中国冥界神祗文化

中国冥界神祗文化

The Underworld supernatural in Chinese folklore In Chinese Buddhism, there is the doctrine of the Six-segment Wheel. The six segments are Heaven, Man, Asura, Animals, Hungry Ghosts and Hell.

据中国民间宗教的，宇宙中有三个领域——天，人间和地狱。每个领域由一个重要的神或女神掌管。地狱是要求死者的灵魂为自己的生前行为负责的地方。所有的灵魂在此得到他们的“终审判决”之后，他们终将转世。

According to Chinese popular religion, there are three domains in the cosmos -- Heaven, Earth, and the Underworld -- and each domain is populated by a host of important gods and goddesses. The Underworld Domain is where the souls of the deceased are held accountable for their actions in life. All souls receive their “final judgment” in the Underworld Domain, after which they are reincarnated.

阴间

Underworld

阴间，又称阴司、阴府，或又称幽都、冥界等，是神话和宗教中的概念。阴曹地府在大多数的宗教和神话中被认为是在地下深处的世界。中国文化存在普遍的阴阳理论，以现世的人间为阳间或阳界，死后生活的地方是阴间。

Underworld, also known as The Shady Mansion, The Shady Office ,The Land of Shade ,as well as The Serene Darkness, Netherworld ,is the concept of myth and religion. Underworld is as a region which is thought to be deep underground or beneath the surface of the world in most religions and mythologies. The general theory of yin and yang widely occurred in Chinese cultures. Opposite to the secular world people are living in while they are alive, underworld is a place where the souls of the recently departed go, an afterlife or Realm of the Dead.

地狱

Diyu

地狱是梵文Naraka的意译，就是指阴间的大狱，为佛门所谓“十界”中之最恶者；特指囚禁和惩罚生前罪孽深重的亡魂之地，可以说是阴间地府的监狱和刑场。

Diyu, also called Naraka, is the name given to one of the worlds of greatest suffering in Buddhist cosmology. Diyu or The Earth Prison refers to a place of the imprisonment and punishment for the sinful spirits. It also can be said that Diyu is the prison and execution in the underworld.

从佛教的观点来看，地狱仅仅是六道之一。还清曾经的业债，方可再以其他形式转世。一个人死后是否会下地狱并不是由神来判断奖惩的。虽然他逗留在地狱的时间通常是非常漫长的，但这并不表示他一定会永远留在地狱里。一个人之所以会下地狱，是他或她生前的所作所为的因果报应的直接表现。每个人驻留在地狱的时间都是有限的，而这时间的限度取决于该因果业报何时能取得完整的了结。

From the Buddhist point of view, being a sufferer in Hell is just one of six ways of living, and once a hell mate paid off its karmic debt, it will become light enough to rise up and be reincarnated into other forms of existence. Beings are not sent to Naraka as the result of a divine judgment and punishment. The length of a being's stay in a Naraka is not eternal, though it is

usually very long. Instead, a being is born into a Naraka as a direct result of his or her accumulated karma and resides there for a finite period of time until that karma has achieved its full result.

地狱通常被描绘成地下迷宫或深处地底的房室。人们死后，灵魂将在此处为他们活着的时候曾犯下的罪过赎罪的。对于地狱的确切层数、人数以及相关等级的掌管之鬼神，佛教和道教的解释之间的差异。不同佛经中对于地狱的描写亦有不同，有八大地狱、一百三十六地狱、六万四千地狱等等说法。佛教的地狱数量众多、名目繁琐、刑罚残酷，远远超过了人间的牢狱。有些说法认为有有三到四座冥殿；另一些则认为有十大冥殿，每一座由一位阎王来审判（统称为“十殿阎王”）；还有一些中国神话传说中则有十八层地狱之说。每层地狱针对罪行的不同设置了不同的处罚和赎罪的形式。大多传说声称罪人受尽可怕的惩处，他们将受到酷刑反复地折磨直至业报结束再得以重生。

Diyu is typically depicted as an underground maze with various levels and chambers, to which souls are taken after death to atone for the sins they committed when they were alive. The exact number of levels in Diyu and their associated deities differ between Buddhist and Taoist interpretations. Descriptions of the earth prison in the different Buddhist scriptures differ. The descriptions include eight narakas, 136 narakas, sixty-four thousand narakas and so on. There are several schemes for enumerating these Narakas and describing their torments. Some speak of three to four "courts"; others mention "Ten Courts of Hell", each of which is ruled by a judge (collectively known as the Ten Yama Kings); other Chinese legends speak of eighteen levels of Hell. Each court deals with a different aspect of atonement and different punishments. Most legends claim that sinners are subjected to gruesome tortures until their "deaths", after which they are restored to their original state and the torture repeated.

十八层地狱

Eighteen levels of hell

据说地狱有18个级别，每个都有不同形式的处罚。完成处罚后，他们将轮回重生。多多行善的人出生在条件较好家庭，作恶多端的则投胎成为动物。

It is said that Hell has 18 levels, each of which has a different form of punishment. After the punishment, they return to the Wheel of Rebirth. People who have done more good than evil in their lives are born into good families. Evil ones are born as animals in their next lives.

其实，十八地狱的概念起源于唐朝。佛教文本《问地狱经》中总共提到134地狱的世界，但为方便起见，简化了18个地狱水平。

Actually, the concept of the eighteen hells started in the Tang Dynasty. The Buddhist text Wen Diyu Jing mentioned 134 worlds of hell but was simplified to eighteen levels of hell for convenience.

阎王

Yama

在中国神话中 ，阎是死亡之神和地狱的统治者。他也被称为阎罗和閻王。无论在古代还是现在，阎王都被描绘成一个相貌威严可怖、瞪大了红眼睛、长胡子、穿着传统长袍、戴着官帽或写有“王”的冠冕的角色。

In Chinese mythology , Yama is the god of death and the ruler of Diyu. He is also known as Yanluo and King Yan In both ancient and modern times, Yan is portrayed as a large man with a scowling red face, bulging eyes, and a long beard. He wears traditional robes and a judge's cap or

a crown which bears the character "king."

阎罗王是神话与民间传说中阴间的主宰，掌管人的生死和轮回。在中国民间信仰里面，人死后要去阴间报到，接受阎罗王的审判。阎罗王有一本“生死簿”，上面记录着每一个人的寿命长短；当一个人去世，他的好和坏的事迹将反映在“生死登记册”。当某人生命已尽的时候，阎罗王就会派遣下属无常鬼去把人的魂魄押解到阴曹地府接受审判。阎罗王的判决取决于此人生前行事的善恶：生前积德行善立功的人，阎罗王会让他升天成为神仙，或者给他一个吉祥的来世；生前行凶作恶的人，阎罗王会让他下地狱，接受各种惩罚，或给他安排一个恶劣的来世。这是因果报应、抑恶扬善等民间信仰在“阎罗王”观念上的体现。

Yan is not only the ruler but also the judge of the underworld and passes judgment on all the dead. He always appears in a male form, and his minions include a judge who holds in his hands a brush and a book listing every soul and the allotted death date for every life. When a person dies, his or her good and bad deeds will be reflected in the 'Register of Births and Deaths'. Ox-Head and Horse-Face, the fearsome guardians of hell, bring the newly dead, one by one, before Yan for judge. Men or women with merit will be rewarded good future lives or even revival in their previous life. Men or women who committed misdeeds will be sentenced to torture or miserable future lives.

后土娘娘

Hou Tu

追溯到公元前113年，汉武帝做为祭拜后土神的第一人；自此，便出现了大名鼎鼎的守墓神——后土娘娘。她是统辖所有土地的神祇，不是管理异境的土地神。唯一例外，是在坟墓上供奉的后土神石碑，指的是守坟的土地神。后土为道教四御之一，俗称“后土娘娘”，主掌阴阳、生育，是四御中唯一的女性神。

In Chinese mythology, Hou Tu is the deity of the earth and soil, who was first worshipped by Emperor Wu of Han in 113 BC. Hou Tu rules all the land of the gods instead of managing a territory of the land God. The only exception is the god of worship of the soil behind the monument on the grave. It is commonly known as the empress who is in charge of yin and yang, and birth. And she is the only female in the four Royal Gods.

黑白无常

The Black Guard of Impermanence and White Guard of Impermanence

黑白无常是中国传统文化中的一对神祇，也是最有名的“鬼差”。此二神手执脚镣手铐，专职缉拿鬼魂、协助赏善罚恶，也常为阎王等冥界神明的部将。黑白无常的样貌被人们描绘得十分可怕；全身黑衣或白衣，带着极高的、附有汉字的帽子。他们随身携带布条紧握在他们的左手；同时他们的右手随时拿着印章和棍棒。

These are the Black Guard of Impermanence and White Guard of Impermanence- guards of Hell who are tasked to lead the spirits of the dead to the Underworld after death. The White Guard and the Black Guard are in charge of evil and good spirits respectively. They wear tall hats bearing Chinese characters and long robes which cover their entire bodies. They carry seals on their right hands and sticks with pieces of cloth on their left hands.

他们被供奉在一些华人庙宇，被通俗地称为“大爷伯”（大爷）和“二爷伯”（二爷），这意味着“大长老”和“二长老”。在寺庙里，他们的雕像被描绘正在把长长的红色舌头伸出来，并凶猛无比地咆叫着来吓走邪灵的样子。

They are worshipped in some Chinese temples and are colloquially referred to as “Dà Yé Bó”

and “Èr Yé Bó”, which means “Great Grand-Elder” and “Second Grand Elder” respectively. Statues of them in temples depict them as having ferocious snarls on their faces and with long red tongues sticking out to scare away evil spirits.

黑白无常，又称范谢将军，台湾尊称为七爷八爷。中国神话中，“白无常”名为“谢必安”，身材高瘦，面白，台湾人尊之曰“七爷”；“黑无常”名为“范无救”（，体态短胖，面黑，尊之曰“八爷”。

They are usually called General Fan and General Xie or 7th master and 8th master in Taiwan. White Guard of Impermanence is called “Xie Bi-an”. He is tall and skinny, and people call him “Qi-Ye (7th master)”. the Black Guard of Impermanence is called “Fan Wujiu”. He is short and fat, and people call him “Ba-Ye”.

据说，黑白无常两人原是衙门差人。有一次因押解的要犯在途中脱逃，二人商议分头寻找，并约定在桥下会合。不料到了约定时辰，谢必安因大雨耽搁，无法赶到桥下会合；而范无救在桥下枯等。范无救见河水暴涨，却因不想失信而不愿离去，最后溺毙桥下。后来谢必安赶到，见范无救殉难，痛不欲生，于是上吊自尽。二人死去以后，玉皇大帝感念其信义，于是册封二人为冥界大神。

It was said that they were policemen in ancient time. During a prisoner transfer, they lost the prisoner, so they decided to split up to search for the prisoner. They planned to meet up under the Bridge. However, it was raining hard, and Xie Bi-an did not make it in time. Fan Wujiu was waiting under the Bridge for a long time and dared not leave. Eventually, Fan was drowned when the flood came. When Xie arrived and saw Fan was dead, he killed himself by hanging. Afterwards, the Heavenly Emperor saw that they were loyal to their duties and each other, so he appointed them gods to pick up dead people's spirits.

黑无常长相可怕，他的黑高帽上写着“见吾死哉”。他是负责追捕凶残的亡魂。白无常有着性格比较和善的传闻。白无常的白高帽上则写着“见吾生财”。他负责引导善良的亡魂前往阴曹地府。随后，也有人们敬畏白无常为财神。

The Black Guard of Impermanence has a fearsome countenance and inscribed on his headgear are the words „Death visits those who meet me‟. He is in charge of hunting down diabolical spirits. The White Guard of Impermanence has a kind and friendly air about him. Written on his headgear are the words „Fortune greets those who meet me‟. He guides the spirits of kind people to the netherworld. Later, people even revere him as the God of Fortune.

有一说认为他们的名字也恰恰代表了他们的性格和行事作风。白无常——“谢必安”意味着一如果一个人懂得祭神或者忏悔将得以存活， 而黑无常——“范无救”则是六亲不认，只要一个人犯了罪，他的魂必定会被勾去。

There are supposed spiritual meanings about their names. “Xie Bi-an” means that one would be saved if one sacrifice to the gods or repent. “Fan Wujiu” means if one committed sins, one would not be saved.

牛头马面

Ox Head and Horse Face

牛头马面，是地狱阴府中的两个鬼差。形象分别是牛头人身、马头人身；手拿刀叉，装腔作势，吆三喝六；负责捉拿、带领阳寿终了的亡魂到地府。在中国神话传说里，牛头马面如他们的名字一般凶狠丑陋，出现在死去的人面前。同时，他们也是一个人死去化作亡魂时，最初见到的阴间鬼神。

有些亡魂在通往阴曹地府的路上总是留恋凡间，行路拖沓；但在阴间的阎罗王却会勒令

牛头马面必须准时将这些四处游荡的鬼魂带至阴间。他们用铁链锁着所有死去的亡灵，并引导他们到地狱。牛头马面所使用的锁链的大小和重量，体现了亡灵所犯罪恶的严重程度。

Ox Head is well-known in Chinese culture as the guard from the Netherworld. They chained all dead spirit and guide them to the hell. As indicated by their names, one has the head of an ox, and the other has the face of a horse. Usually, Ox Head and Horse-Face are mentioned together. Ox Head and Horse Face are two fearsome guardians of the Underworld in Chinese mythology, where the dead face suffering prior to reincarnation. They are the first people a dead soul meets upon arriving in the Underworld; in many stories they directly escort the newly dead to the Underworld.

Occasionally however, some souls manage to escape their clutches to roam on earth under the guise of a human facade, but Yim Los' far-seeing eyes means Ox-Head and Horse-Face are typically dispatched in time to capture these lost souls. They carry pitchforks and chains to bind spirits. The size and weight of the chain used reflects the seriousness of the sins committed by the spirit.

夜叉

Yaksha

在佛教中，北方毗沙门天王即率领夜叉八大将，“维护众生界”。愿意护持佛教的夜叉神称为执金刚神，领袖是密迹金刚。

In Buddhist mythology, the yakṣha are the attendants of Vaiśravaṇa, the Guardian of the Northern Quarter, a beneficent god who protects the righteous. The term also refers to the Twelve Heavenly Generals who guard Bhaiṣajyaguru, the Medicine Buddha

罗刹

Rakshasa

罗刹是一个的具有人类外形的神话人物或一个源于印度教和佛教的宗教的邪恶残酷的神灵。罗刹被形容为像猫头鹰、兀鹫或狼一样捕食人

Rakshasa or mating is a race of mythological humanoid beings or unrighteous spirit in Hindu and Buddhist religion. A female Rakshasa is called a Rakshasi. Rakshasas are also called man-eaters. Mating is described to prey on human beings as like an owl, a vulture or a wolf.

罗刹通常被描述为长得凶狠丑陋、黑面獠牙的，四肢有着极其锋利的指甲，咆哮声有如一只巨大的野兽。他们还描绘为一个贪得无厌的饥饿的食人族，无论是男人、动物还是其它肉类的味道都能闻得到。一些更为凶猛的罗刹有着火红的眼睛和火红的头发，用自己的手掌或者用人类的骨头来盛装血来喝。在大部分描绘罗刹的故事中，他们有飞翔的权力，可以消失，也增加或减少其大小随意。他们还可以采取任何动物的形式，人类或其他东西，在他们的意志。

Rakshas are depicted as mean, fierce looking, ugly, huge like a hill, usually black as soot, with two fangs protruding out of the mouth with nails like claws, growling like a beast. They are also depicted as cannibals with an insatiable hunger, who can smell the scent of animal, men or flesh. Some more ferocious ones are shown with flaming red eyes and flaming hair, drinking blood with their palms or from a human skull. Generally in these stories, they have the power to fly. And they can vanish as well as increase or decrease their size at will. They can also take the form of any animal, human or other thing at their will.

孟婆

Meng Po

孟婆，在中国民间信仰里，是遗忘的管理者，也是地府的年长女神。据传，孟婆生于古代。她在世时，不回忆过去，也不想未来，一心一意劝人行善。她姓孟，不详其名，人称“孟婆”。后来，孟婆入山修行，终于得道。因为当时世人有知前世因者，往往泄露天机，因此，上天特命孟婆为遗忘之神.

Meng Po, in Chinese folk religion is the manager of forgetfulness , the elder goddess of The Earth Mansion. Literally means Old Lady Meng, Meng Po serves in Diyu, the Chinese realm of the dead. It is her task to ensure that souls who are ready to be reincarnated do not remember their previous life or their time in hell.

According to Chinese legend, Meng Po was born in ancient times. When she was alive, neither did she recall the past, nor did she think about her future. She devoted herself to exhort people to do goods. Her surname was Meng, and her total name was unknown, so she was called "Meng Po. Later, Meng Po went into the mountains to practice herself and to improve herself, and finally attained her destination. At that time, people in the world who knew the destiny always disclose the secret, so God credentialed Meng Po as the god of forgetting.

孟婆常驻在地狱的奈何桥边。她的职责，是确保所有前往投胎的鬼魂，都不会记得自己的前世和地狱里的一切。

Meng Po is waiting for you at the Ninth Chinese Hell at the entrance of the bridge of helplessness in Feng Du, where your soul will be ready to leave the recycling centre and head for the reincarnation door. Her duty is to ensure that all to the reincarnation of the ghost, will not remember their past life and hell.

孟婆在各池塘、溪流采集药草，熬制成一种汇集酸、甜、苦、辣、咸五味的迷汤，俗称孟婆汤。服用者会立即完全地失去记忆。要过桥离开地狱，就必须喝一碗，确定洗去所有过去的记忆后，才可以抵达来生。

Meng Po collects herbs with sour, sweet, bitter, spicy and salty flavors and brews them into a pooled soup, which is commonly known as the Five-Flavored Tea of Forgetfulness.

One sip of her Five-Flavored Tea of Forgetfulness and you will lose all memory of who you were. This ensures that when you are reborn you can start with a clean slate.

灵魂在地狱收到他们的最终判决，转世。有不良行为的来世将投胎作牲畜以作惩罚;其他的将转世为人类，而他们的来世的社会地位则与他们过去的生活有关。中国有句俗话说：“善有善报，恶有恶报。如若不报，时候未到。”那些四处作恶的人，或许能他们在活着的时候逃脱惩罚；但一旦他们死去化作鬼魂，他们绝对无法逃过地狱里严酷的惩罚。

At the tenth and final court of hell souls received their final judgment and were reincarnated. Some were reincarnated as animals, as punishment for bad behavior; others were reincarnated as human beings, but given a more or less favorable social position than in their past life, depending on how virtuous they had been in that life. The Chinese have this saying: The good will be rewarded with good, and evil with evil. If reward or punishment is not forthcoming, it is because the time has not arrived. Those who have done evil may escape punishment while still alive. But they can never escape punishment in Narakas when they die.

中国冥界神祗文化

The Underworld supernatural in Chinese folklore In Chinese Buddhism, there is the doctrine of the Six-segment Wheel. The six segments are Heaven, Man, Asura, Animals, Hungry Ghosts and Hell.

据中国民间宗教的，宇宙中有三个领域——天，人间和地狱。每个领域由一个重要的神或女神掌管。地狱是要求死者的灵魂为自己的生前行为负责的地方。所有的灵魂在此得到他们的“终审判决”之后，他们终将转世。

According to Chinese popular religion, there are three domains in the cosmos -- Heaven, Earth, and the Underworld -- and each domain is populated by a host of important gods and goddesses. The Underworld Domain is where the souls of the deceased are held accountable for their actions in life. All souls receive their “final judgment” in the Underworld Domain, after which they are reincarnated.

阴间

Underworld

阴间，又称阴司、阴府，或又称幽都、冥界等，是神话和宗教中的概念。阴曹地府在大多数的宗教和神话中被认为是在地下深处的世界。中国文化存在普遍的阴阳理论，以现世的人间为阳间或阳界，死后生活的地方是阴间。

Underworld, also known as The Shady Mansion, The Shady Office ,The Land of Shade ,as well as The Serene Darkness, Netherworld ,is the concept of myth and religion. Underworld is as a region which is thought to be deep underground or beneath the surface of the world in most religions and mythologies. The general theory of yin and yang widely occurred in Chinese cultures. Opposite to the secular world people are living in while they are alive, underworld is a place where the souls of the recently departed go, an afterlife or Realm of the Dead.

地狱

Diyu

地狱是梵文Naraka的意译，就是指阴间的大狱，为佛门所谓“十界”中之最恶者；特指囚禁和惩罚生前罪孽深重的亡魂之地，可以说是阴间地府的监狱和刑场。

Diyu, also called Naraka, is the name given to one of the worlds of greatest suffering in Buddhist cosmology. Diyu or The Earth Prison refers to a place of the imprisonment and punishment for the sinful spirits. It also can be said that Diyu is the prison and execution in the underworld.

从佛教的观点来看，地狱仅仅是六道之一。还清曾经的业债，方可再以其他形式转世。一个人死后是否会下地狱并不是由神来判断奖惩的。虽然他逗留在地狱的时间通常是非常漫长的，但这并不表示他一定会永远留在地狱里。一个人之所以会下地狱，是他或她生前的所作所为的因果报应的直接表现。每个人驻留在地狱的时间都是有限的，而这时间的限度取决于该因果业报何时能取得完整的了结。

From the Buddhist point of view, being a sufferer in Hell is just one of six ways of living, and once a hell mate paid off its karmic debt, it will become light enough to rise up and be reincarnated into other forms of existence. Beings are not sent to Naraka as the result of a divine judgment and punishment. The length of a being's stay in a Naraka is not eternal, though it is

usually very long. Instead, a being is born into a Naraka as a direct result of his or her accumulated karma and resides there for a finite period of time until that karma has achieved its full result.

地狱通常被描绘成地下迷宫或深处地底的房室。人们死后，灵魂将在此处为他们活着的时候曾犯下的罪过赎罪的。对于地狱的确切层数、人数以及相关等级的掌管之鬼神，佛教和道教的解释之间的差异。不同佛经中对于地狱的描写亦有不同，有八大地狱、一百三十六地狱、六万四千地狱等等说法。佛教的地狱数量众多、名目繁琐、刑罚残酷，远远超过了人间的牢狱。有些说法认为有有三到四座冥殿；另一些则认为有十大冥殿，每一座由一位阎王来审判（统称为“十殿阎王”）；还有一些中国神话传说中则有十八层地狱之说。每层地狱针对罪行的不同设置了不同的处罚和赎罪的形式。大多传说声称罪人受尽可怕的惩处，他们将受到酷刑反复地折磨直至业报结束再得以重生。

Diyu is typically depicted as an underground maze with various levels and chambers, to which souls are taken after death to atone for the sins they committed when they were alive. The exact number of levels in Diyu and their associated deities differ between Buddhist and Taoist interpretations. Descriptions of the earth prison in the different Buddhist scriptures differ. The descriptions include eight narakas, 136 narakas, sixty-four thousand narakas and so on. There are several schemes for enumerating these Narakas and describing their torments. Some speak of three to four "courts"; others mention "Ten Courts of Hell", each of which is ruled by a judge (collectively known as the Ten Yama Kings); other Chinese legends speak of eighteen levels of Hell. Each court deals with a different aspect of atonement and different punishments. Most legends claim that sinners are subjected to gruesome tortures until their "deaths", after which they are restored to their original state and the torture repeated.

十八层地狱

Eighteen levels of hell

据说地狱有18个级别，每个都有不同形式的处罚。完成处罚后，他们将轮回重生。多多行善的人出生在条件较好家庭，作恶多端的则投胎成为动物。

It is said that Hell has 18 levels, each of which has a different form of punishment. After the punishment, they return to the Wheel of Rebirth. People who have done more good than evil in their lives are born into good families. Evil ones are born as animals in their next lives.

其实，十八地狱的概念起源于唐朝。佛教文本《问地狱经》中总共提到134地狱的世界，但为方便起见，简化了18个地狱水平。

Actually, the concept of the eighteen hells started in the Tang Dynasty. The Buddhist text Wen Diyu Jing mentioned 134 worlds of hell but was simplified to eighteen levels of hell for convenience.

阎王

Yama

在中国神话中 ，阎是死亡之神和地狱的统治者。他也被称为阎罗和閻王。无论在古代还是现在，阎王都被描绘成一个相貌威严可怖、瞪大了红眼睛、长胡子、穿着传统长袍、戴着官帽或写有“王”的冠冕的角色。

In Chinese mythology , Yama is the god of death and the ruler of Diyu. He is also known as Yanluo and King Yan In both ancient and modern times, Yan is portrayed as a large man with a scowling red face, bulging eyes, and a long beard. He wears traditional robes and a judge's cap or

a crown which bears the character "king."

阎罗王是神话与民间传说中阴间的主宰，掌管人的生死和轮回。在中国民间信仰里面，人死后要去阴间报到，接受阎罗王的审判。阎罗王有一本“生死簿”，上面记录着每一个人的寿命长短；当一个人去世，他的好和坏的事迹将反映在“生死登记册”。当某人生命已尽的时候，阎罗王就会派遣下属无常鬼去把人的魂魄押解到阴曹地府接受审判。阎罗王的判决取决于此人生前行事的善恶：生前积德行善立功的人，阎罗王会让他升天成为神仙，或者给他一个吉祥的来世；生前行凶作恶的人，阎罗王会让他下地狱，接受各种惩罚，或给他安排一个恶劣的来世。这是因果报应、抑恶扬善等民间信仰在“阎罗王”观念上的体现。

Yan is not only the ruler but also the judge of the underworld and passes judgment on all the dead. He always appears in a male form, and his minions include a judge who holds in his hands a brush and a book listing every soul and the allotted death date for every life. When a person dies, his or her good and bad deeds will be reflected in the 'Register of Births and Deaths'. Ox-Head and Horse-Face, the fearsome guardians of hell, bring the newly dead, one by one, before Yan for judge. Men or women with merit will be rewarded good future lives or even revival in their previous life. Men or women who committed misdeeds will be sentenced to torture or miserable future lives.

后土娘娘

Hou Tu

追溯到公元前113年，汉武帝做为祭拜后土神的第一人；自此，便出现了大名鼎鼎的守墓神——后土娘娘。她是统辖所有土地的神祇，不是管理异境的土地神。唯一例外，是在坟墓上供奉的后土神石碑，指的是守坟的土地神。后土为道教四御之一，俗称“后土娘娘”，主掌阴阳、生育，是四御中唯一的女性神。

In Chinese mythology, Hou Tu is the deity of the earth and soil, who was first worshipped by Emperor Wu of Han in 113 BC. Hou Tu rules all the land of the gods instead of managing a territory of the land God. The only exception is the god of worship of the soil behind the monument on the grave. It is commonly known as the empress who is in charge of yin and yang, and birth. And she is the only female in the four Royal Gods.

黑白无常

The Black Guard of Impermanence and White Guard of Impermanence

黑白无常是中国传统文化中的一对神祇，也是最有名的“鬼差”。此二神手执脚镣手铐，专职缉拿鬼魂、协助赏善罚恶，也常为阎王等冥界神明的部将。黑白无常的样貌被人们描绘得十分可怕；全身黑衣或白衣，带着极高的、附有汉字的帽子。他们随身携带布条紧握在他们的左手；同时他们的右手随时拿着印章和棍棒。

These are the Black Guard of Impermanence and White Guard of Impermanence- guards of Hell who are tasked to lead the spirits of the dead to the Underworld after death. The White Guard and the Black Guard are in charge of evil and good spirits respectively. They wear tall hats bearing Chinese characters and long robes which cover their entire bodies. They carry seals on their right hands and sticks with pieces of cloth on their left hands.

他们被供奉在一些华人庙宇，被通俗地称为“大爷伯”（大爷）和“二爷伯”（二爷），这意味着“大长老”和“二长老”。在寺庙里，他们的雕像被描绘正在把长长的红色舌头伸出来，并凶猛无比地咆叫着来吓走邪灵的样子。

They are worshipped in some Chinese temples and are colloquially referred to as “Dà Yé Bó”

and “Èr Yé Bó”, which means “Great Grand-Elder” and “Second Grand Elder” respectively. Statues of them in temples depict them as having ferocious snarls on their faces and with long red tongues sticking out to scare away evil spirits.

黑白无常，又称范谢将军，台湾尊称为七爷八爷。中国神话中，“白无常”名为“谢必安”，身材高瘦，面白，台湾人尊之曰“七爷”；“黑无常”名为“范无救”（，体态短胖，面黑，尊之曰“八爷”。

They are usually called General Fan and General Xie or 7th master and 8th master in Taiwan. White Guard of Impermanence is called “Xie Bi-an”. He is tall and skinny, and people call him “Qi-Ye (7th master)”. the Black Guard of Impermanence is called “Fan Wujiu”. He is short and fat, and people call him “Ba-Ye”.

据说，黑白无常两人原是衙门差人。有一次因押解的要犯在途中脱逃，二人商议分头寻找，并约定在桥下会合。不料到了约定时辰，谢必安因大雨耽搁，无法赶到桥下会合；而范无救在桥下枯等。范无救见河水暴涨，却因不想失信而不愿离去，最后溺毙桥下。后来谢必安赶到，见范无救殉难，痛不欲生，于是上吊自尽。二人死去以后，玉皇大帝感念其信义，于是册封二人为冥界大神。

It was said that they were policemen in ancient time. During a prisoner transfer, they lost the prisoner, so they decided to split up to search for the prisoner. They planned to meet up under the Bridge. However, it was raining hard, and Xie Bi-an did not make it in time. Fan Wujiu was waiting under the Bridge for a long time and dared not leave. Eventually, Fan was drowned when the flood came. When Xie arrived and saw Fan was dead, he killed himself by hanging. Afterwards, the Heavenly Emperor saw that they were loyal to their duties and each other, so he appointed them gods to pick up dead people's spirits.

黑无常长相可怕，他的黑高帽上写着“见吾死哉”。他是负责追捕凶残的亡魂。白无常有着性格比较和善的传闻。白无常的白高帽上则写着“见吾生财”。他负责引导善良的亡魂前往阴曹地府。随后，也有人们敬畏白无常为财神。

The Black Guard of Impermanence has a fearsome countenance and inscribed on his headgear are the words „Death visits those who meet me‟. He is in charge of hunting down diabolical spirits. The White Guard of Impermanence has a kind and friendly air about him. Written on his headgear are the words „Fortune greets those who meet me‟. He guides the spirits of kind people to the netherworld. Later, people even revere him as the God of Fortune.

有一说认为他们的名字也恰恰代表了他们的性格和行事作风。白无常——“谢必安”意味着一如果一个人懂得祭神或者忏悔将得以存活， 而黑无常——“范无救”则是六亲不认，只要一个人犯了罪，他的魂必定会被勾去。

There are supposed spiritual meanings about their names. “Xie Bi-an” means that one would be saved if one sacrifice to the gods or repent. “Fan Wujiu” means if one committed sins, one would not be saved.

牛头马面

Ox Head and Horse Face

牛头马面，是地狱阴府中的两个鬼差。形象分别是牛头人身、马头人身；手拿刀叉，装腔作势，吆三喝六；负责捉拿、带领阳寿终了的亡魂到地府。在中国神话传说里，牛头马面如他们的名字一般凶狠丑陋，出现在死去的人面前。同时，他们也是一个人死去化作亡魂时，最初见到的阴间鬼神。

有些亡魂在通往阴曹地府的路上总是留恋凡间，行路拖沓；但在阴间的阎罗王却会勒令

牛头马面必须准时将这些四处游荡的鬼魂带至阴间。他们用铁链锁着所有死去的亡灵，并引导他们到地狱。牛头马面所使用的锁链的大小和重量，体现了亡灵所犯罪恶的严重程度。

Ox Head is well-known in Chinese culture as the guard from the Netherworld. They chained all dead spirit and guide them to the hell. As indicated by their names, one has the head of an ox, and the other has the face of a horse. Usually, Ox Head and Horse-Face are mentioned together. Ox Head and Horse Face are two fearsome guardians of the Underworld in Chinese mythology, where the dead face suffering prior to reincarnation. They are the first people a dead soul meets upon arriving in the Underworld; in many stories they directly escort the newly dead to the Underworld.

Occasionally however, some souls manage to escape their clutches to roam on earth under the guise of a human facade, but Yim Los' far-seeing eyes means Ox-Head and Horse-Face are typically dispatched in time to capture these lost souls. They carry pitchforks and chains to bind spirits. The size and weight of the chain used reflects the seriousness of the sins committed by the spirit.

夜叉

Yaksha

在佛教中，北方毗沙门天王即率领夜叉八大将，“维护众生界”。愿意护持佛教的夜叉神称为执金刚神，领袖是密迹金刚。

In Buddhist mythology, the yakṣha are the attendants of Vaiśravaṇa, the Guardian of the Northern Quarter, a beneficent god who protects the righteous. The term also refers to the Twelve Heavenly Generals who guard Bhaiṣajyaguru, the Medicine Buddha

罗刹

Rakshasa

罗刹是一个的具有人类外形的神话人物或一个源于印度教和佛教的宗教的邪恶残酷的神灵。罗刹被形容为像猫头鹰、兀鹫或狼一样捕食人

Rakshasa or mating is a race of mythological humanoid beings or unrighteous spirit in Hindu and Buddhist religion. A female Rakshasa is called a Rakshasi. Rakshasas are also called man-eaters. Mating is described to prey on human beings as like an owl, a vulture or a wolf.

罗刹通常被描述为长得凶狠丑陋、黑面獠牙的，四肢有着极其锋利的指甲，咆哮声有如一只巨大的野兽。他们还描绘为一个贪得无厌的饥饿的食人族，无论是男人、动物还是其它肉类的味道都能闻得到。一些更为凶猛的罗刹有着火红的眼睛和火红的头发，用自己的手掌或者用人类的骨头来盛装血来喝。在大部分描绘罗刹的故事中，他们有飞翔的权力，可以消失，也增加或减少其大小随意。他们还可以采取任何动物的形式，人类或其他东西，在他们的意志。

Rakshas are depicted as mean, fierce looking, ugly, huge like a hill, usually black as soot, with two fangs protruding out of the mouth with nails like claws, growling like a beast. They are also depicted as cannibals with an insatiable hunger, who can smell the scent of animal, men or flesh. Some more ferocious ones are shown with flaming red eyes and flaming hair, drinking blood with their palms or from a human skull. Generally in these stories, they have the power to fly. And they can vanish as well as increase or decrease their size at will. They can also take the form of any animal, human or other thing at their will.

孟婆

Meng Po

孟婆，在中国民间信仰里，是遗忘的管理者，也是地府的年长女神。据传，孟婆生于古代。她在世时，不回忆过去，也不想未来，一心一意劝人行善。她姓孟，不详其名，人称“孟婆”。后来，孟婆入山修行，终于得道。因为当时世人有知前世因者，往往泄露天机，因此，上天特命孟婆为遗忘之神.

Meng Po, in Chinese folk religion is the manager of forgetfulness , the elder goddess of The Earth Mansion. Literally means Old Lady Meng, Meng Po serves in Diyu, the Chinese realm of the dead. It is her task to ensure that souls who are ready to be reincarnated do not remember their previous life or their time in hell.

According to Chinese legend, Meng Po was born in ancient times. When she was alive, neither did she recall the past, nor did she think about her future. She devoted herself to exhort people to do goods. Her surname was Meng, and her total name was unknown, so she was called "Meng Po. Later, Meng Po went into the mountains to practice herself and to improve herself, and finally attained her destination. At that time, people in the world who knew the destiny always disclose the secret, so God credentialed Meng Po as the god of forgetting.

孟婆常驻在地狱的奈何桥边。她的职责，是确保所有前往投胎的鬼魂，都不会记得自己的前世和地狱里的一切。

Meng Po is waiting for you at the Ninth Chinese Hell at the entrance of the bridge of helplessness in Feng Du, where your soul will be ready to leave the recycling centre and head for the reincarnation door. Her duty is to ensure that all to the reincarnation of the ghost, will not remember their past life and hell.

孟婆在各池塘、溪流采集药草，熬制成一种汇集酸、甜、苦、辣、咸五味的迷汤，俗称孟婆汤。服用者会立即完全地失去记忆。要过桥离开地狱，就必须喝一碗，确定洗去所有过去的记忆后，才可以抵达来生。

Meng Po collects herbs with sour, sweet, bitter, spicy and salty flavors and brews them into a pooled soup, which is commonly known as the Five-Flavored Tea of Forgetfulness.

One sip of her Five-Flavored Tea of Forgetfulness and you will lose all memory of who you were. This ensures that when you are reborn you can start with a clean slate.

灵魂在地狱收到他们的最终判决，转世。有不良行为的来世将投胎作牲畜以作惩罚;其他的将转世为人类，而他们的来世的社会地位则与他们过去的生活有关。中国有句俗话说：“善有善报，恶有恶报。如若不报，时候未到。”那些四处作恶的人，或许能他们在活着的时候逃脱惩罚；但一旦他们死去化作鬼魂，他们绝对无法逃过地狱里严酷的惩罚。

At the tenth and final court of hell souls received their final judgment and were reincarnated. Some were reincarnated as animals, as punishment for bad behavior; others were reincarnated as human beings, but given a more or less favorable social position than in their past life, depending on how virtuous they had been in that life. The Chinese have this saying: The good will be rewarded with good, and evil with evil. If reward or punishment is not forthcoming, it is because the time has not arrived. Those who have done evil may escape punishment while still alive. But they can never escape punishment in Narakas when they die.