In traditional Chinese beliefs “Naraka†is the Buddhist concept of hell in the afterlife. Under this doctrine,the soul must pass through ten stages,in the form of the ten Courts of Hell. All souls are judged on the type and extent of their evil deeds,and the degree and duration of their punishment is determined. In the Tenth Court of Hell,governed by Chwan-lun-wang,the souls are prepared for reincarnation by the process of metempsychosis,involving the taking of the “elixir of forgetfulness†to remove all previous memories. The reborn souls enter Nirvana after crossing the Nai-ho-k'iao,or “Bridge of Helplessnessâ€. From “Recherche sur les Superstitions en Chine†by Henri Doré,Shanghai,1914 |