The affirmation of the mundane world is more known to be associated with Confucian ideology, which is concerned with more or less the fulfillment of one’s moral duty as a person in society. Though the contents of this affirmation of the mundane world in Taoism, Confucianism, and Chih-i’s philosophical system are quite different, their positive attitudes towards phenomena are the same. One is reminded of Chih-i’s well-known statement that underlies his affirmation of worldly phenomena: “Every color and fragrance is none but the Middle Way.” If every worldly entity manifests nothing else but the truth of the Middle Way, it is of course not to be negated, but to be affirmed.