p'an-chiao (Chinese). Term denoting the systems developed within Chinese Buddhism, primarily by the T'ien-t'ai and Hua-yen schools, for taking the often confusing and contradictory mass of Buddhist teachings and scriptures and classifying them into a hierarchical structure using principles of organization. These principles could include the period in the Buddha's life during which he gave a particular teaching, or judgements about the extent to which a given school or doctrine presented the truth straightforwardly or adapted it for audiences of lower abilities.

A Dictionary of Buddhism, Oxford University Press, 2003, 2004 (which is available in electronic version from answer.com)