Descriptions of practices here are historical and educational, not personal instruction or health advice.
Life
Zhiyi, often called the Great Master of Tiantai, studied under Huisi and taught on Mount Tiantai in Zhejiang during the Chen and Sui dynasties. He organized Lotus Sutra exegesis, classification of teachings (panjiao), and a graduated path of calm-abiding and insight (zhi guan). Lectures recorded as the Mohe zhiguan (Great Calming and Contemplation) became the meditation summa of the school; other major works include the Fahua xuanyi and Fahua wenju. Japanese Tendai and much East Asian Buddhist meditation discourse look back to this system. ORDL presents it as contemplative history, not personalized instruction.
The system
- Zhi–guan: calm-abiding and insight as one path.
- Lotus-centered classification of Buddhist teachings.
- A graduated contemplative curriculum in the Mohe zhiguan.
Key works
- Mohe zhiguan (Great Calming and Contemplation)
- Fahua xuanyi (Profound Meaning of the Lotus)
- Fahua wenju (Words and Phrases of the Lotus)
Where to start
- Begin with a modern introduction to Tiantai, then selected chapters of the Mohe zhiguan in translation.
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