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)

Defining the meaning “perfect” (Chien Ming-i), … Chih-i examines the meaning Yiian (perfect) in three perspectives, seeing that the Perfect Teaching as the ultimate embraces the Three Vehicles (śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha and bodhisattva), whereby the Three Vehicles are converged into the One Buddha-vehicle. Thus, in Chih-i’s opinion, the meaning “perfect” can be defined in terms of common in name and perfect in meaning (Ming-t ‘ung I-yüan), separate in name and perfect in meaning (Ming-pieh I-yüan), and perfect in both name and meaning (Ming-i Chü-yüan). These three perspectives are explicated in reference to the passages in the Lotus Sūtra.

Ming-t ‘ung I-yüan (Common in name and perfect in meaning) refers to the position of śrāvakas in the Perfect Teaching. Although it shares a common name with the position of śrāvakas in other teachings, it contains the meaning “perfect.” This is evidenced from a passage in the Lotus Sūtra regarding the declaration of śrāvakas:

“We are today true ‘sound-hearers,’ for [we] have made the sound of the Buddha-path heard by all.”

Chih-i argues that the true meaning Sheng-wen (Chinese etymological rendering for śrāvakas, meaning “sound-hearers”) signifies that they are the ones who can benefit all beings with the sound of the Buddha. Therefore, in this context, notwithstanding the position of śrāvakas share the same name with that of śrāvakas in the Common and Tripiṭaka Teachings, the meaning “to make the sound of the Buddha-path heard by all” implies that the position of the former is perfect. The device Chih-i applies for judging whether or not the position is perfect is by evaluating its underlying meaning rather than by its name, rendering the position of śrāvakas in the Perfect Teaching common in name and perfect in meaning. (Vol. 2, Page 216-217)

Sui-hsin-hsing Wei (Position of the practice following faith) is the first of the Seven Saintly Positions. The name of this position Sui-hsin-hsing (Skt., śraddhānusārin) is derived from the person with dull faculties (Ch., Tun-ken; Skt., mṛdvindriya). He enters the Path of Vision (Ch., Ju Chien-tao; Skt., niyāmāvakramapa) by his belief in what he is told by others, but not by his own intellect.

Sui-fa-hsing Wei (Position of the practice following the Dharma) is the second of the Seven Saintly Positions. In opposite to the above one, the person with relatively sharp faculties (Ch., Li-ken; Skt., t̄kyṣṇēndriya) achieves this position Sui-fa-hsing (Skt., dharmānusārin), because he enters the Path through his own contemplation of the Four Noble Truths. The first and this second position are at the initial stage of religious path and are referred to as the “Path of Vision” (Ch., Chien-tao; Skt., darśanamārga) (which entails no practice). (Vol. 2, Page 202-203)

By his systematized elaboration of [the] four categories, different divisions of Buddhist doctrines and practices become a coherent whole, and can coexist without confusion and contradiction. While confirming the diversity of the Buddha’s teaching, Chih-i conveys the real intention of the Buddha that lies in his teachings, which is for the sake of leading all sentient beings to attain Buddhahood. This ultimate purpose of attaining Buddhahood becomes more transparent in Chih-i’s system of positions: regardless of whether one’s position is inferior or superior, all practitioners of various positions can eventually reach the goal of Buddhahood. Chih-i’s justification for the disclosure of the “Subtlety of Positions” can be detected from the following paragraph:

“Since truth as principle is merged, knowledge is perfect without any interval; [when] practice is guided [by knowledge], it becomes subtle. [Upon] a manifestation of these three meanings (i.e., truth, knowledge, and practice), the substance, gist, and function [of the Lotus Sūtra] are complete. Furthermore, the Subtlety of Positions should be exposed.”

This implies that related to truth that is perfect, knowledge is perfect as well. The perfect knowledge can guide practice to its completion. When all these three categories, truth, knowledge, and practice are realized, the level of attainment arises. (Vol. 2, Page 196)

In terms of the first aspect of practice “cultivation concerning the characteristics of dharmas,” by contemplating the nature of breath lacking substantial Being, one proceeds to contemplate the nature of body, which is what one’s breath is dependent upon. By conceiving emptiness of body, which is composed of four elements (earth, water, fire, and wind), one continues to contemplate mind, which is what one’s body relies on. One sees that the mind is also empty, for it is created by the combination of conditions. In terms of the second aspect of practice “cultivation concerning realization of truth,” it is to “internally realize emptiness as the Absolute Truth.” “Gradually, [one] is able to penetrate and understand the distinctiveness of one’s body-form and breath. [One] also knows that one’s body corresponds with the mundane astronomy and geography and can embrace samäclhis within the three realms.” (Vol. 2, Page 180)

Before elaborating increasing numbers of practice, Chih-i delineates practice in terms of knowledge, stressing the importance of practice that can lead to an accomplishment and knowledge that can guide practice. Without practice, there would not be the fruition of enlightenment; and without knowledge, practice cannot accomplish anything. Both practice and knowledge are indispensable, and together, they provide conditions to allow a person to gain religious accomplishment. Chih-i explains:

“Although there are many practices, they are all based on knowledge.
Knowledge is like a guide and a master, and practice is like a merchant. Knowledge is like a sharp needle, and practice is like a long thread. When a cart [i.e., practice] is driven by knowledge, an ox cart rides smooth and steady, and is capable of getting somewhere.” (Vol. 2, Page 170)

Chih-i assures us that by undertaking various practices with the guidance of knowledge, truth can be realized. Therefore, … Chih-i begins to discuss the “Subtlety of Practice.” Before his elaboration of practice, Chih-i discusses an interactive relation among objects, knowledge, and practice by stating:

“Practice is called progress and tending that cannot be proceeded without knowledge. Knowledge [means] understanding that can guide practice, but [knowledge] will not be correct without [concerning] an object. With knowledge as the eye and practice as the foot, [one] reaches the pure and cool pond [of prajn͂āpāramitā, i.e., enlightenment]. Understanding is the essence of practice, and practice can lead to the formation of knowledge. Therefore, when practice is complete, knowledge is perfect.”

Chih-i’s point is that practice must be guided by knowledge, and the achievement of practice, in return, perfects knowledge. However, correct knowledge is derived from objects as truth. Only if knowledge is correct, can it guide practice in a right direction. With one’s perfection of knowledge and completion of practice, one gains enlightenment. (Vol. 2, Page 169)

[Chih-i] contemplates the Twelvefold Causality by viewing ignorance (āvidya) as only the product of a stupid mind. Chih-i describes how various conditions arouse various links in the Twelvefold Causality, and how the Three Virtuous Qualities of Buddhahood (i.e., perfect wisdom, liberation, and Dharmabody) can be attained when the Threefold Course of Ignorance (i.e., suffering, karman and affliction) is extinguished:

“Ignorance is just mind stupidity. If the mind is at the state of stupidity, it arouses affliction [kleśa]. From affliction, various kinds of karman rise. From karman, various types of suffering [cluḥkha] rise.”126 If ignorance is destroyed, prajn͂ā is manifested. If karman is destroyed, liberation is manifested. If consciousness, and name-and-form are destroyed, the dharmakāya is manifested.” (Vol. 2, Page 150)

The knowledge of the Perfect Teaching represents the Buddha-vehicle and is obtained by the bodhisattva of supreme faculties. As the perfect knowledge of the Buddha, the contemplation of the Middle Way is superior to the previous one. This means that the Middle Way is reached by affirming both emptiness and existence. Seeing that emptiness is provisional existence and the provisional existence is of empty nature, emptiness and provisional are identical to each other. The contemplation of the Threefold Truth practiced in the Perfect Teaching is perfect and merging, by which all dharmas are identified to be nothing but the manifestation of the Middle Way. The bodhisattva of the Perfect Teaching is capable of knowing that it is the mind that acts to distinguish things. Without the manipulation of the mind, all dharma are actually non-distinction and are of one entity. Upon the realization that there is neither distinction between the concept of affliction and bodhi-wisdom, nor distinction between life-death and Nirvāṇa, one does not need to seek bliss by departing from suffering (as affliction is bodhi). The state of non-distinction of the mind leads to spontaneity and the display of the true nature of dharmas as it is (i.e., no-function), by which the Buddha-nature inherent in all sentient beings can be revealed, and Buddhahood can be attained. (Vol. 2, Page 144)

The seventeenth category is Knowledge of the Five Preliminary Grades of Disciples of the Perfect Teaching (Yüan-chiao Wu-p ‘in Ti-tzu Chih). This category of knowledge is related to the Five Preliminary Grades of Disciples of the Perfect Teaching and indicates initial level of practice that belongs to the Perfect Teaching. Although this level is equivalent to the Ordinary Rank of a Lower Level of the Tripiṭaka Teaching, the Stage of Dry Wisdom of the Common Teaching, and the Ten Faiths of the Separate Teaching, it is actually superior to that of the other three teachings. This is because the starting point of the Perfect Teaching is higher, as its practice is based on the contemplation of the Middle Way, in which the Threefold Truth is simultaneously and perfectly perceived. One can directly penetrate the Ultimate Truth that consists of emptiness, the provisional and the middle without having to gradually progress to contemplate each of the three truths. Thus, the practitioners, even at the beginning stage of practice, is able to eliminate delusions of false ideas, to subdue delusions of wrong attitudes, delusions of lacking sufficient knowledge of saving beings, as well as fundamental ignorance. (Vol. 2, Page 141)