Hell

==Eastern religions==
===Buddhism===
{{Main|Naraka (Buddhism)}}
[[File:Ngaye (Naraka) in Burmese art.jpg|thumb|Naraka in the Burmese representation]]
In "Devaduta Sutta", the 130th discourse of the [[Majjhima Nikaya]], Buddha teaches about hell in vivid detail. Buddhism teaches that there are five or six realms of [[Reincarnation|rebirth]], which can then be further subdivided into degrees of agony or pleasure.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}}) Of these realms, the hell realms, or ''Naraka'', is the lowest realm of rebirth. Of the hell realms, the worst is ''[[Avici|Avīci]]'' ([[Sanskrit]] and [[Pali]] for "without waves"). The Buddha's disciple, [[Devadatta]], who tried to kill the Buddha on three occasions, as well as create a schism in the monastic order, is said to have been reborn in the Avici hell.

Like all realms of rebirth in Buddhism, rebirth in the hell realms is not permanent, though suffering can persist for eons before being reborn again.{{citation needed|date=July 2019}} In the [[Lotus Sutra]], the Buddha teaches that eventually even Devadatta will become a [[Pratyekabuddha]] himself, emphasizing the temporary nature of the hell realms. Thus, Buddhism teaches to escape the endless migration of rebirths (both positive and negative) through the attainment of [[Nirvana]].

The [[Bodhisattva]] [[Ksitigarbha]], according to the Ksitigarbha Sutra, made a great vow as a young girl to not reach Nirvana until all beings were liberated from the hell realms or other unwholesome rebirths. In popular literature, Ksitigarbha travels to the hell realms to teach and relieve beings of their suffering.

===Hinduism===
{{Main|Naraka (Hinduism)}}

[[File:Yama's Court and Hell.jpg|thumb|Yama's Court and Hell. The Blue figure is [[Yamaraja]] (The Hindu god of death) with his consort [[Yami]] and [[Chitragupta]] <br /> 17th-century painting from Government Museum, [[Chennai]].]]
Early [[Historical Vedic religion|Vedic religion]] does not have a concept of hell. The ''[[Rigveda]]'' mentions three realms, ''bhūr'' (the [[earth]]), ''svar'' (the [[sky]]) and ''[[Loka|bhuvas]]'' or ''antarikṣa'' (the middle area, i.e. air or [[atmosphere]]). In later Hindu literature, especially the law books and the ''[[Puranas]]'', more realms are mentioned, including a realm similar to hell, called ''[[Naraka]]''. [[Yama]] as the first born human (together with his twin sister [[Yamuna in Hinduism|Yamī]]), by virtue of precedence, becomes ruler of men and a judge on their departure.

In the law-books (the ''[[Smriti]]''s and the [[Dharmaśāstra|''Dharmashashtra''s]]), ''Naraka'' is a place of punishment for misdeeds. It is a lower spiritual plane (called ''naraka-loka'') where the spirit is judged and the partial fruits of [[karma]] affect the next life. In the ''[[Mahabharata]]'', there is a mention of the [[Pandavas]] and the [[Kauravas]] both going to [[Svarga|heaven]]. At first [[Yudhishthira]] goes to heaven, where he sees [[Duryodhana]] enjoying the realm; [[Indra]] tells him that Duryodhana is in heaven as he had adequately performed his [[Kshatriya]] duties. Then he shows Yudhishthira hell, where it appears his brothers are. Later it is revealed that this was a test for Yudhishthira and that his brothers and the Kauravas are all in heaven, and live happily in the divine abode of the [[Deva (Hinduism)|devas]]. Various hells are also described in various ''Puranas'' and other scriptures. The ''[[Garuda Purana]]'' gives a detailed account of each hell and its features; it lists the amount of punishment for most crimes, much like a modern-day penal code.

It is believed{{by whom|date=July 2019}} that people who commit misdeeds go to hell and have to go through punishments in accordance with the misdeeds they committed. The god [[Yama (Hinduism)|Yama]], who is also the god of death, presides over hell. Detailed accounts of all the misdeeds committed by an individual are kept by [[Chitragupta]], who is the record keeper in Yama's court. Chitragupta reads out the misdeeds committed and Yama orders appropriate punishments to be given to individuals. These punishments include dipping in boiling oil, burning in fire, torture using various weapons, etc. in various hells. Individuals who finish their quota of the punishments are reborn in accordance with their balance of [[karma]]. All created beings are imperfect and thus have at least one misdeed to their record; but if one has generally led a meritorious life, one ascends to [[Svarga]], a temporary realm of enjoyment similar to Paradise, after a brief period of expiation in hell and before the next reincarnation, according to the law of [[karma]].{{citation needed|date=July 2019}} With the exception of Hindu philosopher [[Madhva]], time in hell is not regarded as eternal [[damnation]] within Hinduism.<ref name="glasenapp">[[Helmuth von Glasenapp]]: Der Hinduismus. Religion und Gesellschaft im heutigen Indien, Hildesheim 1978, p. 248.</ref>

According to [[Brahma Kumaris]], the Iron Age (''[[Kali Yuga]]'') is regarded as hell.

===Jainism===
{{Main|Naraka (Jainism)}}
[[File:Seven Jain Hells.jpg|thumb|right|17th-century cloth painting depicting seven levels of [[Jain cosmology|Jain]] Hell and various tortures suffered in them. Left panel depicts the demi-god and his animal vehicle presiding over each Hell.]]
In [[Jain cosmology]], ''Naraka'' (translated as hell) is the name given to realm of existence having great suffering. However, a Naraka differs from the hells of [[Abrahamic religions]] as souls are not sent to Naraka as the result of a divine judgment and punishment. Furthermore, length of a being's stay in a Naraka is not eternal, though it is usually very long and measured in billions of years. A soul is born into a Naraka as a direct result of his or her previous [[Karma in Jainism|karma]] (actions of body, speech and mind), and resides there for a finite length of time until his karma has achieved its full result. After his karma is used up, he may be reborn in one of the higher worlds as the result of an earlier karma that had not yet ripened.

The hells are situated in the seven grounds at the lower part of the universe. The seven grounds are:
# Ratna prabha
# Sharkara prabha
# Valuka prabha
# Panka prabha
# Dhuma prabha
# Tamaha prabha
# Mahatamaha prabha

The hellish beings are a type of souls which are residing in these various hells. They are born in hells by sudden manifestation.<ref>{{cite book | last =Sanghvi | first =Sukhlal | title =Commentary on Tattvārthasūtra of Vācaka Umāsvāti | publisher =L. D. Institute of Indology | year =1974 | location =Ahmedabad |others=trans. by K. K. Dixit}} pp. 107</ref> The hellish beings possess ''vaikriya'' body (protean body which can transform itself and take various forms). They have a fixed life span (ranging from ten thousand to billions of years) in the respective hells where they reside. According to Jain scripture, [[Tattvarthasutra]], following are the causes for birth in hell:<ref>Sanghvi, Sukhlal (1974) pp.250–52</ref>
# Killing or causing pain with intense passion
# Excessive attachment to things and worldly pleasure with constantly indulging in cruel and violent acts
# Vowless and unrestrained life<ref>refer [[Mahavrata]] for the vows and restraints in Jainism</ref>

===Meivazhi===

According to [[Meivazhi]], the purpose of all religions is to guide people to heaven.<ref>மரணம் நீக்க ஜீவ மருந்து: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rxdwio938q0 9. Gods plan], YouTube, 3 August 2018.</ref> However, those who do not approach God and are not blessed by Him are believed to be condemned to hell.<ref>Meivazhi - The True Path, angelfire.com/ms/Salai/TruePath.html.</ref>

===Sikhism===
In Sikh thought, heaven and hell are not places for living hereafter, they are part of spiritual topography of man and do not exist otherwise. They refer to good and evil stages of life respectively and can be lived now and here during our earthly existence.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rFm9_Jc1ykcC&pg=PA271 | title=A Complete Guide to Sikhism | publisher=Unistar Books | last=Singh | first=Jagraj | year=2009 | page=271 | isbn=978-8-1714-2754-3 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170424012358/https://books.google.com/books?id=rFm9_Jc1ykcC&pg=PA271 | archive-date=24 April 2017 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> For example, [[Guru Arjan]] explains that people who are entangled in emotional attachment and doubt are living in hell on this Earth i.e. their life is hellish.

{{Quotation|<poem>So many are being drowned in emotional attachment and doubt; they dwell in the most horrible hell.</poem>|Guru Arjan|Guru Granth Sahib 297<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=297|title=Sri Granth: Sri Guru Granth Sahib|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903031902/http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=297|archive-date=3 September 2017}}</ref>}}

===Taoism===
{{unreferenced section|date=October 2017}}
Ancient [[Taoism]] had no concept of hell, as morality was seen to be a man-made distinction and there was no concept of an immaterial soul. In its home country [[China]], where Taoism adopted tenets of other religions, popular belief endows Taoist hell with many deities and spirits who punish sin in a variety of horrible ways.

Buddhist hells became "so much a part of [many Daoist sects] that during [[Funeral|funeral services]][,] the priests hang up scrolls depicting" similar scenes.<ref name=":100">{{Cite book |title=World Religions: Eastern Traditions |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |editor=Willard Gurdon Oxtoby |year=2002 |isbn=0-19-541521-3 |edition=2nd |location=Don Mills, Ontario |pages=401–402 |oclc=46661540}}</ref> Typically, Daoist hells are "said to be ten in number" and "are sometimes said to be situated under a high mountain in [[Sichuan]]".<ref name=":100" /> "Each is ruled by a king serving as judge, surrounded by ministers and attendants who carry out his decisions."<ref name=":100" /> Punishment is usually "inflicted with the use of torture instruments", although there are some non-physical and more metaphysical punishments.<ref name=":100" /> However, this type of Daoist hell is usually not final and a soul will make a journey of refining by going through at least several hells and their punishments until it is reincarnated into another body in the human world.<ref name=":100" />

===Chinese folk beliefs===
{{Main|Diyu}}
[[File:ROM-ChineseGallery-DemonSculpture.png|upright|thumb|right|A Chinese glazed earthenware sculpture of "Hell's torturer", 16th century, [[Ming Dynasty]]]]
''Diyu'' is the realm of the dead in [[Chinese mythology]]. It is very loosely based upon the [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] concept of [[Naraka (Buddhism)|Naraka]] combined with traditional Chinese afterlife beliefs and a variety of popular expansions and re-interpretations of these two traditions. Ruled by [[Yama (East Asia)|Yanluo Wang]], the King of hell, Diyu is a maze of underground levels and chambers where souls are taken to atone for their earthly sins.

Incorporating ideas from [[Taoism]] and [[Buddhism]] as well as traditional Chinese folk religion, Diyu is a kind of purgatory place which serves not only to punish but also to renew spirits ready for their next incarnation. There are many deities associated with the place, whose names and purposes are the subject of much conflicting information.

The exact number of levels in Chinese hell – and their associated deities – differs according to the Buddhist or Taoist perception. Some speak of three to four 'Courts', other as many as ten.<ref name=":100" /> The ten judges are also known as the 10 Kings of [[Yama (Buddhism and Chinese mythology)|Yama]]. Each Court deals with a different aspect of atonement. For example, murder is punished in one Court, adultery in another. According to some Chinese legends, there are eighteen levels in hell. Punishment also varies according to belief, but most legends speak of highly imaginative chambers where wrong-doers are sawn in half, beheaded, thrown into pits of filth or forced to climb trees adorned with sharp blades.

However, most legends agree that once a soul (usually referred to as a 'ghost') has atoned for their deeds and repented, he or she is given the Drink of Forgetfulness by [[Meng Po]] and sent back into the world to be reborn, possibly as an animal or a poor or sick person, for further punishment.
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