五教

The five division of Buddhism according to the Huayan School, of which there are two That of 杜順 Dushun down to 賢首 Xianshou is

(1) 小乘教 Hīnayāna which interprets nirvana as annihilation;

(2) 大乘始教 the primary stage of Mahāyāna, with two sections the 相始教 and 空 始教 or realistic and idealistic,

(3) 大乘終教 Mahāyāna in its final stage, teaching the 真如 and universal Buddhahood;

(4) 頓教 the immediate, direct, or intuitive school, e. g. by right concentration of thought, or faith, apart from 'works';

(5) 圓教 the complete or perfect teaching of the Huayan, combining all the rest into one all-embracing vehicle. The five are now differentiated into 十宗 ten schools. The other division, by 圭峯 Guifeng of the same school, is

(1) 人天教 rebirth as human beings for those who keep the five commandments and as devas those who keep the 十善 as 相始教 above;

(4) 大乘破相教 as 空始教 above; and

(5) 一乘顯性教 the one vehicle which reveals the universal Buddha-nature; it includes

(3),

(4), and

(5) of the first group. See also 五時教.