My Itchy Fingers

WORDS OF CAUTION (Again….:p) :The following post contains scary and disturbing imageries not suitable for the faint hearted….

Yes! Today is the first day of the Lunar Seventh Month, also known as the Ghost Month or Ghost Festival. This is the time where Buddhists and Taoists believe that the Gate of Hell is opened and spirits of the dead wander the earth and have holidays. During this period, believers adhere to the many taboos…like not going out at night, not having any weddings, and of course, not asking people to go to hell…hahah…and many more. Non-believers will also try to avoid these activities, just in case lah…hahah..:p

In Chinese mythology, the Hell is referred to as Di Yu 地狱, and is a maze of underground levels and chambers where souls are taken to atone for their earthly sins.

Itchyfingers happened to go to Hell some times back…errr, not literally went to Hell lah! Haha…In Singapore we are lucky as we dun have to literally go to Hell in order to know what’s going on down there…:p Many of us would remember the scary visits to Haw Par Villa’s Ten Courts of Hell when we were little kids.

Welcome to Hell! Enter here…

Based on popular Chinese beliefs, when one dies, two guards or escorts from Hades (牛头马面) will come and take your soul.

“Ox-Head”, the hell soldier

“Horse-Face”, the guardsmen at the gate of hell

Notice Itchyfingers on the masthead had transformed into a pair of guards from Hell?

According to the plaque at the entrance, when the spirits arrive, “Ox-Head” and “Horse-Face” would chase them into the gate of hell with a steel spear and ivory stick to face the various punishment given by the Yamas, or the Emperors of Hell.

The use of scare tactic reminded people to do good and repent before
it is too late. Otherwise, you would have to suffer like hell :p…like
getting your heads chopped off and eyes poked with nails…:p

Each court in the Ten Courts of Hell is ruled by a Yama, or King, who dishes out different kinds of punishment befitting the sins committed in one’s life. Well, I must say the Kings of Hell are one lot of very creative beings, cos the kinda punishment they used are really ingenious..:-D

Four kings, all stern looking…

More kings…wow all mean business! Dun “play play”!

Wow! The King is so angry with this guy! This guy must have committed
some atrocious crimes! Jia lat liao!

Everyone has to go through the First Court to find out their destiny…

You would imagine crimes like murder, rape, robbery, drug abuse or adultery are considered as serious enough for one to be condemned to Hell. But reading the plaques at the different courts, you would be surprised to find that petty “crimes” or vices like gambling, ungratefulness, inconsideration, lying and even tax evasion would also send you straight to Hell! This is due to the great influence of Confucianism, where morals and ethics are considered as important ways of life and failing to comply with those guides is as serious as crimes like murder. Wow lao leh! Like that I think most of us would be doomed and for sure I would be spending my afterlife in Hell! :O

Look at the punishment!

Wow! Heart cut out for ungratefulness! How appropriate! :O

Oh my goodness…

Pounded by stone mallet…quickly go and pay your tax! :O

Ground by stone…quickly go apologise to your siblings and parents! :O

You deserve to get your head chopped off if you commit murder, rape
and robbery…

Crushed under boulders for neglecting the young and elderly!

Die! You loan shark!

Copying during exams?? You get your stomach opened up….:O Wow so serious!

Cut into halves…for dunnu what reasons….

There were also many kinds of other punishment that involved fire and water.

Finally at the 10th Court, you get your chance to reincarnate, a new lease of life…

But hor, too bad! Your crime was too atrocious that you could only
reincarnate into a beast! :p

I think whether you are a believer or non-believer of Hell, retribution or reincarnation, the Ten Courts of Hell serve as a reminder to people to try to do good and be a better person. Revisiting the Ten Courts of Hell again after all these years certainly brought back memories for Itchyfingers.