四分律行事鈔資持記 1.229

1.229

顯功中，初引傳。罽膩吒王，即月氏（音支）國主。與安息國王戰，殺九億人。尋生悔心，於馬鳴所。鳴為說法，令其重罪得輕，尚受是報。隨生下，彼云須臾之間，頭滿大海。若聞下，彼因羅漢為僧維那，依時打鐘，功加於彼；後受彼白，即為長打；過七日已，受苦即畢。即下，引經會傳，初正引。此下，顯意。因緣者。疏云：罪者遇善為因，打者發願為緣；故得聲傳苦滅，自然感應；今文語簡，可用彼釋。召謂如相呼召。亡猶失也。余下，引現事合經。即智興律師，初依首師講會。大業五年仲冬，次掌維那。時至鐘所，役奉倍勤；寺僧有兄從帝南幸江都，中路亡歿，初無凶告；忽通夢於妻曰：吾不幸病死，生於地獄，受苦叵言。今月初一日，蒙禪定寺智興鳴鐘，響震地獄；同受苦者一時解脫，今生樂處，思報其恩，可具絹十匹奉之，並陳吾意。睡覺告人，初無信者。尋又重夢。後經旬日，凶問奄至，恰與夢同，乃奉絹與之。而興並施大眾，有問其故。興曰：余無他術，因見《付法藏傳》及《阿含經》鐘聲功德，敬遵此轍苦力行之；每至冬登樓，寒風切肉；僧給皮袖，余自勵意露手捉之，掌中凝血，不以為辭；又始願諸賢聖同入道場，次願諸惡趣俱時離苦等，眾伏其言（所謂斂念者也）。貞觀六年季春卒。此即祖師目覩，故著之為傳。今時新學，忽為小事，多不存誠；請詳上諸文，冀因斯一悟；或次掌維那，準上威儀，仍須重誓；則拔苦與樂，成大行也。

Regarding revealing its efficacy: first, it cites the account. King Kaniṣka was the ruler of the Yuezhi country. He fought with the King of Parthia and killed nine hundred million people. Soon repentance arose in him, before Aśvaghoṣa. Aśvaghoṣa preached the Dharma for him, enabling his grave offense to be lightened, yet he still received this retribution. Beginning with "following this rebirth" (隨生), it says that in an instant his heads filled the great ocean. Beginning with "if hearing" (若聞), it was because an arhat served as the saṃgha's karmadāna and struck the bell at the proper times that the merit extended to him; later, having received his request, he performed extended striking for him; after seven days had passed, the suffering came to an end. Beginning with "instantly" (即), it cites a sūtra to match the account; first, it properly cites it. Beginning with "this" (此), it reveals the intention. Regarding "causes and conditions": The Commentary states: "The offender encountering goodness serves as the cause; the striker making vows serves as the condition. Thus, as the sound is transmitted, suffering is eradicated, naturally bringing a sympathetic response." The present text is concise in phrasing, so that explanation may be applied. "Summon" (召) means calling one another. "Lose" (亡) is like failing. Beginning with "I" (余), it cites a contemporary event matching the sūtra. This refers to Vinaya Master Zhixing, who initially relied on Master Shou's lecture assemblies. In the mid-winter of the fifth year of the Daye era, it was his turn to manage the duties of the karmadāna. Whenever the time came to go to the bell, his service and veneration were doubly diligent. A monk of the monastery had an elder brother who accompanied the Emperor on his southern progress to Jiangdu; he passed away mid-journey, and at first there was no death notice. Suddenly he conveyed a dream to his wife, saying: 'Unfortunately, I died of illness and was born in hell, where the suffering is unspeakable. On the first day of this month, thanks to Zhixing of Chanding Monastery sounding the bell, the resonance shook hell; those undergoing suffering together were simultaneously liberated and have now been born in a pleasant realm. Wishing to repay his kindness, you may prepare ten bolts of silk to present to him, along with expressing my intentions.' Upon waking, she told people, but at first no one believed it. Soon she had the dream again. After ten days, the death notice arrived abruptly, precisely matching the dream; she then presented the silk to him. But Xing gave it all to the great assembly. Someone asked him the reason. Xing said: 'I have no other special technique. Having seen in the Account of the Transmission of the Dharmapiṭaka and the Āgama the merit of the bell sound, I respectfully adhered to this path and practiced it with strenuous effort. Whenever winter came and I climbed the tower, the cold wind cut into my flesh; the monks offered me leather sleeves, but I pushed myself and held [the mallet] with bare hands, blood congealing in my palms, without complaint. Furthermore, I first vowed that all worthy and noble beings would enter the place of the Way together, and next vowed that all those in wretched destinies would simultaneously be freed from suffering, and so on.' The assembly was convinced by his words (this is what is meant by "constraining one's thoughts"). He passed away in late spring of the sixth year of Zhenguan. Because the Patriarchal Master witnessed this with his own eyes, he recorded it as a biography. Nowadays, new students neglect this as a minor matter, mostly lacking sincerity. Please examine closely the texts above, hoping that through this you may awaken; or, when it is your turn to manage the karmadāna's duties, following the deportment above, you must also make solemn vows; then you will relieve suffering and grant joy, accomplishing a great practice.