Ten Courts of Hell

The Legend of Hell

Here goes the legend about the 10 Courts of Hell.Buddhists believe that reincarnation is a form of reward a retribution on their journey to Nirvana. The Ten Courts of Hell are purgatory where a person is sent to be punished for the sins and misdeeds of their past life. A sinner must go through all Ten Courts and in the tenth, final judgment will determine his form of reincarnation.The legend of the Ten Courts of Hell tells of the punishment that await sinners after their death but before reincarnation is determined. The sinner is sent to 'hell' where he will be tormented by demonic-looking 'Yama attendants' for the misdeeds he has committed in his past life.In purgatory, the Ten Courts of Hell are a labyrinth of infernal dungeons, each presided over by a judge who is known as the 'President' and a Registrar of Life and Death. The Presidents are recognized by their long black beards and square flat hats from which hang strings of beads. Registrars record the details of the punishment and hold a brush and set of documents.The sinner will go through nine courts before judgment is finally reached. In each of the nine courts, he is punished for the particular sin that he has committed.In the First Court of Hell, the virtuous are led over a golden bridge to paradise. The silver bridge to paradise is for those whose good deeds during their life outweighed the bad. Evil doers - the ones we have really come to see - are sent to repent before the Mirror of Retribution (where all their past sins are revealed to them) and then taken to a court of hell for punishment.

These Court Of Hells represent Chinese traditional beliefs. Chinese believe that when they meet death, they have to pass through judgments based upon their previous actions. Here they are judged by their good deeds and bad deeds. Those who have done well receive rewards and one who did wrong, is treated with punishment. At the Haw Par Villa, you travel the journey of the 10 Courts of Hell, starting from the mouth of the great dragon, to see what punishments are inflicted to wrong doers.
In the First Court of Hell, the good is distinguished with the evil. Based upon this the punishment or reward is being decided in other levels. In the Second Court of Hell you will be punished for your bad deeds like slapping. The Third Court of Hell again deals with punishments related to higher level of misdeeds like drug addiction. And accordingly all the subsequent Courts deal with your misdeeds and assign punishments. Once you are through with all the 10 Courts, you will be sent to the recycling process. But before this you drink the broth of forgetfulness which clears your memory of whatever you did in your previous life and thereby reach the end of the Dragon's tail.

Let the pictures do the talking(:

So people, you are strongly advised against bad deeds.