In the scripture "The Vajra-treasure of Manjusri: A Textual Comparison of the Merits of the Counted Beads" (Translated by the Great Tang Tripiṭaka Master Yijing), it is said:
If one uses iron beads to count prayers, reciting once gains five times the blessing.
If you use red copper as a prayer bead, reciting it once will bring ten times the blessing.
If you use pearls, coral, and other precious jewels as prayer beads, reciting them once will bring you a hundred times the blessings.
If you use the seeds of the jatropha plant as prayer beads, reciting them once will earn you a thousand times the blessing.
If you use lotus seeds as prayer beads, reciting once will bring ten thousand times the blessing.
Lotus seed beads are happy with sweat but not with water. If they get dirty, use a slightly wet towel to wipe them. Since lotus seeds absorb some moisture from the body, there will be a period of reverse pollution in the early stages of polishing after receiving them. Patience will make them brighter.
Lianzi beads are divided into five grades: superior, good, excellent, rare, and holy.
Top-grade lotus seeds, lotus seeds sealed for two years, each lotus seed is selected from a thousand.
Fine quality lotus seeds, lotus seeds sealed for three years, each lotus seed selected from three thousand miles
Fine quality lotus seeds, lotus seeds sealed for four years, each lotus seed selected from 6,000 miles.
Precious lotus seeds, lotus seeds sealed for six years, each lotus seed is one in a million.
The holy chain, the lotus seed sealed for 710 years, one in ten thousand, the most rare.nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp