On Repaying Debts of Gratitude

Chapter8(The Propagation by the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai in China)

Main Text

We come now to a time five hundred years after the beginning of the Middle Day of the Law or fifteen hundred years after the passing of the Buddha. At that time in China there was a wise man who was at first known as Chih-i and later as the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai Chih-che. He determined to spread the teachings of the Lotus Sutra in their true form. There had been thousands and thousands of wise men who preceded T’ien-t’ai, and they had held various opinions concerning the teachings set forth by the Buddha in his lifetime, but in general, they were grouped into ten schools or traditions, the so-called three schools of the south and seven schools of the north. Of these, one school emerged as foremost among them. This was the third of the three southern schools, the school of the Dharma Teacher Fa-yün of the temple called Kuang-che-ssu.

Fa-yün divided the teachings of the Buddha’s lifetime into five periods. From among the teachings of these five periods, he selected three sutras, the Flower Garland, the Nirvana, and the Lotus. He declared that, among all the sutras, the Flower Garland Sutra ranks first and is comparable to the monarch of a kingdom. The Nirvana Sutra ranks second and is like the regent or prime minister, while the Lotus Sutra ranks third and is like one of the court nobles. All the other sutras are inferior to these and are comparable to the common people.

Fa-yün was by nature extremely clever. Not only did he study under such men of great wisdom as Hui-kuan, Hui-yen, Seng-jou, and Hui-tz’u,²³ but he refuted the doctrines of various teachers of the northern and southern schools, and retired to the seclusion of the mountain forest, where he devoted himself to the study of the Lotus, Nirvana, and Flower Garland sutras.

As a result, Emperor Wu of the Liang dynasty summoned him to court and had a temple called Kuang-che-ssu built for him within the palace grounds, paying him great honor. When Fa-yün lectured on the Lotus Sutra, flowers fell down from the heavens just as they had done when Shakyamuni Buddha first preached it.

In the fifth year of the T’ien-chien era (c.e. 506), there was a great drought. The emperor had the Dharma Teacher Fa-yün lecture on the Lotus Sutra, and when he reached the verses in the “Parable of the Medicinal Herbs” chapter that read, “The rain falls everywhere, coming down on all four sides,” soft rain began to fall from the sky. The emperor was so overwhelmed with admiration that he appointed Fa-yün on the spot to the rank of administrator of priests, and he served him in person as the heavenly deities served the lord Shakra and as the common people look up in awe to their sovereign. In addition, it was revealed to someone in a dream that Fa-yün had been lecturing on the Lotus Sutra ever since the time of the Buddha Sun Moon Bright in the distant past.

Fa-yün wrote a commentary in four volumes on the Lotus Sutra. In this commentary²⁴ he stated, “This sutra is not truly eminent,” and spoke of it as “an unusual expedient means.” By this he meant that the Lotus Sutra does not fully reveal the truth of Buddhism.

Was it because Fa-yün’s teachings met with the approval of the Buddha that the flowers and the rain came down on him from the sky? In any event, as a result of the wonderful and unusual things that happened to him, the people of China came to believe that the Lotus Sutra was in fact perhaps inferior to the Flower Garland and Nirvana sutras. This commentary by Fa-yün was in time disseminated to the kingdoms of Silla, Paekche, and Koguryŏ, and to Japan,²⁵ where people in general came to hold the same opinion as that prevalent in China.

Shortly after the death of Fa-yün, in the latter years of the Liang dynasty and the early years of the Ch’en, there appeared a young priest known as the Dharma Teacher Chih-i. He was a disciple of the Great Teacher Nan-yüeh, but perhaps because he wished to clarify his understanding of his teacher’s doctrines, he entered the storehouse where the scriptures were kept and examined the texts again and again. He singled out the Flower Garland, Nirvana, and Lotus sutras as worthy of special attention, and of these three, he lectured on the Flower Garland Sutra in particular. In addition, he compiled a book of devotional exercises²⁶ in honor of the Buddha Vairochana of the Flower Garland Sutra and day after day furthered his understanding of this scripture. The people of his time supposed that he did this because he considered the Flower Garland Sutra to be the foremost of all sutras. In fact, however, he did it because he had grave doubts about Fa-yün’s assertion that the Flower Garland Sutra was to be ranked first, the Nirvana Sutra second, and the Lotus Sutra third, and he therefore wished to make a particularly close examination of the Flower Garland Sutra.

After he had done so, he concluded that, among all the sutras, the Lotus Sutra was to be ranked first, the Nirvana Sutra second, and the Flower Garland Sutra third. He also observed in sorrow that, although the sacred teachings of the Thus Come One had spread throughout the land of China, they had failed to bring benefit to its inhabitants but on the contrary caused people to stray into the evil paths. This, he concluded, was due to the errors of their teachers.

It was as though the leaders of the nation had told the people that east is west, or that heaven is earth, and the common people had accepted their assertions and believed accordingly. Later, if some person of humble stature should come forward and tell them that what they called west was really east, or that what they called heaven was really earth, not only would they refuse to believe him, but they would curse and attack him in order to ingratiate themselves with their leaders.

Chih-i pondered what to do about the situation. He felt that he could not remain silent, and he therefore spoke out in severe condemnation of the Dharma Teacher Fa-yün of Kuang-che-ssu temple, asserting that, because of his slanders against the correct teaching, he had fallen into hell. With that, the Buddhist teachers of the north and south rose up like angry hornets and descended on him like a flock of crows.

Notes

23. Hui-kuan (368–438), Hui-yen (363–443), Seng-jou (431–494), and Hui-tz’u (434–490) were all celebrated priests during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period.

24. This presumably refers to Fa-yün’s Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, though the two quotations below are not found in this commentary.

25. This means that The Annotations on the Meaning of the Lotus Sutra, attributed to Prince Shōtoku, is based on Fa-yün’s Meaning of the Lotus Sutra.

26. The fourth volume of The One Hundred Records of the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai that sets forth forms of daily and nightly worship of the Buddha Vairochana and all the other Buddhas.

Lecture

This chapter now elucidates how, in China, the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai widely propagated the Lotus Sutra and, as a result, faced severe oppression.

Concerning the “Three Schools of the South and Seven Schools of the North”(Based on SOKAnet glossary)

The term “Three Schools of the South and Seven Schools of the North” refers to the doctrinal classification systems formulated by ten Buddhist scholars during China’s Southern and Northern Dynasties period (440–589).
There were three masters in the southern regions, located along the Yangtze River basin, and seven masters in the northern regions, centered around the Yellow River basin.
These ten scholars were categorized by Grand Master Zhiyi (T’ien-t’ai) in volume 10 (upper fascicle) of The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra (Fahua xuanyi).

Each of the ten masters presented the scriptures upon which they relied, established their own doctrinal classifications, and competed with one another to assert doctrinal superiority.
Nichiren Daishonin summarizes their overall tendency in The Selection of the Time:

Yet in general they shared a common view. Namely, among the various sutras preached during the Buddha’s lifetime, they put the Flower Garland Sutra in first place, the Nirvana Sutra in second place, and the Lotus Sutra in third place.

T’ien-t’ai criticized these positions of the Three Schools of the South and Seven Schools of the North and instead established the Five Periods doctrinal classification, asserting that among all the teachings of the Buddha’s lifetime, the Lotus Sutra is supreme, the Nirvana Sutra ranks second, and the Flower Garland Sutra ranks third, thereby clarifying the doctrinal primacy of the Lotus Sutra.

The southern and northern doctrinal factions classified the Buddha’s teachings according to the manner in which they were preached into three categories:

1. Sudden teaching (tonkyō) – teachings that reveal the truth directly (identified with the Flower Garland Sutra).

2. Gradual teaching (zenkyō) – teachings that lead practitioners step by step to higher understanding, consisting of the Hinayana teachings with characteristics (sāṃmitīya doctrines) and later, the Mahayana teachings without characteristics (such as the Prajñā sutras).

3. Indeterminate teaching (fujōkyō) – teachings that fit into neither the sudden nor gradual categories yet reveal Buddha-nature and eternal truth (e.g., the Śrīmālādevī Sutra and the Golden Light Sutra).

The Three Schools of the South

These represent three different interpretations within the gradual teachings found in the southern region:

1. Three-period teaching of Master Ji of Tiger-Hill Mountain.

2. Four-period teaching of Zong’ai (some say by Zong of Dachang Temple and Dun’ai of White Horse Temple).

3. Five-period teaching advocated by the monks Rou and Huici of Dinglin Temple and Huiguan of Daochang Temple.

The Seven Schools of the North

1. Five-period teaching

2. The “Half and Full” two teachings of Bodhiruci

3. Four Schools (taught by Guangtong/Huiguang)

4. Five Schools

5. Six Schools

6. The twofold Mahayana of northern meditation masters (Mahayana with characteristics and Mahayana without characteristics)

7. The One-Sound Teaching of northern meditation masters

(The names of the founders of schools 1 and 4–7 are not indicated in historical sources.)

“but in general, they were grouped into ten schools or traditions, the so-called three schools of the south and seven schools of the north. ”

The ten schools are also discussed in the Treatise on Choosing the Time and in detail in volume ten of the Profound Meaning.
The Three Schools of the South are those of the three-period, four-period, and five-period teachings. All these factions classify the Buddha’s teachings into the sudden teaching, the gradual teaching, and the indeterminate teaching.
The sudden corresponds to the Flower Garland Sutra;
the gradual encompasses all teachings from Deer Park to the Nirvana Sutra;
and the indeterminate includes sutras such as the Śrīmālādevī and Golden Light Sutras.

Among the gradual teachings, three differing interpretations arose:

1. Three-Period Teaching:

   1. Teachings with marks (Āgama),

   2. Teachings without marks (Prajñā, Vaipulya, Lotus),

   3. Teachings of permanence (Nirvana).

2. Four-Period Teaching:
   Extracts the Lotus Sutra from the teachings without marks and names it the “Teaching to which all good returns.”

3. Five-Period Teaching:
   Further extracts Vaipulya sutras such as the Vimalakīrti Sutra from the teachings without marks and calls this the “Teaching of Gradual Elevation.”

The Seven Schools of the North consist of the doctrines of:

1. Five Periods,

2. Half and Full Teachings,

3. Four Schools,

4. Five Schools,

5. Six Schools,

6. Two Mahayana Schools,

7. One-Sound Teaching
   (“Only the One Buddha Vehicle exists; there is neither a second nor a third.”)

Among these ten schools, the most influential was Fa-yun of Kuang-tse Temple, who was the third of the southern schools and placed the Flower Garland Sutra first. As the Profound Meaning states:

“Throughout the ages, scholars have regarded Kuang-tse as foremost. Now, in refuting Kuang-tse, refuting the rest is like scattering dust before the wind.”

This text states, “and he therefore spoke out in severe condemnation of the Dharma Teacher Fa-yün of Kuang-che-ssu temple, asserting that, because of his slanders against the correct teaching, he had fallen into hell.”
Thus, the Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai refuted all ten schools, and because of this, scholars from both the northern and southern factions swarmed around him like bees or crows, inflicting severe persecutions upon him.
This is an inevitable principle: wherever the true Law spreads, persecution must arise.

Śākyamuni Buddha himself faced the nine great persecutions when he refuted the ninety-five Brahmanical schools.
In Japan, the Great Teacher Dengyō similarly refuted the six Nara schools and established the precepts platform of the Trace Gate of the Lotus Sutra on Mount Hiei.
Nichiren Daishonin, as is well known, faced the greatest persecutions in fulfillment of the prediction “How much more so after his extinction,” and, as the Buddha of the Latter Day, opened the way for saving all living beings.

A View of Buddhist History in the Middle Day of the Law

Concerning the three periods of the Law—Former, Middle, and Latter—several theories exist, such as:

• Former: 1,000 years; Middle: 1,000 years; Latter: 10,000 years

• Former: 500 years; Middle: 1,000 years

• Former: 1,000 years; Middle: 500 years

However, the orthodox lineage of Buddhism—T’ien-t’ai, Dengyō, and Nichiren Daishonin—adopt the teaching of Former 1,000 years, Middle 1,000 years, Latter 10,000 years, extending into eternity.

The “Five Five-Hundred-Year Periods” of the Great Assembly Sutra divide the three periods as follows:

1. Age of Attaining Liberation (500 years)

2. Age of Meditation (500 years)
   → These constitute the Former Day.

3. Age of Reading, Reciting, and Hearing the Teachings (500 years)

4. Age of Building Temples and Stupas (500 years)
   → These constitute the Middle Day.

5. Age of Strife, Disputes, and the Disappearance of the True Dharma
   → This is the Latter Day.

During the Former Day:

• The first 500 years saw the spread of Hinayana teachings in India.

• The second 500 years saw the spread of provisional Mahayana.

In the Middle Day:

• The third 500 years saw the spread of the Lotus Sutra’s Trace Gate in China.

• The fourth 500 years saw the same spread in Japan.

In the Latter Day, the pure Law disappears, and only the Three Great Secret Laws—embodied in Nam-myoho-renge-kyo—remain to spread throughout the world.

Historical Context of the Middle Day in China

The Middle Day (“Age resembling the Law”) is so named because the outward forms of Buddhism remain, but the essential spirit gradually declines.

Buddhism was transmitted to China in the year 67 CE—fifteen years into the Middle Day—when Kāśyapa-mātanga and Dharmarakṣa arrived in Luoyang with Buddhist scriptures on a white horse.

Translation efforts progressed rapidly, culminating with eminent translators such as Kumārajīva (old translations) and Xuanzang (new translations).
Chinese scholars, being philosophically inclined, systematized doctrines and produced numerous doctrinal classification systems—including the ten schools of the Three South and Seven North.

Ultimately, it was T’ien-t’ai who unified them under the supreme classification of the Five Periods and Eight Teachings and clarified that the Lotus Sutra is the ultimate purpose of the Buddha’s advent.
His Mo-ho chih-kuan (“Great Concentration and Insight”) came to be known as the Lotus Sutra of the Middle Day.

T’ien-t’ai completed this work in the year 594, about 1,540 years after the Buddha’s passing.
This astonishingly precise fulfillment of prophecy—that the Trace Gate of the Lotus Sutra would spread in China during the early Middle Day—must be regarded as remarkable.

The Social Background of T’ien-t’ai’s Emergence

After the collapse of the Later Han, China entered the Three Kingdoms period, followed by the rise of the Jin dynasty, which later split, leading to the North–South dynastic divide.
T’ien-t’ai appeared during the Chen dynasty, was invited by its last ruler to lecture on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, and after the unification under the Sui, conferred the bodhisattva precepts on Emperor Yang, who granted him the title “Great Teacher of Wisdom.”

At Jade Spring Temple in Dangyang, Hubei, he completed the Profound Meaning and Great Concentration and Insight, thereby fulfilling his life’s purpose.

This period—the Six Dynasties—was also a flourishing age of Buddhist art, temple construction, and scholastic study, preparing the ground for the magnificent culture of the Sui and Tang dynasties.

Thus, just as the tides ebb and flow and the seasons change, the correct Law arises at the appointed time and in the appropriate land, gaining strength through the appearance of a worthy teacher.
The spread of the true Law in the Latter Day throughout the entire world is, therefore, a historical inevitability.