its early stage when Nagarjuna's philosophy was introduced to China was somewhat hard for any foreign religion like Buddhism to spread. That's why Buddhism could run only side by side with the local Chinese sorcery in the very beginning.
3. Characteristics of Three Treatise School
Indian Madhyamika Buddhism was introduced into China in the 4th century. The so-called "San-lun-zong" (Three Treatise School) or "Kong-zong" (the School of Emptiness) was actually based its doctrine on these three books: Madhyamika Sastra, Dvadasamukha Sastra and Sata Sastra. The three books, served as the basic doctrine of Three Treatise School which were translated by Kumarajiva were originally written by Nagarjuna and his disciple Aryadeva. The original Sanskrit copy of the books was not existent today. It is, therefore, the Nagarjuna's philosophy or Madhyamika Buddhism we talk about today is actually in accordance with the work of Candrakirti, "Ming-ju-lun" (Prasannapada).
When the three treatises were introduced and translated into Chinese by Kumarajive, it brought a big attention to the Chinese intellectual circle and caused a great interest in the area of philosophy of Buddhist studies. There are a number of great scholars exerted their interests in the three treatises, such as Hui-yuan, Seng-rui, Seng-zhao, Dao-seng, Seng-lang, Ji-zang and Fa-lang. Hui-yuan, Seng-rui, Seng-zhao and Dao-seng were early Chinese Madhyamikas. All four people were Kumarajiva's contemporaries, the first his correspondent and follower and the other three his disciples. Dao-seng advanced a number of original theories, but it was Seng-zhao who incorporating Taoism into Madhyamika developed a systematic philosophy. But the most important thinker of this school was Ji-zang who was very much honored by emperors of the Sui and Tang dynasties. The philosophy of Ji-zang was completely Indian in viewpoint, though he too quoted some from Taoism. It was Ji-zang who had carried forward Madhyamika philosophy in vague and founded Three Treatise School in China. Since then, Three Treatise School had played a dominant role in the Chinese Buddhist society until its decline in the ninth century.
According to Three Treatise School, any philosophy or doctrine is not a systematical consummation, but it should be approached with a critical sense of study. Generally, what approached by Mahayana or Hinayana is only an interest in its content of the doctrine. What they seek after is to establish a permanent truth. However, in accordance with Three Treatise School, there is no such which can be treated as the permanent. In this case, Three Treatise School criticized not only the traditional Indian philosophy, but Buddhist orthodox as well. In order to avoid any arbitrary and bias, Three Treatise School attaches its importance especially to means and methods, but not the annotation of the doctrine itself. Three Treatise School rejects any fixed form of logic for they do not consider that logic has a priori truth of knowledge. Any kind of metaphysics should be criticized, too. According to them, either logic or language is nothing but sunyata. Either deduction or induction is but man-made which has no permanent value of truth. Therefore, man's mind should not be obstructed by it. Strictly speaking, Three Treatise School has no unique method of philosophy itself. From the logical point of view, the theoretical method of Three Treatise School adapted usually is the practice of "empty logic". When they come to debate or to criticize the view of others they utilize always the method that is customarily used by their opponents. In their opinion, any philosophical method has only the pragmatic value. Any theoretical method by which one can remove any kind of attachment from either oneself or others that deserves value of usage. The aim of the debate or criticism of the school is not necessarily to establish any viewpoint of themselves, but to point out and correct the theoretical contradictory of othe

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