Saṃjīva
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saṃjīva. (P. sañjīva; T. yang sos [alt. yang gsos]; C. denghuo [diyu] 等活[地獄]). In Sanskrit, “revival,” or “repetition”.[1] The first of the eight hot hells (naraka) of Buddhist cosmology. Known as the "reviving hell", "hell of continual revival", etc.[2]
Born frightened of one another, the inhabitants of the Reviving Hell fight with each other using sharp weapons, die, and are instantly revived over and over to continue fighting.[2]
Gampopa states:
- In the reviving hell, beings cut and kill each other, after which a cold breeze comes. When the breeze touches their bodies, they are revived again. This happens repeatedly until their life span has ended.[3]
Dudjom Rinpoche states:
- Reviving hell. Beings in this hell, as a result of their past deeds, find themselves holding a variety of sharp weapons. Their bitter hatred and mutual enmity make them strike out, causing each other such extreme pain that they faint and fall to the ground, whereupon they are revived by a voice from the sky—“Revive!”—or by a cold wind, and they experience the same intense suffering as before. So it continues until their deeds are exhausted.[4]
Notes
- ↑ Buswell & Lopez 2014, s.v. saṃjīva.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1
yang sos, Christian-Steinert Dictionary
- ↑ Gampopa 1998, Chapter 5. The Suffering of Samsara.
- ↑ Dudjom Rinpoche 2011, Chapter 7. Reflecting on the Defects of Cyclic Existence.
Sources
Buswell, Robert E.; Lopez, Donald S. (2014), The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Princeton University
Dudjom Rinpoche (2011), A Torch Lighting the Way to Freedom: Complete Instructions on the Preliminary Practices, translated by Padmakara Translation Group, Shambhala- Gampopa (1998), The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, translated by Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen Rinpoche, Snow Lioan
- yang gsos, Christian-Steinert Dictionary