Zhiyi
Encyclopedia
Zhiyi (538–597 CE) is traditionally listed as the fourth patriarch, but is generally considered the founder of the Tiantai
tradition of Buddhism
in China
. His standard title was Śramaṇa Zhiyi (Ch. 沙門智顗), linking him to the broad tradition of Indian asceticism. Zhiyi is famous for being the first in the history of Chinese Buddhism to elaborate a complete, critical and systematic classification of the Buddhist teachings. He is also regarded as the first major figure to make a significant break from the Indian tradition, to form an indigenous Chinese system.
Chen (陳) in Huarong District
, Jing Prefecture (荊州華容), Zhiyi left home to become a monk at eighteen, after the loss of his parents and his hometown Jiangling that fell to the Western Wei army when Zhiyi was seventeen. At 23, he received his most important influences from his first teacher, Nanyue Huisi (慧思) (515-577 CE), a meditation
master who would later be listed as Zhiyi's predecessor in the Tiantai lineage. After a period of study with Huisi, he spent some time working in the southern capital of Jinling (金陵). Then in 575 he went to Tiantai mountain for intensive study and practice with a group of disciples. Here he worked on adapting the Indian meditation principles of śamatha
and vipaśyanā
(translated as "zhi" and "guan") into a complex system of self-cultivation practice that also incorporated devotional rituals and confession/repentance rites. Then in 585 he returned to Jinling, where he completed his monumental commentarial works on the Lotus Sutra
, the Fahua wenzhu (587 CE), and the Fahua xuanyi (593 CE).
Chappell
(1987: p. 247) holds that Zhiyi: "...provided a religious framework which seemed suited to adapt to other cultures, to evolve new practices, and to universalize Buddhism."
Zhiyi and Bodhidharma
were contemporaneous, though Zhiyi had royal patronage whilst Bodhidharma did not.
Among Zhiyi's many important works are the Mohe Zhiguan, Liumiao Famen, Fahua Wenzhu, and Fahua Xuanyi. Of the works attributed to him (although many may have been written by his disciples), about thirty are extant.
of Zhiyi's maturity and is held to be a "grand summary" (p. 2) of the Buddhist Tradition according to his experience and understanding at that time. The text of the Mohe Zhiguan was refined from lectures Zhiyi gave in 594 in the capital city of Chin-ling and was the sum of his experience at Mount T’ien-t’ai c.585 and inquiry thus far. Parsing the title, 'zhi' refers to "ch’an meditation and the concentrated and quiescent state attained thereby" (p. 4) and 'guan' refers to "contemplation and the wisdom attained thereby" (p. 4). Swanson (2002: p. 4) reports that Chih-i held that there are two modes of 'chih-kuan': that of sitting in meditation 坐, and that of “responding to objects in accordance with conditions” 歴縁対境, which is further refined as abiding in the natural state of a calm and insightful mind under any and all activities and conditions.
Swanson (2002: p. 1) states that Zhiyi in the Mohe Zhiguan:
The "Samadhi of One Practice" (Skt
. Ekavyūha Samādhi; Ch. 一行三昧) which is also known as the "samadhi of oneness" or the "calmness in which one realizes that all dharmas are the same" (Wing-tsit Chan), is one of the Four Samadhi that both refine, mark the passage to, and qualify the state of perfect enlightenment expounded in the Mohe Zhiguan. The term "Samadhi of Oneness" was subsequently used by Daoxin.
The Four Samadhis:
Print
Tiantai
Tiantai is an important school of Buddhism in China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. In Japan the school is known as Tendai, and in Korea it is known as Cheontae. Tiantai is also called the "Lotus School", due to its emphasis on the Lotus Sūtra as its doctrinal basis...
tradition of Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. His standard title was Śramaṇa Zhiyi (Ch. 沙門智顗), linking him to the broad tradition of Indian asceticism. Zhiyi is famous for being the first in the history of Chinese Buddhism to elaborate a complete, critical and systematic classification of the Buddhist teachings. He is also regarded as the first major figure to make a significant break from the Indian tradition, to form an indigenous Chinese system.
Biography
Born with the surnameChinese surname
Chinese family names have been historically used by Han Chinese and Sinicized Chinese ethnic groups in mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and among overseas Chinese communities. In ancient times two types of surnames, family names and clan names , existed.The colloquial expressions laobaixing...
Chen (陳) in Huarong District
Huarong District
Huarong District is a district of Hubei, China. It is under the administration of Ezhou city....
, Jing Prefecture (荊州華容), Zhiyi left home to become a monk at eighteen, after the loss of his parents and his hometown Jiangling that fell to the Western Wei army when Zhiyi was seventeen. At 23, he received his most important influences from his first teacher, Nanyue Huisi (慧思) (515-577 CE), a meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
master who would later be listed as Zhiyi's predecessor in the Tiantai lineage. After a period of study with Huisi, he spent some time working in the southern capital of Jinling (金陵). Then in 575 he went to Tiantai mountain for intensive study and practice with a group of disciples. Here he worked on adapting the Indian meditation principles of śamatha
Samatha
Samatha , śamatha "calm abiding," comprises a suite, type or style of Buddhist meditation or concentration practices designed to enhance sustained voluntary attention, and culminates in an attention that can be sustained effortlessly for hours on end...
and vipaśyanā
Vipassana
Vipassanā or vipaśyanā in the Buddhist tradition means insight into the true nature of reality. A regular practitioner of Vipassana is known as a Vipassi . Vipassana is one of the world's most ancient techniques of meditation, the inception of which is attributed to Gautama Buddha...
(translated as "zhi" and "guan") into a complex system of self-cultivation practice that also incorporated devotional rituals and confession/repentance rites. Then in 585 he returned to Jinling, where he completed his monumental commentarial works on the Lotus Sutra
Lotus Sutra
The Lotus Sūtra is one of the most popular and influential Mahāyāna sūtras, and the basis on which the Tiantai and Nichiren sects of Buddhism were established.-Title:...
, the Fahua wenzhu (587 CE), and the Fahua xuanyi (593 CE).
Chappell
David W. Chappell
David Wellington Chappell was a professor of Buddhist studies whose specialties were Chinese Buddhist traditions and interreligious dialogue. After receiving a B.A. from Mount Allison University and a B.D. from McGill University, he completed a Ph.D. in the history of religions at Yale University...
(1987: p. 247) holds that Zhiyi: "...provided a religious framework which seemed suited to adapt to other cultures, to evolve new practices, and to universalize Buddhism."
Zhiyi and Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th century AD. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Ch'an to China, and regarded as the first Chinese patriarch...
were contemporaneous, though Zhiyi had royal patronage whilst Bodhidharma did not.
Important works
Rujun Wu (1993: p. 1) identifies the Mohe Zhiguan of Zhiyi as the seminal text of the Tiantai school.Among Zhiyi's many important works are the Mohe Zhiguan, Liumiao Famen, Fahua Wenzhu, and Fahua Xuanyi. Of the works attributed to him (although many may have been written by his disciples), about thirty are extant.
Four Samadhis
Chih-i developed a curriculum of practice which was distilled into the 'Four Samadhis' (Chinese: 四種三昧; Wade-Giles: ?). These Four Samadhi were expounded in Zhiyi's 'Mohe Zhiguan' (Chinese: 摩訶止観, Jpn.: Makashikan). The Mohe Zhiguan is the magnum opusMasterpiece
Masterpiece in modern usage refers to a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship....
of Zhiyi's maturity and is held to be a "grand summary" (p. 2) of the Buddhist Tradition according to his experience and understanding at that time. The text of the Mohe Zhiguan was refined from lectures Zhiyi gave in 594 in the capital city of Chin-ling and was the sum of his experience at Mount T’ien-t’ai c.585 and inquiry thus far. Parsing the title, 'zhi' refers to "ch’an meditation and the concentrated and quiescent state attained thereby" (p. 4) and 'guan' refers to "contemplation and the wisdom attained thereby" (p. 4). Swanson (2002: p. 4) reports that Chih-i held that there are two modes of 'chih-kuan': that of sitting in meditation 坐, and that of “responding to objects in accordance with conditions” 歴縁対境, which is further refined as abiding in the natural state of a calm and insightful mind under any and all activities and conditions.
Swanson (2002: p. 1) states that Zhiyi in the Mohe Zhiguan:
...is critical of an unbalanced emphasis on “meditation alone,” portraying it as a possible “extreme” view and practice, and offering instead the binome chih-kuan 止観 (calming/cessation and
insight/contemplation, śamatha-vipaśyanā) as a more comprehensive term for Buddhist practice.
The "Samadhi of One Practice" (Skt
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
. Ekavyūha Samādhi; Ch. 一行三昧) which is also known as the "samadhi of oneness" or the "calmness in which one realizes that all dharmas are the same" (Wing-tsit Chan), is one of the Four Samadhi that both refine, mark the passage to, and qualify the state of perfect enlightenment expounded in the Mohe Zhiguan. The term "Samadhi of Oneness" was subsequently used by Daoxin.
The Four Samadhis:
- 'Samadhi of Constant Sitting' (Chinese: 常坐三昧) or 'One Round Samadhi' (Chinese: 一行三昧);
- 'Pratyutpanna-samadhiPratyutpanna SutraThe Pratyutpanna Sutra is an early Mahayana Buddhist scripture, which probably originated around the 1st century BCE in the Gandhara area of northwestern India.The Pratyutpanna Sutra was first translated into Chinese by the Kushan Buddhist monk Lokaksema...
' (Chinese: 般舟三昧) or 'Prolonged Samadhi' or 'Samadhi of Constant Walking' (Chinese: 常行三昧); - 'Samadhi of Half Walking and Half Sitting' (Chinese: 半行半坐三昧)
- 'Samadhi at Free Will' (Chinese: 隨自意三昧) or 'Samadhi of Non-walking and Non-sitting' (Chinese: 非行非坐三昧)
- Dumoulin, HeinrichHeinrich DumoulinHeinrich Dumoulin, S.J. was a Jesuit theologian, a widely published author on Zen Buddhism, and a professor of philosophy and history at Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan...
(author); Heisig, James W. (trans.) & Knitter, Paul (trans.)(2005). Zen Buddhism: A History. Volume 1: India and China. World Wisdom. ISBN 978-0-941532-89-1 - Donner, Neal & Daniel B. Stevenson (1993). The Great Calming and Contemplation. Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press.
- Hurvitz, Leon (1962). Chih-i (538-597): An Introduction to the Life and Ideas of a Chinese Buddhist Monk. Mélanges Chinois et Couddhiques XII, Bruxelles: Institut Belge des Hautes Études Chinoises.
Electronic
- Chappell, David W. (1987). 'Is Tendai Buddhism Relevant to the Modern World?' in Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 1987 14/2-3. Source: http://nirc.nanzan-u.ac.jp/publications/jjrs/pdf/254.pdf; accessed: Saturday August 16, 2008
- Dumoulin, Heinrich (1993). "Early Chinese Zen Reexamined ~ A Supplement to 'Zen Buddhism: A History'" in Japanese Journal of Religious Studies 1993 20/1. Source: http://www.nanzan-u.ac.jp/SHUBUNKEN/publications/jjrs/pdf/387.pdf (accessed: August 6, 2008)
- Swanson, Paul L. (2002). Ch'an and Chih-kuan: T'ien-t’ai Chih-i's View of
“ Zen” and the Practice of the Lotus Sutra. Presented at the International Lotus Sutra Conference on the theme “The Lotus Sutra and Zen”, 11–16 July 2002. Source: http://www.nanzan-u.ac.jp/~pswanson/mhck/Chih-i%20on%20Zen%20and%20Chih-kuan%208-2003.pdf (accessed: August 6, 2008) - Sheng-Yen, Master (聖嚴法師)(1988). Tso-Ch'an. Source: http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-BJ001/02_10.htm; (accessed: August 6, 2008)
External links
- Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (log in with userID "guest")
- Biography in Chinese
- Buddhism of T'ien-T'ai