“三藏”，就是经藏、律藏、论藏。经藏是说定学，律藏是说戒学，论藏是说慧学。释迦牟尼佛入涅盘之后，大迦叶尊者率领五百位证果的罗汉在七叶窟结集三藏，阿难尊者将佛一生所说的法，记录成为“经藏”；优波离尊者将佛所规定的戒律，整理成为“律藏”；大迦叶尊者将佛弟子读经研律的心得，收集成为“论藏”。
The Three Treasuries are the Sutras, the Vinaya, and the Shastras. The Sutra Treasury discusses the study of samad-hi. The Vinaya Treasury discusses the study of precepts. And the Shastra Treasury discusses the study of wisdom. After Shakyamuni Buddha entered Nirvana, the Venerable Mahakashyapa led five hundred Arhats to compile the Tripitaka (“Three Treasuries”) at the Seven-Leaf Cave. The Venerable Ananda recorded all of the Dharma which the Buddha had spoken in his life, and it became the Sutra Treasury. The Venerable Upali compiled the precepts set down by the Buddha, and they became the Vinaya Treasury. The Venerable Mahaka-shyapa compiled the treatises which the Buddha's disciples had written after reading the Sutras and investigating the precepts, and that formed the Shastra Treasury.
“十二部”，就是经典的体裁，分为十二部。所以有一首偈颂说：
The Twelve Divisions refer to twelve categories of Sutra text. A verse about them says,
长行重颂并授记，
孤起无问而自说，
因缘譬喻及本事，
本生方广未曾有，
论议共成十二部。
Prose, verse, predictions,
Interjections, Dharma spoken without request,
Causes and conditions, analogies,
stories of disciples' past lives,
The Buddha's past lives, universalities,
previously non-existent teachings,
And commentarial literature together make up
the twelve divisions.
（一）长行部：就是经文一行一行的长文。
1. Prose: This refers to the long lines of Sutra text.
（二）重颂部：用偈颂方式重复地再把经义说一遍，把长行经文重说。
2. Verse: The verses rephrase the meanings expressed in the prose sections.
（三）授记部：佛给菩萨授记的，譬如汝于某某劫，应当成佛，名号为何，寿命有多长，教化众生有多少，在什么国土里……等等，都预先说明了。
3. Predictions: The Buddha bestows predictions upon Bodhisattvas, telling them in which kalpas (eons) they will become Buddhas, what their names will be, how long their life spans will be, how many living beings they will teach, in what Buddhaland they will dwell, and so on.
（四）孤起部：孤单独立的偈颂，与前文不相连，而且与后面的经文也没有关系。
4. Interjections: These are isolated verses not related to the Sutra text preceding and following them.
（五）自说部：平时有人请法，佛才说法，唯独《阿弥陀经》，无人请法，佛不问自说。
5. Dharma spoken without request: Usually, the Buddha would speak Dharma only after someone requested it. The Amitabha Sutra was the only Sutra that the Buddha spoke without anyone requesting it.
（六）因缘部：叙述某种事发生的因缘。
6. Causes and conditions: These are descriptions of the causes and conditions behind certain events.
（七）譬喻部：用比方来说明经文的义理。
7. Analogies: Analogies are used to explain the princi-ples in the Sutras.
（八）本事部：叙说佛、菩萨在因地所行的事迹。
8. Former events: These are the deeds of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas when they were cultivating in the past.
（九）本生部：说佛、菩萨今生弘法利生的事迹。
9. Stories of present lives: These are stories of how the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas spoke the Dharma and benefited living beings in this life.
（十）方广部：就是方正广大的经，有圆融无碍的境界。
10. Universalities: This refers to Sutras which are vast, great, and proper, and to the state of perfect fusion without obstruction.
（十一）未曾有部：就是从来没有见过的神通变化。
11. Previously non-existent teachings: These may be spiritual penetrations and transformations which people had never seen before.
（十二）论议部：佛弟子研究经律的报告，或者佛与弟子讨论的记录。
12. Commentarial literature: These are reports written by disciples of the Buddha after they had investigated the Sutras and moral codes, or records of discussions between the Buddha and his disciples.
今将三藏十二部简单介绍，教你们先有个印象，希望你们大家能深入经藏，智慧如海。
I have given you a brief idea of the Three Treasuries and the Twelve Divisions, and I hope all of you will deeply enter the Sutra Treasury and attain wisdom like the sea.
一九八三年十月十七日开示
A talk given on October 17, 1983
