I shall deliver in due order the lecture on the colourings of the soul; hear the nature of the six colourings produced by deeds, (1)

Hear 1. the names, 2. colours, 3. tastes, 4. smells, 5. touches, 6. degrees, 7. character, 8. variety, 9. duration, 10. result, and 11. life of the colourings of the soul. (2)

1 They are named in the following order: black, blue, grey, red, yellow, and white. (3)

2 The black colouring has the colour of a rain-cloud, a buffalo's horn, the fruit of the soap-nut tree, or the eye of the wagtail. (4)

The blue colouring has the colour of the blue Asoka, the tail of the blue jay, or of lapis lazuli. (5)

The grey colouring has the colour of the flower of the flax, the feathers of the cuckoo, or the collar of pigeons. (6)

The red colouring has the colour of vermilion, the rising sun, or the bill of a parrot. (7)

The yellow colouring has the colour of orpiment, turmeric, or the flowers of hemp and Asana. (8)

The white colouring has the colour of a conch-shell, the Anka-stone, Kunda-flowers, flowing milk, silver, or a necklace of pearls. (9)

3 The taste of the black colouring is infinitely more bitter than that of the gourd, the fruit of the Nimb-tree, or of Rohini. (10)

The taste of the blue colouring is infinitely more pungent than dry ginger and long pepper. (11)

The taste of the grey colouring is infinitely sourer than that of unripe mango and Kapittha. (12)

The taste of the red colouring is infinitely more pleasant than that of ripe mango and Kapittha. (13)

The taste of the yellow colouring is infinitely better than that of excellent sweet drinks and syrups, and honey. (14)

The taste of the white colouring is infinitely better than that of dates, grapes, milk, candied and pounded sugar. (15)

4 The smell of the bad colourings, namely the three first, is infinitely worse than that of the corpse of a cow, dog, or snake. (16)

The smell of the three good colourings is infinitely more pleasant than that of fragrant flowers and of perfumes when they are pounded. (17)

5 The touch of the bad colourings is infinitely worse than that of a saw, the tongue of a cow, or leaf of the Teak tree. (18)

The touch of the three good colourings is infinitely more pleasant than that of cotton, butter, or Sirisha-flowers. (19)

6 The degrees of the colourings are three, or nine, or twenty-seven, or eighty-one, or two hundred and forty-three. (20)

7 A man who acts on the impulse of the five great sins, does not possess the three restraints, has not ceased to injure the six kinds of living beings, commits cruel acts, is wicked and violent, is afraid of no consequences, is mischievous and does not subdue his senses, a man of such habits develops the black colouring. (21, 22)

A man of the following qualities: envy, anger, want of self-control, ignorance, deceit, want of modesty, greed, hatred, wickedness, carelessness, love of enjoyment; a man who pursues pleasures and does not abstain from sinful undertakings, who is wicked and violent, a man of such habits develops the blue colouring. (23, 24)

A man who is dishonest in words and acts, who is base, not upright, a dissembler and deceiver, a heretic, a vile man, a talker of hurtful and sinful things, a thief, and full of jealousy, a man of such habits develops the grey colouring. (25, 26)

A man who is humble, steadfast, free from deceit and inquisitiveness, well disciplined, restrained, attentive to his study and duties, who loves the Law and keeps it, who is afraid of forbidden things and strives after the highest good, a man of such habits develops the red colouring. (27, 28)

A man who has but little anger, pride, deceit, and greed, whose mind is at ease, who controls himself, who is attentive to his study and duties, who speaks but little, is calm, and subdues his senses, a man of such habits develops the yellow colouring. (29, 30)

A man who abstains from constant thinking about his misery and about sinful deeds, but engages in meditation on the Law and truth only, whose mind is at ease, who controls himself, who practises the rules of conduct and the restraints, whether he be still subject to passion or free from passion, is calm, and subdues his senses, a man of such habits develops the white colouring. (31, 32)

8 There are as many varieties of colourings as there are moments in the innumerable ages of decline and ascent, and as there are countless worlds. (33)

9 Half a muhurta is the shortest, and thirty-three ocean-measures plus one muhurta is the longest duration of the black colouring. (34)

Half a muhurta is the shortest, and ten ocean-measures plus one measure of years and a part of an incalculable period is the longest duration of the blue colouring. (35)

Half a muhurta is the shortest, and three ocean-measures plus one measure of years and a part of an incalculable period is the longest duration of the grey colouring. (36)

Half a muhurta is the shortest, and two ocean-measures plus one measure of years and a part of an incalculable period is the longest duration of the red colouring. (37)

Half a muhurta is the shortest, and ten ocean-measures plus one muhurta is the longest duration of the yellow colouring. (38)

Half a muhurta is the shortest, and thirty-three ocean-measures plus one muhurta is the longest duration of the white colouring. (39)

I have described above the duration of the colourings generally; I shall now detail their duration in the four conditions of living beings. (40)

The shortest duration of the grey colouring of a denizen of hell is ten thousand years, the longest three ocean-measures plus one measure of years and part of an incalculable period. (41)

The shortest duration of the blue colouring of a denizen of hell is three ocean-measures plus one measure of years and a part of an incalculable period, the longest ten ocean-measures plus one measure of years and a part of an incalculable period. (42)

The shortest duration of the black colouring of a denizen of hell is ten ocean-measures plus one measure of years and a part of an incalculable period, the longest thirty-three ocean-measures. (43)

I have described the duration of the colourings of denizens of hell; I shall now describe that of animals, men, and angels. (44)

The duration of any of the colourings except the best, namely the white one, is less than a muhurta for the lowest organisms, animals, and men. (45)

Half a muhurta is the shortest duration of the white colouring of animals and men, and the longest a crore of former years less nine years. (46)

I have described the duration of the colourings of animals and men, I shall now describe that of the angels. (47)

The shortest duration of the black colouring is ten thousand years, the longest a measure of years and a part of an incalculable period. (48)

The shortest duration of the blue colouring is equal to the longest of the black one plus one moment; the longest is one measure of years plus a greater part of an incalculable period. (49)

The shortest duration of the grey colouring is equal to the longest of the blue one plus one moment; the longest is one measure of years plus a still greater part of an incalculable period. (50)

I shall now describe the red colouring as it is with the angels, the dwellers in dwellings, the dwellers of the woods, the luminous ones, and the dwellers of the heavenly mansions. (51)

The shortest duration of the red colouring is one measure of years, the longest two ocean-measures plus one measure of years and a part of an incalculable period. (52)

The shortest duration of the red colouring is ten thousand years, the longest two ocean-measures plus one measure of years and a part of an incalculable period. (53)

The longest duration of the red colouring, plus one moment is equal to the shortest of the yellow colouring; its longest, however, is ten muhurtas longer. (54)

The longest duration of the yellow colouring plus one moment is equal to the shortest of the white colouring; the longest, however, is thirty-three muhurtas longer. (55)

10 The black, blue, and grey colourings are the lowest colourings; through them the soul is brought into miserable courses of life. (56)

The red, yellow, and white colourings are the good colourings; through them the soul is brought into happy courses of life. (57)

11 In the first moment of these colourings when they are joined with the soul, the latter does not pass to the next world. (58)

In the last moment of all these colourings when they are joined with the soul, the latter does not pass to the next world. (59)

While the last muhurta is running and a part of it is still to come, the souls with their colourings developed, go on to their next state. (60)

A wise man should, therefore, know the nature of these colourings; he should avoid the bad ones and obtain the good ones. (61)

Thus I say.