Why did the temple bell ring 108?

Ringing bells is a traditional custom in China temples. Strangely, whether in the south or the north, although the rhythm and rhythm of the bell are different, the number of strokes is 108. Why is there such a unified number? Does 108 have any special meaning and symbolic significance? When we linger in the ancient temple and listen to the powerful bells coming from the temple, it is inevitable to ask such questions.

This issue has been discussed for a long time in history.

The first statement was put forward by a scholar named Lang Ying in Ming Dynasty. He thinks that the bell of 108 implies a year and is a symbol of time. Lang Ying explained in a book called "Seven Manuscripts": "There are December, 24th and 72nd in the year of Gai, which is exactly this number." That is to say, in 1 year, there are 12 months, 24 solar terms, 72 days (5 days is L days), and the total number of three different years is just l08.

It is said that the bell on New Year's Eve comes from this. On New Year's Eve, temples all over the country often ring the bell representing auspiciousness and happiness at midnight to welcome the arrival of the New Year. It is said that this custom was initiated by a Taoist in Hanshan Temple in Tang Dynasty. Every New Year's Eve, he personally rings the bell in the bell tower, and it only takes 20 minutes to ring 108 each time. This last stroke is the handover between midnight and early morning, and it is also the moment when the old year and the new year alternate. 108 The bell below indicates the past of the old year and the beginning of the new year. Those lucky enough to hear the New Year's Eve bell are considered lucky, healthy and all the best in the new year. No wonder every New Year's Eve today, men, women and children flock to temples all over the country, waiting for the New Year bell to ring.

In the Qing Dynasty, there was a man named Lin Qing, who thought that the bell struck 108, mainly because Buddhists practiced themselves. He said in "The Legend of Hong Xue's Career" that the number of bells "adopts the method of rosary, that is, the number of bells is mainly determined according to the number of rosary, and it is decorated with 108 beads, so the number of bells is 108. Touching the beads and chanting in the mouth can make the family forget the troubles in the world and concentrate on practicing. At the same time, loud and rhythmic ringing can remind family members not to forget to practice themselves. Beads and bells have the same meaning.

It is difficult for us to say which of these two statements is correct and which is wrong. It seems that no more exploration is needed to find enough reasons to clarify this problem. It's like a distant and ethereal bell, which sounds very real and needs some brains to understand its meaning.