三寶感應要略錄 3.7

3.7

In the past, King Aśoka ruled this continent. Learning from the lord of ghosts, he established a prison, which was exceedingly cruel and harsh. He further constructed a hell, with a ferocious man as prison warden. Mañjuśrī manifested within a cauldron; while the fire blazed, the water became pure, and blue lotuses grew. Deeply moved and enlightened, the king destroyed the prison that very day. His 84,000 consorts entered the fire pit together. For the 84,000 stūpas, he erected images, whose number was likewise 84,000. In this land, the golden image of Mañjuśrī on Mount Lu from the Eastern Jin is one of them.