The Twelve Genres of Scripture
Having completed the entire investigation of the four noble truths, the treatise turns to 法品, the chapter on the Dharma, opening with the question of what the Dharma itself actually is: the twelve literary genres into which the Buddha's own scriptural teaching is sorted, from ordinary discourse through parable, past-life narrative, and the vast teachings reserved for the bodhisattva basket alone.
1. The Question, and the List of Twelve
云何法決擇？法者，謂十二分聖教。何者十二？一契經、二應頌、三記莂、四諷頌、五自說、六緣起、七譬喻、八本事、九本生、十方廣、十一希法、十二論議。
What is the determination of the Dharma? The Dharma is the twelvefold scriptural teaching. What are the twelve? First, discourse; second, verse-repetition; third, prediction; fourth, unprompted verse; fifth, spontaneous utterance; sixth, occasioned teaching; seventh, parable; eighth, past-life narrative of the disciples; ninth, past-life narrative of the bodhisattva; tenth, the vast teachings; eleventh, wondrous phenomena; and twelfth, formal exposition.
2. Discourse, and the Ten Benefits of Concise Teaching
何等契經？謂以長行綴緝略說所應說義。如來觀察十種勝利，緝綴長行略說諸法，謂易可建立、易可宣說、易可受持，恭敬法故，菩提資糧速得圓滿、速能通達諸法實性、於諸佛所得證淨信、於法僧所得證淨信、觸證第一現法樂住、談論決擇悅智者心、得預聰明英叡者數。
What is discourse? It is prose composed to state, in brief, whatever meaning is to be conveyed. The Tathāgata, having surveyed ten distinct benefits, composed the various teachings in brief prose form. These ten benefits are: that it can be easily set forth; that it can be easily proclaimed; that it can be easily retained; that reverence for the Dharma is thereby fostered; that the provisions for awakening are thereby swiftly perfected; that the true nature of all dharmas is thereby swiftly penetrated; that genuine faith in the buddhas is thereby attained; that genuine faith in the Dharma and the Saṅgha is thereby attained; that the foremost dwelling in present happiness is thereby directly realized; that discussion and determination gladden the minds of the wise; and that one comes to be counted among the intelligent and the discerning.
T1606 unpacks each of these ten benefits in turn, and together they explain a genuine puzzle: why would an awakened teacher, with the entire truth to convey, so often choose brevity over exhaustive elaboration? Easily set forth and easily proclaimed both point to concision's own communicative efficiency — a teacher can present the intended meaning through countless approaches, but stating it briefly makes that meaning easy to establish and easy to declare in few words. Easily retained follows directly: what is heard briefly is retained by the listener without difficulty, which is also what fosters genuine reverence for the teaching itself. The provisions for awakening are perfected swiftly because, once someone comes to deeply revere a teaching they recognize as the profound wisdom the Buddha himself realized, faith and the other provisions accumulate quickly through that very reverence. The true nature of things is penetrated swiftly because that same reverence sharpens the practitioner's wisdom, allowing it to gradually penetrate reality. Genuine faith in the three jewels arises specifically from recognizing how skillfully the teaching itself has been established. The foremost present happiness is directly realized through vigorous, sustained reflection on the teacher's own profound intention. Discussion gladdens the wise because it is capable of drawing out meanings that would otherwise remain deeply hidden. And being counted among the intelligent follows because a reputation for genuine discernment then spreads widely in every direction — T1606 notes that this last benefit and the one just before it are, properly speaking, a single combined benefit rather than two separate ones.
3. The Remaining Eleven Genres
何等應頌？即諸經或中或後以頌重頌。又不了義經應更頌釋，故名應頌。何等記莂？謂於是處聖弟子等謝往過去，記莂得失生處差別。又了義經說名記莂，記莂開示深密意故。何等諷頌？謂諸經中以句宣說，或以二句，或三或四或五或六。何等自說？謂諸經中或時如來悅意自說。何等緣起？謂因請而說。又有因緣制立學處，亦名緣起。何等譬喻？謂諸經中有比況說。何等本事？謂宣說聖弟子等前世相應事。何等本生？謂宣說菩薩本行藏相應事。何等方廣？謂菩薩藏相應言說。如名方廣，亦名廣破，亦名無比。為何義故名為方廣？一切有情利益安樂所依處故、宣說廣大甚深法故。為何義故名為廣破？以能廣破一切障故。為何義故名為無比？無有諸法能比類故。何等希法？若於是處宣說聲聞、諸大菩薩及如來等最極希有甚奇特法。何等論議？若於是處無有顛倒解釋一切深隱法相。
What is verse-repetition? It is verse, occurring either in the middle or at the end of a given discourse, that restates in verse what has already been said. Further, a discourse whose meaning is not fully explicit should be further clarified through such restating verse — hence the name.
What is prediction? It is a passage in which noble disciples who have already passed away are foretold as to the specific place of their attainment or their future rebirth. Further, a discourse of fully explicit meaning is also called prediction, since prediction discloses profound, hidden intention.
What is unprompted verse? It is verse, occurring within a discourse, composed of a fixed number of feet — whether two, three, four, five, or six.
What is spontaneous utterance? It is a passage in which the Tathāgata, at a given moment, speaks of his own accord out of inward joy.
What is occasioned teaching? It is what is spoken in response to a specific request. Further, whatever precept is established in response to some specific occasion or circumstance is likewise called occasioned teaching.
What is parable? It is a passage within a discourse that employs an illustrative comparison.
What is past-life narrative of the disciples? It is what recounts events connected with the former lives of the noble disciples.
What is past-life narrative of the bodhisattva? It is what recounts events connected with the bodhisattva's own former conduct.
What are the vast teachings? They are the discourse specifically connected with the bodhisattva basket. As its very name suggests, it is called vast; it is also called the great refutation; and it is also called the incomparable. In what sense is it called vast? Because it is the very basis of benefit and happiness for every sentient being, and because it proclaims a teaching that is itself vast and profound. In what sense is it called the great refutation? Because it is able to refute every obstacle at once. And in what sense is it called the incomparable? Because there is no other dharma capable of being compared to it.
What are wondrous phenomena? It is a passage in which the utterly rare and marvelous qualities of the śrāvakas, the great bodhisattvas, and the Tathāgatas are proclaimed.
What is formal exposition? It is a passage in which every profound and hidden characteristic of the dharmas is explained without any distortion.
T1606 adds one further point worth carrying forward: the vast teachings, the wondrous phenomena, and by extension every genre specific to the bodhisattva basket are collectively described as sharing seven distinct kinds of greatness that together define what makes a teaching properly "Mahāyāna" — greatness of scope (taking countless discourses as its field), greatness of practice (cultivating the full range of both self-benefit and benefit for others), greatness of wisdom (comprehending the selflessness of both persons and dharmas), greatness of diligence (three incalculable eons of effort through even the most difficult practices), greatness of skillful means (abiding in neither saṃsāra nor nirvāṇa), greatness of realization (attaining the buddhas' own powers, fearlessnesses, and unique qualities in immeasurable abundance), and greatness of activity (manifesting the attainment of awakening and every buddha-deed for as long as saṃsāra itself continues). These seven, T1606 notes, are what distinguish the vast teachings from every other genre on this list — not simply a difference of literary form, but of scope and ambition altogether.
Part 70 Complete
The twelve genres of scriptural teaching are now examined in full. Part 71 turns to how these twelve genres are distributed across the three baskets of discourse, discipline, and higher teaching, and why the Tathāgata established three baskets rather than one.
Continue to Part 71 — The Three Baskets →