妙法蓮華經文句 1.10

1.10

佛赴緣作散花、貫花兩說，結集者按說傳之，論者依經申之，皆不節目。古講師但敷弘義理、不分章段，若純用此意，後生殆不識起盡。又佛說貫、散，集者隨義立品。《增一》云：契經一分，律一分，阿毘曇一分。契經更開四，謂《增一》、《長》、《中》、《雜》。《增一阿含》明人天因果，《長阿含》破邪見，《中阿含》明深義，《雜阿含》明禪定。律開五部及八十誦。阿毘曇開《六足》、《八犍度》等。《阿含》謂：「施、戒、慧、六度皆足也，謂根、性、道、定等八種聚也。」天親作論，以七功德分〈序品〉，五示現分〈方便品〉，其餘品各有處分。

Addressing different conditions, the Buddha gave two types of teachings: scattered flowers and strung flowers. The compilers transmitted them according to how they were preached, and the treatise authors expounded them based on the sūtras, none of them dividing them into rigid structural sections. Ancient lecturers merely expounded the doctrines without dividing the text into chapters and sections; if one were to follow this approach exclusively, later generations would hardly recognize the beginnings and endings. Moreover, the Buddha preached strung and scattered teachings, and the compilers established chapters in accordance with the meaning. The Ekottarika-āgama states: one part is sūtra, one part is vinaya, and one part is abhidharma. Sūtras are further divided into four: Ekottarika, Dīrgha, Madhyama, and Saṃyukta. The Ekottarika-āgama clarifies karmic cause and effect for humans and gods; the Dīrgha-āgama refutes wrong views; the Madhyama-āgama clarifies profound meanings; the Saṃyukta-āgama clarifies meditative concentration. The vinaya is divided into five divisions and eighty recitations. The abhidharma is divided into the Six Feet, the Eight Sections, and so forth. The Āgamas state: 'Giving, morality, wisdom, and the six pāramitās are all feet, referring to the eight aggregates of faculties, natures, paths, concentrations, and so forth.' Vasubandhu composed a treatise, dividing the Introductory Chapter by seven merits and the Expedient Means Chapter by five manifestations, with specific divisions for the remaining chapters.