三乘

Triyāna, the three vehicles, or conveyances which carry living beings across saṁsāra or mortality (births-and-deaths) to the shores of nirvāṇa. The three are styled [lang id =1028]小,[lang id =1028]中, and [lang id =1028]大. Sometimes the three vehicles are defined as [lang id =1028]聲聞 Śrāvaka, that of the hearer or obedient disciple; [lang id =1028]緣覺Pratyeka-buddha, that of the enlightened for self; these are described as [lang id =1028]小乘 because the objective of both is personal salvation; the third is [lang id =1028]菩薩Bodhisattva, or [lang id =1028]大乘 Mahāyāna, because the objective is the salvation of all the living. The three are also depicted as [lang id =1028]三車 three wains, drawn by a goat, a deer, an ox. The Lotus declares that the three are really the One Buddha-vehicle, which has been revealed in three expedient forms suited to his disciples' capacity, the Lotus Sūtra being the unifying, complete, and final exposition. The Three Vehicles are differently explained by different exponents, e.g.

(1) Mahāyāna recognizes (a) Śrāvaka, called Hīnayāna, leading in longer or shorter periods to arhatship; (b) Pratyeka-buddha, called Madhyamayāna, leading after still longer or shorter periods to a Buddhahood ascetically attained and for self; (c) Bodhisattva, called Mahayana, leading after countless ages of self-sacrifce in saving others and progressive enlightenment to ultimate Buddhahood.

(2) Hīnayāna is also described as possessing three vehicles [lang id =1028]聲, [lang id =1028]緣, [lang id =1028]菩 or [lang id =1028]小, [lang id =1028]中, [lang id =1028]大, the [lang id =1028]小 and [lang id =1028]中 conveying to personal salvation their devotees in ascetic dust and ashes and mental annihilation, the [lang id =1028]大 leading to bodhi, or perfect enlightenment, and the Buddha's way. Further definitions of the Triyāna are:

(3) True bodhisattva teaching for the [lang id =1028]大; pratyeka-buddha without ignorant asceticism for the [lang id =1028]中; and śrāvaka with ignorant asceticism for the [lang id =1028]小.

(4) (a) [lang id =1028]一乘 The One-Vehicle which carries all to Buddhahood: of this the [lang id =1028]華嚴 Hua-yen and [lang id =1028]法華 Fa-hua are typical exponents; (b) [lang id =1028]三乘法 the three-vehicle, containing practitioners of all three systems, as expounded in books of the [lang id =1028]深密般若; (c) [lang id =1028]小乘 the Hīnayāna pure and simple as seen in the [lang id =1028]四阿合經 Four Āgamas. Śrāvakas are also described as hearers of the Four Truths and limited to that degree of development; they hear from the pratyeka-buddhas, who are enlightened in the Twelve Nidānas [lang id =1028]因緣; the bodhisattvas make the [lang id =1028]六度 or six forms of transmigration their field of sacrificial saving work, and of enlightenment. The Lotus Sūtra really treats the [lang id =1028]三乘. Three Vehicles as [lang id =1028]方便 or expedient ways, and offers a [lang id =1028]佛乘 Buddha Vehicle as the inclusive and final vehicle.

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乘是交通工具的意思， 三乘即三種交通工具， 比喻運載眾生渡越生死之流， 到涅槃彼岸的三種法門。 就眾生根機之不同， 佛應之而說聲聞乘、 緣覺乘、 菩薩乘等三種教法。 一、 聲聞乘， 聞佛聲教而得悟道， 故稱聲聞。 其知苦斷集、 慕滅修道， 以此四諦為乘。 二、 緣覺乘， 又作辟支佛乘、 獨覺乘。 觀十二因緣覺真諦理， 故稱緣覺。 始觀無明乃至老死， 次觀無明滅乃至老死滅， 由此因緣生滅， 即悟非生非滅， 乃以此十二因緣為乘。 三、 菩薩乘， 又作大乘、 佛乘， 求無上菩提， 願度一切眾生， 修六度萬行， 以此六度為乘。 前二乘唯自利， 無利他， 故總稱小乘， 菩薩乘自利利他具足， 故為大乘。

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﹝出法華經﹞ 乘， 即運載之義。 謂聲聞、 緣覺、 菩薩各以其法為乘， 運出三界生死， 同到真空涅槃， 故名三乘。 （三界者， 欲界、 色界、 無色界也。 梵語涅槃， 華言滅度。 ） 〔一、 聲聞眾〕， 聞佛聲教而得悟道， 故曰聲聞。 謂其知苦、 斷集、 慕滅、 修道， 故以此四諦為乘也。 （四諦者， 苦諦、 集諦、 滅諦、 道諦也。 ） 〔二、 緣覺乘〕， 因觀十二因緣覺真諦理， 故名緣覺。 謂始觀無明緣乃至老死， 此是觀十二因緣生； 次觀無明滅乃至老死滅， 此是觀十二因緣滅。 觀此因緣生滅， 即悟非生非滅， 故以此十二因緣為乘也。 （十二因緣者， 一無明、 二行、 三識、 四名色、 五六入、 六觸、 七受、 八愛、 九取、 十有、 十一生、 十二老死也。 ） 〔三、 菩薩乘〕， 菩薩， 梵語具云菩提薩埵， 華言覺有情。 謂覺悟一切有情眾生也。 菩薩行六度行， 廣化眾生出離生死， 故以此六度為乘也。 （六度者， 一布施、 二持戒、 三忍辱、 四精進、 五禪定、 六智慧也。 ）

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１．聲聞乘、 緣覺乘、 菩薩乘。 聲聞乘又名小乘， 其行人速則三生， 遲則六十劫間， 修空法， 終於聞如來聲教， 悟四諦之理， 斷見思惑， 可証阿羅漢果； 緣覺乘又名中乘， 其行人速則四生， 遲則百劫間， 破無明， 終於悟十二因緣之理， 可証辟支佛果； 菩薩乘又名大乘， 其行人於無數劫間， 修六度行， 更於百劫間， 值三十二相福因， 可證無上佛果。 ２．小乘、 中乘、 大乘。 小乘即聲聞乘， 中乘即緣覺乘， 大乘即菩薩乘。