法苑珠林 13.9

13.9

Furthermore, the Dṛṣṭānta-sūtra says: In the past, there was a king who killed his father and enthroned himself. There was an arhat who knew that this king would soon die, calculating that his remaining life did not exceed seven days, and that after his death he would inevitably fall into Avīci hell to suffer torment for a kalpa. This arhat went immediately to transform him, exhorting and instructing him to recite 'Namo Buddhāya' with a sincere mind without ceasing for seven days. Upon leaving, the arhat reminded him again: 'Be careful not to forget this.' The king clasped his hands and single-mindedly recited it day and night without interruption. At the end of the seventh day, he passed away, and his conscious spirit headed toward Avīci hell. Carried by his previous mindfulness of the Buddha, when he reached the gates of hell and realized it was hell, he immediately cried aloud, 'Namo Buddhāya!' The sinners in hell, hearing the sound of reciting the Buddha, all simultaneously recited 'Namo Buddhāya.' The fierce fires of hell were instantly extinguished, and all the sinners attained liberation and were reborn among humans. Later, the arhat preached the Dharma to them again, and they attained the fruit of srotāpanna. By this cause and condition, the merit obtained from reciting the name of the Buddha is immeasurable, boundless, and beyond metaphor.