The concept of '18 levels of hell' started in the Tang Dynasty. The Buddhist text Jian Di Yu Jing (間地獄經) mentioned 134 worlds of hell, but was simplified to 18 levels of hell for convenience.
Apparently 134 worlds of hell unable to fit into a simple pamphlet that will be given to the newcomer of Chinese Hell....so they have cut down the list. Imagine how the sinner will cried in horror to learn there are actually 134 worlds of Hell instead of 18.
1. Chamber of Wind and Thunder – People who kill and commit heinous crimes out of greed are sent here for punishment.
2. Chamber of Grinding – Wealthy men who do no good and waste food are ground into powder in this chamber.
3. Chamber of Flames – People who steal, plunder, rob and cheat are sent here to be burnt.
4. Chamber of Ice – Children who ill-treat their parents and elders are sent here to be frozen in ice.
5. Chamber of Oil Cauldrons – Sex offenders such as rapists, lechers, adulterers are fried in oil in this chamber.
6. Chamber of Dismemberment by Sawing – Kidnappers and people who force good women into prostitution suffer the fate of being sawn in this chamber.
7. Chamber of Dismemberment by Chariot – Corrupt officials and landlords who oppress and exploit the people are dismembered by a chariot in this chamber.
8. Chamber of Mountain of Knives – People who cheat customers by earning more than they should, profiteers who jack up prices and cheat on the quality of goods are made to shed blood by climbing the mountain of knives.
9. Chamber of Tongue Ripping – Gossips who stir trouble and liars suffer the fate of having their tongues ripped out in this chamber.
10. Chamber of Pounding – Cold-blooded murderers are pounded in this chamber.
11. Chamber of Torso-severing – Scheming and ungrateful men have their torsos severed in this chamber.
12. Chamber of Scales – Crooks who oppress the innocent, people who cheat on the quality of goods and daughters-in-law who ill-treat their in-laws have hooks pierced into their body and hung upside down.
13. Chamber of Eye-gouging – Peeping toms who go around peeking and leering have their eyeballs gouged out in this chamber.
14. Chamber of Heart-digging – People with evil hearts have theirs dug out in this chamber.
15. Chamber of Disembowelment – Instigators, hypocrites and tomb-robbers have their bowels dug out in this chamber.
16. Chamber of Blood – Blasphemous crooks who show no respect to the gods suffer the fate of being skinned in this chamber.
17. Chamber of Maggots – Crooks who use loopholes in the law to cheat and engage in malpractice are being eaten alive by maggots in this chamber.
18. Chamber of Avici – Crooks who have committed heinous crimes, brought misery to the people and betrayed the ruler are placed on a platform above an inferno. The unlucky ones fall off the platform into the inferno and burn while the lucky ones remain on the platform. These spirits are never to be reincarnated.
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I would also like to have "Dear.archaeologist , please don't excavate me and back off. You dig?" on my tombstone.
