The Wicked Woman

Last week there was an article in Shinmin paper talking about a Taiwanese woman named Lin Yuru, who successively murdered her own mother, mother in law and husband in order to use their insurance money to pay off her gambling debts. Lin, aged 28, was addicted to betting on underground lottery since 2003. As a result she chalked up huge gambling debts totalling many millions of yuan. In 2008 she murdered her mother by pushing her down a flight of steps, gaining around 5 million yuan from a prior accident insurance policy. In the following year, she poisoned her mother in law while she was warded in hospital and in the next month used the same tactic on her husband, causing both of their deaths. Her wicked deeds were only revealed when she applied to receive 12 million yuan from the insurance company, arousing their suspicions. The company called the cops on her, prompting them to investigate this case and discover her crimes. Currently, being charged in court for the triple murders, the prosecutor is appealing for the judge to pass 3 death sentences on Lin. He rightfully reprimanded her for being inhuman, wicked and devoid of all conscience.
This woman reminded me of characters like Devadatta and Lady Cinca, who committed heinous sins during the Buddha's time and fell into Avici Hell alive. That was because the Earth was no longer able to bear the weight of their evil deeds and had to open up and swallow them. Even so, by killing her own mother and mother in law, Lin Yuru has committed 2 anantarika-karma and is thus destined to follow in the footsteps of those infamous ones. Furthermore there is the additional sin of killing her husband as well. Although she is still alive, her mind has already fallen into Avici Hell the moment she devised those wicked plans to murder her dear ones out of greed. In this case, greed is the defilement that has led her into the deepest hell. The minds of those who have committed the heinous sins can never find a single moment of peace while they are alive, nor will they be able to find a moment of respite after they die. This is the meaning of "Avici" - without intermission. They will suffer that way for an unimaginably long time, until all their evil karma is exhausted. Woeful indeed are the consequences of not keeping craving and greed in the mind under restraint. We must all take heed from such negative examples.