Verse for Breaking Hell
Please read this carefully, for it holds the potential to free you and others from the hell.
There was once a man who had never engaged in good deeds, and upon his death, he was escorted by two underworld guards to Hell. At the gates of Hell, he encountered a monk who introduced himself as the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha. With great kindness, the Bodhisattva taught him a powerful verse to recite:
“If people wish to fully understand;
All the Buddhas of the three periods （Past, Present and Future)
They should contemplate the nature of the dharma-realm:
Everything is but creation of mind”
The man recited this verse with sincerity and was then brought before the ruler of Hell. The ruler inquired of his guards, what merit does this person possess? The guards said he has only upheld a single four-line verse, referring to the one mentioned above. Moved by this small but significant effort, the ruler decided to release him.
Moreover, those who were in Hell and heard him reciting these verses also found liberation from their torment.
After three days had passed, this man revived and retained the memory of that profound verse. Filled with gratitude and compassion, he shared it with both monastics and laypeople alike.
These four lines, also known as “Breaking the Hell verse” come from The Awakening Forest Bodhisattva’s Verse, which precedes the main text of the Sutra of the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha. It teaches us that all phenomena (Dharma) are shaped by our minds. The verse gently guides practitioners to recognize and transform their mental states, offering hope that such transformation can lead to liberation, even from the deepest suffering.
The verse asks us to reflect on how Hell is formed: it arises from our harmful deeds, which in turn stem from our confused minds. By understanding that our confusion clouds our perception and that the external world is but an illusion, we can start to release our attachments. This realization marks the beginning of true liberation, freeing us from the very source of our suffering.
Before ending that article, I would like to share with you one more story from the hell.
In India, there lived a notorious bandit known for his many misdeeds. After his passing, he endured immense torment in Hell, his cries of agony echoing through the abyss. The Buddha observed this and recalled a moment from the bandit’s life when he had once refrained from stepping on and killing a small spider, which was considered a good deed. Moved by this single act of mercy, Buddha noticed a spider nearby and tenderly lowered a thread of its silk into Hell, offering the bandit a chance at redemption. As the bandit climbed the fragile thread, however, he began to selfishly push away others who were also desperate to escape their suffering. The selfish act caused the delicate silk to break, and he fell back to the hell.
If you ever find yourself in such tough environment, remember that liberation is not just for oneself. Extend your compassion and strive to uplift all those who suffer alongside you.
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