天台四教儀 1.12

1.12

天台智者大師，以五時八教判釋東流一代聖教，罄無不盡。言五時者：一華嚴時；二鹿苑時（說《四阿含》）；三方等時（說《維摩》、《思益》、《楞伽》、《楞嚴三昧》、《金光明》、《勝鬘》等經）；四般若時（說《摩訶般若》、《光讚般若》、《金剛般若》、《大品般若》等諸般若經）；五法華涅槃時。是為五時，亦名五味。言八教者：頓、漸、祕密、不定，藏、通、別、圓，是名八教。頓等四教是化儀，如世藥方；藏等四教名化法，如辨藥味。如是等儀散在廣文，今依大本略錄綱要，初辨五時五味及化儀四教，然後出藏、通、別、圓。

Great Master Zhizhe of Tiantai classified and interpreted the holy teachings of [the Buddha's] entire lifetime that flowed eastward by means of the five periods and eight teachings, exhausting them without remainder. The five periods are: first, the Avataṃsaka period; second, the Mṛgadāva period (in which the four Āgamas were spoken); third, the Vaipulya period (in which the Vimalakīrti, Viśeṣacintibrahma-paripṛcchā, Laṅkāvatāra, Śūraṅgama-samādhi, Suvarṇaprabhāsa, Śrīmālādevī, and other sūtras were spoken); fourth, the Prajñā period (in which the Mahāprajñā, Guangzan banruo, Vajracchedikā, Dapin banruo, and other various Prajñā sūtras were spoken); fifth, the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-Nirvāṇa period. These are the five periods, also called the five flavors. The eight teachings are: sudden, gradual, secret, and indeterminate, [along with] the Tripiṭaka, shared, distinct, and perfect [teachings]; these are called the eight teachings. The four teachings of sudden and the rest are the conversion methods, like worldly medicinal prescriptions; the four teachings of the Tripiṭaka and the rest are called the conversion doctrines, like discerning medicinal flavors. Such models are scattered throughout the extensive texts; now, relying on the major texts, I briefly record the outline: first discerning the five periods and five flavors as well as the four teachings of conversion method, and thereafter presenting the Tripiṭaka, shared, distinct, and perfect [teachings].