[In Chih-i’s elaboration of the Five Sections,] each section is related to the next section – the preceding one is a necessary step for the following one to arise. Chih-i explains:

“Name is to name dharma. Dharma is identical to the Substance. When the Substance is recognized through the name, the Substance would not be perceived without the Gist. When the Substance is perceived, it at once becomes perfect. From the Substance, the Function arises. The Function generates benefits and embraces knowledge. Since there are multiple benefits, it is necessary to distinguish the Characteristics of the Teaching.”

This passage means that the necessity to have name is to name the dharma (truth in Buddhism), because in order to express dharma, language is an indispensable instrument. When dharma bears name, it is legible and can guide one to recognize the substance, because dharma as truth is taken as the substance of the Lotus Sūtra. However, this substance–substance of the Ultimate Truth (Shih-hsiang Chih-t’i) relies on the insight of the Buddha to be perceived. The insight of the Buddha is the outcome of the gist (the practice of the Buddha and his attainment of Buddhahood as the cause and effect). Only when the gist is taken into account, could the substance as the Ultimate Truth be understood and realized (Hui-t’i). Since this substance embraces all entities, it is perfect. The perfect substance results in powerful function. This is to say that the powerful function is derived from one’s knowledge that concerns the Ultimate Truth. This is because when the Buddha realizes the Ultimate Truth, the Buddha’s knowledge that concerns this Ultimate Truth exerts the power to function in fulfilling his soteriological goal of liberating all living beings. (Vol. 2, Page 26)

By comparing the Lotus Sūtra with other sūtras, three kinds of differences are made by Chih-i in terms of the knowledge that concerns the Relative Truth and the Ultimate Truth as follows:

1. From other sūtras, it is known that the Buddha obtained the knowledge that concerns the Ultimate Truth (Shih-chih) upon his enlightenment under the bodhi tree in his present lifetime. From then on, he started applying expedient means, i.e., the knowledge that concerns the Relative Truth (Ch’üan-chih), to teach and transform living beings. However, the Lotus Sūtra reveals the fact that the Buddha had already perfected his knowledge a long time ago, i.e., his original attainment of Buddhahood can be traced back to the incalculable past, and all his later activities are the manifestations derived from this original Buddhahood.
2. In other sūtras, disciples of the Two Vehicles (śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha) are excluded from entering the knowledge concerning the Ultimate Truth and from being able to implement the knowledge concerning the Relative Truth. In the Lotus Sūtra, however, it is made clear that in the past, the Lotus Sūtra was repeatedly expounded by the Buddhas, and that innumerable disciples of the Two Vehicles have already been benefited by the Lotus Sūtra. This is to say that they have long ago obtained the knowledge concerning the Ultimate Truth and have also understood the practice of applying the knowledge concerning the Relative Truth.
3. There is no single hint in other sūtras about the Buddha’s accomplishment of teaching and transforming living beings before his enlightenment under the bodhi tree, except in the Lotus Sūtra. The Lotus Sūtra reveals the fact that the Twofold Knowledge in terms of the Relative Truth and the Ultimate Truth (Ch’üan-shih Erh-chih) existed ever since the Buddha’s original attainment of Buddhahood long ago, with which the Buddha had already transformed countless bodhisattvas before his enlightenment in this lifetime. (Vol. 2, Page 23-24)

The Buddha’s teaching is spoken of in five periods, and these five periods are tantamount to the five flavors of dairy products: milk, cream, curdled milk, butter and ghee. The teaching of the Buddha in the five periods is classified into three types: Sudden (Tun), Gradual (Chien), and Indeterminate (Pu-ting).

5.l.1 Classifying the teaching of the Buddha in terms of the Five periods

The first period that is compared with “when the sun rises, it first shines on the highest mountains, is defined as “Sudden” (Tun), and is analogous with the flavor of milk. It is called “Sudden,” because the teaching in this period carries the profound truth (that has been perceived by the Buddha upon his enlightenment under the bodhi tree), namely, the exclusive teaching of Mahāyāna that is for bodhisattva only. This is because, only the bodhisattvas with higher faculties can immediately grasp truth without having to go through preparatory stages. Although Śrāvakas are present, they are unable to comprehend this Sudden Teaching, and are isolated from it (Ta Ko-yü Hsiao). Since this teaching is not heard by Śrāvakas (Hsiao Pu-wen Ta) and does not have an effect on them, it remains Sudden (Ta Yi-hsiang Shih Tun).

The second period that is compared with “the sun that shines into deep valleys” (Tz ‘u-chao Yu-ku), is defined as “Gradual” (Chien), and is analogous with the flavor of cream. Being the opposite term of “Sudden,” “Gradual” refers to the teachings of the Buddha that carry the partial truths catering to either Śrāvakas or Mahāyānists, for the purpose of preparing listeners for the final disclosure of the Ultimate Truth. This includes the three stages of the teaching gradually ascending from the elementary to the profound doctrines. The three stages refer to this second period Āgama, the next third period Vaipulya, and the fourth period Prajn͂ā.

Due to the fact that Śrāvakas in the first period are unable to comprehend the profound truth, and are like the deaf and the dumb, the Buddha, in the second period, teaches them the doctrine of the Tripiṭaka, the Gradual Teaching (Chien-chiao) that is for Śrāvakas only. Although Mahāyānists are present, they are not recognized by Śrāvakas (Hsiao Ko-yü Ta, Ta Yin-yü Hsiao). Since the Buddha has not yet stated the non-distinction of Śrāvakayāna and Mahāyāna, Mahāyānists still differentiate themselves from Śrāvakas, and do not see the value of Śrāvakayāna (Ta Pu-yung Hsiao). As this teaching is exclusively Śrāvakayāna in nature, it remains gradual (Hsiao-i-hsiang Shih Chien).

The third period that is compared with “the sun that shines on level ground” (Tz’u-chao P’ing-ti), is also defined as “Gradual” (since the teaching of this period still contains the partial truth), and is analogous with the flavor of curdled milk. Nevertheless, the purpose of this period is to break through the teaching of Śrāvakayāna with the teaching of Mahāyāna (I-ta P’o-hsiao), in order to clarify the fact that the former teaching is only relative. Therefore, Chih-i calls it “Sudden and Gradual are equally presented” (Tun-chien Ping-ch ‘en).

The fourth period is compared with the time of day that is closest to noon, when the sunlight is getting stronger. This is the time when “adults are benefited by the light, and infants [who are seven days old] lose their eyesight [if they look at the sun]. Also, this period is defined as “Gradual” (since the Buddha did not yet announce the Ultimate Truth about liberation for all living beings), and is analogous with the flavor of butter. The significance of this period is to emphasize non-distinction between the teachings of Mahāyāna and Śrāvakayāna. Chih-i terms it “elucidating the teaching of Mahāyāna but encompassing the teaching of Śrāvakayāna” (Taihsiao Ming-ta), viz., Sudden and Gradual are not contradictory, but are complimentary to each other (Tun-chien Hsiang-tzu).

The fifth period is compared with the time of noon when “the sun shines equally on all levels of terrain.” This period is defined as “Gradual and Perfect” (Chien-yüan), and is analogous with the flavor of ghee. Perfect refers to the teaching of the Buddha that conveys the Ultimate Truth of the one Buddha-vehicle. Since this period is to integrate Śrāvakayāna with Mahāyāna (Hui-hsiao Kui-ta) (i.e., the Gradual Teaching is converged into the Perfect Teaching), it is thus called “Gradual and Perfect”. As a result of this convergence, there is not only no distinction between the Sudden and the Gradual, but both have been vanished and unified (Tun-chien Min-ho) when the real intention of the Buddha is displayed. That is, both Sudden and Gradual are instrumental in leading living beings to attain final Buddhahood.

Chih-i emphasizes that the cause and effect of the Buddha’s practice in the Traces (that is stated in other sūtras) is the Relative Truth. This is because the initial enlightenment of the Buddha in the Origin is not explained in other scriptures. Chih-i views the gist of the Lotus Sūtra as the Ultimate Truth or the essential teaching of the Buddha, because this gist displays the original cause and effect of the Buddha’s practice of the Origin in an incalculable past. The Buddha made clear that the Origin is ultimate, and the Traces are relative, since the Traces are derived from the Origin.

Chih-i stresses that the essential teaching of the Buddha is expressed in the Lotus Sūtra, and that it refers to the “Cause and Effect of the Buddha’s Self-cultivation” (Fo Tzu-hsing Yin-kuo) in an incalculable past of the Origin (Pen) when the Buddha initially attained Buddhahood. The initial practice of the Buddha is the cause of Buddhahood, and the initial enlightenment of the Buddha is the effect of Buddhahood. This teaching is essential because it concerns the Buddha’s initial practice for attaining Buddhahood and his initial attainment of Buddhahood. This is the foundation of all the activities of the historical Buddha in the Traces (Chi). The difference between the substance as the Ultimate Truth and the gist as the cause and effect of the Buddha’s Self-cultivation is that the substance is the foundation upon which the gist can be realized. (Vol. 2, Page 15-16)

Having understood that the first section, “name,” aims at conveying the subtle dharma that is expressed in the teaching of the Buddha, and that the second section, “substance,” aims at presenting the Ultimate Truth as the foundation for the teaching of the Buddha, the following third of the Five Sections, “gist” (Tsung), begins to address what constitutes the teaching of the Buddha. According to Chih-i, the cause and effect of Buddhahood is essential in the teaching of the Buddha, because one’s practice of striving to attain Buddhahood as the cause entails penetrating the Ultimate Truth, and one’s attainment of Buddhahood as the effect is the realization of the Ultimate Truth. Therefore, the significance of clarifying the gist as the cause and effect of Buddhahood lies in the fact that the gist manifests the substance as the Ultimate Truth. (Vol. 2, Page 15)

The substance in the Lotus Sūtra is proved to be the Ultimate Truth since it excludes nothing and finds no conflict with anything in the universe. (Vol. 2, Page 14)

Chih-i’s view is that the purpose of the Buddha to refute the views of the three sages is to lead them to realize that the truths they hold are not ultimate, for these truths do not accord with the correct substance. Nevertheless, Chih-i emphasizes that it does not mean these truths are not the Word of the Buddha. They are taught by the Buddha with different kinds of knowledge. It is in this context that Chih-i introduces his system categorizing the knowledge of the Buddha, namely “three kinds of the Twofold Knowledge in terms of the Relative and the Ultimate” (San- Chung Ch’üan-shih Erh-chih). (Vol. 2, Page 3)

Chih-i remarks that it is easy to understand the destruction of the four attachments, but not in the case of breaking through the realization of the three sages. Thus, he gives an explanation of how these three views should be refuted. To refute the first extreme view of “emptiness only,” the Buddha uses the doctrine “emptiness and existence,” indicating that emptiness does not mean nothingness. The second view “emptiness only and not emptiness only” recognizes that things are conventionally existent though they are fundamentally empty (which is obviously the perception that goes a step further than the former one). However, this second view should still be refuted since it differentiates emptiness from existence. For this purpose, the doctrine of “not two things” is employed to declare that the emptiness and the provisional existence are not two separate things. In order to obtain the Middle Way of making no distinction of these two aspects, this third view abandons these two aspects, since either of them is an extreme view. The phrase that represents this Middle Way is “not emptiness only.” Nevertheless, this Middle Way is questionable, as it is obtained through abandoning either the view of emptiness or the view of existence. In order to refute this third view, the doctrine of “not different” is introduced, revealing the Middle Way of the Perfect Teaching, which is not the transcendence to emptiness and existence. For Chih-i, going beyond things is still a deliberate act of differentiation, and is far from the Ultimate Truth. The alternative view that is offered by Chih-i is the Middle Way of the Perfect Teaching, which is not realized by negating the two sides, but by affirming the identity of the two sides. This Middle Way of the Perfect Teaching is what the substance of the Lotus Sūtra embodies, and this substance dissolves differences of the truths of the three sages. Through the principle of identification, this Middle Way encompasses all dharmas (entities), because “all mundane affairs are not a violation of the Ultimate Truth. Every color and fragrance is none but the Middle Way.” Therefore, these three truths are integrated in the Lotus Sūtra. This functional aspect of the substance that dissolves differences confirms that the Lotus Sūtra contains the correct substance. (Vol.2, Page 12-14)

Chih-i believes that the Ultimate Truth is not static, but functions to
“horizontally destroy four attachments or four distortions (Ch., Ssu-tao; Skt., viparyāsacatuska) (i.e. mistaking empirical world as constancy, bliss, selfhood, and purity) of an ignorant man, and vertically refute the realization of the sages of the Tripiṭaka, Common, and Separate Teachings.” Since the four illusions of attachments of an ignorant man belong to the worldly phenomena, they are looked at from a wide-ranging view as being horizontal and profane. From this horizontal level of the profane, visually speaking, a vertical dimension arises, representing the transcendental level. Various truths that are realized by the three sages are three different levels of perception in an ascending order, rendering the dimension of height (i.e., vertical). The truth of the Two Vehicles (śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha) of the Tripiṭaka Teaching is “emptiness only” (Tan-k’ung), since these Two Vehicles can only view things as empty from the perspective of the illusory nature of things, and cannot see the provisional existence. The truth of the bodhisattva of the Common Teaching is “emptiness only and not emptiness only” (Tan-k’ung Pit-tan-k’ung), for they go one step further and see that although things are illusory and thus fundamentally empty, this illusion also indicates illusory existence. This illusory existence renders things conventionally not empty. The truth of the bodhisattva of the Separate Teaching is “not emptiness only” (Pu-tan-k’ung), and represents the view of the Middle Way. This Middle Way is free of the former two views that adhere to either emptiness or illusory existence (Ch’u-erh-pien Chung). (Vol.2, Page 12-13)