According to Chih-i, at the initial grade of the Five Preliminary Grades of Disciples of the Pertfect Teaching “Preliminary Grade of Joy Following the Truth” (Sui-hsi-p’in Wei), the person has already conceived the perfect faith and understanding (Ch’i Yüan-hsin-chieh). With a single mind, one embraces the Ten Dharma-realms (I-hsin-chung Chii Shih-fa-chieh). The cultivation of the practice of the Perfect Teaching enables one to incorporate all practices with a single practice, owing to the fact that one’s mind is constantly quiescent and reflective (Tz ‘u-hsin Ch ‘ang-chi Ch ‘ang-chao). With such a state of mind, all dharmas are eliminated as a result of one’s recognition that all dharmas are identical to Emptiness, the Provisional, and the Middle Way. Consequently, every thought in one’s mind is always correspondent with various pāramitās. At the second grade “Preliminary Grade of Reading and Reciting Sūtras” (Tu-sung p’in Wei), Chih-i illustrates that the practitioner, in order to enhance his faith in the Perfect Teaching, internally, continues to contemplate the Middle Way as the principle; externally, accepts, upholds, reads, and recites Mahāyāna scriptures. Being informed with knowledge derived from the scriptures, one is able to exert power of function to assist one’s contemplation. At the third grade “Preliminary Grade of Expounding the Dharma” (Shuo-fa-p’in Wei), one’s internal contemplation and external aid enhances, one starts to expound the teaching of the Buddha to others. At the fourth grade “Practicing Six Perfections in a Concurrent Way” (Chien-hsing Liu-tu), while the practitioner’s priority is still concerned with contemplation, he starts to carry out concurrent cultivation of the Six Perfections for the purpose of benefiting others. The last grade “Primary Practice of the Six Perfections” (Cheng-hsing Liu-tu) signifies a further progress in religious practice. Chih-i says that the practitioner’s priority is to practice the Six Perfections. As his contemplation (that is in accordance with the Perfect Teaching) is maturing, the principle and the facts become integrated. The practice of the Six Perfections enables him to realize that the Ultimate Truth is embedded in mundane affairs, and that these two are not contradictory: “Involving in the facts does not hinder [one to perceive] the principle, and residing in the principle does not isolate [one] from [perceiving] the facts.” Obviously, the empirical world entails an interpretation revealing the knowledge and insight of the Buddha. (Vol. 2, Page 218)