關於 divine meaning ，我們在網路上蒐集到這些相關的討論、資訊與評價

HI HI TO ALL MY HAPPY ‘TAP” FAMILYYYY ❣️❣️❣️

I haven’t written to you all for such a long time and I do apologize so much for this. I don’t know how TIME FLIES the way it does!

I wanted to share some thoughts on this very momentous and memorable DAY in my life.. I am strolling into the BIG 6 ❤️ today!!! My BRAIN IS EMPTY!!

All I can think of is HOW GRATEFUL I am to the Universe, and to all of YOU, to my LOVING FAMILY, my INCREDIBLE FRIENDS… all this life has brought to me.. that our Planet is so beautiful and there is so much to be thankful and OPEN to.

After 60 years, chasing so many things, experiencing the excitement, ups and downs of almost all of life, months, weeks, days, minutes, seconds… and I realize, all I really desire and want, is a SIMPLE SMILE, WARMTH, UNDERSTANDING, A Heartwarming HUG, A phone call, or now, text to say HI… A Healthy and strong Body, LOTS & LOTS of LAUGHTER, CONNECTION, COMMUNICATION, LOVE, LOVE & LOVE. No matter what circumstances we run into, Rain, Thunder, Protests, Covid, it is absolutely possible to realize that ALL THINGS MUST PASS, and through the most difficult or most ravishing times, we can find comfort in holding the hands of those loving people around us. I know there is still so much more to learn while we are so BLESSED to be a VALUED GUEST on this Earth for such a fleeting moment. I feel I must keep on learning and evolving to be the BEST person I can be.

I realize that when we are born, we need so much love, feeding, nurturing, understanding, and a lot of HELP! When we get old, we need so much love, feeding, tolerance, patience, understanding, and a lot of HELP! There is no difference in the VALUE of each end of the stick. Just what we can do in between that will make ALL the difference and we all have a CHOICE in how we want to write our own, unique, wonderful, heartfelt STORY.

LIFE can be, and IS SO VERY BEAUTIFUL. The Beauty I used to understand doesn’t hold any meaning for me anymore.. The BEAUTY I HOLD TRUE is the LOVE & BEAUTY inside of ME and all the surroundings of the amazing Mother Nature. Each of us, is handcrafted so very intricately, to have all the same physical features, yet not a single one of us is a duplicate of another. We all have a brain to think, yet every single one of us does not think like any other. We ALL have a PATH, yet every one of our paths is different from each other. But we are ALL meticulously woven together, our lives, our actions are all intertwined. Every action we take, affects another. Every tree, every flower, mountain, sea, sky, clouds, animals, and all beloved creatures. We are the unique creatures, blessed with thinking, speaking & doing. I feel I must do everything I can to HONOR this special GIFT from Mother Nature. Beauty is DEEP & ROOTED & everywhere we look. I’m going to embrace everything PapaGOD & the Universe has given me.

I’m SO GRATEFUL for making it this far, in GOOD HEALTH, GOOD SPIRITS, GOOD MIND & BODY. Every day is a SURPRISE to me. Every moment is truly a BLESSING and ever so sacred. I will continue to live each BLESSED day with an open heart, open mind, and open SPIRIT. I will live each day as HIGH as I can go, no matter how low I feel. I will enjoy growing old GRACEFULLY, and make a conscious effort to do and BE the BEST I can be EACH SINGLE DAY, CHERISH & take care of it like a RARE and Beautiful JEWEL, which LIFE & our EARTH IS.

Today I spend with my LOVING FAMILY & MY FRIENDS. Well.. one loving Family is missing and in Mainland, now resting, but working VERY HARD! I’m so proud of Lam because we are so happy that he gets to SHARE his music with a WHOLE NEW GENERATION of wonderful, talented singers. It’s a GREAT BLESSING to sing with these enthusiastic Artists who can make a great difference in the world with their bellowing voices. I watch every episode with great anticipation and I hope you will too! All the Artists create their own Magic with each song & emotions!

I also would like to share with you my real and Authentic physical & Spiritual SELF!!! I just want to BE TOTALLY and ALL OF what is TRULY ME! I hope you all can accept me as I AM, white hair with my cutey wrinkles! Lam really enjoys it cos now I can keep him COMPANY & look like TWINS! I don’t know where my WHOLE self will go from here.. but I’m really going to look forward to all the natural progressions my mind and body will be taking.. just like Mother Nature.. she accepts all that comes to her and embraces it all…just as it is!

I wonder if I can remotely understand the meaning of life by now? I want to TAP (THINK ACTPOSITVE) at all times making others HAPPY & be HAPPY to see others HAPPY! I understand there is NO RIGHT or WRONG in any of our actions whether positive or negative, but only the divine consequences of those actions we choose. I feel we are BLESSED to be here with a DIVINE PURPOSE which is to help ourselves & each other. To preserve and maintain this amazing PLANET & EARTH. To evolve ourselves, & each generation, so they can pass the baton and also evolve the Earth! I also feel we are definitely NOT ALONE! NEVER! We are always in the SOOTHING, EMBRACING arms of the Divine Source Universe, and when we feel we don’t know where to turn, PapaGOD is ALWAYS there for us, ready to give us whatever we want in the deepest of our hearts with the utmost sincerity. Everything we receive is in its Divine Timing, and Divine Perfection.

With that.. HAPPYNESS & GREAT HEALTH TO ALL OF YOU FOREVER AND ALWAYS and LOVE YOURSELF as well as LOVE ALL THOSE and EVERYTHING AROUND YOU! BELIEVE ME.. ALL WE HAVE and NEED IS LOVE!!!!

MUAH MUAH MUAH with 60 YEARS OF BLESSINGS! YEHHHHHH!!!!
ALL MY LOVE!! SALLY!!!

PS. I had a great wonderful party with best of FRIENDS TONITE❣️❣️ Came home and took some selfies to shock all of U❣️❣️ My HAPPY DECADE HAPPY 6💜 GIRL (⁉️) look❣️❣️ CHEERS EVERYONE❣️❣️❣️🌹🌹🧚🏽‍♀️🧚🏽‍♀️🧚🏽‍♀️

HI HI 快樂的 “TAP” 大家庭 ❣️❣️

已經很久沒有給大家寫信了，對此我深表歉意。不知道時間怎麼就這樣過去了!

我想在生命中這個非常重要和難忘的日子和大家分享一些想法和感觸 —— 今天我悠然邁入了以6字開頭的歲月!! ❤️ 大腦一片空白!!

我所能想到的是對上天，對你們每一位，對親愛的家人，對不可思議的朋友們 —— 對生命所贈與我的這一切 —— 所懷有的深深感激。我們所生活的星球如此美麗，實在有太多太多需要去感謝、感激，去敞開心扉擁抱。

60年過去了，我也曾經追逐過很多，在每月每週每日每分每秒中，經歷了生命可能賦予的幾乎所有激動和起落，而如今我意識到，自己真正渴望和想要的，只是一個簡單的微笑，溫暖，理解，一個暖心的擁抱，一通電話，或者現在更流行的，問好的一條短信.. 一個健康強壯的身體，很多很多笑聲，連結，交流，愛，愛，以及，愛。無論我們遇到怎樣的狀況 —— 下雨、雷電、抗議、疫情，一直要謹記於心的是，無論如何，這一切終將過去；在最困難或最開心的時刻，我們都能握住身邊人的手，並從中找到最大的安慰或共鳴。能得此幸運，在如此短暫的一剎，來到地球做她的尊貴旅客，我知道還有太多東西需要學習，感覺自己必須不斷學習成長，才能成為最好的自己。

我也意識到，出生的時候，我們需要很多愛，需要被餵食物，需要關懷、滋養、理解，需要很多幫助！變老後，我們也需要很多愛，需要被餵食物，需要寬容、耐心、理解，需要很多幫助！人生兩端的價值，並沒有任何分別。只有在中間段，我們能選擇如何去書寫屬於自己的，獨特的，精彩的，發自內心的故事；而也正是在中間段所做的選擇，決定了我們會有怎樣的人生。

生活可以，也確實是非常美麗的。我曾經所理解的美，對於現時的我而言，已經沒有了當初的意義。現在，我所抱持的真正的美，是內心的愛與美，以及令人驚嘆的大自然所賦予的，環繞著我們的一切。每個人都好似複雜精緻的手工藝品，雖然有著相同的身體特徵，但沒有一個人是另一個人的複製品。我們都有大腦可以思考，但每個人和其他人想的都不同。我們都有要走的人生之路，但每個人的道路各不相同。然而，大家又被如此精心地連結在一起，彼此的生活和行為交織在一起。我們採取的每一個行動，都不可避免地影響著他人，甚至影響著每一棵樹，每一朵花；影響著山、海、天空、雲朵、動物，和所有其他可愛生靈。我們是獨一無二的存在，有福氣擁有思考、講話和行動的能力。所以我感覺自己必須盡所能去致敬和珍視這份來自自然的特殊禮物。美深深根植於我們目光所及的每處。我將擁抱上天和世界贈與我的一切。

我很感激人生走到了這裡，健康，精神，頭腦和身體都很好。每一天對我來說都是驚喜。每一刻都是充滿祝福和神聖的。我將繼續以開放的心靈、開放的思想和開放的精神去過好每一天。我會盡力去把每天過到最好，儘管有時候也會感覺低落。我將享受優雅地變老，有意識地努力在每天做到自己的最好，也成為最好的自己，珍惜和照顧匆匆而過的每日，好似它們是稀有又美麗的珠寶；而其實，生命和地球也的確如此。

今天我會和我愛的家人們和朋友們一起度過。對的，一位有愛家人不在這裡，他在內地，現在有空休息一下，但一直都在非常努力地工作! 我為Lam 感到驕傲，因為大家都非常開心他有機會同新一代如此出色、才華橫溢的年輕歌手們分享他的音樂。與這些富有激情的藝術家們一起唱歌是一種巨大的幸福；年輕一代的歌聲將給這個世界帶來改變。每一期節目我都有充滿期待地觀看，希望你們也會看！所有的藝術家們都在用每首歌和感情創造著自己的魔法！

我也想和你們分享真實的自我——外在與內在，容貌及心靈!!! 我只想做完完全全的，真正的自己！希望你們能夠接受這樣的我，白頭髮，和可愛的皺紋! Lam 很喜歡我這樣，因為現在我可以和他作伴，我們看上去像雙胞胎! 我不知道我的整個自我會從這裡走向何方，但對接下來身心將會經歷的所有自然旅程，我真心期待… 就好像大自然一樣，她接受並擁抱一切如它們本初的樣子！

我好奇自己現在是否可以算作大概開始理解人生的意義呢？我想做TAP (THINK ACTPOSITVE)，隨時通過正面積極的思考和行動為他人帶去開心，而看到他人開心也會令我感到開心！我明白我們的任何行為，無論是積極或是消極的，都無關對錯；只是，不可避免的，選擇的行為都會帶來相應的結果。我感覺帶著神聖的目的來到這裡是一份福祉，而這個目的就是助人助己，是保護和維繫這個不可思議的星球，是持續進化發展自己和每一代人，這樣他們就可以繼續把進化地球的接力棒傳遞下去! 我也感覺到我們絕對不是孤獨的！從來都不是！我們一直都被上天撫慰著，擁抱在臂膀中。當感覺不知道如何走下去，上天總會在我們身邊，以最大的誠意給予我們內心深處最渴望的所有。我們得到的一切都有它神聖的時間表，都遵循著神聖的完美安排。

以上… 祝愿大家永遠幸福開心健康，愛自己，愛周圍的所有人，愛周圍的一切！相信我… 我們所擁有的和需要的一切，就是愛!!!!

MUAH MUAH MUAH with 60 YEARS OF BLESSINGS! YEHHHHH!!!!
ALL MY LOVE!! SALLY!!!

PS. 今晚我和最好的朋友們開了最棒的Party ❣️❣️❣️ 回到家後拍了幾張自拍，肯定會驚到你們 ❣️❣️❣️ 我的快樂第6個10年 💜 GIRL (⁉️) look❣️❣️❣️ 大家乾杯 ❣️❣️❣️🌹🌹🧚🏻‍♀️🧚🏻‍♀️🧚🏻‍♀️

「地獄空」攝影集即將在八月中元節前出版，由知名設計師與攝影家黃子欽設計，內附在下二位高徒精美繪製符咒、心經版畫書籤、愣嚴咒牌、尊勝咒語...等，感恩十方大德助印，希望疫情退散，平安喜樂，後記如下：

野放台灣五十餘年，貪狼獨坐，三方四正殺破狼格局，少年多舛，白手起家，隨展覽雲遊四海，如閒雲野鶴常持各類底片機流連廢墟、山川、宮廟忘返，遂設幻影堂自詡堂主，一日三省「凡所有相皆是虛妄」，常宅於暗房沖片放大通宵、鍾情黑白世界之單純，彩色照片俗世繽紛花俏做作甜美甚至比現實更現實故少拍也。知天命之年有餘，了悟人生一瞬、眨眼即逝，雖非仙人，亦無道骨，初聞離垢地生清淨心，但離華嚴「不動地」尚遠，待修持也。
2017年盛暑拍畢《巨神連線》，心律不整差點心肌梗塞向閻羅王報到，意識死神隨伺在側，人生苦短，如何了生脫死、盡斷煩惱、無所罣礙、遠離顛倒……總不得解，蒙釋迦摩尼佛開示飆淚三晝夜，聞佛法數載始知自我渺如塵埃，甚感慚愧。閒暇乃參訪名寺古剎，禮敬焚香佛陀菩薩羅漢諸神天仙王爺媽娘，台灣宮廟千奇百怪、宗派錯綜複雜（佛教、道教、一貫道、天主教、基督教、齋教、回教＆大同教、儒教鑾堂、天帝教＆天德教、慈惠堂＆勝安宮、軒轅教、道院、理教、萬國道德會、會靈山……）、神棍橫行（依人不依法、偶像崇拜、斂財、邪淫），因歷史變遷、社會動盪、政治鬥爭、意識形態等因素導致佛道混雜，但地獄造景稀少，後專注拍攝各殿閻王、判官、陰司、獄卒、七爺、八爺乃至一切罪人，各寺造景巧妙、耐人尋味，意境乖張溢於言表，造型扭曲非常人所能塑也，然匠心獨運、自成一格，專研西方藝術數十載方知真誠樸拙最美，絲毫不輸喬托（Giotto di Bondone，1267～1337）乃至米開朗基羅（Michelangelo Di lodovico Buonarroti Simoni 1475 ~ 1564）矣。

創立於1986年的石門金剛宮風景優美可眺望北濱，雖主祀四面佛，儒釋道眾神尊也不含糊，可過七星橋解厄、繞行五百黝黑羅漢敲鑼印心、跪拜亞洲最大臥佛涅槃像，安太歲自不在話下，甲子太歲爺雙眼長出手掌印象甚深，1994年經閻羅王指示廟公建造一條肚內設極樂世界及陰曹地府之神龍，行走暗黑通道觸動感應機關，只見面容猙獰受刑者呼天搶地喊冤、身邊盡是血肉糢糊殘肢敗屍腦漿塗地，十殿閻羅各司其職、威儀攝人。新北市林口區青嶺湖北文紫祥宮包公廟則以壁面彩塑地獄浮雕獨步全台，粉嫩色彩搭配卡漫風格，尤為造型簡直恐怖到可愛透頂，該廟主祀森羅殿閻羅天子包拯（包青天），陽世冤屈者可至此參拜祭解，求破懸案者眾，逢中元普渡皆以紙紮船渡亡魂至彼岸，全台唯一閻羅天子巨像籌備中，四周環繞墓地，適合修不淨觀也。台灣首尊彰化八卦山大佛旁南天宮（1971）地府則是首座電動地府，規模精小但驚嚇度破表，略顯破敗但五光十色仍蠻凶悍，出自已故台南大道長金登富之作，而電動神明起始可追溯至1960年代北港朝天宮。倒是嘉義水上鄉白人牙膏觀光工廠「戴相府」、「將軍府」設置十殿地府出乎意料之外，乾淨亮麗、ㄧ殿ㄧ間、簡單樸實。由高雄蓮潭龍虎塔龍口入內可見全臺唯一交趾陶地獄牆面，尊尊栩栩如生，續入龍身乃進聞聲救苦白衣觀音大士三十三化身浮雕隧道，造型設色甚為古錐。高雄大岡山超峰寺入口處「西方三聖蓮池海會」（阿彌陀佛、觀世音菩薩、大勢至菩薩巨像）旁設靜態十殿閻羅（1970年代初），雖略為陳舊然韻味猶存，續往上行可抵「證菩提道－釋迦如來應化事迹」雕塑園區，一攬世尊畢生精華。如來年邁時，琉璃國王為報長期被釋迦族輕蔑之傲慢心，世尊雖三次單獨伽跌坐 阻擋大軍進攻之路，但因緣果報無法逆轉，昔日婢女所生王子瞋恨無以復加，還是滅了祖國。自持神通第一目犍連不忍無辜百姓慘遭屠殺，遂以缽盛救度五百族人，最終卻化為血水，佛言神通廣大仍不敵千百劫業力，因緣果報屢試不爽。其母死後墜入餓鬼道飢餓難耐，目犍連遂展神通救渡，但所食尚未入口皆化為赤火，佛陀囑咐農曆七月十五日僧眾解安居自恣日，於盆中設甘露美食供養十方僧眾，因此超度亡母。後世「盂蘭盆法會」乃至「水懺法會」、「瑜珈焰口法會 」皆為消業障、斷塵垢之超渡儀軌，既渡亡魂也自懺悔。

台南麻豆代天府規模宏大、造型豔麗，不但可遊十八層地獄尚可逛天堂（1979年興建，1983年開放)，燈光絢爛、聲響駭人，獨自漫步宛如觀落陰、地獄走一回。先過「心頭山」、入「清心池」、進「陰陽界」、抵「交簿廳」、達「鬼門關」、遊「補經所」、探「枉死城」、行「奈何橋」，至ㄧ殿泰廣王照「孽鏡台」現造惡原形，睹抱柱、火床等小地獄。二殿楚江王開「陰查簿 」判案定奪，觀糞尿泥、餓鬼、舞池、寒冰、膿血、鞭韃、舌犁、劍葉、戟腹拋接、砧截……等小地獄。三殿宋帝王刑罰為倒吊、銅鐵刮臉、挖眼、搗樁、倒烤、吸血、穿肋、抽筋、蛆蛀等小地獄……兼遊「四生（胎、卵、濕、化）回魂府」。四殿五官王掌管腰斬、拔舌、沸湯、刺嘴、剝皮、箭樹、車崩、射眼……等十六小地獄。隨五殿森羅王豋「望鄉臺」回眸親人最終眼後觀擊膝、誅心、刀山、飛刀火石……小地獄。六殿卞城王別稱「大叫喚大地獄」，轄火牛、虎啖、噬腎、鉗嘴含鍼、釘喉、磨摧、砍頭……等小地獄。七殿泰山王為「熱惱大地獄」，窺烙手指、抽腸、頂石蹲身、油釜滾烹、割舌穿腮……等十六小地獄。八殿都市王掌管「大熱惱大地獄」兼火狗、鐵汁、鐵蛇、鋸劈斷肢、釘板、灸脊、鐵丸、磅秤……等小地獄。九殿平等王直轄十八層「阿鼻大地獄」，直透地心、內中陰森、不見五指、滿溢地漿，皆為極犯，另轄紫赤毒蛇鑽孔、夾頂、鐵鴉、針雨、蜂蠍……等小地獄。至十殿輪轉王上「觀生臺」、「轉劫所八司」（查驗司 、稽善司 、考過司 、恩怨司 、壽命司 、支配司、掌劫司 、授生司）後至「孟婆亭」飲「醧忘湯」忘盡前塵往事，依前世功德過金、銀、玉、石、木、竹六種橋樑至「轉輪臺（紫河車）」入六道輪迴轉生投胎。據《十八泥犁經》記載，人過世後七七四十九天為「中陰生」，經閻羅王審判善惡業力判定去留或懲罰百千萬劫，犯五逆重罪則墮入「無間地獄（阿鼻地獄）」永劫不復。地藏王乃幽冥教主，統轄十殿閻羅，逢三曹普渡便在各殿設「講道所」超度尚存善根之鬼魂。

人類居於五趣（阿修羅、人、傍生、餓鬼、地獄）雜居地五濁惡世之堪忍世界，犯十惡業（殺生、偷盜、邪淫、妄語、兩舌、惡口、綺語、貪慾、嗔恚、愚痴）者必墮三趣惡道。如何出「三界」（欲界、色界、無色界）二十八天？凡人無此意識，別說能破「十二因緣」（無明、行、識、名色、六入、觸、受、愛、取、有、生、老死）還滅門，更別想斷除「四聖諦」（苦、集、滅、道）集地八十一品見惑與八十八使思惑（五利使-身見、邊見、邪見、見取見、戒禁取見、五鈍使-貪、瞋、癡、慢、疑），了悟「五蘊」（色、受、想、行、識）本空、「十二入」（眼、耳、鼻、舌、意、色、聲、香、味、觸、法）空、「十八界」空，破俱生我執與分別我執、法執甚至空執，生十一處「善心所」（信、精進、慚、愧、無貪、無瞋、無痴、輕安、不放逸、行捨、不害），降二十六處「惡心所」（貪、瞋、癡、慢、疑、惡見、忿、恨、覆、惱、嫉、慳、誑、諂、害、憍、無慚、無愧、掉舉、惛沉、不信、懈怠、放逸、失念、散亂、不正知），須知善根斷盡則陷永劫輪迴、無垠轉世之苦。

地獄可能空滅嗎？若地獄空乏人間多鬼怪，地獄淨空世間何嘗非淨土？若能證空性何處現地獄？

地獄曠古來便廣泛流傳各部族間，老死生滅為自然運行之基礎、宇宙意識之核心，然今文明昌盛如咱城邦並非慾望消弭之所，惡性所及實無可根除，礙於憲法國家法律社會軍隊企業公司學校家庭團體之層層束縛不亞於十八層，乃遁於壓抑、束己情懷，暗埋心底、日久貪嗔痴慢疑怨噌會疊穢。而六塵未熄，心多妄念，妖魔鬼怪魑魅魍魎孤魂閃靈出沒於荒郊乃至人間，會靈於曠野密林以增性靈乃出世高人修煉之舉，我等凡人擅闖宛如迪士尼般之人造地獄，三魂七魄尚不足以出竅，驚邪恐怖淒厲猙獰倒滿足了自以為是的慚愧，豈不謬哉？

病毒肆虐年半有餘，全球確診者逼近一億八千萬，枉死者近四百萬，堪比戰爭規模，望眾生發慈悲心、令往生者安息、善待其他物種、平等有情眾生。地獄本空，唯妄念生起一切羨慕嫉妒恨而地獄現前。盡以此書作為世界新冷戰獨裁者、超限戰者、暗網駭客、陰險狡猾冷嘲熱諷落井下石者之良知備忘錄矣。

姚瑞中寫於2021年端午節

Postscript

I have been living recklessly in Taiwan for more than fifty years. According to Zi Wei Dou Shu (Purple Star Astrology), Tan Lang is the sole star in my house of Self. This star, which represents xxx, forms an equilateral triangle with that star Qi Sha and Po Jun on the square chart and constitutes a Sha Po Lang pattern. The pattern indicates a kind of turbulence and change, a life of wandering with ups and downs and it tells a lot about my life. After my ill-fated youth, I started from scratch and traveled around the world with exhibitions that I participated. Like a flaneur, I wandered around ruins, nature, and temples with every type of film camera obliviously. Thus, I founded the Hall of Illusion and claimed to be the master of the hall. Several times a day, I pondered a quote from the Diamond Sutra, “Everything with form is unreal.” In addition, I usually stayed in the darkroom developing film and enlarging those negatives overnight. However, I treasured the simplicity of the black and white world. The earthly, gaudy, garish, phony and pleasing qualities within colored photos make the images even more realistic than the real world. It is not my cup of tea, so I seldom took colored photos. In Confucian thought, the age of fifty marks the stage knowing the mandate of Heaven. I am now at my fifties and realize how ephemeral human life is. However, I am not an immortal, nor having sagelike characteristics. I just learned that the stage of stainless (the second bhūmi) and develop a pure mind that is free from doubt and defilement. However, I’m still far from the immovable state and need to practice.

In the summer of 2017, after filming the work Incarnation, I experienced a severe heart rhythm problem which almost triggered myocardial infarction and could have killed me. Consequently, I realized that death was waiting for me and the life is too short to figure out how I can liberate myself from the cycle of Birth and Death. I couldn’t comprehend how to be free from all afflictions and worries and how to avoid delusive ideas. I wept for three days and nights after being enlightened by Shakyamuni Buddha. Up to the moment, I felt ashamed that I failed to realize that the self is as insignificant as dust after these years learning and practicing Buddhism. Since then, I have visited famous temples and monasteries in my spare time, worshiping Buddha, Bodhisattvas, arhats, and all the deities and immortals. Taiwan’s temples are myriad with a enormous number of sects, including Buddhism, Taoism, Yiguandao, Catholicism, Christianity, Chinese religions of fasting, Islam& Baháʼí Faith, Confucianism, Tiandiism& Tian-De Teachings, Xiwangmu cult, Yellow Emperor Sect, Precosmic Salvationism, Liism, World Wide Ethical Society, séance cult, etc. Some people even claim that they can mediate communication between the deities or spirits of the dead with human beings, having their believer rely on themselves instead of the orthodox dharma or dogma and pay excessive respect and admiration for the mediums or objects, accumulating wealth through such an unfair means or even harassing their believer sexually. Due to Taiwan’s historical changes, social turbulence, political struggles, and ideological issues, Buddhism and Taoism are somehow mixed. However, there are few emphases on the concept of the hell. As I took photographs of Yama of each court, judges, wardens of the underworld, jailers, General Fan and Hsieh (the ghost escorts) and all sinners, I found few temples cleverly created hellish scenes that are intriguing, exaggerating, and extraordinary. However, the creations are unparalleled unique. I have been studying Western arts for decades and then I came to realize that simplicity makes the most beautiful works of art. These hellish scenes can even compete with works of Giotto di Bondone (1267-1337) and Michelangelo Di lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564).

Jingang Temple Shimen District, founded in 1986, overlooks the beautiful North shore. Although the temple is mainly dedicated to Phra Phrom (the Thai representation of Mahabrahma), spirits of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism can also be founded in the temple. The worshipper can go cross the Seven Star bridge to relieve bad luck, walk along the five hundred arhat statues and knock on the gong to affirm one’s Buddha nature. Furthermore, the worshipper can also prostrate themself before Asia’s largest statue of Buddha in Nirvana (the Reclining Buddha statue) and pacify the Taoist Tai Sui deity of the year. I was impressed by the Jia-Zi Tai Sui General that a pair of palms grow out of his eyes. In 1994, the biō-kong (the person taking charge of the temporal affairs of a temple) received a divine inspiration from Yama (the King of Hell) that he had to build a sacred hall in the shape of a divine dragon, with the interior designed according to the World of Ultimate Bliss and the Underworld. When the visitor walks in the dark hallway, they will see the tortured people (dioramas, of course) scrunching their faces and crying bitterly and loudly in excessive grief as the visitor triggers the mechanism. One will even find them in the midst of flesh, body liquid and blood, mutilated limbs, and rotten corpses. While each of the ten Yamas are focusing on their own duties, showing their sacred dignity that collect visitors’ attention. The Baogong Temple in Linkou District, New Taipei City exclusively features colorful depiction of hellish scenes in relief in Taiwan. With its pastel shades and cartoon-like style, the relief is both grotesque and adorable at the same time. This temple is dedicated to Bao Zhen (also known as Justice Bao) representing the incarnation of Yama. Living people who have been treated unjustly can come worshipping Bao Gong and receive exorcism. Therefore, many people come here for seeking to solve unsolved cases. In Zhongyuan Festival (the ghost festival), the temple will burn the Zhizha (paper craft) boat to ferry the ghosts to the other shore, which is the shore of enlightenment. The only giant statue of Yama in Taiwan is still in the making. The temple is surrounded by a cemetery, suitable for meditating on the loathsomeness and impurity. Nantian Temple (1971), located next to the Eight Trigram Mountains Buddha in Changhua, features the first animatronic underworld. Despite the small size, the animatronic underworld is intensely shocking. Though it’s slightly worn, the colorful dioramas are still brutally ferocious. The creator was the late venerable Dao Zhang (Taoist priest) Jing Deng-fu while the origin of animatronic deities can be traced back to the 1960s Beigang Chaotian Temple. On the contrary, the Whiteman Toothpaste Tourism Factory in Shuishang Township, Chiayi, features ten Yamas with individual booth. The place is unexpectedly clean and polished yet keeps a simple and modest tone. Then, the Dragon Pagoda of the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas at Lotus Lake in Zuoying, Kaohsiung, holds the only relief of hellish scenes made of Kochin ceramic. All the figures are vivid and life-like. If one goes further into the pagoda, they will see a relief tunnel of the thirty-three incarnations of the white-robed form of Guanyin (Avalokiteśvara) on a white lotus, with a lovely and interesting design. Another Hall of Yama is built in the 1970s next to the entrance of Dagangshan Chaofeng Temple, located in the Alian District of Kaohsiung. Visitors will also see three statues of the Three Holy Ones of the Western Pureland (Amitābha, Avalokiteśvara, Mahāsthāmaprāpta) which assemble at a lotus pond. Although the hellish scene looks somewhat antiquated, you may still find its previous charm. If one goes further, they will reach the sculptural garden of “Attaining the Bodhi Way: the Incarnation of Sakyamuni Buddha,” where the visitor can see the essence of Bhagavato’s (meaning the Blessed one, one of the common epithets for Buddha) life. When Tathāgata (another epithet for Buddha) was old, the king of Kosala wanted to avenge the arrogance of the tribe of Shakyas who had long despised him, regarding him as a son of a maiden. Although Buddha has sat in lotus position alone three times to stop the army from attacking his tribe. However, one can never reverse the cause and following karma. The prince born of a maiden was so furious that he eventually destroyed his homeland. Maudgalyāyana (one of the Buddha’s closest disciples), who is said to have had supernatural abilities that surpassed the other disciples, could not bear to see the slaughter of innocent people. Thus, he saved five hundred people of his tribe with a pātra (an eating utensil of Buddhist monks). Unfortunately, everything he did was in vain, those who were saved eventually turned into a puddle of blood. The Buddha said that the supernatural abilities cannot surpass the power of karma. The cause and effect work all the time. When Maudgalyāyana’s mother fell into the path of hungry ghost, he used his supernatural abilities to save his mother from hunger. However, all the food turned into fire before being fed to his mother. Later, the Buddha commanded the monks to put nectar and dishes in a basin on the 15th day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar for the monks from all directions to free his mother from reincarnation. In later times, the Ullambana Dharma Service, the Compassionate Samadhi Water Repentance, and the Yoga Collection for Feeding the Searing Mouths Dharma Service are rituals to eliminate karmic hindrance and to cease to worldly delusions. Through such practices, one can free the dead as well as confess their repentance.

Madou Daitian Temple is a magnificent and colorful temple in Tainan. Not only can the worshippers visit the eighteen levels of Hell but also the Heaven (it was built in 1979 and inaugurated in 1983) here. The lighting and sound effects are stunning and frightening. When walking alone in the space, one may feel like taking a Guan Luo Yin trip (a Taoist necromancy which leads people’s spirits to hell and communicate with the dead ones) to visit the underworld prison. Before arriving the first court of the underworld, the visitor will walk through the Mountain of Heart Summit, the Pure Heart Pond, the Frontier between the Living and the Dead Realms, the Soul Registry Hall, the Portico of Demons, the Center for Complementary Teaching of Canonical Books, the Citadel of Premature Death, and the Bridge of Vanity. When one arrives at the first court, they will see King Chin-guang, who is in charge of the court, using the Mirror of Retribution to show the earthly form of evil creatures and also witness the sub-hell of Pillar-Holding and Fire Bed, etc. At the second court, King Chu-jiang collates the register of sins the souls of the dead have committed to impose the punishments. Here, you will see the sub-hell of Excrement and Urine, Hungry Ghost, Burning Dance Floor, Ice, Pus and Blood, Whipping, Tongue-Raking, Sword Blade, Stomach-Piercing, Chopping, etc. Next, the dead at the third court, ruled by King Song-di, will receive the punishments including inversion tortures, face-skinning with steel and copper knife, eye-wrenching, pounding, blood-sucking, rib-piercing, roasting, tendon-taking, being eaten by maggots. The visitor can pay a visit to the Palace of Soul-Resuscitation for the Four Forms of Creatures (birth from an egg, birth from a womb, birth from moisture, and birth by transformation). King Wu-guan is in charge of the fourth court. There are sixteen sub-hells at the fourth court including Waist Chop, Tongue Removal, Boiling Pond, Mouth-stabbing, Skin-peeling, Sword Tree, Burning Wheels and Cart, Eye-shooting, etc. Next, at the fifth court, sinful souls are allowed to ascend the Tower of Hometown-Viewing to take a final look of their family. The visitor will witness sub-hells of Knee-striking, Heart-slicing, Blade Mountain, Flying Swords and Burning Stones, etc. The King of Bian City takes charge of the sixth court, which is also known as the “Great Hell of Screaming,” with sub-hells including Fire Cattle, Tiger-Biting, Kidney-Eating, Mouth-Poking, Throat-Nailing, Iron Mill, Decapitation, etc. The King of Tai-shan is in charge of the seventh court, the “Great Hell of Heat and Fire.” The sixteen sub-hells at this court include Finger-Searing, Bowel-Hauling, Stone-Bearing, Boiling Oil, Tongue-Removal and Cheek-Piercing, etc. Next, the King Du-shi is in charge of the eighth court, the “Great Hell of Intense Fire and Heat,” and the sub-hells including Fire Dogs, Molten Iron, Iron Snakes, Dismemberment, Steel Spikes, Burning-Marrow, Iron Ball, Scale, etc. The ninth court is ruled by the King Ping-deng. It is known as the biggest court, Avici Hell (the Hell of Incessant Suffering), which if the lowest level of the hell realm and the interior is gloomily and terrifyingly dark. Those who committed the most serious evil deed will be sent to the Avici Hell. Sub-hells such as Poisonous Snake, Brain-Removal, Crow-Gnawing, Raining Needles, Wasps and Scorpions are included at this court. After arriving the tenth court, ruled by the Great King of the Reincarnation Palace, one can visit the “Observatory of Life on earth” and the “eight bureaus of the Reincarnation Palace” (including the Bureau of Judicial Control, the Bureau of Good-Actions, the Bureau of Bad-Actions, the Bureau of Debts, Gratitude, and Vengeance, the Bureau of Longevity and Destiny, the Bureau of Familial Ties, the Bureau of the Reincarnated, and the Bureau of Birth). The sinful one will be sent to the Pavilion of Mengpo and made to drink the Soup of Forgetfulness to forget all past affairs. According to the sinful one’s merits of previous life, they will go across one of the six bridges (gold, silver, jade, stone, wood, bamboo) to the “Reincarnation-Wheel (Wheel on the Crimson River).” Finally, one is able to reborn in the six realms. According to the Aṣṭadaśa nāraka sutra ( the Eighteen Hells Sutra), after one passes away, they will enter an intermediate and transitional state between death and rebirth, known as antarābhava in Sanskrit, for forty-nine days. The being will be evaluated by Yama, who will decide if one should get reborn or get punished at the hell. Those who committed the Five Grave Offenses (killing one’s father, killing one’s mother, killing an Arhat, shedding the blood of a Buddha, and creating a schism within the community of Buddhist monks and nun who practice for attaining enlightenment.) will be sent to the Avici Hell and stay there eternally. Kṣitigarbha is the Lord of the Nether World, ruling the ten court of Hell. The lord will set up the “Hall of Teaching” at each court to salvage those sinful ones who still obtain few merits at the offering rituals.

Human beings live the Sahā world (sahāloka in Sanskrit, meaning “endurance of suffering,” a concept of mundane world in Mahāyāna Buddhism) where they share with other reincarnations (including beings of the hells, of the preta, and of malevolent nature spirits) with five turbidities (the Kalpa turbidity, the view turbidity, the affliction turbidity, the living beings turbidity, and the life turbidity). Those who commit the ten evil deeds (killing, stealing, adultery, lying, using immoral language, slandering, equivocating, coveting, anger, and false views) must fall into the three evil paths (animals, preta, and hell). However, how can one escape from the three realms/ twenty-eight heavens (including the six heavens of the desire realm, the eighteen heavens of the form realm, and the four heavens of the formless realm)? Worldly people who don’t have such an awareness cannot leave the cycle of the twelve nidanas (meaning causes or motivations), let alone eliminate the eighty-one afflictions (that have been produced due to misunderstanding regarding reality) and the eighty-eight illusions (including five afflictions of advanced practitioners, also known as five views: view of self, extreme view, evil view, view of attachment to views, and view of morality; and five unintelligent temptations: desire, anger, stupidity, arrogance, and doubt) of thought within the three realms and four Arya satyas (noble truths, including suffering, arising, ending, and path). They cannot realize that the essence of the five skandhas (referring to aggregates of clinging, including the matter of form, sensation, recognition, mental formation, and consciousness) , the twelve ayatana (meaning sense base, including six internal bases: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind and six external bases: visible objects, sound, odor, taste, touch, and mental objects), and the eighteen dhātavah (meaning compositional elements of human existence, including six consciousness, six faculties, and their objects) are the emptiness and the void. Furthermore, they cannot dispel the two reasons for clinging to the idea of the self and the attachment to elemental constructs and even believe in the two (false) tenets that that karma and nirvana are not real and that the ego and phenomena are real. As a consequence, they fail to develop the eleven wholesome mental factors (faith, energy, conscience, being ashamed, non-attachment, non-aggression, non-delusion, calmness, equanimity, conscientiousness, and non-injuriousness) and cease the sixteen unwholesome mental factors (desire, greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, doubt, wrong view, wrath, enmity, hypocrisy, vexation, jealousy, parsimony, deceit, flattery, harming, ambitiousness, stupidity, lacking of faith, idleness, being unrestrained, forgetting, distraction, non-discernment, ). One must bear in mind that once all our virtuous roots are discontinued, they will be trapped in the never-ending reincarnation and the suffering of infinite continuity.
Is it possible that the hell will be empty one day? If the beings in hell will become extinct while evil spirits inhabit the mundane world, the world could be considered as a pure land. If we could witness the nature of the void, then hell will exist no more.
Since ancient times, the concept of hell has been widely spread among all tribes. Aging, death, beginning, and end are the basis of nature and the core of cosmic consciousness. However, the prosperous civilization as our island is not a place where desire can be eliminated. It’s impossible to eradicate evil nature. Since fetters brought by the constitution, the state, the law, society, the military, corporations, schools, families, and groups are not less than the eighteen levels of hell, the mortals repress themselves, bury their feelings. Day after day, greed, anger, stupidity, arrogance, doubt, and resentment are stacking. However, since the six dust (visible objects, sound, odor, taste, touch, and mental objects) has not yet been extinguished, people in the mundane world are still full of delusions. The demons, devils, evil spirits, and the wondering dead exist in the wilderness, while only advanced practitioners with transcendent would attempt to make contact with the dead in the wasteland and forest. Worldly people like us trespass in Disneyland-like man-made hell. It is absurd and ridiculous that the hellish scenes cannot stop us from perpetrating evil deeds, but the horrific and cruel scenes yet satisfy our self-righteous shame.

The pandemic has been boiling over for more than a year and a half. The number of infected patients worldwide is nearly a hundred and eighty million, and the death toll has risen to four million, which is equivalent to a war crisis. I hope that we can all be compassionate, give peace to the dead, treat all sentient beings well and equally. The hell is innately empty; however, deluded and misleading thoughts would give rise to all jealousy and hatred and then manifest the hell before us. This book merely serves as a memorandum of conscience for dictators of the world’s new cold war, supporters of unrestrained warfare, dark web hackers, and those who are cunning and contemptuous and maltreat others when knowing they have problems.

June 2021,

Yao Jui-chung

God is Not Like Man

“Pilate therefore went out to them, and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered him, “If this man weren’t an evildoer, we wouldn’t have delivered him up to you.” Pilate therefore said to them, “Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law.” Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spoke, signifying by what kind of death he should die.” (John‬ ‭18:29-32‬ ‭WEB‬‬)

Look how the religious leaders of Israel had murder in their hearts but were unable to do it because they were restricted by the Law.

They keep the Law outwardly just for the public eye, and looked for ways to get around the Law to execute their murderous schemes.

While they looked for any loophole to commit murder, God used His infinite wisdom and knowledge to find a way to save mankind.

Under the Law, God said that the soul who sins must die. In Paul’s words, “the wages of sin is death”.

There was only one way for us to be saved because we cannot fulfill the demands of the Law by ourselves. Someone else must die in our place as a substitute.

This person must be a member of mankind, sinless, and his life has to be worthy enough to pay for all the sins of the world.

That is why the only begotten Son of God had to become a man, bleed, and die as our atoning sacrifice for sins.

Today, we are saved, blessed, and favored by God not because of our own obedience towards the Law, but because of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. His sinless, divine blood is a massive overpayment for all our sin debts, purchasing every spiritual blessing of God for us.

I read someone write that “your sin can hinder your prayers”. If that were true, then no Christians would have any answered prayers because we still fail God daily, in thoughts and deeds. We may not be able to live a completely sinless life, but thankfully our prayers are answered based on Jesus’ obedience at the cross. His shed blood is the only reason why we can always enjoy God’s favor.

Let no one deceive you that sin is causing God to ignore your prayers. If God is omniscient, then He already knew all the sins you would commit in your life, and He still chose to let Jesus bear the punishment for your sins at the cross.

What hinders us from receiving God’s promises today is only unbelief. When you have a bad opinion of God and see Him angry, demanding, and unapproachable, you will be unable to freely receive all that Jesus died for you to enjoy.

Paul taught that no one can be justified through the works of the Law. Not before salvation, and not after salvation. God is so gracious that He made us the righteousness of God in Christ when we believed in Jesus as Lord.

Abba God has the perfect, righteous reason to lavish His goodness upon you. Through your prayers of intercession, the people around you are also blessed.

Some well-meaning Christians want to live godly through keeping the Law as a moral guideline, but it only serves to stir up sin’s rebellion in our flesh. They will experience short-lived victories ,only to fall back into sinful patterns when the willpower runs out.

When you place your faith in God after receiving His Word, you will be progressively transformed to live a righteous life. The goal of godly living is the same, but the only way to get there is by beholding Jesus and trusting in Him.

Live by the new and better covenant that is built upon better promises, and you will reign in life through the one Lord Jesus Christ!

The four gospels written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, are full of precious revelations of God’s truths and promises. When you get this four eBook bundle, you will learn the meaning of every one of Jesus’ miracles, parables, words, and deeds. Let this resource replace wrong legalistic beliefs, and position you to receive the abundance of God’s Grace through unhindered faith!

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「封景．志異-臺南市美術館典藏主題展」精選60件本館典藏作品，分成兩個階段展出，將藝術家創作視為一種當代的志異實踐，一種探知世界、考掘社會文化、提陳徵候異樣、檢視物我關係的媒介，依展間區分成「人間」、「神境」、「自然」三個子題，訴說這些典藏風景，從覺知及揭露政治社會和日常生活中的闇影，藉由入景形見，指認出猶待感應和思忖的所在；或者深入民俗場域，呈現眾生與神交陪、祈求顯靈保佑的精神表現和影像歷史；再到移情入景、重返自然，為心靈找到安適棲居的歸處；再再點示出，人不斷經由掌握自我與周遭環境之牽涉，追問本身的存在如何與世界彼此相容相攝，採取適當回應或介入，進而開啟其經心所願的向度和形廓。另則，選件的題材紛陳，亦增添了風景圖像的意義、開擴了風景再現系統的邊界。



on view in this exhibition are 60 artworks selected from the collection of the Tainan Art Museum, with the artworks presented in two stages. The exhibition sees the artists’ practices as contemporary records of anomalies, which act as mediums for exploring the world, excavating social culture, proposing signs of irregularities, and examining the self-other relationship. The exhibition is divided into the following three sub-categories: “Mortal World”, “Mystic Realm”, and “Nature”, showing how these selected landscape artworks from the collection have evolved from a state of being aware to exposing the dark sides of politics, society, and also in everyday ordinary life, and then by immersing in the scenes and allowing them to manifest, they also point out places that still await to be experienced and contemplated. Some of the artworks have gone deep into places of folklore, showing historical images of people’s interactions with deities and their spiritual behaviors of praying for divine protection. Emotions are also transferred into the landscapes depicted, with a secure sense of spiritual belonging sought after by returning to the embrace of nature. These artworks suggest that through self-awareness and involvement with our surrounding environment, people are constantly questioning our own existence and our relationship with the world, with suitable responses or interferences conducted to open up dimensions or contours that we envision inside. Additionally, the themes presented by the selected artworks are diverse and different; they enhance the meaning embodied by images of landscape and push the boundary of landscape representation.




《封景．志異－臺南市美術館典藏主題展》
地點：南美館2館展覽間F-H
展期：2019.6.14(五)－2020.5.12(二)


Sealed Landscapes, Records of Anomalies - Selected Works from the TNAM Collection
Venue: Gallery F-H, TAM Building 2
Period: 2019.6.14(Fri)－2020.5.12(Tue)