仁王護國般若波羅蜜多經疏 1.29

1.29

Fourth, subsumption under period: from antiquity, the classification of the teaching's periods has ranged from one to five, but Master Ci'en thoroughly refuted these in his Fayuan [yilin zhang]; here we present only the correct doctrine. The tripiṭaka master Ci'en, relying on the second fascicle of the Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra, established the teaching of three periods. That sūtra, after having expounded in detail the three natures and the three non-natures for the bodhisattva Paramārthasamudgata, had Paramārthasamudgata deeply comprehend it, and the World-Honoured One praised his good understanding of what was expounded. Paramārthasamudgata addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honoured One, originally at one period, in the Deer Park at the place where the sages fell in Vārāṇasī, solely for those who had set out in the Śrāvaka Vehicle, you first turned the wheel of the true Dharma with the four noble truths. Although it was exceedingly wondrous and exceedingly rare, such that previously no devas, humans, or others in all the world had been able to turn it in accordance with the Dharma, yet the wheel of the Dharma turned at that time was surpassable, had room [for qualification], was an implicit meaning, and was a lodging place for various disputes. Formerly, during the second period, solely for those who had set out to cultivate the Great Vehicle, relying on all dharmas being without self-nature, unarisen and unceasing, fundamentally tranquil, and by self-nature in nirvāṇa, the World-Honoured One turned the wheel of the true Dharma with implicit characteristics. Although it was even more wondrous and exceedingly rare, yet the wheel of the Dharma turned at that time was also surpassable, had room for qualification, was still an implicit meaning, and was a lodging place for various disputes. Now in the third period, universally for those who have set out in all vehicles, relying on all dharmas being without self-nature, unarisen and unceasing, fundamentally tranquil, by self-nature in nirvāṇa, and on non-natureness, the World-Honoured One has turned the wheel of the true Dharma with explicit characteristics; it is the foremost wondrous, the most exceedingly rare. The wheel of the Dharma turned now by the World-Honoured One is unsurpassable, without room [for qualification], is the truly explicit meaning, and is not a lodging place for various disputes." As for assigning the scriptures, the various Āgamas, the various Prajñā[pāramitā scriptures], and the Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra and others correspond to the three periods. Moreover, the Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra speaks of three wheels of Dharma, namely turning, illuminating, and maintaining: turning the Dharma of the four truths; illuminating existence with emptiness; and maintaining because it is neither existent nor empty. If it were solely the sudden teaching, the period would be only one, addressed to those of indeterminate disposition. Because the great arises from the small, when addressed gradually, there can be three periods; the Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra judges in accordance with this. Now, this sūtra, if explained in terms of the gradual, may be placed in the second period; but following the nature of the sudden teaching, periods are not established at all, or even if established, it belongs to the third period. How is this known to be so? It extensively illuminates the Great Vehicle's fourteen gates of kṣānti, transforming ordinary beings into noble ones from shallow to deep, fully clarifying emptiness and existence, and comprehensively setting forth the stages of practice; how could it be merely the exposition of emptiness of the second period?