方廣 Literally, "corrective and extensive." A Chinese translation of the Sanskrit vaipulya 毘佛略, one of the twelve traditional genre divisions of the Buddhist canon 十二部經. These works treated broad issues of the Buddhist doctrine, often in an intersectarian manner.

vaipulya, 毘佛略 expansion, enlargement, broad, spacious. 方 is intp. by 方正 correct in doctrine and 廣 by 廣博 broad or wide; some interpret it by elaboration, or fuller explanation of the doctrine; in general it may be taken as the broad school, or wider teaching, in contrast with the narrow school, or Hīnayāna. The term covers the whole of the specifically Mahāyāna sutras. The sutras are also known as 無量義經 scriptures of measureless meaning, i. e. universalistic, or the infinite. Cf. 方等.

A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms, William Edward Soothill and Lewis Hodous

方是方正之義，廣是廣大之義，方廣就是一切大乘經的通稱。

陳義孝編, 竺摩法師鑑定, 《佛學常見辭彙》

如十二分教中說。

二解　瑜伽八十一卷十二頁云：方廣者：謂說菩薩道。如說七地，四菩薩行，及說諸佛百四十種不共佛道。謂四一切種清淨，乃至一切種妙智。如菩薩地已廣說。又復此法、廣故，多故，極高大故，時長遠故。謂極勇猛、經三大劫阿僧企耶，方得成滿。故名方廣。

三解　顯揚六卷八頁云：方廣者：謂諸經中宣說能證無上菩提諸菩薩道，令彼證得十力無障智等。是為方廣。

四解　集論七卷一頁云：何等方廣？謂菩薩藏相應言說。如名方廣，亦名廣破，亦名無比。為何義故名為方廣？一切有情利益安樂所依處故；宣說廣大甚深法故。為何義故名為廣破？以能廣破一切障故。為何義故名為無比？無有諸法能比類故。

五解　大毗婆沙論一百二十六卷十五頁云：方廣云何？謂諸經中、廣說種種甚深法義。如五三經梵網幻網五蘊六處大因緣等。脅尊者言：此中般若，說名方廣。事用大故。

朱芾煌《法相辭典》字庫

（術語）總為大乘經之通名，別稱則十二部經之第十曰方廣經。方者以理之方正而名，廣者以言詞之廣博而名。梵語曰毘佛略（Vaipulya，巴Vipula）。勝鬘寶窟中末曰：「方廣者是大乘經之通名也。（中略）理正為方，文富為廣。又一乘無德不包曰廣，離於偏稱方。古注云：真解無偏為方，理包無限稱廣也。」大乘義章曰：「理正曰方，義備曰廣。若依小乘，語正曰方，言多曰廣。」俱舍光記十八曰：「言方廣者，謂以正理廣辨諸法。以一切法性眾多，非廣言詞不能辨故，亦名廣破。由此廣言能破極堅無知闇故，亦言無比，由此廣言理趣幽博，餘無比故。」

丁福保《佛學大辭典》

【梵】vaipulyam
【滿】umesi badarambure aimak
【蒙】mashi delgeregsen u aiimag
【漢】方廣

Pentaglot Dictionary of Buddhist Terms