MEDITATIONS: THE DHAMMAPADA, CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Hell
What is Hell? In the Christian west, Hell is a bottomless pit of infinite, unendurable suffering in separation from the transcendent, namely God. In the east, Hell is not so different. It is likewise an infinite downward fall, though through cycles of Samsara as opposed to a hole, but the metaphor possesses the same meaning. In separation from transcendent being, one is captured by the spirit of pride and arrogance—and so captured, suffers meaninglessly without end.
In either case, Hell is a form of discord with that-is-which-is. It is a place out of accord with the Truth. Hell is where each worships himself, his own intellect, his human institutions, his subjectivity, his Maya—illusion, in the Buddhist tradition. Hell is where one lands when his Tower of Babel inevitably falls; and it must fall, for by definition such a structure is constructed in competition with God, with objective reality itself. It is against that-is-which-is. It is against the very Nature with whom a harmonious attitude transmutes suffering into meaning.
There is a converse relation, then, between Truth and meaningless suffering. That is why the Buddha warns that:
Those who assert what is not true go to hell,
As do those who deny what they’ve done.
Both these people of base deeds become equal
After death, in the world beyond. . . .A foul deed is best not done—
The foul deed torments one later.
A good deed is best done—
For, having done it, one has no regret. (Buddha 75-7)
The notion that one will be tormented for his evil deeds falls in line both with Buddhist and Hindu karma as well as many common interpretations of Abrahamic beliefs. However, even from a secular perspective, the above can be intelligibly and usefully understood.
If Hell is a place of infinitely meaningless suffering, then the psychological state that a person or even people find themselves in when they stray from the Path—i.e. The Way in accord with that-is-which-is—could justly be named Hell. That is to say, for each degree one deviates from propriety, he shall find himself increasingly unable to find happiness, satisfaction, or meaning in his actions. He may attain or retain success in his endeavors, for a time, but the fruits will taste bitter.
A lax act, corrupt practice,
Or chaste life lived dubiously
Doesn’t bear great fruit. (76)
The cause of this embitterment is corrupted discernment. He who lies distorts not only his own ability to know what is true—separation from Truth—but he also mars his ability to know the truth about himself, his nature, and his desires. Therefore, unable to discern truth from falsehood or good from evil, he stumbles blindly off the Path and into the darkest of forests—and not just obliquely, but in the opposite direction of his goal.
Ashamed of what’s not shameful
And not ashamed of what is, . . .Seeing danger in what’s not dangerous
And not seeing danger in what is, . . .Finding fault in what’s not at fault
And seeing no fault in what is,
Those who take up wrongs views
Go to a bad rebirth. (77)
This is a sentiment echoed by the Taoists, the Confucians, and the Stoics. One must know what is and is not under his control and therefore is or is not his duty or responsibility. To do this, one must call things by their proper names—those names which most accurately correspond with reality. Doing so, getting the definitions right, one can proceed to identify where his limits lie. He can understand who and what he is, a mortal human being born to a time and place and with certain gifts and certain challenges. Thus being, he can understand that fault lies in one’s decisions. He can understand that there is no shame in failing, for the outcome is ultimately out of his hands. The only shame is whether or not he brought his full efforts to bear, and whether or not his chosen endeavors are in accord with the duties given to him by the condition of his circumstances.
Thus Hell is where one discovers himself when he fails to cultivate humility. It is the house of confusion, where one mistakes his delusions for the Truth. It is the eternal place of suffering of the proud and arrogant, eternal because it exists now and in the future and with no limit to the suffering which can be felt. Hell is where all are equal, for, severed from Truth, there is no common measure by which to compare any one or thing with anything else. There is only the subjective, solipsistic prison in which isolated torment never ends.
Buddha Siddhartha Gautama. The Dhammapada; Teachings of the Buddha, translated by Gil Fronsdal, Shambala Publications Inc, 2008.
