The Tiantai Exposition

天台宗通·詳述

The Tiantai Exposition takes two complete annotated editions as its ground: the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sutra and the thirty-one chapters of The Sūtra of Golden Light, the Supreme King. It is neither a retranslation nor a replacement for scripture or the ancestral works. Every doctrinal point returns to scripture or an explicitly attributed ancient master. Quotations from Tiantai works not yet translated in full retain their Chinese wording, canon number, and locus, followed by an 「In today's words」 rendering limited to that passage.

本書以本版兩部譯注為地基——《妙法蓮華經》二十八品、《金光明最勝王經》三十一品，各五層俱足——把天台一宗的路，攤給不曾受過佛學訓練的讀者。非重譯，非西方對照，非取代祖師譯文；述而不作：立義之處，皆是經文與古德自己的話。三大部（玄義·文句·摩訶止觀）六十卷尚待全譯；本書所引其文，皆逐字自底本徵出，全帙義理之開演，仍俟其譯。

Reading Path

Opening開卷

  1. Asking the Way第〇章 · 問道

Part One · Sources and Formation第一部 · 源流

  1. The Lotus Comes East — Three Translations and Kumārajīva第一章 · 法華東來——三譯與羅什
  2. Nanyue and Tiantai — How the School Was Founded第二章 · 南嶽與天台——慧思·智顗立宗
  3. Guanding's Compilation and Zhanran's Revival第三章 · 章安結集與荊谿中興
  4. A Thousand-Year Textbook and the Song Controversies第四章 · 千年教科書與宋之諍

Part Two · The Teaching第二部 · 教

  1. Grading the Teachings — Five Periods and Eight Teachings第五章 · 判教——五時八教
  2. The Fivefold Profound Meaning — How to Read a Sutra第六章 · 五重玄義——讀經之法
  3. The Ten Suchnesses, the Thousand Suchnesses, and "Three Thousand in One Moment of Mind"第七章 · 十如是·百界千如與「三千在一念心」
  4. Opening the Provisional to Reveal the Real — Three into One, and the Ever-Abiding Buddha第八章 · 開權顯實·會三歸一與久遠實成

Part Three · Contemplation and Practice第三部 · 觀行

  1. The Three Kinds of Calming and Contemplation第九章 · 三種止觀
  2. The Four Practices of Ease — Walking the Lotus第十章 · 四安樂行——法華行門
  3. The Golden Light Repentance — in Act and in Principle第十一章 · 金光明懺——事懺與理懺
  4. The Road of Carrying the Sutra — Six Closing Chapters and Never-Disparaging第十二章 · 弘經之路——六品成組與常不輕