十二部经【英】

The Twelve Divisions of the Mahāyāna Canon

定义

经教的十二种分类，即：长行、重颂、孤起、譬喻、因缘、自说、本生、本事、未曾有、方广、论议、授记。

(1) sūtras：this term means to sew, or to thread together, as a garland of flowers. Sutras or sermons attributed to the Buddha are usually introduced by the phrase “如是我聞”,or “evam mayā śrutam” meaning “thus did I hear”.(2) geya: singing or a song, which precedes prose and is repeated in verse.(3) gāthā: a song, a metrical narrative or hymn, which aims to give a moral message, generally composed of thirty-two characters. (4) avadāna: stories of memorable deeds; a section of the canon consisting of parables and fables. (5) nidāna: the division of the sutras which deals with causes.(6) udāna: voluntary discussions or addresses. (7) jātaka: stories of the Buddha's previous incarnations.(8)itivṛttaka: the Buddha's discourses which arose out of events that occurred; literally “so said”.(9) adbhuta-dharma or abhidhama:, a section of the canon recounting prodigies, miracles, and other supernatural events. (10) vaipulya: This term is applied to sūtras of an expanded nature, especially those which elaborate on doctrine. The term generally means “broad school”, or “wider teaching”. In the Hīnayāna branch of Buddhism these sutras include the Āgamas, and in the Mahāyāna branch these include the huayan and lotus sutras, as well as the sutras known as “無量義經” or “scriptures of immeasurable meanin