五时

(五時教) The five periods or divisions of Śākyamuni's teaching. According to Tiantai they are

(1) 華嚴時 the Avataṃsaka or first period in three divisions each of seven days, after his enlightenment, when he preached the content, of this sutra;

(2) 鹿苑時 the twelve years of his preaching the Āgamas 阿含 in the Deer Park;

(3) 方等時 the eight years of preaching Mahāyāna-cum-Hīnayāna doctrines, the vaipulya period;

(4) 般若時 the twenty-two years of his preaching the prajñā or wisdom sutras;

(5) 法華涅槃時 the eight years of his preaching the <Lotus Sutra> and, in a day and a night, the <Nirvana Sutra>. According to the Nirvana School (now part of the Tiantai) they are

(1) 三乘別教 the period when the differentiated teaching began and the distinction of the three vehicles, as represented by the 四諦 Four Noble Truths for (sa) śrāvakas, the 十二因緣 Twelve Nidānas for (sa) pratyekabuddhas, and the 六度 Six Pāramitās for bodhisattvas;

(2) 三乘通教 the teaching common to all three vehicles, as seen in the 般若經;

(3) 抑揚教 the teaching of the 維摩經, the 思益梵天所問經, and other sutras olling the bodhisattva teaching at the expense of that for (sa) śrāvakas;

(4) 同歸教 the common objective teaching calling all three vehicles, through the Lotus, to union in the one vehicle;

(5) 常住教 the teaehmg of eternal life i. e. the revelation through the Nirvana sutra of the eternity of Buddhahood; these five are also called 有相; 無相; 抑揚; 曾三歸--; and 圓常. According to 劉虬 Liu Chiu of the 晉 Chin dynasty, the teaching is divided into 頓 immediate and 漸 gradual attainment, the latter having five divisions called 五時教 similar to those of the Tiantai group. According to 法寶 Fabao of the Tang dynasty the five are

(1) 小乘;

(2) 般着 or 大乘;

(3) 深密 or 三乘;

(4) 法華 or 一乘;

(5) 涅槃 or 佛性教.