Expert: Justin Choo - 11/22/2007

Question
QUESTION: It is said that a person who goes to the Avicci hell will have to stay there for "innumerable" kalpas. Does this mean it is eternal? Who are the type of people who end up in this hell? Will speaking harshly about the Buddha make you end up here?

ANSWER: Hi Paul,

Avicci hell is the "mother" of all hells, the worst and deepest hell realm.  It is said that when one commits patricide, matricide, hurts a Buddha, causes schism in the holy order of monks, or kills an arahant, one will surely end up in the avicci hell.  The person will be subject to extreme suffering for a very long and unimaginable period of time.  It is so long that it is thought to be eternal, but is not.  When the kammic debt is exhausted the being will be reborn in other realm.

Smile from justinchoo :-)  


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi, Justin. Will slandering the Buddha or the Dharma also lead you to this hell? Does it say anywhere in Theravadan Buddhist texts how long one has to suffer there? If you go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diyu it says "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." Is this a different type of Buddhism?

ANSWER: Hi Paul,

<<Will slandering the Buddha or the Dharma also lead you to this hell? Does it say anywhere in Theravadan Buddhist texts how long one has to suffer there?>>
To the best of my knowledge, there is no specific reference to the extent of kammic retribution.  The reference you gave is most probably from one of the Mahayana text, which gives a more graphic description.  I personally have reservation as to the validity.  Not to be disrespectful, a question one may like to ask is "what happens after the unlucky ones fall off the platform?"  There will be other questions as well, but let's just keep it at that.  We can just safely assume that bad actions will result in bad rebirths; and very evil actions will result in a very hellish rebirth.  As for the details, I think there is none in the Theravada text (However, I may be wrong).

Hope this helps.
justinchoo :-)


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks I have a very good understanding now. But the ones slandering the Buddha and Dharma... do they end up in the Avicci too? And if you repent do you still have to go to hell?

Answer
Hi Paul,

Welcome back.  Slandering the Buddha and Dhamma is a very unwholesome act.  As I said, there is no specific mention of what would exactly happen to the person.  In fact it is impossible to pigeon-hole (state exactly) which act would  create which reaction because it is not the only action that one performs throughout oue's life.  There are the good actions together with the bad ones.  All interminggle; like the sand in the hour-glass. But all will pass through and "graded".  To insist that every specific action will definitely cause a specific reaction is rather naive.  Kamma doesn't work that way.  Don't forget that we don't have to wait for the next life to experience the good and bad effects of our actions.  They are experienced here and now.  
To make a "calculated" guess to answer your question, I would say that landed into any hell realm is bad enough, not necessarily Avicci Hell. So let's say the person will most like have a ticket to the hell realm!  But be careful, evil retribution may occur in this life, here and now!

<<And if you repent do you still have to go to hell?>>

And if you slap someone, can you take away the pain from him, saying that you have repented?  Kamma is amoral.  A wilful action will result in a reaction.  The only consolation will be you will not repeat in future.

Smile from justinchoo :-)

(Should you wish to continue, please click the "ask a question" so that this thread does not become too long.)