The works of Jizang 吉蔵, Zhiyan 智儼, Zhanran 湛然, and Fayun 法雲 all point out that the “seven kinds of samsara” originates from the Mahāyānasaṃgraha (Chi. She Dasheng lun 摂大乗論). However, it is not possible to locate in this work any reference to “seven kinds of samsara.” There are, however, some references to the “twenty two kinds of avidyā” (ershier wuming 二十二無明) in the Mahāyānasaṃgrahabhāṣya (Chi. She Dasheng lun shi 摂大乗論釈), which can not only be summarized as “eleven kinds of samsara,” but can also be further summarized as “four kinds of samsara.” Therefore, we can draw the conclusion that the “seven kinds of samsara” does not derive from the Mahāyānasaṃgraha. It was created by the Shelun masters by adding three kinds of samsara to that “four kinds of samsara.”
