The subtlety of the dharma of the Buddha means, as the Lotus Sūtra says, “Cease, cease, do not try to explain. My dharma is subtle and difficult to conceptualize.”¹¹⁴ The dharma of the Buddha does not go beyond the conventional and the real.¹¹⁵ [The Lotus Sūtra says,] “This dharma is exceedingly profound, subtle, difficult to see and difficult to perfect,”¹¹⁶ and “Of all types of sentient beings, none are able to know the Buddha.”¹¹⁷ This is the subtle real wisdom. [The Lotus Sūtra says,] “Also, there are none who can calculate the dharma of the Buddha.”¹¹⁸ This is the Buddha’s subtle conventional wisdom. In this way these two dharmas [of the conventional and real can be understood] “only by Buddhas who can completely exhaust all true aspects of reality.”¹¹⁹ This is called the subtle dharma of the Buddha.

113

This ambiguous compound refers, as the following statements make clear, both to the Buddha-dharma as the teaching of the Buddha, and the Buddha himself and what it means to be a Buddha, such as his good qualities and activity in the world. return

114

This well-known phrase from the chapter on “Expedient Means” in the Lotus Sūtra is quoted often by Chih-i to express the subtlety and ultimate inexpressibility of the Buddha-dharma. Hurvitz, Lotus Sūtra, 28, has “Cease, cease! No need to speak. My dharma is subtle and hard to imagine.” return

115

Another twofold categorization by Chih-i of teachings, wisdom, and reality, the details of which would involve another complete analysis of T’ien-t’ai philosophy. See Fukushima 1978/5, 10-22. In many ways the first corresponds to the conventional truth (saṃvṛtisatya) and the “real” corresponds to the supreme truth (paramārthasatya). Chih-i discusses the content of these terms in more detail in the next section. return

116

This phrase is also from the chapter on “Expedient Means.” Hurvitz, Lotus Sūtra, 23, has “Those dharmas profound and subtle, hard to see and hard to understand…” return

117

This quote precedes the above quote in the Lotus Sūtra by a few lines. Hurvitz, Lotus Sūtra, 23, has “(Among) all varieties of living beings, none can know the Buddha.” return

118

This phrase occurs between the above two quotes in the Lotus Sūtra, T.9, 5c18. Hurvitz, Lotus Sūtra, 23, translates the context as “As to the Buddha’s strengths (bala), his sorts of fearlessness (vaiśāradya), his deliverances (vimsokṣa), and his samādhi, as well as the other dharmas of a Buddha, none can fathom them.” return

119

This quote appears immediately preceding the above quotes from the Lotus Sūtra, and is another favorite of Chih-i. Hurvitz, Lotus Sūtra, 22, has “Concerning the prime, rare, hard-to-understand dharmas, which the Buddha has perfected, only a Buddha and a Buddha can exhaust their reality.” return

Master [Hui-ssu] of Mt. Nan-yüeh¹⁰⁵ suggests three types [of dharmas], i.e., sentient beings, the Buddha, and mind.¹⁰⁶

As [the Lotus Sūtra says, the Buddha manifests himself in the world] in order to lead sentient beings to expose, point out, realize, and enter [an understanding of] the Buddha’s knowledge and insight.¹⁰⁷ If sentient beings [inherently] lack the Buddha’s knowledge and insight, how can it be exposed through discussion? It should be known that the Buddha’s knowledge and insight dwells [inherently] within sentient beings.

The [Lotus] Sūtra also [refers to the seeing] merely with “eyes engendered by one’s parents.” This refers to physical eyes. That which can see through the “inner and outer mounts Meru…” is called the “Divine Eye.”¹⁰⁸ That which has penetrating insight which sees through all visible forms without being defiled by attachment is called the “Eye of Wisdom.” That which perceives visible forms without error is the “Dharma Eye.” In this way, even though one has not yet attained the state of no outflow [of passions], nevertheless one’s sight organ is [inherently] pure. For one eyesight to include all of these eyesights is called the Buddha Eye. This text in the Lotus Sūtra clarifies that the dharma of sentient beings is subtle [because they inherently have the Buddha’s knowledge and insight].

105

Chih-i’s master, considered by the T’ien-t’ai tradition to be the second patriarch in the T’ien-t’ai lineage. For details see chapter 8 and also Paul Magnin 1979. return

106

A classification of all reality into the three aspects of sentient beings (representing phenomena in general), the Buddha (representing the state of perfection), and mind. The basis for Chih-i’s analysis here must be his experience of practicing the an-lo-hsing based on the fourteenth chapter on “The Practice of Peace” of the Lotus Sūtra under Hui-ssu. See Hurvitz, Chih-i, 108-109. Hui-ssu’s work on The Meaning of the Practice of Peace in the Lotus Sūtra (Fa hua ching an lo hsing) is extant. In this work, however, Hui-ssu emphasizes the dharma of sentient beings and their practice of Lotus Sūtra contemplation rather than the three dharmas of sentient beings, Buddha, and mind. Nevertheless there is a correspondence between this work and Chih-i’s comments in so far as they often quote the same passages from texts such as the Lotus Sūtra and the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra. This classification of reality is probably based on the verse in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra:

The mind, like an artist,
Paints the various five aggregates.
In the entire world
There is no dharma which it does not produce.
The Buddha also is like the mind,
And like the Buddha, so are sentient beings.
The mind, the Buddha, and sentient beings:
These three are not distinct.
return

Next I will interpret [the meaning of subtle] from the viewpoint of contemplating the mind. [First,] if one contemplates one’s own mind as not including the minds of sentient beings and the Buddha, this is a narrow [interpretation of] essence. [If the mind is contemplated as] including [the minds of sentient beings and the Buddha], this is a vast [interpretation of] essence. [Second,] if [one contemplates] one’s own mind as not equal to the mind of the Buddha, this is an inferior [interpretation of the] stage [of one’s attainment]. If [contemplated as] equal to the mind of the Buddha, this is an eminent [interpretation of the] stage [of one’s attainment]. [Third,] if [one contemplates] one’s own mind and the mind of sentient beings and the Buddha as not “simultaneously empty of substantive Being yet having conventional existence,” this is a short [interpretation of) function. To affirm the simultaneous emptiness and conventional existence [of reality] is a long [interpretation of] function.

Also, [to teach that] one dharma-realm penetrates all ten dharma realms and the levels of the six identities¹⁰⁴ is [an interpretation] vast in essence, eminent in stages, and long in function. With regard to the ten dharma-realms, this is manifested as the Oneness of Reality. Next, with regard to the Five Flavors, this is summarized as the Oneness of Teaching. Next, with regard to contemplating the mind, this is summarized as the Oneness of Practice. Next, with regard to the six identities, this is summarized as the Oneness of Persons. This ends the brief summary of the meaning of “subtle.”

104

The T’ien-t’ai classification of the fifty-two stages leading to Buddhahood within the Perfect Teaching in six interpenetrating levels. The six are as follows:

1. “Identity in the Principle of Reality.” All things are inherently endowed with Buddha-nature and the integrated, underlying unity of the nature of reality. This is shared by all sentient beings, even those who have not heard the Buddha-dharma.
2. “Verbal Identity.” The underlying unity of the Buddha’s verbal teachings. With regard to the stages of attainment it refers to those who have just heard the Buddha’s teachings.
3. “Identity in Contemplative Practice.” The practice of contemplation. With regard to the stages of attainment it refers to the “Five Preliminary Grades”.
4. “Identity in Outer Appearance.” The attainment of Hinayāna enlightenment which resembles true enlightenment but is not the highest Buddhahood. Concretely it refers to the severance of all the obstacles of mistaken views and attitudes in the triple world. With regard to the stages of attainment it refers to the first ten stages of Faith.
5. “Identity of Partial Realization.” The stages of attainment from the levels of the Ten Abodes to the stage just before final, ultimate enlightenment.
6. “Ultimate Identity.” The final stage of and ultimate culmination of perfect enlightenment.

For details see Chappell, Tien-t’ai Buddhism, 160—161, and Hurvitz, Chih-i, 363—368. These six identities are also discussed in detail in the Mo ho chih kuan. See Donner 1976, 163—172.