法苑珠林 34.31

34.31

Furthermore, the Muxuanzi jing says: At that time, the king of the country of Nan, named Pasenadi (Prasenajit), addressed the Buddha, saying: "My country is remote and small; year after year there are bandits and invaders, the five grains soar in price, epidemics spread, and the people are impoverished and distressed. I am constantly ill at ease. The treasury of Dharma is deep and vast, so I am unable to practice it. I only pray that you have pity on me and bestow upon me the essential points of the Dharma." The Buddha told the king: "If you wish to extinguish the hindrance of defilements, you should string one hundred and eight soapberry seeds and always keep them with you. With a sincere and undistracted mind, recite 'Namo Buddhāya, Namo Dharmāya, Namo Saṅghāya', passing one soapberry seed with each recitation. In this way, gradually pass the soapberry seeds, ten, twenty, a hundred, a thousand, or even ten million times. If you can complete two hundred thousand times with body and mind undistracted, free from all deceit and crookedness, at the end of life you will be born in the third heaven, the Yāma Heaven, naturally provided with food and clothing, constantly living in peace and happiness. If you can complete one million times, you will cut off the hundred and eight defilements and karmas, and obtain the unsurpassed fruit." When the king heard this, he rejoiced, saying: "I shall practice it accordingly." The Buddha told the king: "There was a bhikṣu named Shasheng who recited the names of the Three Jewels for ten years and attained the fruit of a sakṛdāgāmin. Gradually cultivating, he is now in the World of Universal Fragrance as a pratyekabuddha." When the king heard this, he redoubled his practice."