Di Yu
Encyclopedia
Diyu is the realm of the dead or "hell
" in Chinese mythology
. It is loosely based on a combination of the Buddhist concept of Naraka
, traditional Chinese beliefs about the afterlife and a variety of popular expansions and re-interpretations of these two traditions.
Diyu is typically depicted as an underground maze with various levels and chambers, to which souls are taken after death to atone for the sins they committed when they were alive. The exact number of levels in Diyu and their associated deities differ between Buddhist and Taoist interpretations. Some speak of three to four "courts"; others mention "Ten Courts of Hell", each of which is ruled by a judge (collectively known as the Ten Yama
Kings); other Chinese legends speak of eighteen levels of Hell. Each court deals with a different aspect of atonement and different punishments; most legends claim that sinners are subjected to gruesome tortures until their "deaths", after which they are restored to their original state and the torture repeated.
, Buddhism and traditional Chinese folk religion
, Diyu is a purgatory
that serves to punish and renew spirits in preparation for reincarnation
into their next life. Many deities, whose names and purposes are the subject of conflicting accounts, are associated with Diyu.
Some early Chinese cultures speak of people going to Mount Tai
, Jiuyuan, Jiuquan or Fengdu
after death. In the present-day, Fengdu and the temples on Mount Tai have been rebuilt into tourist attractions, incorporating artistic depictions of hell and the afterlife. Some controversial folk religion planchette
writings, such as Journeys to the Under-World, say that new hells with new punishments are created as the world changes and there is also a city of Innocent Deaths (枉死城). Some claimed there are other facilities.
The concept of the "Ten Courts of Hell" began after Chinese folk religions were influenced by Buddhism. In Chinese mythology
, the Jade Emperor
put King Yama
in charge of overseeing the affairs of Diyu. In fact some were cold hells, other were dark and yet others were miscellaneous hells. There were 12,800 hells located under the earth, eight dark hells, eight cold ones and 84,000 miscellaneous ones located at the edge of the universe. All people will go to hell but the length of stay will vary depending on the severity of the crime and all will eventually be reborn. In the meantime souls will pass from stage to stage all at the decision of King Yama. King Yama also reduced the number hells down to ten. King Yama later divided Diyu into ten courts, each overseen by a "Yama King", while King Yama remained the sovereign ruler of hell. The Ten Yama Kings are:
. The Buddhist text Wen Diyu Jing (問地獄經) mentioned 134 worlds of hell but was simplified to eighteen levels of hell for convenience. The following is a list of common punishments and tortures in the eighteen levels of hell:
Some literature refers to eighteen types of hells or to eighteen hells for each type of punishment. Some religious or literature books say that wrongdoers who were not punished when they were alive are punished in the hells after death.
Other terminology related to hell includes:
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
" in Chinese mythology
Chinese mythology
Chinese mythology is a collection of cultural history, folktales, and religions that have been passed down in oral or written tradition. These include creation myths and legends and myths concerning the founding of Chinese culture and the Chinese state...
. It is loosely based on a combination of the Buddhist concept of Naraka
Naraka (Buddhism)
Naraka नरक or Niraya निरय is the name given to one of the worlds of greatest suffering in Buddhist cosmology.Naraka is usually translated into English as "hell", "hell realm", or "purgatory"...
, traditional Chinese beliefs about the afterlife and a variety of popular expansions and re-interpretations of these two traditions.
Diyu is typically depicted as an underground maze with various levels and chambers, to which souls are taken after death to atone for the sins they committed when they were alive. The exact number of levels in Diyu and their associated deities differ between Buddhist and Taoist interpretations. Some speak of three to four "courts"; others mention "Ten Courts of Hell", each of which is ruled by a judge (collectively known as the Ten Yama
Yama (Buddhism and Chinese mythology)
Yama the name of the Buddhist dharmapala and judge of the dead, who presides over the Buddhist Narakas , "Hells" or "Purgatories". Although ultimately based on the god Yama of the Hindu Vedas, the Buddhist Yama has developed different myths and different functions from the Hindu deity...
Kings); other Chinese legends speak of eighteen levels of Hell. Each court deals with a different aspect of atonement and different punishments; most legends claim that sinners are subjected to gruesome tortures until their "deaths", after which they are restored to their original state and the torture repeated.
Conceptions of Diyu
According to ideas from TaoismTaoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
, Buddhism and traditional Chinese folk religion
Folk religion
Folk religion consists of ethnic or regional religious customs under the umbrella of an organized religion, but outside of official doctrine and practices...
, Diyu is a purgatory
Purgatory
Purgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...
that serves to punish and renew spirits in preparation for reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
into their next life. Many deities, whose names and purposes are the subject of conflicting accounts, are associated with Diyu.
Some early Chinese cultures speak of people going to Mount Tai
Mount Tai
Mount Tai is a mountain of historical and cultural significance located north of the city of Tai'an, in Shandong province, People's Republic of China. The tallest peak is the Jade Emperor Peak , which is commonly reported as tall, but is described by the PRC government as .Mount Tai is one of the...
, Jiuyuan, Jiuquan or Fengdu
Fengdu
Fengdu County is a county located in Chongqing Municipality, People's Republic of China.-Fengdu:There is a necropolis called Fengdu modelled after the Chinese Hell in Taoist mythology, built over 1800 years ago. The famous ghost town will become an island once the Three Gorges Dam project is...
after death. In the present-day, Fengdu and the temples on Mount Tai have been rebuilt into tourist attractions, incorporating artistic depictions of hell and the afterlife. Some controversial folk religion planchette
Planchette
A planchette , from the French for "little plank", is a small, usually heart-shaped flat piece of wood that one moves around on a board to spell out messages or answer questions. Paranormal advocates believe that the planchette is moved by some extra-normal force. The motion is due to the...
writings, such as Journeys to the Under-World, say that new hells with new punishments are created as the world changes and there is also a city of Innocent Deaths (枉死城). Some claimed there are other facilities.
Ten Courts of Hell
Chinese mythology
Chinese mythology is a collection of cultural history, folktales, and religions that have been passed down in oral or written tradition. These include creation myths and legends and myths concerning the founding of Chinese culture and the Chinese state...
, the Jade Emperor
Jade Emperor
The Jade Emperor in Chinese folk culture, is the ruler of Heaven and all realms of existence below including that of Man and Hell, according to a version of Taoist mythology. He is one of the most important gods of the Chinese traditional religion pantheon...
put King Yama
Yama (Buddhism and Chinese mythology)
Yama the name of the Buddhist dharmapala and judge of the dead, who presides over the Buddhist Narakas , "Hells" or "Purgatories". Although ultimately based on the god Yama of the Hindu Vedas, the Buddhist Yama has developed different myths and different functions from the Hindu deity...
in charge of overseeing the affairs of Diyu. In fact some were cold hells, other were dark and yet others were miscellaneous hells. There were 12,800 hells located under the earth, eight dark hells, eight cold ones and 84,000 miscellaneous ones located at the edge of the universe. All people will go to hell but the length of stay will vary depending on the severity of the crime and all will eventually be reborn. In the meantime souls will pass from stage to stage all at the decision of King Yama. King Yama also reduced the number hells down to ten. King Yama later divided Diyu into ten courts, each overseen by a "Yama King", while King Yama remained the sovereign ruler of hell. The Ten Yama Kings are:
- Jiang, King of Qinguang (秦廣王蔣), believed to be Jiang Ziwen (蔣子文) of the Eastern Han DynastyHan DynastyThe Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
- Li, King of Chujiang (楚江王歷)
- Yu, King of Songdi (宋帝王余)
- Lü, King of Wuguan (五官王呂)
- Bao, King of Yama (閻羅王包), believed to be Bao Zheng of the Northern Song DynastySong DynastyThe Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
- Bi, King of Biancheng (卞城王畢)
- Dong, King of Taishan (泰山王董), believed to be Dong Ji (董極) of the Later Han DynastyLater Han Dynasty (Five Dynasties)The Later Han Dynasty was founded in 947. It was the fourth of the Five Dynasties and the third consecutive Shatuo Turk dynasty...
- Huang, King of Dushi (都市王黃), believed to be Huang Sile (黃思樂) of the Five DynastiesFive Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms PeriodFive Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms was between 907–960/979 AD and an era of political upheaval in China, between the fall of the Tang Dynasty and the founding of the Song Dynasty. During this period, five dynasties quickly succeeded one another in the north, and more than 12 independent states were...
period - Lu, King of Pingdeng (平等王陸)
- Xue, King of Zhuanlun (轉輪王薛)
Eighteen levels of hell
The concept of the eighteen hells started in the Tang DynastyTang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
. The Buddhist text Wen Diyu Jing (問地獄經) mentioned 134 worlds of hell but was simplified to eighteen levels of hell for convenience. The following is a list of common punishments and tortures in the eighteen levels of hell:
- Mountain of knives – sinners are made to shed blood by climbing a mountain with sharp blades sticking out. Some depictions show offenders climbing trees with knives instead of mountains.
- Cauldron torture – sinners are friedFryingFrying is the cooking of food in oil or another fat, a technique that originated in ancient Egypt around 2500 BC. Chemically, oils and fats are the same, differing only in melting point, but the distinction is only made when needed. In commerce, many fats are called oils by custom, e.g...
in oil cauldrons. Some depictions show offenders being steamedSteamingSteaming is a method of cooking using steam. Steaming is considered a healthy cooking technique and capable of cooking almost all kinds of food.-Method:...
instead of being fried. - DismembermentDismembermentDismemberment is the act of cutting, tearing, pulling, wrenching or otherwise removing, the limbs of a living thing. It may be practiced upon human beings as a form of capital punishment, as a result of a traumatic accident, or in connection with murder, suicide, or cannibalism...
– sinners' bodies are dismembered by various means, including: sawing, carving, slicing into half, mashing/pounding into pulp, crushed by heavy rocks/boulders, being run over by vehicles - GrindingGrinding (abrasive cutting)Grinding is an abrasive machining process that uses a grinding wheel as the cutting tool.A wide variety of machines are used for grinding:* Hand-cranked knife-sharpening stones * Handheld power tools such as angle grinders and die grinders...
torture – sinners are put into a grinding machine and ground into a bloody pulp - Tortures involving fire
- Burning – sinners are set aflame/cast into fiery infernos
- Paolao torture – sinners are stripped naked and made to climb a large metal cylinder, with a fire lit at its base.
- Boiling liquid torture – sinners have a boiling liquid forced down their throats
- Tortures involving removal of body parts/organs
- Tongue-ripping
- Eye-gougingEye-gougingEye-gouging is the act of pressing or tearing the eye using the fingers, other bodyparts, or instruments. Eye-gouging involves a very high risk of eye injury, such as permanent eye loss. It is disallowed in combat sports, but some self-defense systems teach it...
- Heart-digging
- DisembowelmentDisembowelmentDisembowelment is the removal of some or all of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract , usually through a horizontal incision made across the abdominal area. Disembowelment may result from an accident, but has also been used as a method of torture and execution...
– sinners have their internal organs dug out - SkinningSkinningSkinning, a gerund from the verb to skin, commonly refers to the act of skin removal.The process is usually done with animals, mainly as preparation of the meat beneath and/or use for the fur...
- Slicing off fingers/toes
- World of ice – sinners are frozen in ice. Some depictions show unclothed sinners suffering from frostbiteFrostbiteFrostbite is the medical condition where localized damage is caused to skin and other tissues due to extreme cold. Frostbite is most likely to happen in body parts farthest from the heart and those with large exposed areas...
in an icy world. The bodies might fall apart or break into pieces. - Scales and hooks torture – sinners have hooks pierced into their bodies and hung upside down. Some depictions show sinners having nails hammered into their bodies.
- Pool of blood – sinners are cast into a pool of blood and suffer bloody deaths, such as blood spilling from all body orifices
- Tortures involving animals – sinners are trampled by cattle, gored by animals with horns/tusks, mauled/dismembered/eaten by predators, stung/bitten by poisonous species etc.
- Chamber of AviciAviciIn Buddhism, ' is the lowest level of the Naraka or "hell" realm, into which the dead who have committed grave misdeeds may be reborn...
– the period of suffering in this chamber is the longest and it is reserved for sinners who have committed heinous crimes, including the Five Grave OffencesAnantarika-karmaAnantarika-karma or ànantarika-kamma in Buddhism is a heinous crime, which through karmic process brings immediate disaster. Traditionally there are five such crimes:*patricide*matricide*killing an arahant*wounding a buddha...
Some literature refers to eighteen types of hells or to eighteen hells for each type of punishment. Some religious or literature books say that wrongdoers who were not punished when they were alive are punished in the hells after death.
Alternate names for hell
Among the more common Chinese names for the Underworld are:- 地獄 – dìyù the underworld prison
- 地府 – dìfŭ the underworld mansion
- 黃泉 – huángquán the yellow spring (meaning the origin/source of life and death, possibly a reference to the Yellow RiverYellow RiverThe Yellow River or Huang He, formerly known as the Hwang Ho, is the second-longest river in China and the sixth-longest in the world at the estimated length of . Originating in the Bayan Har Mountains in Qinghai Province in western China, it flows through nine provinces of China and empties into...
or yomiYomi, the Japanese word for the underworld in which horrible creatures guard the exits; according to Shinto mythology as related in Kojiki, this is where the dead go to dwell and apparently rot indefinitely. Once one has eaten at the hearth of Yomi it is impossible to return to the land of the living...
) - 陰間 – yīnjiān the netherworld (cf. Yin and yangYin and yangIn Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang , which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only...
) - 陰府 – yīnfŭ the shady mansion
- 陰司 – yīnsī the shady office
- 森羅殿 – sēnluó diàn the court of Sinluo
- 閻羅殿 – yánluó diàn the court of YanluoYama (Buddhism and Chinese mythology)Yama the name of the Buddhist dharmapala and judge of the dead, who presides over the Buddhist Narakas , "Hells" or "Purgatories". Although ultimately based on the god Yama of the Hindu Vedas, the Buddhist Yama has developed different myths and different functions from the Hindu deity...
- 九泉 – jiŭquán the nine springs (origin/source)
- 重泉 – chóngquán the repeating spring (origin/source)
- 泉路 – quánlù the spring road
- 幽冥 – yōumíng the serene darkness
- 幽壤 – yōurăng the serene land
- 火炕 – huŏkàng the fire pit
- 九幽 – jiŭyōu the nine serenities
- 九原 – jiŭyuán the nine origins
- 冥府 – míngfŭ the dark mansion
- 阿鼻 – ābí (pinyinPinyinPinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
), a Buddhist term, from SanskritSanskritSanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
AvīciAviciIn Buddhism, ' is the lowest level of the Naraka or "hell" realm, into which the dead who have committed grave misdeeds may be reborn...
, the hell of uninterrupted torture, last and deepest of eight hot hells - 足跟 – zúgēn the heel of the foot, also means hells
- 酆都城 – FēngdūFengduFengdu County is a county located in Chongqing Municipality, People's Republic of China.-Fengdu:There is a necropolis called Fengdu modelled after the Chinese Hell in Taoist mythology, built over 1800 years ago. The famous ghost town will become an island once the Three Gorges Dam project is...
Chéng, name of a city imagined to contain an entrance to Diyu
Other terminology related to hell includes:
- 奈何橋 – 'the bridge of helplessness', the only way across the River Styx
- 望鄉臺 – 'the home viewing pavilion', allows the souls of the dead to observe their families from the underworld.
- 油鍋 – the deep frying wokWokA wok is a versatile round-bottomed cooking vessel originating in China. It is used especially in East and Southeast Asia.Woks are most often used for stir frying, but can also be used in other Chinese cooking techniques, such as in steaming, deep frying, braising, stewing, smoking, or making soup...
, one of the tortures in hell. - 三塗 – the three tortures, burning by fire (Budd. 火塗), chopping by knife (Budd. 刀塗), tearing apart by beasts (Budd. 血塗, spilling of blood).
See also
- Bon FestivalBon Festivalor just is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. This Buddhist-Confucian custom has evolved into a family reunion holiday during which people return to ancestral family places and visit and clean their ancestors' graves, and when the spirits of ancestors are supposed...
- Ghost FestivalGhost FestivalThe Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday celebrated by Chinese in many countries...
- Hell Bank NotesHell Bank NotesHell bank notes are a form of joss paper printed to resemble legal tender bank notes. This faux money has been in use since at least the late 19th century and possibly much earlier. Early 20th century examples took the resemblance of minor commercial currency of the type issued by businesses across...
- Journeys to the Under-World
- KsitigarbhaKsitigarbhaKsitigarbha is a bodhisattva primarily revered in East Asian Buddhism, usually depicted as a Buddhist monk in the Orient. The name may be translated as "Earth Treasury", "Earth Store", "Earth Matrix", or "Earth Womb"...
- MaudgalyayanaMaudgalyayanaMaudgalyāyana , , also known as Mahāmaudgalyāyana or Mahāmoggallāna, was one of the Śākyamuni Buddha's closest disciples. A contemporary of famous arhats such as Subhūti, Śāriputra, and Mahākāśyapa, he is considered the second of the Buddha's two foremost disciples , together with Śāriputra...
- Meng PoMeng PoMeng Po is the Lady of Forgetfulness in Chinese mythology.Literally means Old Lady Meng, Meng Po serves in Diyu, the Chinese realm of the dead...
- Ox-Head and Horse-FaceOx-Head and Horse-FaceOx-Head and Horse-Face are two fearsome guardians of the Underworld in Chinese mythology, where the dead face judgement prior to reincarnation. As indicated by their names, one has the head of an ox, and the other has the face of a horse...
- Naraka (Buddhism)Naraka (Buddhism)Naraka नरक or Niraya निरय is the name given to one of the worlds of greatest suffering in Buddhist cosmology.Naraka is usually translated into English as "hell", "hell realm", or "purgatory"...
- Yama (Buddhism and Chinese mythology)Yama (Buddhism and Chinese mythology)Yama the name of the Buddhist dharmapala and judge of the dead, who presides over the Buddhist Narakas , "Hells" or "Purgatories". Although ultimately based on the god Yama of the Hindu Vedas, the Buddhist Yama has developed different myths and different functions from the Hindu deity...