四分律行事鈔資持記 1.225

1.225

三通中，非謂單三下也，始終共四十下，生下二句明初十下。《圖經》云：執杵定心，虛楷十下。《尼鈔》云：不得大打驚動眾心。漸稀下，明中間二十七下。希，疎也。乃下，示後三下。即目此三名為三通。《圖經》云：集三乘也。（今時眾法講說，宜準此式，頗得其中。）

In the "three rounds": it does not mean merely three strokes; from beginning to end there are forty strokes in total. From "starting..." the following two phrases explain the initial ten strokes. The *Illustrated Classic* states: "Holding the mallet with a concentrated mind, firmly tap ten strokes." The *Bhikṣuṇī Manual* states: "One must not strike loudly and alarm the minds of the assembly." From "gradually sparser..." downward explains the intermediate twenty-seven strokes. *Xī* (希) means sparse. From "then..." downward indicates the final three strokes. It is precisely these three that are designated as the "three rounds". The *Illustrated Classic* states: "Assembling the three vehicles." (Nowadays, for communal dharmas and lectures, one should take this formula as a model, which largely hits the middle ground.)