法苑珠林 99.49

99.49

依宣律師住持感應記云。祇桓戒律院內有銅鍾重三十萬斤。四天王共造欲集大千聖眾。目連以通力擊之。聲震遠聞。臺高七丈。鍾形如吳地者。四面多有日月星辰山川河海之像。兼斗斛稱尺之形。目連所擊隨事所表聲出告知。凡僧打者。但聲出而已。其戒場院內復有大鍾。臺高四百尺。上有金鍾重十萬斤。形如杯器。上有千輪王像。亦有千子。各各具足。復有九龍八功德水種種諸相莊嚴。此之大鍾劫初之時輪王所造。聖人受戒。已得通者擊之。聲震三千。一切聖人聞皆證果。惡趣聞者識宿命。祇桓別有論師院。有一銅鍾形如腰鼓。是乾闥婆王之所造也。上有梵王帝釋魔王四王八部男子等像。若有異學外道欲來擊論。則使神通羅漢擊之。聲震三千。諸外道等將欲擊揚聞此鍾聲。諸根訥鈍無敢發言。若有好心請決疑者。聞此鍾聲開發菩提得不退轉。

According to Vinaya Master Xuan's *Zhuchi ganying ji*: Inside the Vinaya Precepts Courtyard of Jetavana Temple there was a bronze bell weighing three hundred thousand catties. The Four Heavenly Kings had jointly made it, intending to assemble the noble multitude of the great chiliocosm. Maudgalyāyana struck it with his spiritual power, and its sound resonated far and wide. The platform was seventy feet high. The shape of the bell was like those of the Wu region. On its four sides were many images of the sun, moon, stars, constellations, mountains, streams, rivers, and seas, along with representations of peck measures, bushel measures, scales, and rulers. When struck by Maudgalyāyana, according to whatever was signified, a sound came forth to announce it. When struck by ordinary monks, it only produced a sound and nothing more. Inside its Ordination Platform Courtyard there was another great bell; the platform was four hundred feet high. Upon it was a gold bell weighing one hundred thousand catties, shaped like a cup. Upon it were images of a thousand cakravartins, each accompanied by their thousand sons, all completely depicted. There were also nine dragons, waters of the eight virtues, and various adorned features. This great bell was made by a cakravartin at the beginning of the kalpa. When noble persons received the precepts, those who had already attained spiritual penetrations would strike it, its sound shaking the three thousand [worlds]; all noble persons who heard it realized the fruit [of arhatship], and those in the evil destinies who heard it remembered their past lives. Jetavana had a separate Courtyard of the Masters of the Treatises, where there was a bronze bell shaped like an hourglass drum, which had been made by the king of the gandharvas. Upon it were images of King Brahmā, Śakra, King Māra, the Four Heavenly Kings, the eight classes of beings, and men. If non-Buddhist masters of other teachings wished to come and challenge in debate, an arhat of spiritual penetrations would be sent to strike it. Its sound shook the three thousand [worlds]. When the non-Buddhists were about to debate, upon hearing this bell sound, their faculties became dull and muted, and none dared speak. If someone came with a good mind to resolve doubts, hearing this bell sound caused bodhi to unfold and they attained non-retrogression.