The aspects of characteristics of things-all things are of monad nature but differ in form. A name of the 法相宗 Faxiang or Dharmalakṣaṇa sect (Jap. Hossō), called also 慈恩宗 Cien sect from the Tang temple, in which lived 窺基 Kuiji, known also as 慈恩. It "aims at discovering the ultimate entity of cosmic existence n contemplation, through investigation into the specific characteristics (the marks or criteria) of all existence, and through the realization of the fundamental nature of the soul in mystic illumination". "An inexhaustible number" of "seeds" are "stored up in the Ālaya-soul; they manifest themselves in innumerable varieties of existence, both physical and mental". "Though there are infinite varieties. . . they all participate in the prime nature of the ālaya." Anesaki. The Faxiang School is one of the "eight schools", and was established in China on the return of Xuanzang, consequent on his translation of the Yogācārya works. Its aim is to understand the principle underlying the 萬法性相 or nature and characteristics of all things. Its foundation works are the 解深密經, the 唯識論, and the 瑜伽論. It is one of the Mahāyāna realistic schools, opposed by the idealistic schools, e.g. the 三論 school; yet it was a "combination of realism and idealism, and its religion a profoundly mystic one". Anesaki.

法相  See 法相宗. 

諸法顯現於外各別不同的相。

(一)諸法所具本質之相狀（體相），或指其意義內容（義相）。唯識宗之特質在於分析或分類說明法相，故又稱法相宗。〔解深密經卷二「一切法相品」、大毘婆沙論卷一二九、成實論卷一眾法品、卷二「四法品」〕
(二)指教義上之分齊、區別、綱要。
(三)指真如、實相。與「法性」同義。（參閱「法性」3358）

dharma-lakṣaṇa; dharma, dharma-gati, dharma-grāha, dharmatā, dharma-nimitta, dharma-saṃjñā

謂五蘊、十二入、十八界等諸法，以肉眼觀故，則見是有；以慧眼觀故，則見是無。眾生迷故，於此等法，起執取相，故名法相。（五蘊者，色蘊、受蘊、想蘊、行蘊、識蘊也。十二入者，眼入、耳入、鼻入、舌入、身入、意入、色入、聲入、香入、味入、觸入、法入也。十八界者，眼界、色界、眼識界；耳界、聲界、耳識界；鼻界、香界、鼻識界；舌界、味界、舌識界；身界、觸界、身識界；意界、法界、意識界也。）

菩薩修慈忍時，諦觀世間一切諸法，皆即法界真實之理，無取無捨，無瞋無喜，平等一相；由是觀故，滅眾生相，成就法相，是為法相。