四分律行事鈔資持記 2.896

2.896

《僧祇》中。虛則妄語，實則教殺，兩皆不得。看指甲者，彼正作指押，予注云胡音，與不見同。古記云：非謂答云不見，但方便引接，令彼看不見，故注云方便等。然彼正作應云，明是答詞；若準注意，義又非便；以在胡正為妄語，在漢復是異音，二皆不可。《指歸》云：指甲乃是脚跡，令彼自看獸跡，則免上過；又斥《僧祇》注文是後人妄加。未詳孰是，疑故並存。

In the *Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya*: if false, it is false speech; if true, it is teaching to kill; neither is permissible. As for "looking at the fingernails": in that text it actually reads "finger-pressing"; the note says that in foreign speech this is equivalent to "not seen". The ancient record says: it does not mean answering "not seen", but merely employing an expedient to guide them, letting them see that [the prey] is not seen; hence the note says "expedient, etc.". However, that text actually says "should say", clearly being words of reply; if one accords with the note's meaning, the sense is moreover inconvenient; because in a foreign language it constitutes direct false speech, while in Chinese it is further a foreign sound, neither of which is permissible. The *Zhigui* says: "fingernails" is actually "footprints"; letting them look at the animal tracks avoids the above faults; moreover, it castigates the note in the *Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya* as a later addition. It is not clear which is correct; having doubts, both are preserved.