---
title: "護法錄 · 釋氏護教編後記"
description: "護法錄是明代佛教重要文獻由宋濂著述袾宏輯錄錢謙益訂正該書誕生於明末佛教復興與儒釋道三教融合的歷史背景下主要內容為宋濂所撰寫的佛教碑銘傳記及序文等文章系統收錄了元代至明初高僧大德的生平事蹟與佛教思想同時強力駁斥了當時的排佛論調捍衛佛教正統地位該書不僅是研究宋明佛教史與儒釋關係的關鍵史料更因其文獻權威性被譽為佛教史傳之瑰寶在中國佛教思想史與文學史上均佔有重要地位"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmgmzoov407o3l4047ywvsg6y"
---

### 釋氏護教編後記

> Afterword to the Collection of Buddhist Teachings

西方聖人以一大事因緣出現於世，自從鹿野苑中直至於跋提河，演說苦、空、無我無量妙義，隨機鈍利，分為頓、漸，無小、無大，盡皆攝入薩婆若海。既滅度後，其弟子阿難陀多聞總持，有大智慧，結集為修多羅藏，而諸尊者，或後、或先，各闡化源。優波離集四部律，謂之毗尼。金剛薩埵於毗盧遮那前親受瑜伽五部，謂之秘密章句。無著、天親頻升知足天宮咨參慈氏，相與造論，發明大乘，謂之唯識宗旨。西竺龍勝以所得毗羅之法，弘其經要，謂之中觀論。燉煌杜法順深入華嚴不思議境，大宣玄旨，謂之華嚴法界觀。毗尼之法，魏嘉平初，曇柯羅始持《僧祗戒本》至洛陽，而曇無德、曇諦等繼之，立羯磨法。唐南山澄照律師道宣作疏明之，四分律遂大行，是為行事防非止惡之宗。薩埵以瑜伽授龍猛，猛授龍智，智授金剛智。唐開元中，智始來中國，大建曼茶羅法事，大智道氤、大慧一行及不空三藏，咸師尊之，是為瑜伽微妙祕密之宗。唐貞觀三年，三藏玄奘往西域諸國，會戒賢於那蘭陀寺，因受唯識宗旨以歸，授慈恩窺基，基乃網羅舊說，廣制疏論，是為三乘法相顯理之宗。梁、陳之間，北齊惠聞因讀《中觀論》悟旨，遂遙禮龍勝為師，開空、假、中三觀止觀法門，以法華宗旨授慧思，思授天台國師智顗，顗授灌頂，頂授智威，智威授惠威，惠威授玄朗，朗授湛然，是為四教法性觀行之宗。隋末，順以法界觀授智儼，儼授賢首法藏，至清涼大統國師澄觀追宗其學，著《華嚴疏論》數百萬言，圭峰宗密繼之，而其化廣被西方，是為一念圓融具德之宗。瑜伽久亡，南山亦僅存，其盛行於今者，唯天台、慈恩、賢首而已，此則世之所謂教者也。世尊大法，自迦葉二十八傳至菩提達摩，達摩悲學佛者纏蔽於竹帛間，乃弘教外別傳之旨，不立文字而見性成佛。達摩傳慧可，可傳僧璨，璨傳道信，信傳弘忍。忍傳曹溪大鑑禪師慧能，而其法特盛。能之二弟子懷讓、行思皆深入其閫奧，讓傳道一，一之學江西宗之，其傳為懷海，海傳希運，運傳臨濟慧照大師義玄，玄立三玄門，策厲學徒，是為臨濟之宗。海之旁出為溈山大圓禪師靈𧙗，𧙗傳仰山智通大師慧寂，父唱子和，微妙玄機不可湊泊，是為溈仰之宗。思傳希遷，遷之學湖南宗之，其傳為道悟，悟傳崇信，信傳宣鑑，鑑傳義存，存傳雲門匡真大師文偃，偃之氣宇如王，三句之設如青天震雷，聞者掩耳，是為雲門之宗。玄沙師備，偃之同門友也，其傳為桂琛，琛傳法眼大師文益，益雖依華嚴六相唱明宗旨，迥然獨立，不涉凡情，是為法眼之宗。遷之旁出為藥山惟儼，儼以寶鏡三昧五位顯三種滲漏，傳曇晟，晟傳洞山悟本大師良价，价傳曹山元證大師本寂，而復大震，是為曹洞之宗。法眼再傳至延壽，流入高句驪，仰山三傳之芭蕉徹，當石晉開運中遂亡弗繼。雲門、曹洞僅不絕如線，唯臨濟一宗大用大機，震盪無際，若聖、若凡，無不宗仰，此則世之所謂禪者也。嗚呼！教之與禪，本無二門，依教修行，蓋不出於六度梵行，而禪定特居其一，由眾生根有不齊，故先佛示化亦不免其異耳。奈何後世各建門庭，互相盾矛，教則譏禪滯乎空寂，禪則譏教泥乎名相，籍籍紛紛莫克有定，是果何為者邪？此則教禪異塗，猶可說也。自禪一宗言之，佛大勝多，與達摩同學禪觀，達摩則遠契真宗勝多，所見一差，遂分為有相、無相、定慧、戒行、無得、寂靜六門，非達摩闢之，安能至今廓如也？慧能與神秀同受法於弘忍，能則為頓宗、秀則別為漸宗，荊、吳、秦各各行其教。道一、神會又同出於能者也，道一則密受心印、神會則復流於知解，一去弗返，而其末流若大珠、明教、慈受輩，尚何以議為哉？自教一宗言之，慈恩立三教，天台則分四教，賢首則又分五教，麤妙各見，漸圓互指，終不能歸之一致，可勝歎哉！此雖通名為教，各自立宗，猶可說也。自夫本教之內，言之律學均以南山為宗，真悟智圓律師允堪著《會正記》等文，識者謂其超出六十家釋義之外，何不可者？至大智律師元照復別以法華開顯圓意作《資持記》，又與《會正》之師殊指矣。不特此也，四明法智尊者知禮、孤山法慧大師智圓，同祖天台同學心觀，真妄之異觀，三諦之異說，既已抵牾之甚，霅川仁岳以禮之，弟子又操戈入室，略不相容，諫書辨謗之作，逮今猶使人凜然也，其他尚可以一二數之哉！嗚呼！毗盧華藏，圓滿廣大，遍河沙界，無久無餘，非相而相、非緣而緣、非同而同、非別而別，苟涉思惟，即非聖諦，又何在分教與禪之異哉？又何在互相盾矛，業擅專門哉？又何在操戈相攻，遽背其師說哉？雖然，適長安者，南北異塗、東西殊轍，及其所至，未嘗不同，要在善學者慎夫所趨而已。比丘永壽嘗以閩僧一源所著《護教編》示予，自大迦葉至於近代諸師皆有傳贊，文辭簡古，誠奇作也。壽獨惜其不著教禪承傳同異之詳，請予為記，以補其闕略。予因以所聞疏之如右，文繁而不殺者，欲其事之著明，蓋不得不然也。

> The Western sage appeared in the world for one great cause. From the Deer Park to the banks of the Vairā River, he expounded countless profound truths—suffering, emptiness, and no-self. Adapting to the sharp or dull capacities of his listeners, he taught both sudden and gradual paths. Whether great or small, all were gathered into the ocean of all-knowing wisdom. After his passing, his disciple Ānanda, who had vast learning and great wisdom, compiled these teachings into the sūtra treasury. Various venerable masters, in succession or in parallel, each unfolded their own path of liberation. Upāli compiled the fourfold vinaya, known as the discipline. Vajrasattva personally received from Vairocana the five divisions of yoga, known as the secret scriptures. Asaṅga and Vasubandhu frequently ascended to the Tuṣita heaven to consult Maitreya, jointly composing treatises that illuminated the Mahāyāna—this became known as the Consciousness-Only school. In the Western Regions, Nāgārjuna, drawing on the Prajñāpāramitā teachings, expanded their essential meaning—this became the Madhyamaka, or Middle Way, school. In Dunhuang, Du Fashun penetrated the inconceivable realm of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra and proclaimed its profound meaning—this became the Huayan Dharma-Realm contemplation. As for the vinaya tradition: in the early Wei dynasty's Jiaping era, Dharmakāla first brought the Mahāsāṅghika precept texts to Luoyang, and Dharmagupta, Dharmadī, and others followed, establishing the karma ritual. In the Tang dynasty, the Vinaya Master Daoxuan, known as Nanshan Chengzhao, wrote commentaries that clarified these teachings, and the Dharmagupta vinaya flourished widely—this became the school of disciplined conduct for preventing wrongdoing and halting evil. Vajrasattva transmitted the yoga teachings to Nāgārjuna, who passed them to Nāgabodhi, who passed them to Vajrabodhi. In the Kaiyuan era of the Tang dynasty, Vajrabodhi first came to China and established great mandala ceremonies. The great masters Da Zhi, Da Hui, Yixing, and the monk Amoghavajra all revered him as their teacher—this became the esoteric school of subtle yoga mysteries. In the third year of Zhenguan in the Tang dynasty, the Tripiṭaka master Xuanzang traveled to the Western Regions. At Nālandā Monastery he met Śīlabhadra and received the Consciousness-Only teachings, which he brought back to China. He transmitted them to Kuiji of Ci'en Monastery, who gathered previous explanations and composed extensive commentaries—this became the Three Vehicles school of phenomenal analysis and principle revelation. During the Liang and Chen dynasties, Huiwen of Northern Qi, upon reading the Madhyamaka Treatise, awakened to its meaning. He paid remote homage to Nāgārjuna as his teacher and opened the contemplation of emptiness, provisional existence, and the middle—the practice of calming and insight. He transmitted the Lotus Sūtra teachings to Huisi, who passed them to the Tiantai master Zhiyi, who passed them to Guanding, then to Zhiwei, then to Huiwei, then to Xuanlang, then to Zhanran—this became the Four Teachings school of Dharma-nature contemplation and practice. In the Sui dynasty, Du Shun transmitted the Dharma-Realm contemplation to Zhiyan, who passed it to Fazang of Xianshou. Later, the great state teacher Chengguan of the Qingliang tradition continued this lineage and wrote millions of words of commentaries on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. Guifeng Zongmi carried it further, and its influence spread widely westward—this became the One-Thought Perfect Fusion school of complete virtue. The yoga tradition long ago died out, and the Nanshan vinaya school barely survives. What flourishes today are only the Tiantai, Ci'en, and Xianshou traditions—these are what the world calls the "teaching" schools. The World-Honored One's great Dharma was transmitted in twenty-eight generations from Kāśyapa to Bodhidharma. Bodhidharma, pitying those who studied Buddhism while entangled in written words, proclaimed the special transmission outside the teachings—no dependence on letters, direct seeing of one's nature, and becoming a Buddha. Bodhidharma transmitted to Huike, Huike to Sengcan, Sengcan to Daoxin, Daoxin to Hongren, and Hongren to Huineng, the Great Mirror Chan Master of Caoxi—and his Dharma flourished especially widely. Huineng's two disciples, Huairang and Xingsi, both penetrated deeply into his inner chamber. Huairang transmitted to Daoyi, whose school flourished in Jiangxi. It passed to Huaihai, then to Xiyun, then to Linji, the Great Wisdom Master Yixuan. Yixuan established the Three Mysterious Gates to inspire and challenge students—this became the Linji school. From Huaihai's lineage came the Great Circle Master Lingyou of Guishan, who transmitted to Yangshan, the Great Wisdom Master Huiji. Together they were like father singing and son harmonizing, expressing subtle mysteries that could not be grasped—this became the Guiyang school. Xingsi transmitted to Xiqian, whose school flourished in Hunan. It passed to Daowu, then to Chongxin, then to Xuanjian, then to Yicun, then to Wenyan, the Kuangzhen Master of Yunmen. Wenyan's bearing was like a king's, and his Three Statements struck like thunder in a clear sky, making listeners cover their ears—this became the Yunmen school. Xuansha Shibei was Wenyan's fellow student. His lineage passed to Guichen, then to Wenyi, the Fayan Master. Although Wenyi used the six characteristics of the Huayan school to illuminate the fundamental teaching, he stood independently, untouched by ordinary sentiments—this became the Fayan school. From Xiqian's lineage also came Yaoshan Weiyan, who used the Jeweled Mirror Three Meditations and Five Positions to reveal three kinds of leakage. He transmitted to Yunyan, who passed it to Dongshan, the Awakened Master Liangjie, who transmitted to Caoshan, the Original Witness Master Benji—and the tradition resounded powerfully once again—this became the Caodong school. The Fayan school passed through two generations to Yanshou, then flowed into Korea. The Guiyang school, after three generations to the plantain teacher Che, died out during the Jin dynasty's Kaiyun era. The Yunmen and Caodong schools barely survived like a single thread. Only the Linji school, with its great function and great capacity, shook the world without bound, revered by sages and ordinary people alike—this is what the world calls the "Chan" tradition. Alas! Teaching and Chan are fundamentally not two paths. Practicing according to the teachings does not go beyond the six perfections and the holy practices, and meditative absorption is but one of them. Because sentient beings' capacities are not uniform, the ancient Buddhas' teachings naturally differed. Yet later generations each established their own gates and set them against one another. The teaching schools criticize Chan as stuck in empty stillness; Chan criticizes the teaching schools as mired in names and forms. The clamor and dispute never find resolution—what is this all for? That teaching and Chan diverge may still be understandable. But consider the Chan tradition alone: Fudamātra, who studied meditation alongside Bodhidharma, was far from realizing the true lineage. His slight error split into six gates—form, formlessness, concentration and wisdom, precepts and practice, non-attainment, and stillness. Had Bodhidharma not refuted these, how could the tradition have remained clear to this day? Huineng and Shenxiu both received the Dharma from Hongren. Huineng established the sudden school, while Shenxiu's became the gradual school, each spreading its teachings in Jing, Wu, and Qin. Daoyi and Shenhui both came from Huineng's lineage, but Daoyi secretly received the mind seal while Shenhui drifted into intellectual understanding, never returning. As for their later followers—those like Dazhu, Mingjiao, and Cishou—what more need be said? Consider the teaching traditions alone: Ci'en established three teachings, Tiantai divided into four, and Xianshou into five. Each saw its own as superior, each pointed to the others as incomplete, and none could reconcile them all. Is this not deeply lamentable? Though all of these bear the common name of "teachings," each founded its own school—this too might still be understandable. But look within a single tradition: the vinaya schools all revere Nanshan as their founder. The Vinaya Master Yunkan wrote the "Text of Correct Understanding" and other works, which experts say surpass the commentaries of sixty other masters—what objection could there be? Then the great Vinaya Master Yuanzhao, using the Lotus Sūtra's teaching of complete revelation, wrote the "Record of Support" with a different perspective, diverging from the "Correct Understanding" school. And not only this: Siming Fazhi Zunzhe Zhili and Gushan Fahui Dashi Zhiyuan both traced their lineage to Tiantai and both cultivated mind-contemplation, yet their views on true and false, and their explanations of the three truths, conflicted so sharply that Zhechuan Renyue, a disciple of Zhili, turned against his own teacher, attacking without mercy. The polemical documents from that controversy still chilling to read today. How many more such conflicts could be enumerated? Alas! The Lotus Treasury of Vairocana is perfect, complete, vast, and boundless, pervading worlds as numerous as river sands, without which comes or remains. It is non-form yet form, non-condition yet condition, non-same yet same, non-distinct yet distinct. If one engages in conceptual thinking about it, it is no longer the noble truth. So what need is there to divide teaching from Chan? What need to make them weapons against one another, each claiming exclusive expertise? What need to turn against one's own teacher and attack? Still, just as those who travel to Changan may take different roads—north, south, east, west—they all arrive at the same destination. What matters is that good students are careful about which way they go. The monk Yongshou once showed me the "Compilation Defending the Teachings" written by the Min monk Yiyuan. It contains biographies and praises from Mahākāśyapa down to the masters of recent times. The writing is simple and archaic—truly an extraordinary work. Yongshou regretted only that it did not detail the similarities and differences in the succession of the teaching and Chan traditions, and asked me to write a record supplementing this omission. I have therefore set down what I have heard as above. The text is long and not shortened, because I wished to make these matters fully clear—there was no other way.

王忠文公褘叢錄中載佛學一篇與此文同。末一段云：佛之為道，本無二門。自去聖既邈，源遠而流益分，於是師異指殊，各建戶庭，互相矛盾。禪則譏教為滯於名相，教則譏禪為溺於空寂。若律之為用，雖禪教所共持，而取舍各不同。至於為教禪之學者，又各立異以取勝，一彼一此，不相出入。自教宗言之，慈恩立三教，天台則分四教，賢首則又為五教。自禪宗言之。慧能與神秀同受法於弘忍，能則為頓宗、秀則為漸宗。道一、神會同出於能，道一則密契心印、神會則復流於知解。其不同如此。至若天台教宗之一也，而四明知禮、孤山知圓，性善、性惡之說，如水炭之不相投。臨濟，禪宗之一也，而或以棒、或以喝，至橫川珙則復以聲偈，其示人之要，如柄鑿之不相合，支派乖錯，論說紛紜，殆不得而悉數也。忠文與文憲同里同門，故其問學之相合如此。

> The Record of Wang Zhongwen's Collected Works includes an essay on Buddhism identical to this one. Its final section states: "The path of Buddhism originally has no separate gates. Since the departure of the sages grew distant, the source became remote and the streams increasingly divided. Thus teachers differed and their approaches diverged, each establishing their own household, contradicting one another. The Zen school criticized the doctrinal school for clinging to names and forms, while the doctrinal school criticized Zen for wallowing in emptiness and stillness. As for the role of the precepts, although both Zen and doctrinal schools upheld them, their choices and rejections differed. Among those who studied doctrinal and Zen teachings, each further set up differences to prevail, one against the other, never mutually accommodating. From the standpoint of the doctrinal schools: Ci'en established three teachings, Tiantai divided them into four, and Xianshou further made five. From the standpoint of the Zen schools: Huineng and Shenxiu both received the Dharma from Hongren, but Huineng became the sudden school and Shenxiu the gradual school. Daoyi and Shenhui both emerged from Huineng—Daoyi secretly transmitted the mind-seal, while Shenhui drifted toward intellectual understanding. Such were their differences. Even within the single Tiantai doctrinal school, Siming Zhili and Gushan Zhiyuan held views on inherent goodness and inherent evil as incompatible as ice and charcoal. Within the single Linji Zen school, some used the staff, some the shout, and Hengchuan Gong further added verses and cries. Their methods for guiding people fit together like a handle and a chisel that do not match. The branches diverged chaotically, the theories were tangled, almost beyond enumeration." Zhongwen and Wenzian were from the same village and studied under the same teacher, hence their scholarly convergence is thus.