Saichō’s Interpretation of the Five Section Paragraphs of the Skillful Means Chapter of the Saddharmapuṇḍarīkopadeśa

Abstract

In the middle volume of the Shugo kokkaishō (守護国界章, Essays on Protecting the Nation), written by Saichō 最澄 (767–822) in 818 as part of a doctrinal dispute with Tokuitsu 徳一 (d.u.), the question of the interpretation of the Lotus sūtra and Saddharmapuṇḍarīkopadeśa is taken up. In previous studies, it has been pointed out that this discussion is deeply linked to Saichō’s Hokkeron kamon 法華論科文 (Textual Organization of the Saddharmapuṇḍarīkopadeśa), and that the Hokkeron kamon may have been a personal study conducted in preparation for the Shugo kokkaishō. The present paper compares the explanation in the Hokkeron kamon with the argument found in the Shugo kokkaishō concerning “the five section paragraphs” 五分科 of the Skillful Means Chapter 方便品 of the Saddharmapuṇḍarīkopadeśa as paragraphs on the Skillful Means Chapter in the Lotus sūtra. I first confirm the definition of “the five section paragraphs” of the Skillful Means Chapter in the Saddharmapuṇḍarīkopadeśa. Secondly, I give an overview of genealogy, applying it to paragraphs on the Skillful Means Chapter in the Lotus sūtra in Zhanran’s 湛然 (711–782) Fahua wenju ji 法華文句記, Kuiji’s 窺基 (632–682) Fahua xuanzan 法華玄賛 and Saichō’s Hokkeron kamon. Finally, I examine the discussion of the middle volume of the Shugo kokkaishō and consider the relationship of the Hokkeron kamon with the discussion of the Shugo kokkaishō.