Chih-i devotes a large section at the beginning of his [ Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra] to a discussion of the four siddhānta, perhaps to make certain that his audience realizes the various ways in which one can approach the Buddha-dharma, and to temper his repeated assertions that his concepts and theories do not adequately describe reality.

The four siddhānta are:

• the worldly point of view (laukika siddhānta )
• the individual point of view (prātipāurusika siddhānta)
• the therapeutic point of view (prātipākṣika siddhānta)
• the supreme point of view (pāramārthika siddhānta)

Lamotte correctly asserts that the theory of the four siddhānta is an extension or development of the two truths theory.