妙法蓮華經玄義 判教相·舉大綱
因為今天聽到多少，不是唯一的因緣。過去所聞的大乘實相已深種心中，如毒先放入乳；今生遇到相應的聲教，就可能使宿種發作、結惑斷除。
乳會轉成酪、生蘇、熟蘇、醍醐，毒卻沒有失去。有人在乳味得入，有人在酪味得入，也有人到後面才開慧眼。五味顯示所在不同，殺人顯示宿惑被破、各於所在層次得入。
頓、漸、不定因此貫通於同一場教化。太陽先照高山，是頓；經教前後相生、行位次第升進，是漸；宿種在其中任何一處忽然成熟，是不定。三種都能從教門看佛如何說，也能從觀門看人如何修。
最容易錯過的，是漸次觀從第一步就以圓極為所向。腳下可以一步一步修十二門禪、六妙門、四諦觀與菩薩行，眼前所向卻不必等到最後才確立。路有次第，方向從初發心便明白。
判教相的心要，在看清一場教化：說了什麼，誰聽見了，宿種何時成熟，所聞如何成為觀行。
所以大綱雖只舉三名，已能同時照見教與觀。知道頓的直入，也尊重漸的每一步；知道不定的豁然，也不把豁然誤作無因。如此讀經，差別不再彼此障礙，反而共同顯出佛法如何契機入心。
Why can merely hearing the five precepts lead to profound awakening? Because what is heard today is not the only condition. The Great Vehicle true mark heard in the past has already been deeply planted in the mind, like poison first placed in milk. Encountering a corresponding voiced teaching in this life can activate that past seed and sever the bonds of delusion.
Milk changes into curds, raw ghee, refined ghee, and clarified essence, yet the poison is not lost. Some gain entry in the milk flavor, others in curds, and still others open the wisdom-eye only later. The five flavors reveal different locations; killing reveals the breaking of past delusion and entry at one’s present level.
Sudden, gradual, and indeterminate teaching thus extend throughout the same course of transformation. The sun first illuminating the high mountains is sudden. Scriptural teachings arising one after another and practices and stages advancing in sequence are gradual. A past seed suddenly maturing at any point within them is indeterminate. All three can be viewed through the teaching gate as how the Buddha teaches and through the contemplation gate as how people practice.
What is easiest to miss is that gradual-and-successive contemplation takes the perfect ultimate as its direction from the very first step. Beneath one’s feet, one may cultivate the twelve gates of dhyāna, Six Wondrous Gates, contemplation of the Four Truths, and bodhisattva practices one step at a time, yet the direction before one need not wait until the end to be established. The road has a sequence; its direction is understood from the initial arousal of mind.
The heart of classifying the teaching’s characteristics lies in seeing one course of transformation clearly: what was taught, who heard it, when past seeds matured, and how what was heard became contemplative practice.
Thus, although the general outline raises only three names, it already illuminates teaching and contemplation together. Know direct entry through the sudden while respecting every step of the gradual; know sudden opening within the indeterminate without mistaking it for an event without causes. Read in this way, differences no longer obstruct one another but together reveal how the Buddha-Dharma responds to capacities and enters the mind.
隋天台智者大師說《妙法蓮華經玄義》〔私記緣起＝沙門灌頂述〕· 大正藏 T33n1716〔起 T33 0806a14〕。段/行首〔T33 …〕＝大正藏頁·欄·行錨（換頁一枚）。
〔T33 0806a14〕○五、判教相者，即為六：一、舉大綱。二、引三文證。三、五味半滿相成。四、明合不合。五、通別料簡。六、增數明教。 一、大綱三種：一、頓。二、漸。三、不定。此三名同舊，義異也〔云云〕。今釋此三教各作二解：一、約教門解。二、約觀門解。教門為信行人，又成聞義；觀門為法行人，又成慧義。聞慧具足，如人有目，日光明照，見種種色，具如《釋論》偈〔云云〕。 先約教者，若《華嚴》七處八會之說，譬如「日出先照高山」。《淨名》中「唯嗅薝蔔」。《大品》中說「不共般若」。《法華》云：「但說無上道」，又：「始見我身，聞我所說，即皆信受，入如來慧，若遇眾生，盡教佛道。」《涅槃》二十七云：「雪山有草名為忍辱，牛若食者，即得醍醐。」又云：「我初成佛，恒沙菩薩來問是義，如汝無異。」諸大乘經如此意義類例，皆名頓教相也，非頓教部也。 二、漸教相者，如《涅槃》十三云：「從佛出十二部經，從十二部經出修多羅，從修多羅出方等經，從方等經出般若，從般若出涅槃。」如此等意即是漸教相也。 又始自人天、二乘、菩薩、佛道，亦是漸也。又中間次第入，亦是漸〔云云〕。 三、不定教者，此無別法，但約頓、漸，其義自明。今依《大經》二十七云：「置毒乳中，乳即殺人，酪、蘇、醍醐亦能殺人。」此謂過去佛所，甞聞大乘實相之教，譬之以毒。今值釋迦聲教，其毒即發，結惑人死。若如提謂波利，但聞五戒，不起法忍，三百人得信忍，四天王得柔順忍，皆服長樂之藥，佩長生之符，住於戒中，見諸佛母，即是乳中殺人也。酪中殺人者，如《智度論》云：「教有二種：一、顯露教。二、祕密教。」顯露者，初轉法輪，五比丘及八萬諸天得法眼淨。若祕密教，無量菩薩得無生法忍。此是毒至於酪而能殺人也。生蘇中殺人者，有諸菩薩，於方等大乘教得見佛性，住大涅槃，即其義也。熟蘇殺人者，有諸菩薩，於摩訶般若教得見佛性，即其義也。醍醐殺人者，如涅槃教中，鈍根聲聞開發慧眼，得見佛性，乃至鈍根緣覺、菩薩七種方便，皆入究竟涅槃，即其義也。是名不定教相也，非不定部。 二、約觀門明義者，一、圓頓觀，從初發心即觀實相，修四種三昧，行八正道，即於道場開佛知見，得無生忍。如牛食忍草，即得醍醐，其意具在《止觀》〔云云〕。 二、漸次觀，從初發心為圓極故，修阿那波那十二門禪，即是根本之行。故云：「凡夫如雜血乳。」次修六妙門，十六特勝、觀、練、熏、修等，乃至道品、四諦觀等，即是聲聞法，如清淨乳行也。次修十二緣觀，即是緣覺，如酪行也。次修四弘誓願，六波羅蜜，通藏菩薩所行事理之法，皆如生蘇行也。次修別教菩薩所行之行，皆如熟蘇，故云菩薩如熟蘇也。次修自性禪、入一切禪，乃至清淨淨禪，此諸法門，能見佛性，住大涅槃，真應具足，故名醍醐行也。 若的就菩薩位，辨五味義，如上行妙中辨，亦如《次第禪門》說也，是名漸次觀也。 不定觀者，從過去佛深種善根，今修證十二門，豁然開悟，得無生忍，即是毒在乳中，即能殺人也。若坐證不淨觀，九想、十想、背捨、勝處、有作四聖諦觀等，因此禪定，豁然心開意解，得無生忍，即是毒至酪中殺人也。若有人發四私誓願，修於六度，體假入空，無生四諦觀，豁然悟解，得無生忍，即是毒至生蘇殺人也。若人修行六度，修從空出假，修無量四諦觀，豁然心悟，得無生忍，是毒至熟蘇而殺人也。若有坐禪，修中道自性等禪正觀，學無作四聖諦，行法華、般舟等四種三昧，豁然心悟，得無生忍，即是醍醐行中殺人也。 今辨信、法兩行，明於佛法，各作三意，歷前諸教，無有一科而不異諸法師也。若欲修禪學道，歷前諸觀，為法行人，說安心法，無有一科與世間禪師同也。是名略點教觀大意，大該佛法。
The canonical text stands in Chinese only. This edition renders the essence, the plain reading, the exposition and the apparatus into English — never the sūtra itself. Switch to 漢讀本 or 並行雙語 above to read it.
判教相先列六目
第五章判教相，共分六項：第一舉出大綱，第二引用三段經文證明，第三說明五味與半滿如何彼此成立，第四說明相合與不相合，第五作通別料簡，第六依數目遞增來說明教法。本單元先說第一項舉大綱。
大綱有三種：第一頓，第二漸，第三不定。這三個名稱與舊來所用相同，這裏所取的意義卻不同；未盡之處從略。現在解釋這三種，每一種都各作兩面說明：一面依教門解，一面依觀門解。
教門是為信行人而說，也成就聽聞之義；觀門是為法行人而說，也成就智慧之義。聽聞與智慧都具足，正如人有眼睛，又有日光明照，才能看見種種顏色；詳細譬喻可由《大智度論》的偈頌了解，這裏從略。
依教門說頓、漸、不定
先依教門說。
第一是頓教相。《華嚴》七處八會的說法，譬如太陽升起時先照高山；《淨名》以只嗅薝蔔香為譬；《大品》說不與二乘共的般若；《法華》說只宣說無上之道，又說眾生最初看見佛身、聽聞佛所說，便都信受而進入如來智慧，若遇眾生，便全都教以佛道。《涅槃》第二十七卷說，雪山有一種草名為忍辱，牛若吃了，立即得到醍醐；又說佛最初成佛時，有恒河沙數的菩薩前來詢問這個義理，與迦葉現在所問沒有差別。
各部大乘經中，凡有這類意義的，都稱為頓教之相，卻不因此把整部經固定稱為頓教之部。
第二是漸教相。《涅槃》第十三卷說，從佛流出十二部經，從十二部經流出修多羅，從修多羅流出方等經，從方等經流出般若，從般若流出涅槃。像這樣前後相生的意思，就是漸教之相。
又從人天乘開始，依次到二乘、菩薩、佛道，也稱為漸；又從中間某一處開始，依次進入，也稱為漸。其餘情形從略。
第三是不定教。不定沒有離開頓與漸另成一套法，只要依頓、漸來看，它的意思自然明白。現在依《大般涅槃經》第二十七卷所說，把毒放入乳中，乳便能殺人，酪、蘇、醍醐也都能殺人。
這個譬喻是說，眾生過去在佛所曾聽聞大乘實相之教，這一聽聞就像毒已放入乳中。今生遇到釋迦佛的聲教，宿種被觸發，煩惱結使之人便死；所謂死，是結惑被斷。
例如提謂與波利，只聽五戒便得到不起法忍；三百人得到信忍，四天王得到柔順忍。他們都服下長樂之藥，佩帶長生之符，安住於戒中而看見諸佛之母，這就是毒在乳中便能殺人。
毒在酪中殺人，如《大智度論》所說，教有兩種：第一顯露教，第二祕密教。從顯露一面看，佛初轉法輪，五比丘及八萬諸天得到法眼清淨；從祕密一面看，無量菩薩得到無生法忍。這就是毒到酪中而能殺人。
毒在生蘇中殺人，是有些菩薩在方等大乘教中得見佛性，安住大涅槃。毒在熟蘇中殺人，是有些菩薩在摩訶般若教中得見佛性。毒在醍醐中殺人，是在涅槃教中，鈍根聲聞開發慧眼而得見佛性，乃至鈍根緣覺與菩薩七種方便，也全都進入究竟涅槃。
這就稱為不定教相，卻不因此另立一個固定的不定部。
依觀門說頓、漸、不定
第二面依觀門說明。
第一是圓頓觀。從最初發心時就觀察實相，修四種三昧，行八正道，當下就在道場開佛知見，得到無生忍。這好比牛吃忍辱草，立即得到醍醐；詳細意義都在《摩訶止觀》中。
第二是漸次觀。行人從最初發心便以圓滿究竟為所向，所以先修阿那波那十二門禪，作為根本行。這個階段如凡夫仍是雜血之乳。
接著修六妙門、十六特勝、觀、練、熏、修，乃至道品與四諦觀，這些是聲聞法，如清淨乳之行。再修十二因緣觀，這是緣覺之行，如酪。再修四弘誓願、六波羅蜜，以及通教、藏教菩薩所行事理之法，都如生蘇之行。再修別教菩薩所行，都如熟蘇，所以說菩薩如熟蘇。再修自性禪、入一切禪，乃至清淨淨禪；這些法門能使人見佛性、住大涅槃，真身與應身具足，所以稱為醍醐之行。
若專就菩薩位辨五味之義，如前面〈行妙〉中所辨，也如《次第禪門》所說。這就稱為漸次觀。
第三是不定觀。由於過去在佛所深種善根，今生修證十二門禪時，忽然開悟而得到無生忍，這就是毒在乳中當下殺人。
若在坐禪中證不淨觀，又修九想、十想、背捨、勝處、有作四聖諦觀，藉這些禪定忽然心開意解，得到無生忍，這就是毒到酪中殺人。
若有人發四私誓願，修六度，體會假法而入空，修無生四諦觀，忽然悟解而得到無生忍，這就是毒到生蘇中殺人。
若有人修行六度，修從空出假，修無量四諦觀，忽然心悟而得到無生忍，這就是毒到熟蘇中殺人。
若有人坐禪，修中道自性等禪的正觀，學無作四聖諦，行法華、般舟等四種三昧，忽然心悟而得到無生忍，這就是在醍醐之行中殺人。
大綱如何總攝教與觀
現在用信行與法行兩條路來辨佛法，每一條都依頓、漸、不定而成三意。信行人歷前面諸教來聞法，沒有一科與其他法師完全相同；法行人若要修禪學道，便歷前面諸觀，為他說安置心行的方法，也沒有一科與世間禪師完全相同。
以上只是約略點出教門、觀門的大意，卻已能廣泛涵蓋佛法，所以稱為舉大綱。
The Characteristics of the Teaching First List Six Topics
The fifth chapter, Classifying the Teaching, addresses the characteristics of the teaching in six topics: first, raising the general outline; second, citing three passages as evidence; third, explaining how the five flavors and half and full mutually establish one another; fourth, clarifying correspondence and non-correspondence; fifth, resolving general and specific questions; and sixth, explaining the teaching through increasing numbers. This unit first explains the first topic, Raising the General Outline.
The general outline has three kinds: first sudden, second gradual, and third indeterminate. These three names are the same as those used in older accounts, but the meanings taken here differ; what is not fully explained is abbreviated. Each of these three kinds will now be explained from two aspects: according to the teaching gate and according to the contemplation gate.
The teaching gate is taught for people who practice through faith and also accomplishes the aspect of hearing. The contemplation gate is taught for people who practice through Dharma and also accomplishes the aspect of wisdom. When hearing and wisdom are both complete, it is like a person having eyes together with sunlight brightly illuminating things, so that various colors can be seen. The detailed simile can be understood from the verse in the Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom and is abbreviated here.
Sudden, Gradual, and Indeterminate According to the Teaching Gate
First they are explained according to the teaching gate.
The first is the characteristic of sudden teaching. The teaching at the seven locations and eight assemblies of the Avataṃsaka is like the sun rising and first illuminating the high mountains. The Vimalakīrti uses smelling only the fragrance of campaka as a simile. The Large Prajñā teaches prajñā not shared with the Two Vehicles. The Lotus says that only the unsurpassed path is taught. It also says that when sentient beings first see the Buddha’s body and hear what he teaches, they all immediately believe and accept it and enter the Tathāgata’s wisdom, and that whenever the Buddha encounters sentient beings, he teaches them all the Buddha-path. Fascicle Twenty-Seven of the Nirvāṇa says that on Snow Mountain there is an herb named Forbearance, and if a cow eats it, it immediately obtains clarified essence. It also says that when the Buddha first attained buddhahood, bodhisattvas numerous as the sands of the Ganges came to ask this meaning, no differently from what Kāśyapa asks now.
Whenever this kind of meaning occurs in the various Great Vehicle scriptures, it is called a characteristic of sudden teaching. This does not therefore fix the entire scripture as a sudden-teaching division.
The second is the characteristic of gradual teaching. Fascicle Thirteen of the Nirvāṇa says that from the Buddha issue the twelve divisions of scripture; from the twelve divisions of scripture issues sūtra; from sūtra issue the Vaipulya scriptures; from the Vaipulya scriptures issues prajñā; and from prajñā issues nirvāṇa. Meaning such as this, in which one arises successively from another, is the characteristic of gradual teaching.
Beginning with the vehicles of humans and devas and proceeding in order through the Two Vehicles, bodhisattvas, and the Buddha-path is also called gradual. Beginning at some point midway and entering successively is likewise called gradual. The remaining cases are abbreviated.
The third is indeterminate teaching. The indeterminate does not establish another set of dharmas apart from sudden and gradual teaching; its meaning becomes clear on the basis of sudden and gradual. The present explanation follows Fascicle Twenty-Seven of the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra: when poison is placed in milk, the milk can kill a person, and curds, ghee, and clarified essence can also kill.
This simile says that sentient beings once heard the Great Vehicle teaching of the true mark in the presence of buddhas in the past, and this hearing was like poison already placed in milk. In the present life they encounter Śākyamuni Buddha’s voiced teaching, the past seed is activated, and the person constituted by the bonds of affliction dies. What is called death means that the bonds of delusion are severed.
Tiwei and Boli, for example, merely heard the five precepts and gained the forbearance in which dharmas do not arise; three hundred people gained faith-forbearance, and the Four Heavenly Kings gained pliant forbearance. They all consumed the medicine of enduring bliss, wore the talisman of long life, abided in discipline, and saw the mother of the buddhas. This is poison in milk immediately being able to kill.
Poison killing within curds is as explained in the Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom: teaching is of two kinds, first manifest teaching and second secret teaching. Viewed from the manifest aspect, when the Buddha first turned the Dharma wheel, the five bhikṣus and eighty thousand devas gained purity of the Dharma-eye. Viewed from the secret aspect, measureless bodhisattvas gained the forbearance of non-arising. This is poison reaching the curds and being able to kill.
Poison killing within raw ghee means that certain bodhisattvas see buddha-nature and abide in great nirvāṇa within the Vaipulya Great Vehicle teaching. Poison killing within refined ghee means that certain bodhisattvas see buddha-nature within the Mahāprajñā teaching. Poison killing within clarified essence means that, in the Nirvāṇa teaching, śrāvakas of dull faculties open the wisdom-eye and see buddha-nature; down through pratyekabuddhas of dull faculties and the bodhisattvas’ seven kinds of skillful means, all enter ultimate nirvāṇa.
This is called the characteristic of indeterminate teaching. It does not therefore establish a separate fixed indeterminate division.
Sudden, Gradual, and Indeterminate According to the Contemplation Gate
The second aspect explains them according to the contemplation gate.
The first is perfect-and-sudden contemplation. From the initial arousal of mind, one immediately contemplates the true mark, cultivates the four kinds of samādhi, and practices the noble eightfold path. Immediately at the place of awakening, one opens the Buddha’s knowing-and-seeing and gains the forbearance of non-arising. This is like a cow eating the Forbearance herb and immediately obtaining clarified essence. The detailed meaning is found in the Mohe Zhiguan (Great Calming-and-Contemplation).
The second is gradual-and-successive contemplation. From the initial arousal of mind, practitioners take the perfect ultimate as their direction. They therefore first cultivate the twelve-gate dhyāna of ānāpāna as the fundamental practice. At this stage, like ordinary beings, they remain milk mixed with blood.
They next cultivate the Six Wondrous Gates, the sixteen excellent practices, contemplating, refining, perfuming, and cultivating, and then the factors of the path and contemplation of the Four Truths. These are śrāvaka dharmas, like the practice of pure milk. Next they cultivate contemplation of the twelve links of dependent origination, which is the practice of a pratyekabuddha and is like curds. Next they cultivate the four universal vows, the six pāramitās, and the phenomenal and principial dharmas practiced by bodhisattvas of the Shared and Tripiṭaka Teachings; all are like the practice of raw ghee. Next they cultivate the practices of bodhisattvas of the Distinct Teaching; all are like refined ghee, and so it is said that a bodhisattva resembles refined ghee. Next they cultivate intrinsic-nature dhyāna, entering-all dhyāna, and so forth through pure-purification dhyāna. These Dharma gates enable one to see buddha-nature, abide in great nirvāṇa, and possess both the true and responsive bodies; they are therefore called the practice of clarified essence.
If the meaning of the five flavors is discerned specifically according to bodhisattva stages, it is as explained earlier in the Subtlety of Practice and also as taught in the Sequential Gate of Dhyāna. This is called gradual-and-successive contemplation.
The third is indeterminate contemplation. Because wholesome roots were deeply planted in the presence of buddhas in the past, one now cultivates and realizes the twelve gates of dhyāna and suddenly awakens, gaining the forbearance of non-arising. This is poison within milk immediately being able to kill.
If, during seated meditation, one realizes contemplation of impurity and further cultivates the nine perceptions, ten perceptions, liberations, superior bases, and contemplation of the constructed Four Noble Truths, one may suddenly open in mind and understanding through these concentrations and gain the forbearance of non-arising. This is poison reaching the curds and killing.
If someone arouses the four private vows, cultivates the six perfections, embodies provisionality and enters emptiness, and contemplates the non-arising Four Truths, then suddenly awakens and gains the forbearance of non-arising, this is poison reaching raw ghee and killing.
If someone cultivates the six perfections, emerges from emptiness into provisionality, and contemplates the immeasurable Four Truths, then suddenly awakens in mind and gains the forbearance of non-arising, this is poison reaching refined ghee and killing.
If someone practices seated meditation, cultivates correct contemplation through Middle-Way intrinsic-nature dhyāna and the other dhyānas, studies the unconstructed Four Noble Truths, and practices the Lotus and pratyutpanna samādhis and the other forms among the four kinds of samādhi, then suddenly awakens in mind and gains the forbearance of non-arising, this is killing within the practice of clarified essence.
How the General Outline Encompasses Teaching and Contemplation
The Buddha-Dharma is now discerned through two paths, practice through faith and practice through Dharma, each of which forms three meanings through sudden, gradual, and indeterminate teaching. People who practice through faith traverse the preceding teachings in hearing Dharma, and not one topic is wholly the same as those of the other Dharma masters. People who practice through Dharma and wish to cultivate dhyāna and study the path traverse the preceding contemplations and are taught methods for settling the mind; not one topic is wholly the same as those of worldly meditation masters.
The foregoing only briefly indicates the great purport of the teaching and contemplation gates, yet it already broadly encompasses the Buddha-Dharma. It is therefore called Raising the General Outline.
判教相先舉大綱，再逐步展開細目。綱有三條：頓、漸、不定；每一條又同時通向教門與觀門。教門看佛如何說、眾生如何聞，觀門看行人如何把所聞轉成觀行。由說法到安心，三綱才成為一個完整入口。
教門與觀門，為何要同時成立
教門為信行人，成就聞義；觀門為法行人，成就慧義。聞與慧的關係，被寫成眼睛、日光與種種顏色：眼能見，仍須光明照物；光雖明，仍須有眼承受。聽聞使法義現前，智慧使人如實看見，兩者具足，教才真正進入觀。
這也說明判教不只回答『佛曾說過什麼』，還要回答『這一說法如何被人領受、如何成為修行』。同一個頓、漸、不定，若只看言教，便少了安心一面；若只看觀行，又失去所聞之源。二門互相照明，正如目與日光共同成就見色。
頓教相，如何遍見於諸大乘經
頓教相由幾幅圖像顯出。太陽初升先照高山，表示大法先應大機；唯嗅薝蔔，表示唯聞一味大法之香；不共般若顯出菩薩所聞之深；只說無上道、初見佛身便入如來慧，顯出聞法直趣佛道；牛食忍辱草立即得到醍醐，又顯行人不待味味漸轉便直得醍醐。
這些例子來自不同大乘經，卻共同顯出頓義，所以結語落在『頓教相』。相是某一處言教所呈現的義相，一部經可以在相應處顯頓；部則是把整部固定安置。論文把二者分開，使頓能依經中實際所說而被看見。
漸有哪三種次第
第一種漸，是經教彼此相生：由佛出十二部經，由十二部經出修多羅，依次出方等、般若、涅槃。這一條依經教前後相生說漸。
第二種漸，是從人天、二乘、菩薩直到佛道。這一條看人在教中的位次。
第三種漸，是從中間某一處開始而次第進入。這一條看行人所入不必都從最初一站起步。
三種次第各自回答一個問題：教如何展開，人如何升進，又如何從當下所在之處漸入。它們同名為漸，所看的次第卻不相同。
不定為何用毒來作譬喻
不定沒有離開頓、漸另成一法。它所指出的，是過去所聞的大乘實相已成深種，如毒先被放入乳中；今生再遇佛聲教，宿種便被觸發，結惑斷除。乳轉成酪、生蘇、熟蘇、醍醐，毒仍在其中，於任何一味發作都能殺人。
提謂與波利只聞五戒，同會卻有人得不起法忍，有三百人得信忍，四天王得柔順忍。戒仍是乳味，所得卻像服長樂之藥、佩長生之符，住戒而見諸佛母。這幅圖所顯的，是宿種在眼前所聞的五戒中成熟。
到酪味，同一初轉法輪中，五比丘與八萬諸天得法眼淨，無量菩薩則得無生法忍；到生蘇，菩薩於方等大乘教見佛性、住大涅槃；到熟蘇，菩薩於摩訶般若教見佛性；到醍醐，鈍根聲聞開慧眼見佛性，鈍根緣覺與菩薩七種方便也入究竟涅槃。五味標示發生之處，毒發標示破惑得入。由此，不定教相依頓、漸而明，仍不另成一部。
三種教相，如何轉成三種觀門
圓頓觀從初發心即觀實相，修四種三昧、行八正道，在道場開佛知見而得無生忍。牛食忍辱草立即得到醍醐的譬喻，在這裏由說法之頓轉成行觀之頓：所緣從一開始就是實相，所行仍具三昧與正道。
漸次觀從初發心便以圓極為所向，然後依次修阿那波那十二門禪、六妙門、十六特勝、觀、練、熏、修，以及道品、四諦觀。聲聞行如清淨乳，十二緣觀如酪；四弘誓願、六波羅蜜與通藏菩薩所行事理之法如生蘇；別教菩薩所行如熟蘇；自性禪、入一切禪直到清淨淨禪，能見佛性、住大涅槃，如醍醐。
所以，漸次說的是行法逐步開展，圓極說的是從最初發心便已確立的所向。次第使腳下每一步清楚，圓極使每一步知道往哪裏走。若專就菩薩位辨五味，也仍在這一方向中重看各層行相。
不定觀則把宿種發現落在五層修行中。修十二門禪時可忽然得無生忍；修不淨觀、九想、十想、背捨、勝處與有作四聖諦觀時也可心開意解；發四私誓願、修六度、體假入空與無生四諦觀時可悟；修六度、從空出假與無量四諦觀時可悟；修中道自性等禪、無作四聖諦及法華、般舟等四種三昧時也可悟。每一層都有實際所修，每一層也都可能成為宿種成熟之處。
為何略點便能大該佛法
信行人依頓、漸、不定三意歷教，法行人也依三意歷觀。前者以聞法入道，後者以安心修行；一邊辨諸教如何施設，一邊辨諸觀如何安置心行。三綱因而在教與觀之間彼此貫通。
『略點』說它只先點出綱領，『大該』說這綱領已能貫通廣大佛法。後面的經證、五味、開合、料簡與增數，將在這三綱之內逐步展開；第一目先使人看見，教與觀如何共同承擔判教相。
結語又兩次指出，每一科都與既有法師或世間禪師不同。差別不只在改換名稱：信行所聞的頓、漸、不定，須一一回到根機與所得；法行所修的三觀，也須一一成為安心之法。由教門到觀門都能落實，『名同舊、義異』才在全段末尾得到回答。這也說明大綱雖略，仍以每一科的實際運作為內容；同名之下，仍須逐科辨其所指、義理層次與作用。
釋籤之眼
湛然先把本單元判成列章與解釋，又把大綱之釋分為標、列、釋，釋中再開教、觀二門。這使開頭的三名與末尾的信、法兩行首尾相接：前面立三綱，後面說三綱如何各自歷教、歷觀。
鏡中對頓的判語，是從華嚴直到法華都可有頓義；鹿苑顯露本屬小教，所舉頓益則借祕密一面說明。由此，『頓教相』不被收窄成一部經的固定標籤。
漸又被明分三種：一代始終、人在教中、中間漸入。經歷漸教的人仍可得到頓益，所以言教展開的次第與眾生實際所得可以分看。
不定的關鍵被收成『由往聞法，今世發習』。提謂仍是顯露不定；生、熟蘇只舉菩薩，是說文省略。鏡中再以方便位為不定之名界，使常規入實與超常發習各有位置。
觀門最要緊的一照，在漸次觀的起點。行法雖然次第展開，三種觀從最初都知道所向之圓；專就菩薩位重指時，是借用次第行相，而初心仍知圓極。不定觀則專指昔聞種子隨今修觀而發，與從師所受的修行方式不定另有語境。
末後，湛然以三義若教若觀、能通一化解『大綱』，並說尚未細論諸門網目。大綱給出方向，具體教部、位次、顯祕與機益仍須隨事分別；所以它既能大該佛法，也不抹平後文的細判。
Why does one Buddha-Dharma have the three appearances sudden, gradual, and indeterminate? The characteristics of the teaching first raise a general outline and only afterward unfold the detailed topics. The outline has three lines—sudden, gradual, and indeterminate—and each simultaneously opens into the teaching gate and the contemplation gate. The teaching gate looks at how the Buddha teaches and how sentient beings hear; the contemplation gate looks at how practitioners turn what they have heard into contemplative practice. Only when teaching the Dharma and settling the mind are joined do the three lines become a complete entrance.
Why the Teaching Gate and Contemplation Gate Must Stand Together
The teaching gate is for people who practice through faith and accomplishes the aspect of hearing. The contemplation gate is for people who practice through Dharma and accomplishes the aspect of wisdom. The relation between hearing and wisdom is written as eyes, sunlight, and various colors: eyes can see, yet still require light to illuminate objects; light may be bright, yet still requires eyes to receive it. Hearing brings Dharma-meaning before one, and wisdom enables one to see it as it is. Only when both are complete does teaching genuinely enter contemplation.
This also shows that classifying the teaching answers not only “What did the Buddha teach?” but also “How is this teaching received, and how does it become practice?” If the same sudden, gradual, and indeterminate are viewed only as verbal teaching, the aspect of settling the mind is missing. If they are viewed only as contemplative practice, the source in what was heard is lost. The two gates illuminate one another, just as eyes and sunlight together make seeing colors possible.
How Characteristics of Sudden Teaching Appear Throughout the Great Vehicle Scriptures
Characteristics of sudden teaching are disclosed through several images. The rising sun first illuminates the high mountains, meaning that the great Dharma first responds to great capacities. Smelling only campaka means hearing only the fragrance of the one-flavored great Dharma. Prajñā not shared with the Two Vehicles discloses the profundity of what bodhisattvas hear. Teaching only the unsurpassed path and entering the Tathāgata’s wisdom upon first seeing the Buddha’s body disclose hearing the Dharma and proceeding directly toward the Buddha-path. A cow eating the Forbearance herb and immediately obtaining clarified essence further discloses a practitioner directly obtaining clarified essence without waiting to transform through each flavor in sequence.
These examples come from different Great Vehicle scriptures but together disclose sudden meaning, so the conclusion falls upon “characteristics of sudden teaching.” A characteristic is the meaning displayed by a teaching at a particular place, and a scripture can display the sudden wherever that characteristic is present. A division fixes a whole scripture in one place. The root treatise separates the two, allowing the sudden to be seen according to what each scripture actually teaches.
What Are the Three Kinds of Gradual Sequence?
The first kind of gradual is the arising of scriptural teachings from one another: from the Buddha issue the twelve divisions of scripture; from the twelve divisions issues sūtra; and in sequence issue Vaipulya, prajñā, and nirvāṇa. This speaks of the gradual according to the successive arising of scriptural teachings.
The second kind proceeds from humans and devas through the Two Vehicles and bodhisattvas to the Buddha-path. This views the stages of persons within the teaching.
The third kind begins at some point midway and enters successively. This views how a practitioner need not begin at the very first station.
Each of the three sequences answers a separate question: how teaching unfolds, how a person advances, and how one gradually enters from one’s present location. All bear the name gradual, but the sequence each examines is not the same.
Why Does the Indeterminate Use Poison as Its Simile?
The indeterminate does not establish another Dharma apart from sudden and gradual teaching. It points to how the Great Vehicle true mark heard in the past has already become a deep seed, like poison placed in milk beforehand. When one again encounters the Buddha’s voiced teaching in this life, the past seed is activated and the bonds of delusion are severed. Milk changes into curds, raw ghee, refined ghee, and clarified essence, yet the poison remains within it; activation in any flavor can kill.
Tiwei and Boli merely heard the five precepts, yet in the same assembly some gained the forbearance in which dharmas do not arise, three hundred people gained faith-forbearance, and the Four Heavenly Kings gained pliant forbearance. The discipline remains at the milk flavor, but what they gain is like consuming the medicine of enduring bliss, wearing the talisman of long life, and abiding in discipline while seeing the mother of the buddhas. This image discloses a past seed maturing within the five precepts heard at present.
At the curds flavor, within the same initial turning of the Dharma wheel, the five bhikṣus and eighty thousand devas gain purity of the Dharma-eye, while measureless bodhisattvas gain the forbearance of non-arising. At raw ghee, bodhisattvas see buddha-nature and abide in great nirvāṇa within the Vaipulya Great Vehicle teaching. At refined ghee, bodhisattvas see buddha-nature within the Mahāprajñā teaching. At clarified essence, śrāvakas of dull faculties open the wisdom-eye and see buddha-nature, while pratyekabuddhas of dull faculties and the bodhisattvas’ seven kinds of skillful means also enter ultimate nirvāṇa. The five flavors mark where development occurs; activation of the poison marks breaking delusion and gaining entry. In this way, the characteristics of indeterminate teaching are clarified on the basis of sudden and gradual without forming another division.
How the Three Characteristics of Teaching Become Three Gates of Contemplation
Perfect-and-sudden contemplation immediately contemplates the true mark from the initial arousal of mind, cultivates the four kinds of samādhi, and practices the noble eightfold path, opening the Buddha’s knowing-and-seeing at the place of awakening and gaining the forbearance of non-arising. The simile of a cow eating the Forbearance herb and immediately obtaining clarified essence here turns from sudden teaching of the Dharma to sudden contemplative practice. The condition from the outset is the true mark, yet the practice still possesses samādhis and the right path.
Gradual-and-successive contemplation takes the perfect ultimate as its direction from the initial arousal of mind and then cultivates in sequence the twelve-gate dhyāna of ānāpāna, the Six Wondrous Gates, the sixteen excellent practices, contemplating, refining, perfuming, cultivating, the factors of the path, and contemplation of the Four Truths. Śrāvaka practice is like pure milk, and contemplation of the twelve links is like curds. The four universal vows, six pāramitās, and phenomenal and principial dharmas practiced by bodhisattvas of the Shared and Tripiṭaka Teachings are like raw ghee. The practices of bodhisattvas of the Distinct Teaching are like refined ghee. Intrinsic-nature dhyāna, entering-all dhyāna, and the practices through pure-purification dhyāna can reveal buddha-nature and enable one to abide in great nirvāṇa, like clarified essence.
Thus the gradual succession describes practices unfolding step by step, while the perfect ultimate describes the direction already established from the initial arousal of mind. The sequence makes every step beneath one’s feet clear, while the perfect ultimate lets every step know where it is going. If the five flavors are distinguished specifically according to bodhisattva stages, the characteristics of practice at each level are still viewed again within this same direction.
Indeterminate contemplation places the development of past seeds within five levels of cultivation. One may suddenly gain the forbearance of non-arising while cultivating the twelve gates of dhyāna; while cultivating contemplation of impurity, the nine perceptions, ten perceptions, liberations, superior bases, and contemplation of the constructed Four Noble Truths, one may likewise open in mind and understanding. One may awaken while arousing the four private vows, cultivating the six perfections, embodying provisionality and entering emptiness, and contemplating the non-arising Four Truths. One may awaken while cultivating the six perfections, emerging from emptiness into provisionality, and contemplating the immeasurable Four Truths. One may also awaken while cultivating correct Middle-Way contemplation through intrinsic-nature dhyāna and the other dhyānas, the unconstructed Four Noble Truths, and the Lotus and pratyutpanna samādhis and the other forms among the four kinds of samādhi. Every level has an actual practice, and every level may become the place where a past seed matures.
Why Can a Brief Indication Broadly Encompass the Buddha-Dharma?
People who practice through faith traverse teaching according to the three meanings sudden, gradual, and indeterminate, and people who practice through Dharma traverse contemplation according to the same three meanings. The former enter the path through hearing Dharma, while the latter cultivate through settling the mind. One side discerns how the various teachings are established, and the other how the various contemplations arrange practice in the mind. The threefold outline therefore interpenetrates the teaching and contemplation gates.
“Brief indication” says that only the guiding lines are first pointed out, while “broadly encompasses” says that these lines already extend throughout the vast Buddha-Dharma. The scriptural evidence, five flavors, opening and combining, resolution of questions, and increasing numbers that follow will unfold step by step within this threefold outline. The first topic first enables one to see how teaching and contemplation together bear the work of classifying the characteristics of the teaching.
The conclusion twice states that each topic differs from those of established Dharma masters or worldly meditation masters. The difference is not merely a change of names. The sudden, gradual, and indeterminate heard in practice through faith must each return to capacities and attainments. The three contemplations cultivated in practice through Dharma must each become a method for settling the mind. Only when the teaching and contemplation gates are both made practical is “the names are the same as of old, but their meanings differ” answered at the end of the whole passage. This also shows that although the general outline is brief, each topic’s actual operation remains its content. Beneath the same names, every referent, doctrinal level, and function must still be distinguished.
Through the Eye of the Shiqian
Zhanran first analyzes this unit into listing the divisions and explanation, then divides the explanation of the general outline into marking the topic, listing, and explaining, with teaching and contemplation again opened within the explanation. This joins the three names at the beginning to practice through faith and practice through Dharma at the end: the threefold outline is established first, and afterward the three lines are shown traversing teaching and contemplation respectively.
The Mirror’s judgment concerning the sudden is that sudden meaning can occur from the Avataṃsaka through the Lotus. The manifest teaching at the Deer Park belongs to the small teaching, while the sudden benefit raised there is explained by borrowing its secret aspect. “Characteristics of sudden teaching” are thereby not narrowed to a fixed label for one scripture.
The gradual is further expressly divided into three: the beginning and end of the whole lifetime, persons within the teaching, and gradual entry beginning midway. A person traversing gradual teaching may still gain a sudden benefit, so the sequence in which verbal teaching unfolds and the benefit sentient beings actually gain can be viewed separately.
The key to the indeterminate is gathered as “hearing Dharma in the past and habituation developing in the present life.” Tiwei remains manifest indeterminacy; mentioning only bodhisattvas at the raw- and refined-ghee levels is an abbreviation in the exposition. The Mirror further uses the expedient stages as the naming boundary of the indeterminate, giving regular entry into the real and extraordinary development of past habituation their respective places.
The most important illumination in the contemplation gate concerns the starting point of gradual-and-successive contemplation. Although practices unfold in sequence, from the beginning all three contemplations know their perfect direction. When bodhisattva stages are specifically pointed out again, characteristics of sequential practice are borrowed while the initial mind still knows the perfect ultimate. Indeterminate contemplation specifically indicates a seed from past hearing developing in accordance with contemplation cultivated now; it has a different context from an indeterminate mode of practice received from a teacher.
Finally, Zhanran explains “general outline” through the three meanings extending throughout one lifetime of transformation whether as teaching or contemplation, while noting that the various gates and meshes have not yet been discussed in detail. The general outline gives direction; specific scriptural divisions, stages, manifest and secret teaching, and benefits to capacities still require distinction according to each matter. It can therefore broadly encompass the Buddha-Dharma without flattening the detailed classifications that follow.
考據Apparatus
判教相先列六目，本單元只釋第一目『舉大綱』。所舉頓、漸、不定三種，名稱雖沿舊說，義旨卻各開教門與觀門；論末再以信行、法行收束，故這一綱要同時辨說法之相與安心之法。
一、科判定位
本單元起於「○五、判教相者，即為六：一、舉大綱。二、引三文證。三、五味半滿相成。四、明合不合。五、通別料簡。六、增數明教。」〔T33 0806a14〕。此處『五』是別解五章之第五章，『六』是判教相內所開六目；本單元只入第一目，依次展開三綱、二門、三種教相、三種觀門及結示。
正文止於「是名略點教觀大意，大該佛法。」〔T33 0806c26〕；末字落在 0806c27，而下一段「二、引三文證者」〔T33 0806c27〕也從同一行另起，實際節界依兩段文字之間判定，不以行號相同誤作重疊。
《法華玄義釋籤》（T1717）先判「○五判教中，列章，解釋。釋中自六。」〔T33 0956c13〕，再說「初釋大綱中復為三：標、列、釋。釋中復為教、觀二種。」〔T33 0956c13〕。正釋從 0956c13 起，至「與今昔諸判不同。」〔T33 0957c29〕止；下一句已轉引三文證。依其科判，本單元可分為：六目總標、三綱二門、頓教相、三種漸、不定教相、圓頓觀、漸次觀、不定觀、信法簡示與大綱總結。
本相沒有『私曰』『記者』等換層標誌，故全段依卷題作智者講說、灌頂記錄；《釋籤》的細科與判語另守注釋層，不反作本論原句。
二、成立與傳本
本論緣起所誌為智者於江陵說玄義、灌頂受聞筆錄，並明記「次在江陵，奉蒙玄義」〔T33 0681a16〕及「《玄》、《文》各十卷」〔T33 0681a22〕；本單元未見另立灌頂附語的字面標誌。
三、所引經論覆核
聞慧譬與頓教相
| 次第 | 層次與典籍 | 逐字引文 | 關係 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 一 | 本論 | 「聞慧具足，如人有目，日光明照，見種種色，具如《釋論》偈〔云云〕。」〔T33 0806a20〕 | 本論只撮取聞、慧相資之譬 |
| 一 | 《大智度論》（T1509） | 「有慧無多聞，是不知實相；譬如大闇中，有目無所見。多聞無智慧，亦不知實義；譬如大明中，有燈而無目。多聞利智慧，是所說應受。無慧亦無明，是名人身牛。」〔T25 0101b10〕 | 今本全偈；第二聯作『實義』 |
| 二 | 本論所引《華嚴》 | 「日出先照高山」〔T33 0806a22〕 | 只取日出先照之首層 |
| 二 | 《大方廣佛華嚴經》（T0278） | 「復次，佛子！譬如日出，先照一切諸大山王、次照一切大山、次照金剛寶山、然後普照一切大地。」〔T09 0616b14〕 | 今本作『諸大山王』；七處八會所據為舊譯六十卷系 |
| 三 | 本論所引《淨名》 | 「唯嗅薝蔔」〔T33 0806a23〕 | 本論作『薝蔔』 |
| 三 | 《維摩詰所說經》（T0475） | 「舍利弗！如人入瞻蔔林，唯嗅瞻蔔，不嗅餘香。如是，若入此室，但聞佛功德之香，不樂聞聲聞、辟支佛功德香也。」〔T14 0548a25〕 | 今本作『瞻蔔』，並具入林、入室全譬 |
| 四 | 本論所引《大品》 | 「不共般若」〔T33 0806a23〕 | 是本論教判語，不是今本經文的一條同句 |
| 四 | 《摩訶般若波羅蜜經》（T0223） | 「菩薩摩訶薩欲勝一切聲聞、辟支佛智慧，當學般若波羅蜜。」〔T08 0219b02〕 | 經文顯菩薩般若超二乘 |
| 四 | 《大智度論》（T1509） | 「復次，般若波羅蜜有二種：一者、共聲聞、菩薩合說，二者、但與諸法身菩薩說。」〔T25 0357c13〕 | 二種般若的明文釋義在論，不冒作 T0223 原句 |
| 五 | 本論所引《法華》 | 「但說無上道」〔T33 0806a24〕 | 節取一句 |
| 五 | 《妙法蓮華經》（T0262） | 「正直捨方便，但說無上道。」〔T09 0010a19〕 | 今本具前半句 |
| 六 | 本論所引《法華》 | 「始見我身，聞我所說，即皆信受，入如來慧，若遇眾生，盡教佛道。」〔T33 0806a24〕 | 本論把兩處經文合引 |
| 六 | 《妙法蓮華經》（T0262） | 「此諸眾生，始見我身，聞我所說，即皆信受入如來慧；除先修習學小乘者。」〔T09 0040b08〕 | 今本有主語與例外分句 |
| 六 | 《妙法蓮華經》（T0262） | 「若我遇眾生，盡教以佛道」〔T09 0008b08〕 | 另在遠處偈文；今本多『我』『以』 |
| 七 | 本論所引《涅槃》 | 「雪山有草名為忍辱，牛若食者，即得醍醐。」〔T33 0806a26〕 | 本論作『即得』 |
| 七 | 《大般涅槃經》（T0374） | 「善男子！雪山有草名為忍辱，牛若食者則出醍醐。」〔T12 0525c25〕 | 今本作『則出』，並有呼語 |
| 八 | 本論所引《涅槃》 | 「我初成佛，恒沙菩薩來問是義，如汝無異。」〔T33 0806a27〕 | 節取初成佛、菩薩問義與無異三節 |
| 八 | 《大般涅槃經》（T0374） | 「我坐道場菩提樹下初成正覺，爾時無量阿僧祇恒河沙等諸佛世界有諸菩薩，亦曾問我是甚深義，然其所問句義功德亦皆如是，等無有異。」〔T12 0380b05〕 | 今本長文次第與本論節引各守其本 |
以上諸例由本論結作「皆名頓教相也，非頓教部也。」〔T33 0806a29〕。它們共同證一部經中可顯頓義，不把諸經一律改判為單一頓部。
漸教相與不定教相
| 次第 | 層次與典籍 | 逐字引文 | 關係 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 九 | 本論所引《涅槃》 | 「從佛出十二部經，從十二部經出修多羅，從修多羅出方等經，從方等經出般若，從般若出涅槃。」〔T33 0806b01〕 | 以經教相生顯漸 |
| 九 | 《大般涅槃經》（T0374） | 「善男子！佛亦如是，從佛出生十二部經，從十二部經出修多羅，從修多羅出方等經，從方等經出般若波羅蜜，從般若波羅蜜出大涅槃，猶如醍醐。」〔T12 0449a09〕 | 今本多『生』『波羅蜜』『大』及末譬 |
| 十 | 本論所引《大經》 | 「置毒乳中，乳即殺人，酪、蘇、醍醐亦能殺人。」〔T33 0806b07〕 | 本論把毒遍五味攝成各味能殺 |
| 十 | 《大般涅槃經》（T0374） | 「譬如有人置毒乳中，乃至醍醐皆悉有毒，乳不名酪，酪不名乳，乃至醍醐亦復如是。名字雖變，毒性不失，遍五味中，皆悉如是，若服醍醐亦能殺人，實不置毒於醍醐中。」〔T12 0539b18〕 | 今本明說名字雖變、毒性不失 |
| 十一 | 本論提謂波利場景 | 「若如提謂波利，但聞五戒，不起法忍，三百人得信忍，四天王得柔順忍」〔T33 0806b10〕 | 完整得益敘事未得單一現存本可確繫 |
| 十一 | 本論前段 | 「又提謂長者得不起法忍，三百人得信忍，二百人得須陀洹，四天王得柔順法忍」〔T33 0804a13〕 | 同書前段另有較長清單 |
| 十一 | 本論後段 | 「又《五戒經》中，二長者得不起法忍」〔T33 0812c20〕 | 同書後段明稱《五戒經》 |
| 十一 | 《淨心誡觀法發真鈔》（X1096） | 「提謂經有真偽二本故僧祐錄稱宋孝武時北國沙門曇靖撰一卷者邪正天別續高僧傳舊錄別有提謂經一卷與諸經語同今所引者是真本智昇錄曰久虧其本無可究尋」〔X 0531b16〕 | 後出書目只證所稱真本久佚；不升作本論所據原經 |
| 十二 | 本論所引《智度論》 | 「教有二種：一、顯露教。二、祕密教。」〔T33 0806b14〕 | 次第作顯露、祕密 |
| 十二 | 《大智度論》（T1509） | 「佛法有二種：一、祕密，二、現示。」〔T25 0084c19〕 | 今本次序相反，且作『現示』 |
| 十二 | 《大智度論》（T1509） | 「現示中，佛、辟支佛、阿羅漢皆是福田」〔T25 0084c20〕 | 顯見的一面 |
| 十二 | 《大智度論》（T1509） | 「祕密中，說諸菩薩得無生法忍」〔T25 0085a01〕 | 密見的一面 |
| 十三 | 本論初轉法輪 | 「顯露者，初轉法輪，五比丘及八萬諸天得法眼淨。」〔T33 0806b15〕 | 把五比丘、八萬天與法眼淨合說 |
| 十三 | 《大智度論》（T1509） | 「佛為五比丘，初開甘露門，說四真諦法：苦集滅道諦。阿若憍陳如，最初得見道；八萬諸天眾，皆亦入道迹！」〔T25 0069b14〕 | 初轉法輪一處 |
| 十三 | 《大智度論》（T1509） | 「憍陳如一人得初道，八萬諸天諸法中得法眼淨。」〔T25 0311b02〕 | 法眼淨另見此處 |
| 十四 | 本論祕密教 | 「若祕密教，無量菩薩得無生法忍。」〔T33 0806b16〕 | 與前句同作初轉顯祕二益 |
| 十四 | 《大智度論》（T1509） | 「諸佛事有二種：一者、密，二者、現。」〔T25 0517a29〕 | 另立密、現視角 |
| 十四 | 《大智度論》（T1509） | 「初轉法輪，聲聞人見八萬、一人得初道；諸菩薩見無數阿僧祇人得聲聞道」〔T25 0517a29〕 | 同一佛事隨所見不同 |
| 十四 | 《大智度論》（T1509） | 「十方無量眾生得無生法忍」〔T25 0517b05〕 | 無生忍見於後文 |
| 十五 | 本論方等層 | 「有諸菩薩，於方等大乘教得見佛性，住大涅槃」〔T33 0806b18〕 | 生蘇層的天台判語 |
| 十五 | 《大般涅槃經》（T0374） | 「若見佛性能斷煩惱，是則名為大涅槃也。」〔T12 0514c11〕 | 只支持見性與大涅槃的義結 |
| 十六 | 本論般若層 | 「有諸菩薩，於摩訶般若教得見佛性」〔T33 0806b19〕 | 熟蘇層的天台判語 |
| 十六 | 《摩訶般若波羅蜜經》（T0223） | 「菩薩摩訶薩欲勝一切聲聞、辟支佛智慧，當學般若波羅蜜。」〔T08 0219b02〕 | 今本不自標『熟蘇』『見佛性』 |
| 十七 | 本論涅槃層 | 「鈍根聲聞開發慧眼，得見佛性，乃至鈍根緣覺、菩薩七種方便，皆入究竟涅槃」〔T33 0806b21〕 | 醍醐層的天台判語 |
| 十七 | 《大般涅槃經》（T0374） | 「三種觀義七種方便」〔T12 0600c04〕 | 只證今本有七種方便名目；不把兩段拼作經文同句 |
提謂波利一項維持所指待考：現存古注與書目能保存傳承線索，卻未提供可把完整得益清單逐字歸屬的單一今本。
觀門內指與姊妹論
| 次第 | 層次與典籍 | 逐字引文 | 關係 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 十八 | 本論圓頓觀 | 「從初發心即觀實相，修四種三昧，行八正道，即於道場開佛知見，得無生忍。」〔T33 0806b25〕 | 圓頓仍具三昧與正道行門 |
| 十八 | 《摩訶止觀》（T1911） | 「三種止觀：一、漸次，二、不定，三、圓頓，皆是大乘，俱緣實相，同名止觀。」〔T46 0001c02〕 | 三種止觀總標 |
| 十八 | 《摩訶止觀》（T1911） | 「初緣實相，造境即中，無不真實。」〔T46 0001c23〕 | 圓頓觀首緣實相 |
| 十八 | 《摩訶止觀》（T1911） | 「行法眾多，略言其四：一、常坐，二、常行，三、半行半坐，四、非行非坐。」〔T46 0011a24〕 | 四種三昧全目 |
| 十八 | 《摩訶止觀》（T1911） | 「故知初心行道，用三十七品調養止觀四種三昧，入菩薩位。」〔T46 0090a09〕 | 道品、四三昧與菩薩位相連 |
| 十九 | 本論漸次觀 | 「修阿那波那十二門禪，即是根本之行。」〔T33 0806b28〕 | 由阿那波那入十二門 |
| 十九 | 《釋禪波羅蜜次第法門》（T1916） | 「行人從初持戒清淨，厭患欲界，繫念修習阿那波那」〔T46 0480a20〕 | 今本另先明持戒清淨 |
| 十九 | 《釋禪波羅蜜次第法門》（T1916） | 「此十二門禪皆是有漏法。」〔T46 0480a29〕 | 十二門總結 |
| 十九 | 《釋禪波羅蜜次第法門》（T1916） | 「行者既得根本禪已，為欲除此禪中見著，次還從欲界修六妙門。」〔T46 0480b01〕 | 六妙門次第 |
| 二十 | 本論所引五味位譬 | 「凡夫如雜血乳」〔T33 0806b29〕 | 本論短引 |
| 二十 | 本論上〈行妙〉 | 「凡夫如雜血乳；須陀洹、斯陀含如淨乳；阿那含如酪；阿羅漢如生蘇；支佛、菩薩如熟蘇；佛如醍醐。」〔T33 0739b29〕 | 本論內部較完整的五味位譬 |
| 二十 | 《大般涅槃經》（T0374） | 「如牛新生，乳血未別，凡夫之性，雜諸煩惱亦復如是。」〔T12 0423b05〕 | 今本一處解雜血乳 |
| 二十 | 《大般涅槃經》（T0374） | 「是故我於經中先說，眾生佛性，如雜血乳；血者即是無明行等一切煩惱，乳者即是善五陰也。」〔T12 0571c03〕 | 今本另一處有『眾生佛性』，不補入本論短引 |
| 二十一 | 本論菩薩禪 | 「次修自性禪、入一切禪，乃至清淨淨禪」〔T33 0806c06〕 | 本論作『入一切禪』 |
| 二十一 | 《釋禪波羅蜜次第法門》（T1916） | 「菩薩不共禪次第者：一、自性禪；二、一切義禪；三、難禪；四、一切門禪；五、善人禪；六、一切行禪；七、除惱禪；八、此世他世樂禪；九、清淨淨禪。」〔T46 0480c21〕 | 今本第二目作『一切義禪』；全九目並錄 |
| 二十二 | 本論內指 | 「若的就菩薩位，辨五味義，如上行妙中辨，亦如《次第禪門》說也」〔T33 0806c09〕 | 一處內指、一處外指 |
| 二十二 | 《釋禪波羅蜜次第法門》（T1916） | 「四、非有漏非無漏法者，法華三昧、般舟念佛、首楞嚴等百八三昧，自性禪等九種禪」〔T46 0481b20〕 | 法華、般舟為所列行法；不另補成四個經名 |
| 二十二 | 《摩訶止觀》（T1911） | 「別有一卷，名《法華三昧》，是天台師所著」〔T46 0014a09〕 | 說明法華三昧另有行法卷 |
觀門最後依五層列不定發悟；每層都由既修法門而『豁然』得無生忍，所變的是發悟所在，不是另立五種終果。
四、釋籤釋要〔鏡〕
《法華玄義釋籤》先把三綱的用義從固定部帙中解開。於頓教相說「初釋頓教，始自華嚴終至法華，皆有頓義，故顯露中唯除鹿苑，以餘部中皆有頓故，名為頓教，而非頓部。」〔T33 0956c17〕；鹿苑所舉頓義又是「且借祕密助入此中」〔T33 0956c20〕，不改鹿苑顯露教的本位。
漸教相被明分為一代始終、人在教中及中間漸入三種〔T33 0957a25–b12〕。因此經教敷設、人在教中的次第與中間漸入，各有著眼；即使歷漸教，也可能得到頓益。
不定先明往昔「由往聞法」〔T33 0957b15〕，再明當世「即今世發習」〔T33 0957b15〕。提謂一例仍屬顯露，至鹿苑才分顯祕；生、熟蘇只說菩薩，是正文省略，鏡中另補祕密二乘亦可處處得入。至於「不定名必在方便」〔T33 0957b28〕，是以方便位超常入實為不定之名界。
觀門中，圓頓一種與《摩訶止觀》全同，漸與不定少分不同。本相的不定觀被釋為「此約昔聞今隨修觀所發不定。」〔T33 0957c08〕，與從師所受、修行方式不定的語境有別。漸次觀雖依次行門，卻從初發心便為圓極；故鏡中說「彼三種初皆知圓。」〔T33 0957c10〕，專就菩薩位重指時則是借用次第行相而初心知圓。
結處以『大綱』三義若教若觀皆能通一化〔T33 0957c19〕定其範圍，又說「並未委論諸門網目。為是義故，名為大綱。」〔T33 0957c23〕。大綱能通一化，遇具體教部、行位與機益，仍須隨事別釋。
五、諸家異釋
本書後出注面
智銓《法華經玄籤證釋》（X0592）逐文扣合本相。其所引聞慧偈第二聯作「多聞無智慧，亦不知實相。」〔X 0630b16〕，與今本《大智度論》『實義』兩形並錄；又以「頓有二義：一約部，二約教。約部別其華嚴，約教通於餘時。」〔X 0630b18〕說明頓相與頓部，以「鹿苑顯露，是小非頓，故借祕密中頓」〔X 0630b21〕守顯祕分際。
對漸與不定，智銓說「漸亦知實相，實相難解，漸次易行。」〔X 0631a09〕，又判「提謂得忍，聞小證大，乃是不定。是為顯露不定教也。」〔X 0631a14〕；結處分列「語頓則始終俱有」〔X 0631a17〕與「語漸又三種不同」〔X 0631a18〕，不把三名局成三部。
智旭《法華經玄義節要》（X0589）先說「當知此經唯論設教大綱，不委微細網目。」〔X 0540b04〕，再保存三綱二門及『相非部』之骨架。其五味鏈節文作「從佛出十二部經，從十二部出修多羅，從修多羅出方等，從方等出般若，從般若出涅槃。」〔X 0540b19〕，置毒句又作「酪、酥、醍醐，亦能殺人。」〔X 0540b23〕；『酥』與本論『蘇』各守其本。圓頓、漸次與不定觀也被連續節錄，其中仍保存「從初發心為圓極故」〔X 0540c15〕。
山家、山外平行
知禮《金光明經文句記》（T1786）說初心修諸禪三昧及苦行精進之門時，「但須皆用圓無生觀為主為導」〔T39 0116a04〕；《觀音義疏記》（T1729）又說「然漸頓觀皆觀三毒，頓則滿離不二而觀，漸則初心但觀於離，後乃滿離相即而照。」〔T34 0946b07〕。兩段都把所向與行相分開，不因行相有次第便失其圓向。
智圓《涅槃玄義發源機要》（T1766）以「宿習了因名為置毒，藉今聞教毒發不同。」〔T38 0017a26〕及「此證不定根性味味得入也。」〔T38 0017a28〕直扣宿種、今聞、毒發；又提醒同一置毒文可按五味教或五道機取不同用意。《金剛錍顯性錄》（X0935）則說三種止觀「同是大乘，俱名止觀，俱緣實相」〔X 0519a04〕，並說「三行雖殊，以解頓故，初心俱知佛性」〔X 0519a06〕。所見山家、山外材料在此皆為正面平行，並錄而不判優劣。
六、術語
大綱。 頓、漸、不定三義，各可約教、約觀，能概括一代教化而尚未細論門網目。『大』在所攝廣，『綱』在先提綱領，不表示已窮盡一切細目。
頓教相、頓教部。 頓教相指某處教說具有頓義；頓教部則把整部固定判作頓。本相明斷前者不等於後者。
漸。 本相有三面：從經教相生看一代始終，從人天至佛道看人在教中次第，又從中間進入看中間之漸。三者不相併縮。
不定。 不離頓、漸另有一套法；它著眼於過去所聞的實相種子，在今世聞教或修觀時，於不同層次發起而入實。
五味。 乳、酪、生蘇、熟蘇、醍醐，於教門表示機益發生之處，於觀門表示所歷行法層次。所在有次第，發悟不必等候次第走完。
毒與殺人。 毒譬過去所聞大乘實相，毒發譬今聞觸動宿種，殺人譬結惑斷除；不是惡法入身或肉身死亡。
信行、法行。 教門配信行與聞義，觀門配法行與慧義；眼與日光之譬又要求聞、慧具足，故兩行不是彼此隔絕。
圓頓觀。 從初發心即觀實相，並修四種三昧、行八正道而入無生；『頓』不取消具體行門。
漸次觀。 從初發心即以圓極為所向，再依次修根本禪、聲聞、緣覺與菩薩諸行。行相次第與最初所向同時成立。
不定觀。 過去深種善根，今在所修某一層中豁然開悟；它不是隨意混修，而是宿種隨當前修行發現。
後世常用的判教約詞不替代本相原有詞層；本單元依本文的頓、漸、不定與教、觀二門立說。
七、譬喻、互讀與承衍
眼、日光與種種色先顯聞、慧相資：有眼而無明照，不能見色；聞慧具足，才見教義差別。日出先照高山、入林唯嗅薝蔔、牛食忍辱草即得醍醐，又從不同方向顯頓教相：先應大機、唯聞佛德、由行直入醍醐。
置毒五味是本單元最長的貫串譬喻。過去聞實相如毒已入乳，乳轉為酪、生蘇、熟蘇、醍醐，名字與層次雖變，毒性不失；今聞或今修觸動宿種，便在所在層次破惑。長樂之藥、長生之符、住戒見佛母，則把提謂一會所得的大益寫成同一乳味中的不定發現。
與《妙法蓮華經》互讀，本論合取『始見我身』與『若遇眾生』兩處，顯頓義不限一處經文；與《大般涅槃經》互讀，五味相生顯漸、置毒五味顯不定，同一味譬因所問不同而有兩種工作。與《摩訶止觀》《釋禪波羅蜜次第法門》互讀，三種觀門又把教相落回安心行法。
本單元承衍前四章：釋名、辨體、明宗、論用說明一經的名義、正體、因果與力用，判教相則辨這些法義如何隨教、隨機、隨行而呈現。第一目只舉大綱，後五目再以經證、五味、開合、料簡與增數逐步展開。
八、校本定位
一、本單元以 T1716 為底，起於 0806a14，正文最後一句首字在 0806c26，末字與下一單元開頭同落 0806c27；節界依段落文字判定。
二、本相現存大正校記為零組；四處〔云云〕是所傳夾註，不作異讀。零校記只說本相沒有大正異讀標記，不表示本論引經與今本完全同字。
三、本相前段作「四弘誓願」〔T33 0806c04〕，不定觀中另作「四私誓願」〔T33 0806c16〕；本相無校記可供齊一，故兩形各守所在。又本論作『入一切禪』〔T33 0806c06〕，《釋禪波羅蜜次第法門》第二目作「一切義禪」〔T46 0480c21〕，亦並錄不改。
四、開章總題另見「大章第五、釋教相者」〔T33 0800a19〕，本單元作『判教相』；兩形分屬章首與第五科內文，各還其位。
五、《華嚴》七處八會依舊譯六十卷《大方廣佛華嚴經》；《釋論》《智度論》均歸《大智度論》；《次第禪門》的藏本題名為《釋禪波羅蜜次第法門》。提謂波利與《五戒經》完整得益敘事維持所指待考，不以後出殘引強配藏號。
六、所有引文行錨取首字之前最近同版行號；《法華》兩處合引、《大智度論》初轉法輪三處撮合及同一行的短引，均分別標示各自起錨。
The characteristics of the teaching first list six topics, and this unit explains only the first, Raising the General Outline. Although the three kinds raised—sudden, gradual, and indeterminate—retain the names of older accounts, each meaning is opened through both the teaching gate and the contemplation gate. The conclusion then gathers them through practice through faith and practice through Dharma, so this outline distinguishes both the characteristics of teaching the Dharma and the methods for settling the mind.
1. Doctrinal-Outline Placement
This unit begins with 「○五、判教相者，即為六：一、舉大綱。二、引三文證。三、五味半滿相成。四、明合不合。五、通別料簡。六、增數明教。」 tr. “Fifth, classifying the characteristics of the teaching consists of six: first, raising the general outline; second, citing three passages as evidence; third, the five flavors and half and full mutually establishing one another; fourth, clarifying correspondence and non-correspondence; fifth, general and specific resolution of questions; and sixth, explaining the teaching through increasing numbers”〔T33 0806a14〕. Here “fifth” is the fifth of the Five Chapters in the separate explanation, while “six” is the six topics opened within the characteristics of the teaching. This unit enters only the first and unfolds in order the threefold outline, two gates, three characteristics of the teaching, three gates of contemplation, and conclusion.
The body ends with 「是名略點教觀大意，大該佛法。」 tr. “This is called briefly indicating the great purport of teaching and contemplation, broadly encompassing the Buddha-Dharma”〔T33 0806c26〕. The final graph falls at 0806c27, while the next passage, 「二、引三文證者」 tr. “Second, citing three passages as evidence”〔T33 0806c27〕, also begins separately on that same line. The actual unit boundary follows the division between the two passages and is not falsely treated as an overlap merely because the line number is shared.
The Fahua Xuanyi Shiqian (T1717) first analyzes, 「○五判教中，列章，解釋。釋中自六。」 tr. “Fifth, within classifying the teaching, there are listing the divisions and explanation; within the explanation there are six in their own right”〔T33 0956c13〕, and then says, 「初釋大綱中復為三：標、列、釋。釋中復為教、觀二種。」 tr. “The initial explanation of the general outline is again threefold: marking the topic, listing, and explaining; within the explanation there are again the two kinds, teaching and contemplation”〔T33 0956c13〕. The direct explanation begins at 0956c13 and ends with 「與今昔諸判不同。」 tr. “It differs from the various classifications of past and present”〔T33 0957c29〕; the next sentence has already turned to citing three passages as evidence. According to this analysis, the unit can be divided into the general listing of six topics; threefold outline and two gates; the characteristics of sudden teaching; three kinds of gradual; the characteristics of indeterminate teaching; perfect-and-sudden contemplation; gradual-and-successive contemplation; indeterminate contemplation; the concise distinction of faith and Dharma; and the overall conclusion to the outline.
This unit has no layer-changing marker such as 私曰 (“I privately say”) or 記者 (“Recorder”). The entire passage is therefore treated according to the fascicle attribution as Master Zhiyi’s teaching recorded by Guanding. The detailed analysis and judgments of the Shiqian remain in the commentary layer and are not rewritten as sentences of the root treatise.
2. Formation and Transmission
The root treatise’s account of its origins records Master Zhiyi teaching the Profound Meaning at Jiangling and Guanding receiving, hearing, and transcribing it. It expressly says, 「次在江陵，奉蒙玄義」 tr. “Next, in Jiangling, I reverently received the Profound Meaning”〔T33 0681a16〕 and 「《玄》、《文》各十卷」 tr. “the Profound Meaning and the Words and Phrases each comprised ten fascicles”〔T33 0681a22〕. No textual marker establishing a separate appended statement by Guanding occurs in this unit.
3. Scriptures and Treatises Cited by Zhiyi
The Simile of Hearing and Wisdom and the Characteristics of Sudden Teaching
| Sequence | Layer and work | Exact quotation | Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Root treatise | 「聞慧具足，如人有目，日光明照，見種種色，具如《釋論》偈〔云云〕。」 tr. “When hearing and wisdom are complete, it is like a person having eyes while sunlight shines brightly, enabling one to see various colors; the details are as in the verse of the Explanatory Treatise〔and so forth〕”〔T33 0806a20〕 | The root treatise takes only the simile of hearing and wisdom supporting one another. |
| 1 | Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom (T1509) | 「有慧無多聞，是不知實相；譬如大闇中，有目無所見。多聞無智慧，亦不知實義；譬如大明中，有燈而無目。多聞利智慧，是所說應受。無慧亦無明，是名人身牛。」 tr. “Having wisdom without much learning, one does not know the true mark; it is like having eyes amid great darkness yet seeing nothing. Having much learning without wisdom, one likewise does not know the true meaning; it is like having a lamp amid great brightness but no eyes. Much learning together with sharp wisdom—what is taught by such a person should be received. Having neither wisdom nor learning is called a cow in a human body”〔T25 0101b10〕 | The complete verse in the received text; its second couplet has “true meaning.” |
| 2 | Root treatise citing the Avataṃsaka | 「日出先照高山」 tr. “When the sun rises, it first illuminates the high mountains”〔T33 0806a22〕 | It takes only the first level illuminated at sunrise. |
| 2 | Mahāvaipulya Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra (T0278) | 「復次，佛子！譬如日出，先照一切諸大山王、次照一切大山、次照金剛寶山、然後普照一切大地。」 tr. “Furthermore, child of the Buddha! It is like the sun rising: it first illuminates all kings of great mountains, next all great mountains, next the vajra-jeweled mountains, and only afterward universally illuminates the whole great earth”〔T09 0616b14〕 | The received text has “all kings of great mountains”; the basis for seven locations and eight assemblies is the older sixty-fascicle translation. |
| 3 | Root treatise citing the Vimalakīrti | 「唯嗅薝蔔」 tr. “One smells only campaka”〔T33 0806a23〕 | The root treatise uses the graph form 薝蔔. |
| 3 | Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa Sūtra (T0475) | 「舍利弗！如人入瞻蔔林，唯嗅瞻蔔，不嗅餘香。如是，若入此室，但聞佛功德之香，不樂聞聲聞、辟支佛功德香也。」 tr. “Śāriputra! It is like a person entering a campaka grove: one smells only campaka and does not smell any other fragrance. So it is here: if one enters this room, one hears only the fragrance of the Buddha’s qualities and does not delight in hearing the fragrance of the qualities of śrāvakas or pratyekabuddhas”〔T14 0548a25〕 | The received text uses the graph form 瞻蔔 and includes the complete similes of entering the grove and entering the room. |
| 4 | Root treatise citing the Large Prajñā | 「不共般若」 tr. “prajñā not shared with the Two Vehicles”〔T33 0806a23〕 | This is a classificatory expression of the root treatise, not an identical sentence in the received scripture. |
| 4 | Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra (T0223) | 「菩薩摩訶薩欲勝一切聲聞、辟支佛智慧，當學般若波羅蜜。」 tr. “Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas who wish to surpass the wisdom of all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas should train in the perfection of wisdom”〔T08 0219b02〕 | The scripture shows bodhisattva prajñā surpassing that of the Two Vehicles. |
| 4 | Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom (T1509) | 「復次，般若波羅蜜有二種：一者、共聲聞、菩薩合說，二者、但與諸法身菩薩說。」 tr. “Furthermore, the perfection of wisdom is of two kinds: first, that taught jointly to śrāvakas and bodhisattvas; second, that taught only to bodhisattvas of the Dharma-body”〔T25 0357c13〕 | The explicit explanation of two kinds of prajñā occurs in the treatise and is not passed off as an original sentence of T0223. |
| 5 | Root treatise citing the Lotus | 「但說無上道」 tr. “teaches only the unsurpassed path”〔T33 0806a24〕 | An excerpt of one sentence. |
| 5 | Sutra of the Lotus Blossom of the Wondrous Dharma (T0262) | 「正直捨方便，但說無上道。」 tr. “Uprightly abandoning skillful means, he teaches only the unsurpassed path”〔T09 0010a19〕 | The received text includes the preceding half-sentence. |
| 6 | Root treatise citing the Lotus | 「始見我身，聞我所說，即皆信受，入如來慧，若遇眾生，盡教佛道。」 tr. “When they first saw my body and heard what I taught, they all immediately believed and accepted it and entered the Tathāgata’s wisdom; whenever I encountered sentient beings, I taught them all the Buddha-path”〔T33 0806a24〕 | The root treatise combines citations from two places in the scripture. |
| 6 | Sutra of the Lotus Blossom of the Wondrous Dharma (T0262) | 「此諸眾生，始見我身，聞我所說，即皆信受入如來慧；除先修習學小乘者。」 tr. “When these sentient beings first saw my body and heard what I taught, they all immediately believed and accepted it and entered the Tathāgata’s wisdom, except for those who had previously cultivated and studied the Lesser Vehicle”〔T09 0040b08〕 | The received text includes the subject and the exceptional clause. |
| 6 | Sutra of the Lotus Blossom of the Wondrous Dharma (T0262) | 「若我遇眾生，盡教以佛道」 tr. “Whenever I encounter sentient beings, I teach them all by means of the Buddha-path”〔T09 0008b08〕 | This occurs separately in a distant verse; the received text additionally has 我 and 以. |
| 7 | Root treatise citing the Nirvāṇa | 「雪山有草名為忍辱，牛若食者，即得醍醐。」 tr. “On Snow Mountain there is an herb called Forbearance; if a cow eats it, it immediately obtains clarified essence”〔T33 0806a26〕 | The root treatise has “immediately obtains.” |
| 7 | Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (T0374) | 「善男子！雪山有草名為忍辱，牛若食者則出醍醐。」 tr. “Good man! On Snow Mountain there is an herb called Forbearance; if a cow eats it, it then produces clarified essence”〔T12 0525c25〕 | The received text has “then produces” and includes a form of address. |
| 8 | Root treatise citing the Nirvāṇa | 「我初成佛，恒沙菩薩來問是義，如汝無異。」 tr. “When I first became a buddha, bodhisattvas numerous as the sands of the Ganges came to ask this meaning, no differently from you”〔T33 0806a27〕 | An excerpt gathering first becoming a buddha, bodhisattvas asking the meaning, and nondifference. |
| 8 | Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (T0374) | 「我坐道場菩提樹下初成正覺，爾時無量阿僧祇恒河沙等諸佛世界有諸菩薩，亦曾問我是甚深義，然其所問句義功德亦皆如是，等無有異。」 tr. “When I sat at the place of awakening beneath the bodhi tree and first attained right awakening, bodhisattvas from the worlds of buddhas measureless as asaṃkhyeyas and the sands of the Ganges also asked me this extremely profound meaning. The qualities of the words and meanings they asked were likewise all just so, equal and without difference”〔T12 0380b05〕 | The order of the long passage in the received text and the root treatise’s excerpt each remain with their own text. |
The root treatise concludes all these examples with 「皆名頓教相也，非頓教部也。」 tr. “All are called characteristics of sudden teaching, not sudden-teaching divisions”〔T33 0806a29〕. Together they establish that a scripture may disclose a sudden meaning without all the cited scriptures thereby being reclassified as one fixed sudden division.
Characteristics of Gradual and Indeterminate Teaching
| Sequence | Layer and work | Exact quotation | Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Root treatise citing the Nirvāṇa | 「從佛出十二部經，從十二部經出修多羅，從修多羅出方等經，從方等經出般若，從般若出涅槃。」 tr. “From the Buddha issue the twelve divisions of scripture; from the twelve divisions of scripture issues sūtra; from sūtra issue the Vaipulya scriptures; from the Vaipulya scriptures issues prajñā; and from prajñā issues nirvāṇa”〔T33 0806b01〕 | It reveals the gradual through the successive arising of scriptural teachings. |
| 9 | Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (T0374) | 「善男子！佛亦如是，從佛出生十二部經，從十二部經出修多羅，從修多羅出方等經，從方等經出般若波羅蜜，從般若波羅蜜出大涅槃，猶如醍醐。」 tr. “Good man! The Buddha is likewise so: from the Buddha are born the twelve divisions of scripture; from the twelve divisions of scripture issues sūtra; from sūtra issue the Vaipulya scriptures; from the Vaipulya scriptures issues the perfection of wisdom; and from the perfection of wisdom issues great nirvāṇa, like clarified essence”〔T12 0449a09〕 | The received text additionally has “are born,” “pāramitā,” “great,” and the final simile. |
| 10 | Root treatise citing the Great Sūtra | 「置毒乳中，乳即殺人，酪、蘇、醍醐亦能殺人。」 tr. “Place poison in milk and the milk immediately can kill a person; curds, ghee, and clarified essence can also kill a person”〔T33 0806b07〕 | The root treatise gathers the poison’s pervading all five flavors as each flavor’s ability to kill. |
| 10 | Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (T0374) | 「譬如有人置毒乳中，乃至醍醐皆悉有毒，乳不名酪，酪不名乳，乃至醍醐亦復如是。名字雖變，毒性不失，遍五味中，皆悉如是，若服醍醐亦能殺人，實不置毒於醍醐中。」 tr. “It is like someone placing poison in milk: down through clarified essence, all of it contains poison. Milk is not called curds, and curds are not called milk; down through clarified essence, the same applies. Although the names change, the poison’s nature is not lost; throughout the five flavors, all are so. If clarified essence is consumed, it can also kill a person, although poison was not actually placed in the clarified essence”〔T12 0539b18〕 | The received text expressly says that although names change, the poison’s nature is not lost. |
| 11 | The Tiwei-and-Boli scene in the root treatise | 「若如提謂波利，但聞五戒，不起法忍，三百人得信忍，四天王得柔順忍」 tr. “As in the case of Tiwei and Boli: merely on hearing the five precepts, they gained forbearance in which dharmas do not arise; three hundred people gained faith-forbearance, and the Four Heavenly Kings gained pliant forbearance”〔T33 0806b10〕 | The complete account of attainments has not been securely tied to one extant witness. |
| 11 | Earlier passage of the root treatise | 「又提謂長者得不起法忍，三百人得信忍，二百人得須陀洹，四天王得柔順法忍」 tr. “Moreover, the elder Tiwei gained forbearance in which dharmas do not arise; three hundred people gained faith-forbearance, two hundred gained stream-entry, and the Four Heavenly Kings gained pliant Dharma-forbearance”〔T33 0804a13〕 | An earlier passage in the same work has a longer list. |
| 11 | Later passage of the root treatise | 「又《五戒經》中，二長者得不起法忍」 tr. “Moreover, in the Sūtra of the Five Precepts, the two elders gained forbearance in which dharmas do not arise”〔T33 0812c20〕 | A later passage in the same work explicitly names the Sūtra of the Five Precepts. |
| 11 | Jingxin Jieguan Fa Fazhen Chao (X1096) | 「提謂經有真偽二本故僧祐錄稱宋孝武時北國沙門曇靖撰一卷者邪正天別續高僧傳舊錄別有提謂經一卷與諸經語同今所引者是真本智昇錄曰久虧其本無可究尋」 tr. “The Tiwei Sūtra had genuine and spurious versions. Thus Sengyou’s catalog says that the one-fascicle work composed by the northern śramaṇa Tanjing during the reign of Emperor Xiaowu of the Song was as different in wrong and right as heaven. The Continued Biographies of Eminent Monks says that old catalogs separately listed a one-fascicle Tiwei Sūtra whose language agreed with the various scriptures. What is cited here is the genuine version. Zhisheng’s catalog says that its text had long been lost and could not be investigated”〔X 0531b16〕 | This later bibliographic record establishes only that the so-called genuine text had long been lost; it is not promoted into the original scripture used by the root treatise. |
| 12 | Root treatise citing the Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom | 「教有二種：一、顯露教。二、祕密教。」 tr. “Teaching is of two kinds: first, manifest teaching; second, secret teaching”〔T33 0806b14〕 | The order is manifest followed by secret. |
| 12 | Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom (T1509) | 「佛法有二種：一、祕密，二、現示。」 tr. “The Buddha-Dharma is of two kinds: first, secret; second, openly shown”〔T25 0084c19〕 | The received text reverses the order and has “openly shown.” |
| 12 | Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom (T1509) | 「現示中，佛、辟支佛、阿羅漢皆是福田」 tr. “Within what is openly shown, buddhas, pratyekabuddhas, and arhats are all fields of merit”〔T25 0084c20〕 | The openly visible aspect. |
| 12 | Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom (T1509) | 「祕密中，說諸菩薩得無生法忍」 tr. “Within the secret, it teaches that the bodhisattvas gain the forbearance of non-arising”〔T25 0085a01〕 | The secretly visible aspect. |
| 13 | The initial turning of the Dharma wheel in the root treatise | 「顯露者，初轉法輪，五比丘及八萬諸天得法眼淨。」 tr. “As for the manifest: at the initial turning of the Dharma wheel, the five bhikṣus and eighty thousand devas gained purity of the Dharma-eye”〔T33 0806b15〕 | It combines the five bhikṣus, eighty thousand devas, and purity of the Dharma-eye in one statement. |
| 13 | Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom (T1509) | 「佛為五比丘，初開甘露門，說四真諦法：苦集滅道諦。阿若憍陳如，最初得見道；八萬諸天眾，皆亦入道迹！」 tr. “For the five bhikṣus the Buddha first opened the gate of ambrosia and taught the Dharma of the Four Truths: the truths of suffering, origination, cessation, and the path. Ājñāta Kauṇḍinya was the first to gain vision of the path, and the assembly of eighty thousand devas likewise all entered the track of the path!”〔T25 0069b14〕 | One account of the initial turning of the Dharma wheel. |
| 13 | Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom (T1509) | 「憍陳如一人得初道，八萬諸天諸法中得法眼淨。」 tr. “Kauṇḍinya alone gained the initial path, while eighty thousand devas gained purity of the Dharma-eye among the various dharmas”〔T25 0311b02〕 | Purity of the Dharma-eye appears separately here. |
| 14 | Secret teaching in the root treatise | 「若祕密教，無量菩薩得無生法忍。」 tr. “Under secret teaching, measureless bodhisattvas gain the forbearance of non-arising”〔T33 0806b16〕 | Together with the preceding sentence, it presents the two benefits, manifest and secret, at the initial turning. |
| 14 | Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom (T1509) | 「諸佛事有二種：一者、密，二者、現。」 tr. “The affairs of the buddhas are of two kinds: first, secret; second, manifest”〔T25 0517a29〕 | It separately establishes the perspectives of secret and manifest. |
| 14 | Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom (T1509) | 「初轉法輪，聲聞人見八萬、一人得初道；諸菩薩見無數阿僧祇人得聲聞道」 tr. “At the initial turning of the Dharma wheel, śrāvaka persons see eighty thousand and one person gaining the initial path, while the bodhisattvas see incalculable asaṃkhyeyas of people gaining the śrāvaka path”〔T25 0517a29〕 | Different beings see the same Buddha-affair differently. |
| 14 | Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom (T1509) | 「十方無量眾生得無生法忍」 tr. “Measureless sentient beings throughout the ten directions gain the forbearance of non-arising”〔T25 0517b05〕 | The forbearance of non-arising appears in the later passage. |
| 15 | Vaipulya layer in the root treatise | 「有諸菩薩，於方等大乘教得見佛性，住大涅槃」 tr. “There are bodhisattvas who, within the Vaipulya Great Vehicle teaching, gain vision of buddha-nature and abide in great nirvāṇa”〔T33 0806b18〕 | A Tiantai judgment concerning the raw-ghee layer. |
| 15 | Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (T0374) | 「若見佛性能斷煩惱，是則名為大涅槃也。」 tr. “If one sees buddha-nature and can sever the afflictions, this is then called great nirvāṇa”〔T12 0514c11〕 | It supports only the connection in meaning between seeing the nature and great nirvāṇa. |
| 16 | Prajñā layer in the root treatise | 「有諸菩薩，於摩訶般若教得見佛性」 tr. “There are bodhisattvas who, within the Mahāprajñā teaching, gain vision of buddha-nature”〔T33 0806b19〕 | A Tiantai judgment concerning the refined-ghee layer. |
| 16 | Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra (T0223) | 「菩薩摩訶薩欲勝一切聲聞、辟支佛智慧，當學般若波羅蜜。」 tr. “Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas who wish to surpass the wisdom of all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas should train in the perfection of wisdom”〔T08 0219b02〕 | The received scripture does not identify itself through “refined ghee” or “seeing buddha-nature.” |
| 17 | Nirvāṇa layer in the root treatise | 「鈍根聲聞開發慧眼，得見佛性，乃至鈍根緣覺、菩薩七種方便，皆入究竟涅槃」 tr. “Śrāvakas of dull faculties open the wisdom-eye and gain vision of buddha-nature; down through pratyekabuddhas of dull faculties and the bodhisattvas’ seven kinds of skillful means, all enter ultimate nirvāṇa”〔T33 0806b21〕 | A Tiantai judgment concerning the clarified-essence layer. |
| 17 | Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (T0374) | 「三種觀義七種方便」 tr. “the meaning of three kinds of contemplation and seven kinds of skillful means”〔T12 0600c04〕 | It establishes only that the received text has the category seven kinds of skillful means; the two passages are not spliced into a single scriptural sentence. |
The Tiwei-and-Boli item remains marked as a referent under investigation. Extant ancient annotations and bibliographic records preserve a line of transmission, but they do not provide one received text to which the complete list of attainments can be attributed verbatim.
Internal References in the Contemplation Gate and the Sister Treatise
| Sequence | Layer and work | Exact quotation | Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Perfect-and-sudden contemplation in the root treatise | 「從初發心即觀實相，修四種三昧，行八正道，即於道場開佛知見，得無生忍。」 tr. “From the initial arousal of the mind, one immediately contemplates the true mark, cultivates the four kinds of samādhi, and practices the noble eightfold path; immediately at the place of awakening one opens the Buddha’s knowing-and-seeing and gains the forbearance of non-arising”〔T33 0806b25〕 | The perfect-and-sudden still possesses the gates of samādhi and the right path. |
| 18 | Mohe Zhiguan (Great Calming-and-Contemplation) (T1911) | 「三種止觀：一、漸次，二、不定，三、圓頓，皆是大乘，俱緣實相，同名止觀。」 tr. “There are three kinds of calming-and-contemplation: first, gradual-and-successive; second, indeterminate; third, perfect-and-sudden. All are Great Vehicle, all take the true mark as their condition, and all bear the shared name calming-and-contemplation”〔T46 0001c02〕 | The general statement of the three kinds of calming-and-contemplation. |
| 18 | Mohe Zhiguan (T1911) | 「初緣實相，造境即中，無不真實。」 tr. “Initially taking the true mark as the condition, whatever object is approached is immediately the middle, and nothing is not true and real”〔T46 0001c23〕 | Perfect-and-sudden contemplation initially takes the true mark as its condition. |
| 18 | Mohe Zhiguan (T1911) | 「行法眾多，略言其四：一、常坐，二、常行，三、半行半坐，四、非行非坐。」 tr. “The practices are numerous; spoken of briefly, there are four: first, constantly sitting; second, constantly walking; third, half walking and half sitting; fourth, neither walking nor sitting”〔T46 0011a24〕 | The complete list of the four kinds of samādhi. |
| 18 | Mohe Zhiguan (T1911) | 「故知初心行道，用三十七品調養止觀四種三昧，入菩薩位。」 tr. “Thus we know that those who practice the path at the initial mind use the thirty-seven factors to regulate and nourish the four kinds of samādhi in calming-and-contemplation, entering the bodhisattva stage”〔T46 0090a09〕 | The factors of the path, four samādhis, and bodhisattva stage are linked. |
| 19 | Gradual-and-successive contemplation in the root treatise | 「修阿那波那十二門禪，即是根本之行。」 tr. “Cultivating the twelve-gate dhyāna of ānāpāna is the fundamental practice”〔T33 0806b28〕 | The twelve gates begin with ānāpāna. |
| 19 | Shichan Boluomi Cidi Famen (T1916) | 「行人從初持戒清淨，厭患欲界，繫念修習阿那波那」 tr. “From the outset, practitioners uphold discipline purely, become disenchanted with the desire realm, and bind mindfulness to cultivating ānāpāna”〔T46 0480a20〕 | The received text first separately clarifies pure observance of discipline. |
| 19 | Shichan Boluomi Cidi Famen (T1916) | 「此十二門禪皆是有漏法。」 tr. “These twelve gates of dhyāna are all contaminated dharmas”〔T46 0480a29〕 | The conclusion to the twelve gates. |
| 19 | Shichan Boluomi Cidi Famen (T1916) | 「行者既得根本禪已，為欲除此禪中見著，次還從欲界修六妙門。」 tr. “Once practitioners have gained fundamental dhyāna, in order to remove attachment to views within this dhyāna they next return to the desire realm and cultivate the Six Wondrous Gates”〔T46 0480b01〕 | The sequence leading to the Six Wondrous Gates. |
| 20 | Root treatise citing the five-flavor stage simile | 「凡夫如雜血乳」 tr. “An ordinary being is like milk mixed with blood”〔T33 0806b29〕 | A short quotation in the root treatise. |
| 20 | Earlier Subtlety of Practice in the root treatise | 「凡夫如雜血乳；須陀洹、斯陀含如淨乳；阿那含如酪；阿羅漢如生蘇；支佛、菩薩如熟蘇；佛如醍醐。」 tr. “An ordinary being is like milk mixed with blood; a stream-enterer and once-returner are like pure milk; a non-returner is like curds; an arhat is like raw ghee; a pratyekabuddha and bodhisattva are like refined ghee; and a buddha is like clarified essence”〔T33 0739b29〕 | A more complete five-flavor stage simile elsewhere in the same root treatise. |
| 20 | Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (T0374) | 「如牛新生，乳血未別，凡夫之性，雜諸煩惱亦復如是。」 tr. “It is like a newly calved cow whose milk and blood have not yet separated; the nature of an ordinary being, mixed with the various afflictions, is likewise so”〔T12 0423b05〕 | One received passage explaining milk mixed with blood. |
| 20 | Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (T0374) | 「是故我於經中先說，眾生佛性，如雜血乳；血者即是無明行等一切煩惱，乳者即是善五陰也。」 tr. “Therefore I previously said in the scripture that the buddha-nature of sentient beings is like milk mixed with blood: blood is precisely all the afflictions such as ignorance and formations, while milk is precisely the five wholesome aggregates”〔T12 0571c03〕 | Another received passage has “the buddha-nature of sentient beings”; it is not inserted into the root treatise’s short quotation. |
| 21 | Bodhisattva dhyāna in the root treatise | 「次修自性禪、入一切禪，乃至清淨淨禪」 tr. “Next one cultivates intrinsic-nature dhyāna, entering-all dhyāna, and so forth through pure-purification dhyāna”〔T33 0806c06〕 | The root treatise has 入一切禪. |
| 21 | Shichan Boluomi Cidi Famen (T1916) | 「菩薩不共禪次第者：一、自性禪；二、一切義禪；三、難禪；四、一切門禪；五、善人禪；六、一切行禪；七、除惱禪；八、此世他世樂禪；九、清淨淨禪。」 tr. “The sequence of the bodhisattvas’ unshared dhyānas is: first, intrinsic-nature dhyāna; second, all-meaning dhyāna; third, difficult dhyāna; fourth, all-gates dhyāna; fifth, good-person dhyāna; sixth, all-practices dhyāna; seventh, affliction-removing dhyāna; eighth, dhyāna of joy in this world and other worlds; ninth, pure-purification dhyāna”〔T46 0480c21〕 | The received text’s second item is 一切義禪; all nine are recorded. |
| 22 | Internal reference in the root treatise | 「若的就菩薩位，辨五味義，如上行妙中辨，亦如《次第禪門》說也」 tr. “If one specifically takes the bodhisattva stages to discern the meaning of the five flavors, it is as explained above in the Subtlety of Practice and also as taught in the Sequential Gate of Dhyāna”〔T33 0806c09〕 | One internal reference and one external reference occur together. |
| 22 | Shichan Boluomi Cidi Famen (T1916) | 「四、非有漏非無漏法者，法華三昧、般舟念佛、首楞嚴等百八三昧，自性禪等九種禪」 tr. “Fourth, as for dharmas that are neither contaminated nor uncontaminated: the Lotus Samādhi, pratyutpanna recollection of the Buddha, the Śūraṃgama and the other 108 samādhis, and the nine kinds of dhyāna beginning with intrinsic-nature dhyāna”〔T46 0481b20〕 | Lotus and pratyutpanna are listed practices; they are not separately supplemented into four scripture titles. |
| 22 | Mohe Zhiguan (T1911) | 「別有一卷，名《法華三昧》，是天台師所著」 tr. “There is separately one fascicle named Lotus Samādhi, composed by the Tiantai master”〔T46 0014a09〕 | It explains that the Lotus Samādhi has a separate fascicle of practice instructions. |
At the end of the contemplation gate, indeterminate awakening is listed through five layers. At every layer, a practitioner suddenly gains the forbearance of non-arising through the Dharma gate currently being cultivated. What changes is the point at which awakening occurs, not the establishment of five different final attainments.
4. Essential Explanations from the Shiqian [the Mirror]
The Fahua Xuanyi Shiqian first releases the application of the threefold outline from fixed scriptural divisions. Concerning the characteristics of sudden teaching, it says, 「初釋頓教，始自華嚴終至法華，皆有頓義，故顯露中唯除鹿苑，以餘部中皆有頓故，名為頓教，而非頓部。」 tr. “In the initial explanation of sudden teaching, from the Avataṃsaka through the Lotus, all have sudden meaning. Therefore, within the manifest, only the Deer Park is excluded; because all the remaining divisions possess sudden meaning, they are called sudden teaching but are not sudden divisions”〔T33 0956c17〕. The sudden meaning raised at the Deer Park is 「且借祕密助入此中」 tr. “provisionally borrowing the secret to assist its inclusion here”〔T33 0956c20〕; it does not change the position of the Deer Park’s manifest teaching.
The characteristics of gradual teaching are expressly divided into three: the beginning and end of the whole lifetime, persons within the teaching, and gradual entry beginning midway〔T33 0957a25–b12〕. The unfolding of scriptural teachings, the sequence of persons within the teaching, and gradual entry midway thus have different points of focus. Even while traversing gradual teaching, one may still gain a sudden benefit.
The indeterminate first clarifies the past through 「由往聞法」 tr. “arising from hearing Dharma in the past”〔T33 0957b15〕, then the present through 「即今世發習」 tr. “habituation developing in the present life”〔T33 0957b15〕. The Tiwei example remains manifest; only at the Deer Park is manifest distinguished from secret. Mentioning only bodhisattvas in raw and refined ghee is an abbreviation in the root text, and the Mirror further explains that the Two Vehicles may also gain entry secretly at every point. As for 「不定名必在方便」 tr. “the name indeterminate necessarily lies within the expedient stages”〔T33 0957b28〕, this sets the naming boundary of the indeterminate at extraordinary entry into the real from an expedient stage.
Within the contemplation gate, perfect-and-sudden contemplation is entirely the same as in the Mohe Zhiguan, while the gradual and indeterminate differ in part. The indeterminate contemplation in this unit is explained as 「此約昔聞今隨修觀所發不定。」 tr. “This concerns indeterminacy developing now in accordance with the contemplation cultivated, on the basis of what was heard in the past”〔T33 0957c08〕; this differs from a context in which what is received from a teacher or one’s mode of cultivation is indeterminate. Although gradual-and-successive contemplation proceeds through sequential practices, it is directed toward the perfect ultimate from the initial arousal of mind. Thus the Mirror says, 「彼三種初皆知圓。」 tr. “All three kinds know the perfect from the beginning”〔T33 0957c10〕. When the bodhisattva stages are specifically pointed out again, sequential characteristics of practice are borrowed while the initial mind still knows the perfect.
The conclusion sets the range of the “general outline” by saying that the three meanings, whether as teaching or contemplation, can all extend throughout one lifetime of transformation〔T33 0957c19〕. It further says, 「並未委論諸門網目。為是義故，名為大綱。」 tr. “None has yet discussed the various gates and meshes in detail; because of this meaning, it is called a general outline”〔T33 0957c23〕. The general outline extends throughout one lifetime of transformation, but specific scriptural divisions, practices and stages, and capacities and benefits still require separate explanation according to the matter at hand.
5. Explanations of Various Masters
Later Commentarial Surfaces on This Work
Zhiquan’s Fahua Jing Xuanqian Zhengshi (X0592) follows the present characteristics line by line. Its version of the second couplet in the verse on hearing and wisdom reads, 「多聞無智慧，亦不知實相。」 tr. “Having much learning without wisdom, one likewise does not know the true mark”〔X 0630b16〕. This is recorded side by side with “true meaning” in the received Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom. It also explains characteristics and divisions through 「頓有二義：一約部，二約教。約部別其華嚴，約教通於餘時。」 tr. “The sudden has two meanings: first according to divisions, second according to teaching. According to divisions it is specifically the Avataṃsaka; according to teaching it extends through the other periods”〔X 0630b18〕, and preserves the manifest-secret distinction with 「鹿苑顯露，是小非頓，故借祕密中頓」 tr. “The manifest teaching at the Deer Park is small and not sudden; therefore the sudden within the secret is borrowed”〔X 0630b21〕.
Concerning gradual and indeterminate teaching, Zhiquan says, 「漸亦知實相，實相難解，漸次易行。」 tr. “The gradual also knows the true mark; the true mark is difficult to understand, while gradual succession is easy to practice”〔X 0631a09〕. He also judges, 「提謂得忍，聞小證大，乃是不定。是為顯露不定教也。」 tr. “Tiwei’s gaining forbearance is hearing the small and realizing the great; this is therefore indeterminate. It is manifest indeterminate teaching”〔X 0631a14〕. At the conclusion he separately lists 「語頓則始終俱有」 tr. “speaking of the sudden, it exists at both beginning and end”〔X 0631a17〕 and 「語漸又三種不同」 tr. “speaking of the gradual, there are again three different kinds”〔X 0631a18〕; he does not confine the three names into three scriptural divisions.
Zhixu’s Fahua Jing Xuanyi Jieyao (X0589) first says, 「當知此經唯論設教大綱，不委微細網目。」 tr. “Know that this scripture discusses only the general outline for establishing teaching and does not detail the minute meshes”〔X 0540b04〕, and then preserves the framework of the threefold outline, two gates, and “characteristic, not division.” Its excerpt of the five-flavor chain reads, 「從佛出十二部經，從十二部出修多羅，從修多羅出方等，從方等出般若，從般若出涅槃。」 tr. “From the Buddha issue the twelve divisions of scripture; from the twelve divisions issues sūtra; from sūtra issues Vaipulya; from Vaipulya issues prajñā; and from prajñā issues nirvāṇa”〔X 0540b19〕. Its poison sentence uses 「酪、酥、醍醐，亦能殺人。」 tr. “Curds, ghee, and clarified essence can also kill a person”〔X 0540b23〕; the graph 酥 there and the root treatise’s 蘇 each remain with their own text. Perfect-and-sudden, gradual-and-successive, and indeterminate contemplation are also excerpted continuously, still preserving 「從初發心為圓極故」 tr. “because from the initial arousal of mind one is directed toward the perfect ultimate”〔X 0540c15〕.
Parallel Materials from the Mountain Tradition and Off-Mountain
Zhili’s Jinguangming Jing Wenju Ji (T1786) says that when beginners cultivate the various gates of dhyāna, samādhi, austerity, and vigorous effort, 「但須皆用圓無生觀為主為導」 tr. “they need only use perfect contemplation of non-arising as principal and guide in every case”〔T39 0116a04〕. His Guanyin Yishu Ji (T1729) further says, 「然漸頓觀皆觀三毒，頓則滿離不二而觀，漸則初心但觀於離，後乃滿離相即而照。」 tr. “Yet gradual and sudden contemplation both contemplate the three poisons. The sudden contemplates fulfillment and relinquishment as nondual, while at the initial mind the gradual contemplates only relinquishment and later illuminates fulfillment and relinquishment as mutually identical”〔T34 0946b07〕. Both passages distinguish the direction sought from the characteristics of practice, without allowing sequential practices to lose their perfect direction.
Zhiyuan’s Niepan Xuanyi Fayuan Jiyao (T1766) directly engages the planting of poison, present hearing, and the poison’s activation through 「宿習了因名為置毒，藉今聞教毒發不同。」 tr. “Past habituation as the conditioning cause is called placing poison; relying on hearing the teaching now, the poison activates differently”〔T38 0017a26〕 and 「此證不定根性味味得入也。」 tr. “This establishes that indeterminate capacities and natures gain entry in any flavor”〔T38 0017a28〕. It also cautions that the same passage on placing poison can be used differently according to the five flavors of teaching or the capacities of the five paths. The Jingang Pi Xianxing Lu (X0935), in turn, says that the three kinds of calming-and-contemplation are 「同是大乘，俱名止觀，俱緣實相」 tr. “all Great Vehicle, all named calming-and-contemplation, and all taking the true mark as their condition”〔X 0519a04〕, and that 「三行雖殊，以解頓故，初心俱知佛性」 tr. “although the three practices differ, because their understanding is sudden, all know buddha-nature at the initial mind”〔X 0519a06〕. The Mountain Tradition and Off-Mountain materials found here are positive parallels; they are recorded side by side without adjudicating superiority.
6. Terminology
General outline. The three meanings sudden, gradual, and indeterminate can each be explained according to teaching and contemplation. They can encompass the Buddha’s whole lifetime of transformation without yet discussing the gates and meshes in detail. “General” marks the breadth embraced, while “outline” marks the guiding lines raised first; it does not mean that every detail has already been exhausted.
Characteristics of sudden teaching and sudden-teaching divisions. Characteristics of sudden teaching means that a particular teaching at a particular place possesses sudden meaning. A sudden-teaching division means fixing an entire work as sudden. This unit explicitly determines that the former does not equal the latter.
Gradual. This unit has three aspects: the beginning and end of the whole lifetime as seen through scriptural teachings arising from one another; the sequence of persons within the teaching, from humans and devas through the Buddha-path; and gradual entry beginning midway. The three are not compressed into one.
Indeterminate. It does not establish a separate set of dharmas apart from sudden and gradual teaching. It focuses on how seeds of the true mark heard in the past develop at different levels when one hears teaching or cultivates contemplation in the present life and thereby enters the real.
Five flavors. Milk, curds, raw ghee, refined ghee, and clarified essence indicate, in the teaching gate, where a benefit to capacities occurs and, in the contemplation gate, the level of practice being traversed. The locations have a sequence, but awakening need not wait for the whole sequence to be completed.
Poison and killing. Poison represents the Great Vehicle teaching of the true mark heard in the past; activation of the poison represents present hearing touching a past seed; and killing represents severing the bonds of delusion. It does not mean an evil dharma entering the body or the death of the physical body.
Practice through faith and practice through Dharma. The teaching gate corresponds to practice through faith and the aspect of hearing, while the contemplation gate corresponds to practice through Dharma and the aspect of wisdom. The simile of eyes and sunlight further requires hearing and wisdom both to be complete, so the two practices are not isolated from one another.
Perfect-and-sudden contemplation. From the initial arousal of mind it immediately contemplates the true mark, while cultivating the four kinds of samādhi and practicing the noble eightfold path to enter the forbearance of non-arising. “Sudden” does not cancel concrete gates of practice.
Gradual-and-successive contemplation. From the initial arousal of mind it takes the perfect ultimate as its direction, then sequentially cultivates fundamental dhyāna, śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha practices, and the various bodhisattva practices. The sequence of practices and their initial direction stand together.
Indeterminate contemplation. Deeply planting wholesome roots in the past, one now suddenly awakens within a particular level of what one cultivates. This is not arbitrary mixing of practices, but the development of past seeds in connection with present practice.
Later summary expressions commonly used for classifying the teaching do not replace the original terminological layer of this unit. The present unit speaks according to its own sudden, gradual, and indeterminate and its two gates of teaching and contemplation.
7. Similes · Cross-Reading · Carrying Forward
Eyes, sunlight, and various colors first reveal the mutual support of hearing and wisdom: eyes without bright illumination cannot see colors; only when hearing and wisdom are complete can distinctions among the meanings of teachings be seen. The sun first illuminating high mountains, entering a grove and smelling only campaka, and a cow eating the Forbearance herb and immediately obtaining clarified essence then disclose characteristics of sudden teaching from different directions: first responding to great capacities, hearing only the fragrance of the Buddha’s qualities, and entering clarified essence directly through practice.
Placing poison throughout the five flavors is the longest simile running through this unit. Hearing the true mark in the past is like poison already placed in milk. As milk changes into curds, raw ghee, refined ghee, and clarified essence, the names and levels change but the poison’s nature is not lost. Present hearing or cultivation touches the past seed and breaks delusion at that very level. The medicine of enduring bliss, talisman of long life, abiding in discipline, and seeing the mother of the buddhas write the great benefit gained in Tiwei’s assembly as an indeterminate development within the same milk flavor.
Read together with the Sutra of the Lotus Blossom of the Wondrous Dharma, the root treatise combines “first saw my body” and “whenever I encounter sentient beings” from two places, revealing that sudden meaning is not confined to one scriptural sentence. Read with the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, the five flavors arising from one another reveal the gradual, while poison pervading the five flavors reveals the indeterminate; the same flavor simile performs two kinds of work according to the question being asked. Read with the Mohe Zhiguan and Shichan Boluomi Cidi Famen, the three gates of contemplation return the characteristics of teaching to practical methods for settling the mind.
This unit carries forward the preceding four chapters. Explaining the Name, Discerning the Substance, Clarifying the Purport, and Discussing the Function explain a scripture’s meaning of the name, correct substance, cause and fruit, and effective power. The characteristics of the teaching then discern how those Dharma-meanings appear according to teaching, capacities, and practice. The first topic raises only the general outline; the five topics that follow gradually unfold through scriptural evidence, the five flavors, opening and combining, resolving questions, and increasing numbers.
8. Placement of the Editions
First, this unit takes T1716 as its base text. It begins at 0806a14. The first graph of the final sentence of the body lies at 0806c26, while its final graph and the opening of the next unit both fall at 0806c27; the boundary follows the paragraph text.
Second, the extant Taishō apparatus for this unit contains zero sets of textual notes. The four occurrences of 〔云云〕 are transmitted inline annotations, not variant readings. Zero apparatus notes means only that this unit has no Taishō variant marker; it does not mean that the scriptures quoted in the root treatise are graphically identical with their received texts.
Third, the earlier passage in this unit has 「四弘誓願」 tr. “the four universal vows”〔T33 0806c04〕, while the indeterminate contemplation separately has 「四私誓願」 tr. “the four private vows”〔T33 0806c16〕. This unit has no textual note that would authorize making them uniform, so both forms remain in their own locations. The root treatise also has 入一切禪 (“entering-all dhyāna”)〔T33 0806c06〕, while the second item in the Shichan Boluomi Cidi Famen is 「一切義禪」 tr. “all-meaning dhyāna”〔T46 0480c21〕; these too are recorded together without alteration.
Fourth, the general heading at the opening of the chapter separately reads 「大章第五、釋教相者」 tr. “The fifth great chapter, explaining the characteristics of the teaching”〔T33 0800a19〕, while this unit uses 判教相. The two forms respectively belong to the chapter opening and the internal text of the fifth topic, and each is returned to its own location.
Fifth, the seven locations and eight assemblies of the Avataṃsaka follow the older sixty-fascicle Mahāvaipulya Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra. Both Explanatory Treatise and Treatise on Wisdom refer to the Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom. The canonical title of the Sequential Gate of Dhyāna is Shichan Boluomi Cidi Famen. The complete account of attainments concerning Tiwei and Boli and the Sūtra of the Five Precepts remains a referent under investigation and is not forcibly assigned a canon number through later fragmentary citations.
Sixth, every line anchor follows the nearest same-edition line number preceding the first graph of its quotation. The two-place composite quotation from the Lotus, the three-place digest of the initial turning of the Dharma wheel from the Great Treatise on the Perfection of Wisdom, and short quotations sharing a line each carry their own starting anchor separately.