【抗戰曙光─德式中央軍(第一部：建軍)】賽克特改革─中德合作的巔峰

1933年，一個德國人無法忘記的時刻，這年的1月30日，興登堡總統任命希特勒為總理，正式開啟所謂的「納粹掌權」時代。
很快的，希特勒開始不遵守凡爾賽條約的內容開始大規模擴軍，這對當時的歐洲，特別是昔日死敵的英法兩國無疑是個充滿壓迫的壞消息，但對當時的中國卻反而是個良機。
由於德國缺少原物料，尤其是當時高科技工業必備的稀土，擴軍的納粹政府必須尋找到穩定的貨源，那猜猜哪一個國家擁有最多的稀土？答案就是中國，而且還非常多(中國的稀土蘊藏量占了全世界的90%)。而且對於正在蓬勃發展的德國國防工業，它們也亟需開闊海外市場，一直與德國合作且正在進行現代化改革的中華民國，無疑是個誘人的客戶。
對於中華民國來說，完全不甩凡爾賽條約限制的納粹德國政府，將可以進行更大規模極力度的軍事合作，這無疑是利大於弊的好消息。
於是中德兩國政府簽訂《五年軍事工業發展計劃》，德國顧問團的性質也從最初的民間志願組織，轉變成有國家力量支持的軍事組織。而賽克特正是在此背景下來華擔任顧問團團長，這代表……他比之前任何一位團長擁有更高的權限以及更豐沛的資源，更何況他就任之前就深獲老蔣信任，而他也懂得如何使用以上所說的資源。

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首先，在建軍問題上，賽克特反對蔣介石及國軍將領打算整編60~80個師的計畫，他認為「與其打造量多質差的大軍，不如先組建量少質精的精銳」，所以他提出只需先整編6~8師的新軍，之後再擴大規模至18個師(約30萬人)。
這個方案立刻遭到眾多國軍將領反對，其中以宿將─陳誠最為激烈，他認為：「中國那麼大，賽克特組建軍隊規模太少，根本不符合我國國情呀！就算要追求品質，起碼也整編30個師的規模比較洽當吧。」
其實老蔣也覺得賽克特的建軍方案不合己意，所以他順水推舟的將反對意見傳遞給賽克特，結果賽克特只是一句：「如果不按照我的方案，那我寧願辭職回國。」眼看對方態度堅決，老蔣只能批准賽克特的方案。

之後，賽克特奉命組建江南的防禦系統，除了建構出要塞及防線等硬體設施草案，他另外主張：「應當在江南地區鋪設鐵路，一方面這能解決剿共結束後被遣散軍人的失業問題，另一方面這是解決日後作戰時的運輸問題。」
從以上建議可看出，賽克特的眼光不只侷限於戰場，而是將國防與經濟及政治進行高度的結合。而且更厲害的一點，是賽克特後來推薦德國廠商負責鐵路相關事宜，如此就能為母國賺取收益，還能更綁緊中德兩國間的合作利益。一個建議能達到多項收穫，可見賽克特的才智之高。

接下來，賽克特繼續強化中國軍工產業，讓老字號卻殘破不堪的漢陽兵工廠恢復生產量並能生產新式的毛瑟步槍；擴建金陵兵工廠，並使之生產機關槍及衝鋒槍；又在鞏縣兵工廠設置中國第一個化學兵工廠，讓國軍擁有製造防毒面具以及毒氣的能力；另有株州炮廠、南京兵工署軍用光學儀器設備廠等新式工廠開始動工，這都成為之後抗戰重要的國防資源。

除了以上貢獻，賽克特任內最引起我關注及興趣的措施，則是裝甲兵團的擴增。

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國軍的裝甲部隊成立背景可以追溯到民國18年3月1日，當時稅警部隊將卡登·洛伊德超輕型戰車移交給教導第一師騎兵團使用，但這批戰車的狀況不佳，以至於出現「鐵牛鐵牛，一走三拋錨」的揶揄。
後來魏澤爾強化特種兵的分類時，這批超輕型坦克就轉移至交通兵科，並搭配汽車、卡車等裝備進行搜索任務。

坦克雖然是兼具攻擊、防禦、速度的陸戰霸主，但造價昂貴而且極耗資源(比如在二戰時期的德國，打造1輛主炮口徑88mm的虎式坦克所耗用的鐵，可以用來打造21座105mm口徑的火炮)，這對於國力貧弱的中國實在是很難用的奢侈品，所以國軍本來對坦克部隊不甚重視。
但後來國軍在與日軍的諸多衝突中，發現日軍坦克在戰場上威攝力極大，於是在1934年11月，國軍購買32輛坦克擴充實力，分別是16輛的英製維克斯六噸坦克，以及16輛維克斯水陸兩棲輕戰車，裝甲部隊的規模也隨之擴大。
新購入的武器中，維克斯六噸坦克搭載47公釐火炮，是國軍第一款擁有火炮攻擊能力的坦克(之前超輕型坦克只有配備機槍)。而維克斯水陸兩棲輕戰車則是蠻有趣的存在，看名字也知道它擁有渡河的能力，由於國民政府核心統治區域是中國東南一帶，當地水道縱橫，這或許是國軍購買該款戰車的原因。但這款戰車的武器只有一挺機槍，11公厘的裝甲厚度則會被反坦克步槍輕易貫穿，真要說有何特長，除了水陸兩棲外，大概就是速度比維克斯六噸坦克以及卡登·洛伊德超輕型戰車略快了(英國的數據是時速43公里，國軍則說他們曾經催到64公里的時速)。

雖然客觀來看，國軍採購的坦克不算優質，但在資金有限的狀況下，政府已經是盡量擠出預算企圖提昇坦克部隊的實力，這樣的用心還是很值得肯定的。而經過一番補強，戰車隊擴編成為戰車營，下轄三個連(第一連裝備維克斯六噸坦克、第二連裝備維克斯水陸兩棲輕戰車、第三連裝備卡登·洛伊德輕型戰車)，以及警戒排、通訊排、戰車偵查排等輔助單位。
話說到此處，不知大家是否有注意到……不是中德合作嗎？怎麼國軍是採購英國坦克？

這時就要跟大家介紹一下一戰到二戰之間的國際形勢。
首先，德國在一戰戰敗後被規定「不得成立坦克部隊」，所以德國直到1933年希特勒執政前，德國軍隊是沒有裝備坦克的，日後以閃擊戰聞名的德國裝甲兵之父─古德里安，就曾在他的回憶錄提到，德國最初只能用紙糊的假戰車當作演習，所以有些前來參訪的87學生還會拿鉛筆戳穿紙坦克，可見德國早期坦克裝備及研發上的弱勢。
另外，英國是全世界第一個製造出坦克的國家，所以在最初，英國坦克的質量其實較有優勢 (補充一點，即便後來德國在二戰中曾運用閃擊戰擊敗英法聯軍，但在坦克的攻防能力上其實是處於劣勢的。在古德里安的回憶中，德國坦克射出的炮彈，完全被法國的B1坦克彈開；而在相同距離下，法國的坦克炮卻能擊破德國坦克。所以真正成就德國坦克部隊威名的關鍵，在於德軍將坦克集中使用，運用高機動力打穿對方防線並包抄到敵軍後方，形成迅捷有力的鉗形攻勢。所以德國在二戰初期的勝利，更多是來自訓練的精良以及突破傳統思維的出奇制勝)。

不過既然是中德合作，沒有德國坦克就實在太說不過去了(畢竟德國不少軍火業者可是等著賺錢呀)，於是在1937年，國軍採購17輛德國一號坦克A型(火力是兩挺機槍，裝甲厚度7~13公厘，時速約40公里)，並裝備於戰車營第三連。至此，戰車營的編制為：
3個戰車連
(第一連裝備維克斯六噸坦克；第二連裝備維克斯水陸兩棲輕戰車；第三連裝備德國一號坦克B型)
1個補給連
(負責燃料、彈藥、衛生、行李運輸)
另有通信排、特務排、搜索連等單位。

只可惜當國軍採購德國坦克時，老將賽克特卻無法看到裝甲部隊真正落實德國化的場面了......

圖片為：
抗戰之前，國軍裝備的坦克型號

天哪！多久沒有聽到國小有
#返校日😱😱😱
在我那個年代的確有
但兩個少爺念得國小
從未有返校日，讓我幾乎忘了這三個字
沒想到拜疫情所賜
二少爺居然有「返校日」
已經有將近三個月沒有到學校
小磊非常的興奮
七早八早就把我叫起來
因為他很期待見到同學
我想也有很多父母希望
我們防疫做得徹底
趕快把小孩送回學校去😆😆😆

👉👉實踐是檢驗真理的唯一的標準

有專家說教養小孩，千萬不要「富著養」
並要做到下列四件事、才不會養成
「Adult Baby」#巨嬰 哪是件事呢？

1.千萬不要讓孩子知道你有多少錢？以及跟他說這以後都會給你…….

2.千萬不要跟他說，我希望你永遠快快樂樂，因為只要他不快樂他就會有挫折………

3.千萬不要跟他說，我對你沒有任何的期望，只希望你健健康康長大，做你想要做的事情就好，因為這樣他就會真的做他想做的事⋯⋯比如說打電動、看漫畫，真的就做讓你感到失望的事…..

4.千萬不要跟他講，你好可憐喔，要讀那麼多書，要上這麼久的課，這樣真的會讓他自己覺得，他為什麼要這麼可憐…..

我個人覺得大部分都很有道理，想想我們那個年代，唸書不用父母逼、好壞都是你自己的！所以我從小就很自動自發，從國小到國中，我的父母從來沒有操心過我的功課，更不用講教我了。

到了專科、到了大學，我一切靠自己，靠自己打工繳學費、靠自己打工賺自己的零用錢，甚至我打工的錢大多交給我媽，我還記得我唸大學二年級的時候，為了要租好一點的房子，白天上課，晚上去上大夜班-在KTV，我還記得是在復興南路上的 #好樂迪。

上班是晚上十一點，下班是七點，洗個澡就跑去上第一堂課了，重要的聽、不重要的睡！我大學同學都說，我在跟中年借體力，果然我現在很有累得的感覺，哈哈!

不過當時我一定是在教授要我們交報告時，最常待在圖書館的，也是最早交的，這樣教授才有時間看，我做不好他給我要我補強，我就能拿到比較好的成績；每次到了要考試的時候，我就會請一個禮拜的假，我是指工作的地方，然後在泡在圖書館一個禮拜唸書，每一學期每一次考試都是如此，最後我是第一名畢業，順帶一題我是專科插大，專科我都是為了獎學金而念，因為當時我們每學期拿到第一名印象不知道是五萬還是三萬 ，雖然我專科唸的是造船科系，但是為了獎學金，也很努力拼考試不是第一就是第二，就是為了多賺點錢，可以繳學費，買自己想買的東西，但我最後專科是第二名畢業。

不管是專科或者是大學，我都是半工半讀，想買什麼東西自己賺，所以我很清楚賺錢的辛苦，所以我跟兩個小孩說，過去爸爸想要學鋼琴、學畫畫、學很多東西，但阿嬤都說，有飯吃、有書唸就好了，幹嘛學這些有的沒的？
我還記得，我為了補英文，跟隔壁鄰居五金行倒店的老闆，要了很多螺絲起子、老虎鉗、鐵釘螺帽等等，都是生鏽他不要的東西，我跟我弟弟用特殊的藥水把它們清乾淨，然後拿到夜市買，只為了賺一個月$500的補習費！

只要你想得到的派報生、速食店工讀生、選手牌賣衣服、音樂工作室助理、業務員、超市P O P工讀生、酒店少爺、舞廳吧台、家教、牛排館電源、深坑賣大腸包小腸、系統台的副控人員…..族繁不及備載，我都去打過工。

講這一段往事的目的，不是在講我自己有多麼厲害，而是想表達這樣子的過去，造就了現在的我，我不輕易向命運低頭、我靠自己白手起家，雖然我過去想學什麼沒有辦法學得遺憾，我會在我小孩身上彌補，但就像我一直說得，我很愛我的小孩，只要想學什麼，我供得起我就讓他們學，但是我不寵他們！這樣做的目的是讓他們更清楚自己，也是我在投資自己，因為他們如果能夠有一技之長，以後就不會啃老我！

我不想要養出巨嬰、也不想當直升機父母，所以我們要學會放手、學會狠心一點、學會讓孩子多接觸多體驗，他們才能夠擁有自己未來的人生，才不會讓他將來長大埋怨你，「我什麼都不會就是你害的」，所以我跟我兩兒子說，以後大學學費自己賺，零用錢請自己打工，不然他們真的無法理解賺錢的辛苦

當父母的我們共勉之，已經出頭天，走過這條路的人，小孩如果很孝順你、或者是能夠把自己照顧好，養活自己，那我來恭喜你，你生了來報恩的天使，但是如果你的小孩凡事還是要靠你，從現在開始放開他的手、別再讓他啃老你！才是對他好的。

所以你準備好用
「實踐來檢驗真理嗎？」
Just do it!

「小孩如果吵著要吃一餐$200的丼飯
但明明有120的可選
你會讓他吃哪一個價格呢？」
#不過是送二少爺返校日
#哪來的這麼大感觸

「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：

野放台灣五十餘年，貪狼獨坐，三方四正殺破狼格局，少年多舛，白手起家，隨展覽雲遊四海，如閒雲野鶴常持各類底片機流連廢墟、山川、宮廟忘返，遂設幻影堂自詡堂主，一日三省「凡所有相皆是虛妄」，常宅於暗房沖片放大通宵、鍾情黑白世界之單純，彩色照片俗世繽紛花俏做作甜美甚至比現實更現實故少拍也。知天命之年有餘，了悟人生一瞬、眨眼即逝，雖非仙人，亦無道骨，初聞離垢地生清淨心，但離華嚴「不動地」尚遠，待修持也。
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