ChinaKnowledge.de -
An Encyclopaedia on Chinese History and Literature
Shi'ermen lun 十二門論 "Treatise of the twelve gates" is a Buddhist philosophical treatise. It was written by the ancient Indian philosopher Nāgārjuna (Ch. Longshu 龍樹, c. 150–c. 250 CE), with the title Dvādaśanikāya-śāstra, and translated into Chinese during the Later Qin dynasty 後秦 (384-417) by the monk Kumārajīva (Ch. Jiumoluoshi 鳩摩羅什).
It is one of the principal scriptures relied upon by the Chinese Three Treatise School (Ch. Sanlun zong 三論宗). Together with the Zhonglun 中論 and the Bailun 百論), it forms the group known as the "Three Treatises" (Sanlun 三論). When the Da zhidu lun 大智度論 is added, the four are collectively called the "Four Treatises" (Silun 四論).
The text contains twenty-six verses (ji 偈) and presents twelve "gates" (topics) to expound the Mahāyāna doctrine of emptiness (Sa. śūnyatā, Ch. kong 空). These twelve gates are the Gate of Contemplating Causes and Conditions (Guan qinyuan men 觀因緣門), the Gate of Contemplating the Existence or Non-existence of Effects (Guan youguo wuguo men 觀有果無果門), the Gate of Contemplating Conditions (Guan yuan men 觀緣門), the Gate of Contemplating Characteristics (Guan xiang men 觀相門, the Gate of Contemplating Having Marks and Lacking Marks (Guan youxiang wuxiang men 觀有相無相門), the Gate of Contemplating Unity and Difference (Guan yiyi men 觀一異門), the Gate of Contemplating Being and Non-being (Guan youwu men 觀有無門), the Gate of Contemplating Nature (Guan xing men 觀性門), the Gate of Contemplating Cause and Effect (Guan yinguo men 觀因果門), the Gate of Contemplating the Agent (Guan zuozhe men 觀作者門), the Gate of Contemplating the Three Ages (Guan sanshi men 觀三時門), and the Gate of Contemplating Arising (Guan sheng men 觀生門).
Seventeen of the verses are largely drawn from the Zhonglun, so the work is often regarded as a summary or outline of this text. Some scholars, moreover, doubt whether the Shi'ermen lun was actually written by Nāgārjuna.
Important commentaries include Jizang's 吉藏 Shi'ermen lun shu 十二門論疏 (T1825) and Shi'ermen lun lüeshu 十二門論略疏, Yuankang's 元康 Shi'ermen lun shu 十二門論疏 and Fazang's 法藏 Shi'ermen lun zongzhi yiji 十二門論宗致義記 (T1826).