阿彌陀經通贊疏 1.13

1.13

依文判教，教但有三，以類准宗，宗乃有八。教但三者：一、多說有宗，說《阿含》等小乘教是；二、多說空宗，《中》、《百》、《十二門》、《般若》等是；三、非有宗，《華嚴》、《深密》、《法華》及此經等是，有為無為名之為有，我及我所名之為空，此等三教處所廣明。宗有八者：一、我法空有宗，犢子部等是；二、有法無我宗，薩婆多等是；三、法無去來宗，大眾部等是；四、現通假實宗，說假部等是；五、俗妄真實宗，說出世部等是；六、諸法但名宗，一說部等是；七、勝義皆空宗，《般若》等經、龍樹等說《中》、《百論》等是；八、應理圓實宗，《華嚴》、《法華》等及無著等說中道教是。此經乃是應理圓實宗收，即淨土為宗。

Classifying the teachings based on the texts, there are only three teachings; categorizing the schools by analogy, there are eight schools. Regarding the three teachings: first, the School Emphasizing Existence, represented by the Hīnayāna teachings such as the Āgamas; second, the School Emphasizing Emptiness, represented by the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, Śatakaśāstra, Dvādaśamukhaśāstra, Prajñāpāramitā, and so on; third, the School of Non-existence, represented by the Avataṃsaka, Saṃdhinirmocana, Lotus Sūtra, this sūtra, and others, where conditioned and unconditioned dharmas are termed 'existence', while the self and what belongs to the self are termed 'emptiness'—these three teachings are broadly clarified in various places. Regarding the eight schools: first, the School of the Emptiness of Self and Existence of Dharmas, represented by the Vātsīputrīyas and others; second, the School of the Existence of Dharmas and Emptiness of Self, represented by the Sarvāstivādins and others; third, the School of Dharmas Lacking Past and Future, represented by the Mahāsāṃghikas and others; fourth, the School of Present Dharmas Being Both Conventional and Real, represented by the Prajñaptivādins and others; fifth, the School of Conventional Dharmas Being False and Ultimate Dharmas Being Real, represented by the Lokottaravādins and others; sixth, the School of All Dharmas Being Mere Names, represented by the Ekavyāvahārikas and others; seventh, the School of All Dharmas Being Empty in Ultimate Truth, represented by the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras, the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā and Śatakaśāstra taught by Nāgārjuna and others; eighth, the School of Conforming to Principle and Perfect Reality, represented by the Middle Way teaching spoken in the Avataṃsaka, Lotus Sūtra, and by Asaṅga and others. This sūtra is subsumed under the School of Conforming to Principle and Perfect Reality, taking the Pure Land as its doctrinal tenet.