The Liu-chi (Six Identities) is a system of realizing the truth set up by Chih-i to indicate six gradual ascending levels of attaining Buddhahood. These levels are all identified with the uniformity of the principal substance. They represent six levels of attainment in the fifty-two stages of the Perfect Teaching.

1. Li Chi-fo: all sentient beings by principle are Buddhas, for they inherently possess the Buddha-nature, even if they have not heard the Buddha dharma.
2. Ming-tzu Chi-yo: this is to understand that all dharmas contain the Buddha-dharma, and this understanding is derived from hearing the Buddha’s teaching that all sentient beings by principle are Buddhas. This is the stage when beings have just heard the teaching of the Buddha.
3. Kuanhsing Chi-fo: this is to contemplate that all dharmas contain the Buddhadharma. This is the stage of the Five Preliminary Grades of Disciples (Wup’in Ti-tzu JVei).
4. llsiang-ssu Chi-fo: this is the attainment of Śrāvaka enlightenment, which resembles true enlightenment of the Buddha upon severing false views and wrong attitudes within the three realms. This is the stage of the Ten Faith (Shih-hsin Wei),
5. Fen-cheng Chi-foe. this is the stage in which one realizes the Middle Way more and more, and has less and less ignorance, which is the stage from the Ten Dwellings (Shih-chu Wei) to the Preliminary Enlightenment (Teng-chüeh Wei).
6. Chiu-ching Chi-yo: this is the ultimate stage of Buddhahood, and the stage of Perfect or Subtle Enlightenment (Miao-chüeh Wei). (Vol. 2, Page 85)