It was on the basis of this 'Self-Awakening of Dharma' that `Saakyamuni said without any sense of contradiction, "Rely on yourselves", and "Seek salvation alone in the Dharma". The statements, "Be ye lamps unto yourselves" and "Hold fast to the Dharma as a lamp", are complementary and not contradictions. One's self as the ultimate reliance is not the ego-self, but rather, the 'true Self' as the 'realizer of Dharma'. Just as `Saakyamuni's awakening was the Self-Awakening of Dharma in the double sense mentioned above, so anyone's awakening to the Dharma can and should be the Self-Awakening of Dharma in the same sense.

　　 This is the basic standpoint of Buddhism, which was clarified by `Saakyamuni himself through his life after his Awakening and particularly, as mentioned before, as he approached death. His death, however, was an extraordinary shock for all his disciples and followers. It was indeed a great shock for them not only because they lost their revered teacher but also because they faced the undeniable fact that even `Saakyamuni Buddha, the Awakened One, was subject to decay like themselves. Thus, they gradually thought of the meaning of his death and began to idealize his existence and personality. This led to the development of variegated and profound Buddhologies, that is, the doctrinal interpretations of the meaning of `Saakyamuni Buddha.

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　　 Buddhism has experienced various schisms both in the early days after `Saakyamuni's death (especially in the development of the Buddhist Order) and in later years (particularly in the development of Buddhology). The basic division is that between Southern Buddhism which is called Theravaada or Hiinayaana, and Northern Buddhism, that is, Mahaayaana. The former is based on what Edward Conze calls the "Old Wisdom School",[6] especially the Theravaadin School which is conservative in its practice of the monastic life and is apt to be formalistic. On the other hand, Mahaayaana originated in the Mahaasa^nghika, i.e., the Great Assembly,[7] which was more liberal and progressive, and which included monks of lesser attainment and even householders. In contrast to this, the exclusive and aristocratic Theravaada Assembly centered upon arhats, i.e., the accomplished saints. Theravaada Buddhism spread in Ceylon and Southeast Asia, while Mahaayaana Buddhism developed in China, Tibet, Korea, and Japan. In the course of its development, Buddhism produced many holy scriptures. This is especially true of Mahaayaana Buddhism. In India, China, Tibet, and Japan, various schools arose in Mahaayaana such as Maadhyamika, Yogaacaara, T'ien-t'ai, Hua-yen, Chen-yen, Ch'an (that is Zen), Ching-t'u, and Nichiren sects.

III. KYOOSOO-HANJAKU (CHIAO HSIANG P'AN SHIH)
When a new sect was established, particularly in China and to some extent in Japan, there arose the practice of kyoosoo-hanjaku, chiao hsiang p'an shih [a], the judgement and interpretation of the various facets of Buddha's teachings. In my own view, kyoosoo-hanjaku was needed for two reasons, one historical, the other, theological. First, as to the historical reason. Those which are called the Mahaayaana sutras came into being intermittently over a period nearly one thousand years. They grew out of different situations of thought over a broad geographic area. Thus, the Mahaayaana suutras, which are many in number, do not necessarily have consistency; on the contrary, they show a great deal of divergence in their teaching. Further, these Mahaayaana suutras were, from time to time, according to the particular occasion, introduced and translated into Chinese by various people without any over-all systematic program. Perplexed by the divergences in the suutras (all coming under the name of Buddhism), Chinese Buddhists felt a need to try to systematize them by judging and classify-

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ing them. This is the historical reason for the need of kyoosoo-hanjaku.

　　 The idea of kyoosoo-hanjaku, however, is based on a more essential and theological principle. Certain of the great Buddhists and Buddhist scholars who later became founders of new sects had a very serious and keen religious concern as to what was the genuine spirit of Buddhism and as to which suutra most clearly and sufficiently represented that spirit. From such a concern, kyoosoo-hanjaku, i.e., the evaluating and grading of the various suutras by new and profound standards, was developed. Accordingly, kyoosoo-hanjaku is not merely an arrangement or classification of the Mahaayaana suutras into a system or a synthesis, but is rather a critical and creative founding of a new Buddhist system on the basis of what was believed to be the true spirit of Buddhism. Other facets of Buddha's teaching were not excluded, but were embraced in different stages on the way to the ultimate truth represented by the new school. The establishment of a new sect of Buddhism in China and in Japan was almost inconceivable without some kind of kyoosoo-hanjaku. The most typical examples of kyoosoo-hanjaku in China are the 'Five Periods and Eight Doctrines' (wu shih pa chiao [b]) of the T'ien-t'ai sect and the 'Five Doctrines and Ten Tenets' (wu chiao shih tsung [c]) of the Hua-yen sect. In Japan, the arguments of Kooboo Daishi, the Great Teacher, on the kenmitsunikyoo (hsien mi erh chiao [d]) and the juujuushin (shih chu hsin [e]), and the nisooshijuu (erh shuan shih chung [f]) system of Shinran may be mentioned as other examples. In the early history of Buddhism in India a means of distinguishing Hiinayaana and Mahaayaana appeared which, while it cannot be called kyoosoo-hanjaku in its strict sense, may be said to be an anticipation of it.