妙法蓮華經玄贊 1.23

1.23

第二明經宗旨，此方先德總判經論有其四宗：一立性宗，《雜心》等是，立五聚法有體性故。二破性宗，《成實論》是，破法有體唯有相故。三破相宗，《般若》等是，破法相狀亦成空故。四顯實宗，《涅槃》、《華嚴》、《法華》等是，顯於真實中道義故。此經即是第四宗也。且古經論宗致極多，舊四《阿含》及《僧祇律》大眾部義；《三彌帝論》上座部義；《舍利弗阿毘曇》、《梵網六十二見經》正量部義；《四分律》是法藏部義。此等經論復是何宗？然《文殊問經》及《宗輪論》說小乘有二十部，謂大眾部、一說部、說出世部、雞胤部、多聞部、說假部、制多山部、西山住部、北山住部、說一切有部、雪轉部、犢子部、法上部、賢胄部、正量部、密林山部、化地部、法藏部、飲光部、經量部；并大乘二，合二十二宗。今依文判教，教但有三；若以類准宗，宗乃有八。教但三者：一多說有宗，諸《阿含》等小乘義是，雖多說有亦不違空。二多說空宗，《中》、《百》、《十二門》、《般若》等是，雖多說空亦不違有。三非空有宗，《華嚴》、《深密》、《法華》等是，說有為、無為名之為有，我及我所名為空故，此等三教如前引文。

Second, explaining the doctrinal tenets (zongzhi) of the sūtra: Former masters in this land broadly classified the sūtras and treatises into four doctrinal systems: First, the system that establishes intrinsic nature (lixing zong), such as the Samyuktābhidharmahṛdaya and others, because it establishes that the five categories of dharmas have an intrinsic nature and entity. Second, the system that refutes intrinsic nature (poxing zong), such as the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra, because it refutes that dharmas have an entity and holds that they have only characteristics. Third, the system that refutes characteristics (poxiang zong), such as the Prajñāpāramitā and others, because it refutes the marks and characteristics of dharmas and establishes them as empty as well. Fourth, the system that reveals reality (xianshi zong), such as the Nirvāṇa, the Avataṃsaka, and the Lotus Sūtra, because it reveals the meaning of the true Middle Way. This sūtra belongs precisely to the fourth system. Moreover, the doctrinal orientations of ancient sūtras and treatises are extremely numerous: the older four Āgamas and the Mahāsaṃghika-vinaya express the tenets of the Mahāsaṃghika school; the Saṃmitīya-śāstra expresses the tenets of the Sthaviranikāya; the Śāriputrābhidharma and the Sūtra of the Sixty-Two Views of the Brahma Net express the tenets of the Saṃmatīya school; the Dharmaguptaka-vinaya expresses the tenets of the Dharmaguptaka school. To which doctrinal system do these sūtras and treatises belong? Furthermore, the Mañjuśrīparipṛcchā-sūtra and the Samayabhedoparacanacakra state that the Hīnayāna has twenty schools, namely: Mahāsaṃghika, Ekavyāvahārika, Lokottaravāda, Kaukkuṭika, Bahuśrutīya, Prajñaptivāda, Caitika, Aparaśaila, Uttaraśaila, Sarvāstivāda, Haimavata, Vātsīputrīya, Dharmottarīya, Bhadrayānīya, Saṃmatīya, Ṣaṇṇagarika, Mahīśāsaka, Dharmaguptaka, Kāśyapīya, and Sautrāntika; together with the two of Mahāyāna, there are twenty-two schools in total. Now, classifying the teachings according to the texts, there are only three teachings; if one aligns the doctrinal schools by category, there are eight schools. That there are only three teachings: First, the school that primarily teaches existence, which is the doctrine of the Hīnayāna such as the various Āgamas; although it mostly teaches existence, it also does not contradict emptiness. Second, the school that primarily teaches emptiness, such as the Madhyamaka-kārikā, the Śata-śāstra, the Dvādaśamukha-śāstra, and the Prajñāpāramitā; although it mostly teaches emptiness, it also does not contradict existence. Third, the school of neither emptiness nor existence, such as the Avataṃsaka, the Saṃdhinirmocana, and the Lotus Sūtra; because it calls conditioned and unconditioned dharmas 'existent', and calls self and what belongs to self 'empty'. These three teachings are as cited in the previous texts.