Frontier between the Living and the Dead Realms, the Soul Registry Hall, the Portico of Demons, the Center for Complementary Teaching of Canonical Books, the Citadel of Premature Death, and the Bridge of Vanity. When one arrives at the first court, they will see King Chin-guang, who is in charge of the court, using the Mirror of Retribution to show the earthly form of evil creatures and also witness the sub-hell of Pillar-Holding and Fire Bed, etc. At the second court, King Chu-jiang collates the register of sins the souls of the dead have committed to impose the punishments. Here, you will see the sub-hell of Excrement and Urine, Hungry Ghost, Burning Dance Floor, Ice, Pus and Blood, Whipping, Tongue-Raking, Sword Blade, Stomach-Piercing, Chopping, etc. Next, the dead at the third court, ruled by King Song-di, will receive the punishments including inversion tortures, face-skinning with steel and copper knife, eye-wrenching, pounding, blood-sucking, rib-piercing, roasting, tendon-taking, being eaten by maggots. The visitor can pay a visit to the Palace of Soul-Resuscitation for the Four Forms of Creatures (birth from an egg, birth from a womb, birth from moisture, and birth by transformation). King Wu-guan is in charge of the fourth court. There are sixteen sub-hells at the fourth court including Waist Chop, Tongue Removal, Boiling Pond, Mouth-stabbing, Skin-peeling, Sword Tree, Burning Wheels and Cart, Eye-shooting, etc. Next, at the fifth court, sinful souls are allowed to ascend the Tower of Hometown-Viewing to take a final look of their family. The visitor will witness sub-hells of Knee-striking, Heart-slicing, Blade Mountain, Flying Swords and Burning Stones, etc. The King of Bian City takes charge of the sixth court, which is also known as the “Great Hell of Screaming,” with sub-hells including Fire Cattle, Tiger-Biting, Kidney-Eating, Mouth-Poking, Throat-Nailing, Iron Mill, Decapitation, etc. The King of Tai-shan is in charge of the seventh court, the “Great Hell of Heat and Fire.” The sixteen sub-hells at this court include Finger-Searing, Bowel-Hauling, Stone-Bearing, Boiling Oil, Tongue-Removal and Cheek-Piercing, etc. Next, the King Du-shi is in charge of the eighth court, the “Great Hell of Intense Fire and Heat,” and the sub-hells including Fire Dogs, Molten Iron, Iron Snakes, Dismemberment, Steel Spikes, Burning-Marrow, Iron Ball, Scale, etc. The ninth court is ruled by the King Ping-deng. It is known as the biggest court, Avici Hell (the Hell of Incessant Suffering), which if the lowest level of the hell realm and the interior is gloomily and terrifyingly dark. Those who committed the most serious evil deed will be sent to the Avici Hell. Sub-hells such as Poisonous Snake, Brain-Removal, Crow-Gnawing, Raining Needles, Wasps and Scorpions are included at this court. After arriving the tenth court, ruled by the Great King of the Reincarnation Palace, one can visit the “Observatory of Life on earth” and the “eight bureaus of the Reincarnation Palace” (including the Bureau of Judicial Control, the Bureau of Good-Actions, the Bureau of Bad-Actions, the Bureau of Debts, Gratitude, and Vengeance, the Bureau of Longevity and Destiny, the Bureau of Familial Ties, the Bureau of the Reincarnated, and the Bureau of Birth). The sinful one will be sent to the Pavilion of Mengpo and made to drink the Soup of Forgetfulness to forget all past affairs. According to the sinful one’s merits of previous life, they will go across one of the six bridges (gold, silver, jade, stone, wood, bamboo) to the “Reincarnation-Wheel (Wheel on the Crimson River).” Finally, one is able to reborn in the six realms. According to the Aṣṭadaśa nāraka sutra ( the Eighteen Hells Sutra), after one passes away, they will enter an intermediate and transitional state between death and rebirth, known as antarābhava in Sanskrit, for forty-nine days. The being will be evaluated by Yama, who will decide if one should get reborn or get punished at the hell. Those who committed the Five Grave Offenses (killing one’s father, killing one’s mother, killing an Arhat, shedding the blood of a Buddha, and creating a schism within the community of Buddhist monks and nun who practice for attaining enlightenment.) will be sent to the Avici Hell and stay there eternally. Kṣitigarbha is the Lord of the Nether World, ruling the ten court of Hell. The lord will set up the “Hall of Teaching” at each court to salvage those sinful ones who still obtain few merits at the offering rituals.

Human beings live the Sahā world (sahāloka in Sanskrit, meaning “endurance of suffering,” a concept of mundane world in Mahāyāna Buddhism) where they share with other reincarnations (including beings of the hells, of the preta, and of malevolent nature spirits) with five turbidities (the Kalpa turbidity, the view turbidity, the affliction turbidity, the living beings turbidity, and the life turbidity). Those who commit the ten evil deeds (killing, stealing, adultery, lying, using immoral language, slandering, equivocating, coveting, anger, and false views) must fall into the three evil paths (animals, preta, and hell). However, how can one escape from the three realms/ twenty-eight heavens (including the six heavens of the desire realm, the eighteen heavens of the form realm, and the four heavens of the formless realm)? Worldly people who don’t have such an awareness cannot leave the cycle of the twelve nidanas (meaning causes or motivations), let alone eliminate the eighty-one afflictions (that have been produced due to misunderstanding regarding reality) and the eighty-eight illusions (including five afflictions of advanced practitioners, also known as five views: view of self, extreme view, evil view, view of attachment to views, and view of morality; and five unintelligent temptations: desire, anger, stupidity, arrogance, and doubt) of thought within the three realms and four Arya satyas (noble truths, including suffering, arising, ending, and path). They cannot realize that the essence of the five skandhas (referring to aggregates of clinging, including the matter of form, sensation, recognition, mental formation, and consciousness) , the twelve ayatana (meaning sense base, including six internal bases: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind and six external bases: visible objects, sound, odor, taste, touch, and mental objects), and the eighteen dhātavah (meaning compositional elements of human existence, including six consciousness, six faculties, and their objects) are the emptiness and the void. Furthermore, they cannot dispel the two reasons for clinging to the idea of the self and the attachment to elemental constructs and even believe in the two (false) tenets that that karma and nirvana are not real and that the ego and phenomena are real. As a consequence, they fail to develop the eleven wholesome mental factors (faith, energy, conscience, being ashamed, non-attachment, non-aggression, non-delusion, calmness, equanimity, conscientiousness, and non-injuriousness) and cease the sixteen unwholesome mental factors (desire, greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, doubt, wrong view, wrath, enmity, hypocrisy, vexation, jealousy, parsimony, deceit, flattery, harming, ambitiousness, stupidity, lacking of faith, idleness, being unrestrained, forgetting, distraction, non-discernment, ). One must bear in mind that once all our virtuous roots are discontinued, they will be trapped in the never-ending reincarnation and the suffering of infinite continuity.
Is it possible that the hell will be empty one day? If the beings in hell will become extinct while evil spirits inhabit the mundane world, the world could be considered as a pure land. If we could witness the nature of the void, then hell will exist no more.
Since ancient times, the concept of hell has been widely spread among all tribes. Aging, death, beginning, and end are the basis of nature and the core of cosmic consciousness. However, the prosperous civilization as our island is not a place where desire can be eliminated. It’s impossible to eradicate evil nature. Since fetters brought by the constitution, the state, the law, society, the military, corporations, schools, families, and groups are not less than the eighteen levels of hell, the mortals repress themselves, bury their feelings. Day after day, greed, anger, stupidity, arrogance, doubt, and resentment are stacking. However, since the six dust (visible objects, sound, odor, taste, touch, and mental objects) has not yet been extinguished, people in the mundane world are still full of delusions. The demons, devils, evil spirits, and the wondering dead exist in the wilderness, while only advanced practitioners with transcendent would attempt to make contact with the dead in the wasteland and forest. Worldly people like us trespass in Disneyland-like man-made hell. It is absurd and ridiculous that the hellish scenes cannot stop us from perpetrating evil deeds, but the horrific and cruel scenes yet satisfy our self-righteous shame.

The pandemic has been boiling over for more than a year and a half. The number of infected patients worldwide is nearly a hundred and eighty million, and the death toll has risen to four million, which is equivalent to a war crisis. I hope that we can all be compassionate, give peace to the dead, treat all sentient beings well and equally. The hell is innately empty; however, deluded and misleading thoughts would give rise to all jealousy and hatred and then manifest the hell before us. This book merely serves as a memorandum of conscience for dictators of the world’s new cold war, supporters of unrestrained warfare, dark web hackers, and those who are cunning and contemptuous and maltreat others when knowing they have problems.

June 2021,

Yao Jui-chung

➮ 數位收聽：https://umg.lnk.to/Oaeen_WJQG

魚丁糸首張全新專輯《池堂怪談》
億萬導演程偉豪首部影集《池塘怪談》
史無前例 跨界瘋狂計畫 音樂與戲劇互文的命題

從主題曲〈我就奇怪〉，開啟一場奇幻搖滾音樂冒險之旅

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////// 魚丁糸首張專輯試聽（視聽）影集：《池塘怪談》//////
09/10 (五) Netflix 一氣呵成版上線
09/09 (四) EP.9+EP.10 完結篇上演
- 8 pm | myVideo：https://pse.is/3krlcy
- 9 pm | 公視+：https://pse.is/3mgn6a

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////// 魚丁糸首張全新專輯《池堂怪談》//////
7/30開始預購 9/17怪談發行 👉https://umg.lnk.to/Oaeen2021
（預購限定贈品：感謝Follow 糸，超過60頁創刊號《魚丁秘密》Vol. 1）

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魚丁糸團員們從音樂視角上，找來了《紅衣小女孩》系列、《目擊者》、《緝魂》等賣座大片導演導演程偉豪，來放大《池堂怪談》專輯概念上的完整性。從第一首〈我就奇怪〉開始，到最終章〈終點起點〉，魚丁糸將十首歌曲demo、創作概念，以及曲序編排中蘊藏的起承轉合，邀請程偉豪導演發展為《池塘怪談》劇集，新專輯十首歌歌名改編成十集連續劇集，呼應樂團的真實遭遇，從2020年末開始、與團員攜手完成這個史無前例、戲劇與專輯互文的命題。

在整齣《池塘怪談》戲劇當中，時空回到2004年5月30日蘇打綠發表第一首單曲〈空氣中的視聽與幻覺〉那一天，主角們經歷一次又一次關係的崩塌以及青春的逝去．．．且慢，該劇不嚴肅也不是導演慣用的恐怖片手法，而是一部深入淺出的青春荒誕劇！偉豪導演以輕鬆詼諧的手法闡述嚴肅的議題，劇裡更佈下許多跨界合作的深度梗。整齣劇集與魚丁糸創作概念、表現手法相呼應，更是《池堂怪談》專輯概念上必要的“衍生閱讀”

〈我就奇怪〉這首歌曲，最初來自某次魚團聚會當中，一段團員口中「我就奇怪、我們全家都奇怪」的肺腑之言？！進而激發出阿龔創作自嘲式的饒舌與節奏，青峰一聽感應此曲不單純，隨即重複式哼唱〈我就奇怪〉副歌並賦予一段揮之不去的「啊啊啊啊啊～」中毒旋律，最後由團員跳入創作大池中共同完成此曲。
戴上蛙鏡仔細端詳製作人陳君豪與魚丁糸共同製作的〈我就奇怪〉，背後六人的集體創作過程，原先從阿龔的Beat爲底的實驗電子風格，結合團員們各自在樂器，旋律，文字上來回丟了許多元素碰撞，不設框架，可能是戲劇感、搖滾風、Hiphop、Neo Soul Bass、民謠，電子合成聲響、怪奇打擊…等，集各類型音樂元素之大成，創作了ㄧ部像是奇幻電影的歌曲。小威跟馨儀以帶點Hiphop感的節奏鋪陳在底下，阿龔各種魔幻合成器或戲劇感的鋼琴穿越其中，阿福跟家凱又適時點綴了搖滾與民謠的氣味，輔以青峰神來一筆地副歌旋律線條、更以收放自如的歌聲把歌曲帶到最高潮，這樣不受限以新邏輯方式來製作以我就奇怪爲主題的歌，不但很能代表魚丁糸的個性，也讓人能感受到團員這幾年閉關各自吸取的音樂養分。

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#我就奇怪 #池塘怪談 #魚丁糸首張專輯試聽影集
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〈我就奇怪〉

我 像冬眠後醒過來
我 腦袋很混亂
我 浮在半空的狀態
（我看你是全身潰爛）

我 拍拍身上的塵蟎
轉身竟看自己迎面走過來
我 眉頭一皺不簡單
這是 什麼怪談

（不喜歡就不要）

我就奇怪 我就奇怪
我就奇怪 我就

我 滾動人生的轉盤
傳說池塘繞三圈會到未來
我 腦袋像被橡皮擦
一擦 哇！超級白！

（不喜歡就不要看！）

我就奇怪 我人生突然
B級戲劇神展開
我就奇怪 這感覺就像
被自己給踹開

我就奇怪 我就奇怪
（我全家都奇怪）
我就奇怪 我就奇怪

不值得我 不值得你
為了這種笨蛋傷心
（別再傷心 趕快過去）

我就奇怪 我就奇怪
我就奇怪 我就奇怪


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導演 Director：程偉豪 Wei Hao Cheng
剪輯 Editor：李伯恩 Po-En Lee

曲 Composer：謝馨儀 Claire Hsieh / 吳青峰 Qing Feng Wu / 史俊威 Chun Wei Shih / 龔鈺祺 Yu Chi Kung / 劉家凱 Kay Liu
詞 Lyricist：吳青峰 Qing Feng Wu

製作人 Producer：陳君豪 Howe@成績好工作室
編曲 Arrangement：魚丁糸 oaeen / 陳君豪 Howe

所有樂器 All Instruments：魚丁糸 oaeen
合成器 Synthesizer：陳君豪 Howe
薩克斯風 Sax：謝明諺 Minyen Hsieh
長號 Trombone：宋光清 Qinbone Sung
小號 Trumpet：Daniel Deysher
合音編寫 Backing Vocal Arrangement：布蘭地 Brandy Tien / 吳青峰 Qing Feng Wu 
合音 Backing Vocal：魚丁糸 oaeen

人聲錄音師 Vocal Recording Engineer：葉育軒 Yu Hsuan Yeh / 單為明 Link Shan / 蔡周翰 Chou Han Tsay
樂器錄音師 Instrument Recording Engineer：單為明 Link Shan
管樂錄音師 Brass Recording Engineer：沈冠霖 SHENB
錄音室 Recording Studio：Lights Up Studio / BB Road Studio
混音師 Mixing Engineer：黃文萱 Ziya Huang
混音錄音室 Mixing Studio：Purring Sound Studio

鼓技師 Drum Tech：莊開旭 Cash
錄音助理 Assistant Engineer：于世政 Shih Cheng Yu
製作助理 Production Assistant：沈冠霖 SHENB
 
發行 Published By：環球國際唱片股份有限公司 Universal Music Ltd., Taiwan