An Overview of the Five Times and Eight Teachings

According to the Tian Tai School

The Four The Sudden Teaching The Gradual Teaching The Esoteric The Unfixed Teaching
The Buddha The teachings T h e BTeaching
uddha T h e m a n y m e m b e r s Neither Sudden nor
Teachings i n s t r u c t s o n h o w t h e m o v e f r o m t h e teaches living of the audience
method that he simple to the beings based on understand
of the realiz ed is different profound , which t h e i r c a p a b i l i t i e s ; a c c o r d i n g t o e a c h ’ s Gradual, Neither Esoteric
than the teaching s are eq uiv alent to t h o u g h t h e y d o n o t c a p a b i l i t y. T h e y nor Unfixed
a s ke d a b o u t , w h i c h t h e c o n t e n t o f t h e know about each know about each
Buddha are eq uiv alent to Agama at first, the other’s lessons. other’s teaching
the content of the Va i p u l y a n e x t a n d while the benefits
Beginni Middle End
ng

Five Periods The Avatamsaka Period The Agama Period The Vaipulya Period The Prajna Period The Dharma The
of Time (21 days) (12 years) (8 years) (22 years)
Flower Period Nirvana
A Period onA Period of Critiques. A Period of Elimination. (8 years)
The ContentA Period on the Basics. Period
Wishing to inspire and The teachings during Connects the
The first part consisted Enticements.
of the Oral of talks during 21 days The level of teaching shame the
Theravadans into
this period are about
eliminating any
simple (1 day
where the audience expedient and
during this period is admiring the preferential attachment teachings of
Teachings does not include Sound more basic, targeting Mahayana Teachings, in differences between the four night)
Hearers; The latter part, the Theravadans these teachings the Mahayana and the periods
such as the Entering exclusively. criticize the Theravadan. The earlier, at the
the Dharma Realm Theravadans and teachings explain that same time
Chapter, includes great praise the Mahayana all dharmas are empty show the
Sound Hearers. and dismiss the and furthermore, the Perfect in the
↓ ↓ Preferential and Middle Way that is not midst of the
T each ings Exclusive Teachings compliment the empty. Actual.。
Perfect. ↓ Pursuin
forB oth Pure Teachings g
Connected Teachings
Ty pes ↓ About the Extincti
Teachings Teaching

The Four The Store Teachings The Common Teachings The Unique Teachings The Perfect Teachings To Reveal the Provisional
and Manifest the Actual
Classificatio
The Three Return to One
ns of the 會三歸一
Teachings
 These teachings These teachings These teachings These teachings
ex pla in t he Fo u r exp lain th e Fo ur e x p l a i n t h e Fo u r explain
Tr u t h s o f C a u s e s Tr u t h s o f C a u s e s Tr u t h s o f C a u s e s inconceivable Causes
and Conditions, and Conditions are and Conditions are and Conditions, the
Prod uction and emptiness and labels for infinity Tw o Tr u t h s o f t h e
Extinction for the non-production for for the phenomenon and the
S m a l l Ve h i c l e a n d the Bodhisattvas Bodhisattvas only noumenon of the
Bodhisattvas on the and the Small and not the Small M i d d l e Wa y. T h e s e
side. Ve h i c l e o n t h e Ve h i c l e a t a l l . teaching s are
side. complete and not
uniq ue but are
Small vs. The Great is within the Small; the Perfect is The Great is within the
Great, Perfect
within the Imperfect Great; the Perfect is
vs. Imperfect
Teachings within the Perfect
Preferential The True is within the Mundane; the Perfect is within the Preferential The True is within the
vs. Perfect
True; the Perfect is within
Specifics
True vs. the Perfect
Mundane
Principles
The The Actual is within The Actual is withint he
Provisional
the Provisional; the Actual; the Sudden is
vs. the
Actual; Sudden is within the within the Sudden
the Gradual Gradual
Understandin meaning not understood understanding in the understanding in the
g vs Not midst of no midst of understanding
Understandin understanding
g The
the Meaning
Three The Avatamsaka Period The Agama Period The Vaipulya Period The Prajna Period The Dharma Flower &
Illumination First shines on tall Second shines on the Later shines on the flat Shines like the sun near Nirvana Period
s of the mountains valleys lands noon Shines like the noon sun
Avatamsaka
The Five whole milk coagulated milk curdled milk butter clarified butter
Metaphors
for the Taste
The
of Nirvana Seeing his father from
afar; Being hired to clear Becoming more secure Having no wish to take Coming together with his
metaphor of feces etc. and trusting; coming anything from his father family, relatives,
Standing by
bedthe father’s
the prodigal ministers and the king
and going with no
son in the problems
Dharma