四分律行事鈔資持記 1.226

1.226

長打中，初明佛世本無。後下二句，示滅後緣起。如下所引。其下，正明打法。接前四十，增兩四十，共百二十。初明第二四十下。指生起同前者，謂虛揩漸大，共十八下。中間四槌，十九至二十二，此救四惡趣苦，地獄餓鬼畜生修羅，次第配之。如是下，從二十三已去後十八下。斂謂收聲。穊，密也。方下，明第三，四十下。指同前者，亦有少異。從三十六去打三下，名三通，末後二下名息槌。《圖經》云：念三寶存五眾；眾各八輩，故以四十為差；三道乘之，則百二十為節。（八輩謂四果四向，三道謂三乘。）

Regarding the extended striking: first, it explains that originally there was no [such practice] in the Buddha's lifetime. The subsequent two sentences indicate its origin after the [Buddha's] passing, as cited below. Beginning with "its" (其), it properly explains the method of striking. Continuing from the preceding forty [strokes], two sets of forty are added, making one hundred and twenty in total. First, it explains the second set of forty strokes. Referring to the generation being identical to the previous one means that rubbing lightly gradually becomes louder, totaling eighteen strokes. The four central strokes—the nineteenth to the twenty-second—relieve the sufferings of the four wretched destinies: hell, hungry ghosts, animals, and asuras, assigned in that order. Beginning with "thus" (如是), there are eighteen strokes following the twenty-third onward. "Constraining" (斂) means gathering in the sound. "Dense" (穊) means close together. Beginning with "then" (方), it explains the third set of forty strokes. Referring to it being identical to the previous one also involves slight differences: from the thirty-sixth onward, three strokes are struck, termed the "three series," and the final two strokes are termed the "resting strokes." The Illustrated Scripture states: "Contemplate the Triratna and preserve the five assemblies; each assembly has eight ranks, hence forty is taken as the graded difference; multiplied by the three paths, one hundred and twenty is taken as the measure." (The eight ranks refer to the four fruits and four directions; the three paths refer to the three vehicles.)