A tradition of expressing one’s thought by commenting on the Confucian or Taoist classics was prominent especially throughout this period. A whole different outlook was presented through various kinds of interpretations of Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu which was a typical form of the Hsüan-hsüeh [Neo-Taoism] discourse during the Wei and Chin as well as during the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Apparently, Chih-i has followed this tradition as well, such as in the case of his two commentaries on the Lotus Sūtra. However, his work Hsüan-i (Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra) is more than just a commentary, rather, it is the expression of his own system of thought. Andō Toshio highly values Chih-i’s approach. He goes so far as to say:

“If the three great works of T’ien-t’ai are supposed to be the commentaries on the Lotus Sūtra, one may well consider the Lotus Sūtra as the annotation for Chih-i ‘s original thought.”