釋氏稽古略 2.186

2.186

梁帝假寶公神力見地獄苦相。問何以止之。寶公曰。唯聞鐘聲其苦暫息。於是詔天下寺院擊鐘舒徐其聲（本紀）。

The Emperor of Liang, through Master Bao's spiritual power, witnessed the marks of suffering in the hells. He asked how it might be stopped. Master Bao said: "Only when hearing the sound of a bell is their suffering temporarily suspended." Thereupon, he decreed that temples throughout the realm strike the bells, letting the sound resound slowly and gently. (Basic Annals).