Where you go after Death? According to Chinese Legendary Hell

Eighteen levels of Hell

The concept of the eighteen hells started in the Tang dynasty. The Buddhist and Taoist both have contributed to the believe of Hell and in the text Sutra on Questions about Hell mentioned 134 worlds of hell, but was simplified to the Eighteen Levels of Hell in the Sutra on the Eighteen Hells for convenience. Some literature refers to eighteen types of hells or to eighteen hells for each type of punishment.

Some religious or literature books say that wrongdoers who were not punished when they were alive are punished in the hells after death. Sinners feel pain and agony just like living humans when they are subjected to the tortures listed below. They cannot "die" from the torture because when the ordeal is over, their bodies will be restored to their original states for the torture to be repeated.

The eighteen hells vary from narrative to narrative but some commonly mentioned tortures include: being steamed; being fried in oil cauldrons; being sawed into half; being run over by vehicles; being pounded in a mortar and pestle; being ground in a mill; being crushed by boulders; being made to shed blood by climbing trees or mountains of knives; having sharp objects driven into their bodies; having hooks pierced into their bodies and being hung upside down; drowning in a pool of filthy blood; being left naked in the freezing cold; being set aflame or cast into infernos; being tied naked to a bronze cylinder with a fire lit at its base; being forced to consume boiling liquids; tongue ripping; eye gouging; teeth extraction; heart digging; disembowelment; skinning; being trampled, gored, mauled, eaten, stung, bitten, pecked, etc., by animals.

The 18 levels of hells are in the in-between life, where the soul will still experience pain and suffering while facing the consequences of their own choices, this is karma played out more than just on the physical side, but also on the soul level.

Hell of Tongue-ripping, where those who gossip and spread trouble with their words and misrepresented truth will repeatedly have their tongues ripped out.
Hell of Scissors, where those who destroy someone else's marriage will have their fingers repeatedly cut off.
Hell of Trees of Knives, where those who sow discord amongst family members will be repeatedly hung from trees made of sharp knives.
Hell of Mirrors of Retribution, where those who have managed to escape punishment for their crimes while alive will be repeatedly shown their true horrific selves.
Hell of Steamers, where hypocrites and troublemakers, creators of distortion will repeatedly be steamed "alive" over and over again.
Hell of Copper Pillars, where arsonists will be repeatedly chained to red-hot pillars of copper.
Hell of the Mountain of Knives, where those who have killed for pleasure or revenge will repeatedly be made to climb a mountain made of sharp blades sticking out of it.
Hell of the Mountain of Ice, where adulterers, deceivers of others, and schemers will be repeatedly left out on a barren mountain of ice to freeze.
Hell of the Cauldrons of Oil, where rapists, thieves, abusers, and false accusers will be repeatedly fried in vats of boiling oil.
Hell of the Cattle Pit, where those who have abused animals will repeatedly be hurt by animals in turn.
Hell of the Crushing Boulder, where those who have abandoned or killed children will repeatedly be made to hold up heavy boulders, eventually being crushed by its weight.
Hell of Mortars and Pestles, where those who voluntarily waste food will repeatedly be force-fed hell fire by demons.
Hell of the Blood Pool, where those who disrespect others will be thrown in and submerged into a pool of blood.
Hell of the Wrongful Dead, where those who have committed suicide—considered deliberately going against the karmic course of the universe—will be forced to repeatedly wander the realm without a way out, while being pelted constantly by the Winds of Sorrow and the Rains of Pain.
Hell of Dismemberment, where tomb raiders will have their bodies repeatedly be torn into pieces.
Hell of the Mountain of Fire, where thieves, robbers, and the corrupt will be repeatedly thrown into the fiery pits of an active volcano.
Hell of Mills, where those who have misused their power to oppress the weak will repeatedly be crushed in a stone mill.
Hell of Saws, where those who have engaged in unethical or unfair business practices, or exploited loopholes in the legal system, will be repeatedly sawn in half by demons with saws.

Mental distortions: Deception. Manipulation. Control. Greed. Gluttony. Lying. Amoral. Falsehood. Betrayal. Ingratitude. Irreverence. Unconscionable. Judgmental. Treachery. Oppression. etc

According to legends, there are 12,800 levels of hell, the first 18 pertains to human errors, the next 36 pertains to Mental distortions, and the rest 12,746 hells are for spiritual errors... as we are all on special spiritual missions here on Earth.

Tags: death, hell, reincarnation, cultural views