Explaining the Origin and the Traces (Shih Pen-chi)
In order to address the concept Origin, Chih-i finds it necessary to explain the relationship between the Origin and the Traces by means of defining these two in the context of the six polar notions in terms of the principle and facts, principle and teaching, teaching and practice, substance and function, relative and ultimate, and present and past. These six notions designate the Origin and the Traces six different definitions.

1. In terms of the principle and facts (Li-shih), the Origin is defined as the principle, and embodies the nature of emptiness; and the Traces are defined as the facts and refer to all entities of worldly phenomena.
2. In terms of the principle and teaching (Li-chiao), the Origin is defined as the principle, and refers to both the principle as the Absolute Truth and the facts as the Worldly Truth; and the Traces are defined as the teaching and refer to the teaching of the principle and facts.
3. In terms of the teaching and practice (Chiao-hsing), the Origin is defined as the teaching, and refers to the teaching of the principle and facts, and the Traces are defined as the practice, and refer to the practice that is derived from this teaching.
4. In terms of the substance and function (T’i-yung), the Origin is defined as the substance, and refers to the Dharma-body (dharmakāya); and the Traces are defined as the function, and refer to the Transformation body (nirmāvakāya) that is derived from this substance.
5. In terms of the relative and ultimate (Ch’üan-shih), the Origin is defined as the Ultimate Truth, and refers to the ultimate attainment of the substance and function by the eternal Buddha; and the Traces are defined as the Relative Truth and refers to the relative implementation of the substance and the function by the historical Buddha.
6. In terms of the present and past (Chin-i), the Origin is defined as the present, and refers to what is revealed for the first time in the present Lotus Sūtra concerning the eternal Buddha; and the Traces are defined as the past and refers to what has been already known in the previous sūtras, concerning historical Buddha Śākyamuni.

Through these six definitions, Chih-i reveals not only the content of the Origin and the Traces, but also the relationship between the two: The Origin is fundamental, and the Traces arise from the Origin. Nevertheless, the content of the Origin and the Traces is not fixed but takes turns to define each other in the subsequent context of different polar concepts. This reflects a complementary and interactive relation between the Origin and the Traces and is Chih-i’s endeavor to demonstrate that the Origin contains the Traces, and the Traces contain the Origin. Chih-i argues that the Origin and the Traces are different and not different. They are different because they bear different definitions in each of the six polar concepts, and they are not different because they are defined by their counterpart in each of the subsequent polar concepts. Hence, the Origin and the Traces are inconceivable, and this inconceivable reality that underlies the Origin and the Traces is further illustrated by Chih-i, who claims that although the Origin and the Traces are different with six meanings, they share the same inconceivable reality. (Vol. 2, Page 318-319)