英語訳
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[They became] disciples of the jeweled gates, or stood beneath the steadfast pines of Nanshan, or wandered in the gardens of sacred fungi by the West Lake, or like blue dragons deeply fathoming the ocean floor, or like great clouds universally covering the four directions. The two vehicles of Mahayana and Hinayana, the two schools of characteristics and nature, the two gates of teaching and contemplation, the two teachings of exoteric and esoteric—each transmission is beyond calculation. The seven great temples all stand shoulder to shoulder in reverence, while the southern and northern capitals compete in beauty through their scholarship. They are mutually assemblies of dragons and elephants, all serving as great teachers of humans and devas. The remaining distant regions also follow in propagation. From ancient times to the present, [the lineage] continues without interruption. Though in the Final Dharma age the flavor is thin, the ocean of teachings is fundamentally deep. Though one wishes to sound its depths, one cannot reach them. How great! Truly beyond description. This is what we call the manner of propagation in Japan.
Question: The manner of propagation in the three countries—I have briefly understood this. However, regarding the Buddhist teachings transmitted in Japan today, how many are there in total? Please clarify this again.
Answer: The teachings in Japan that have been studied since ancient times originally comprised only eight schools. This has not changed to this day. During the intervening period, it was not that there were no other schools. However, what has been studied in ancient and modern times amounts to only these eight schools.
Question: What are these eight schools?
Answer: The eight schools are: first, the Kusha school; second, the Jōjitsu school; third, the Ritsu school; fourth, the Hossō school; fifth, the Sanron school; sixth, the Tendai school; seventh, the Kegon school; eighth, the Shingon school.
Question: Among these eight schools, how many are Hinayana and how many are Mahayana?
Answer: Kusha, Jōjitsu, and Ritsu—these three schools are all Hinayana. Hossō, Sanron, Tendai, Kegon, and Shingon—these five schools are all Mahayana.
Question: Can one hear about the doctrinal principles discussed by each of these eight schools?
Answer: The doctrinal purport of the various schools is profound and difficult to know. Even one school still savors what has not been heard, how much more so eight schools? Therefore, I will only list the names and
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roughly describe one principle each.
**Kusha School**
Question: Why is it called the Kusha school?
Answer: "Kusha" is the name of the fundamental treatise. Speaking fully, the treatise's title is called "Abhidharmakośa-śāstra." The character "treatise" (論) is Chinese; the remaining six characters are all Sanskrit. "Abhi" means "corresponding to"; "dharma" means "dharma"; "kośa" means "treasury." It means the "Treatise on the Treasury of Corresponding Dharma." The undefiled wisdom is called "corresponding."
"Corresponding" has two meanings: first, because it corresponds toward nirvana; second, because it corresponds in contemplation of the Four Noble Truths. "Dharma" has two meanings: first, supreme meaning dharma, which is nirvana; second, dharma-characteristic dharma, which encompasses the Four Noble Truths. The undefiled wisdom corresponds toward and contemplates nirvana and the Four Noble Truths. "Treasury" has two meanings: first, containment; second, basis. The meaning of containment is that this treatise contains the various supreme meaningful words of the Jñānaprasthāna and other treatises, therefore it is called "treasury." "Treasury of corresponding dharma" is a dependent-lord compound. The meaning of basis is that this treatise was composed based on the Jñānaprasthāna and other treatises. It completely adopts the name "Treasury of Corresponding Dharma" from the fundamental treatise. Because it possesses the treasury of corresponding dharma, it is called "Treasury of Corresponding Dharma." This is a possessive compound. The treatise is complete. The meaning of the title is thus. Now this Kusha is taken as the school [foundation], therefore it is called the Kusha school.
Question: After how many years following the Tathagata's extinction was this treatise composed, and by whom?
Answer: This treatise was composed nine hundred years after the Tathagata's extinction by Vasubandhu Bodhisattva. Among the twenty schools, this is the Sarvāstivāda school. Its source emerges from the Vibhāṣā, and its influence extends to various teachings. The Vibhāṣā takes as its foundation the Jñānaprasthāna and Six Treatises. At the beginning of four hundred years after the Tathagata's extinction, in Gandhāra there was
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a king named Kaniṣka. This king respectfully believed in and revered the Buddhist scriptures. Daily he invited monks into the palace for offerings. The king accordingly asked about the Way. The monks' explanations were not uniform. The king was greatly puzzled. He questioned the Venerable Pārśva, saying: "Buddhist teaching has the same source, and the principle has no different purports. Why do the virtuous ones' proclamations differ?" The venerable one answered: "Whatever teaching is all correct. Following cultivation, one attains results. The Buddha already made predictions—it is like breaking a golden staff." When the king heard these words, he accordingly asked: "Among the various schools' established standards, which is the best? I wish to practice—please, venerable one, explain." The venerable one answered: "Among the various schools, none surpasses the Existence school. If the king wishes to practice, it would be appropriate to follow this one." The king was immediately delighted and ordered the compilation of this school's Tripiṭaka teachings. Virtuous monks gathered like clouds from the four directions. Ordinary practitioners and saints were extremely numerous—it was troublesome. They accordingly selected from among the ordinary monks, keeping only the sage monks. The sage monks were still numerous. They eliminated those with learning [remaining], keeping only those without learning [arhats]. The arhats were again numerous and could not continue gathering. Among the arhats, [they selected those whose] meditation was refined and complete in the six supernatural powers, whose wisdom was perfect in the four eloquences, who internally mastered the Tripiṭaka and externally understood the five sciences. Only then were they qualified for compilation. The virtuous saints who remained numbered only 499 people. They accordingly used the Venerable Vasumitra to complete the 500 people. They immediately made Venerable Vasumitra the presiding elder. Thereupon the 500 sage assembly first collected 100,000 verses explaining the Sūtra-piṭaka, next composed 100,000 verses explaining the Vinaya-piṭaka, and later composed 100,000 verses explaining the Abhidharma-piṭaka. This is the Great Vibhāṣā. The 500 arhats, having completed the compilation, carved [the agreement] in stone and made an oath: only [people of] their own country were allowed to listen; foreign countries were not permitted. They then commanded yakṣa spirits to guard the city gates and not allow [the texts] to be scattered out. However, Venerable Vasubandhu had formerly studied the Existence school and later studied the Sūtrānta school, considering it to accord with principle. Regarding the doctrines of the Existence school, he harbored thoughts of acceptance and rejection, wishing to
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determine right and wrong. He concealed his name and went there again. Over the course of four years, he repeatedly used his own school [arguments] to frequently refute other schools. Venerable Saṃghabhadra, being questioned, could not respond. The venerable one entered meditation and knew this was Vasubandhu. He privately told him: "Among this assembly, those who have not yet left desire, if they know the elder's refutations, will certainly cause harm to you. Elder, you should quickly return to your home country." At that time Vasubandhu, having reached his home country, lectured on the Vibhāṣā. If he lectured for one day, he would then compose one verse, summarizing the meaning lectured in that one day. He carved red copper leaves and wrote this verse. In this sequential manner he completed 600 verses, summarizing the Great Vibhāṣā with its meaning completely exhausted. He posted the verses on elephants, struck drums and proclaimed: "Whoever can refute these, I shall apologize to them." In the end, not one person refuted these verses. He had someone carry them to Kaśmīra. At that time the king of that country and all the monk assembly, hearing this, were all delighted, thinking he was propagating their own school. Saṃghabhadra knew this was not so and told the people his suspicions. They accordingly requested that a commentary be composed. Master Vasubandhu immediately responded to the king's request and composed a commentary on the root text—altogether 8,000 verses. When they later saw that commentary, it was indeed as Arhat Saṃghabhadra had said. At that time, Saṃghabhadra, the disciple of Venerable Saṃghabhadra, composed a treatise refuting the Kośa, called "Kośa-hail Treatise." He showed it to Vasubandhu. Vasubandhu immediately praised it and changed the name to "Abhidharma-nyāyānusāra." That Master Saṃghabhadra also composed the "Abhidharma-saṃgīti-paryāya," translated into 40 fascicles. The Nyāyānusāra was translated into 80 fascicles. Therefore we know this Abhidharmakośa treatise has its source in the Vibhāṣā treatise.
Question: This treatise arose in the 900th year. When was it transmitted to Eastern China?
Answer: When this treatise was translated, there were two periods. Initially, Tripiṭaka Master Paramārtha of the Chen dynasty translated it into 21 fascicles. He immediately composed his own commentary of 50 fascicles. [This] was lost and not transmitted. Later, Tripiṭaka Master Xuanzang of the Tang dynasty, in Yonghui