The Gist is Chih-i’s third classification of the Five Sections in interpreting the Lotus Sūtra. Having presented his system of understanding Buddhism in the first section “name,” and having sustained his system by presenting the Ultimate Truth as the substance in the second section “substance,” in this section “gist” what Chih-i aims at revealing is the essential teaching of the Buddha in terms of the cause and effect of Buddhahood, because gist is interrelated with the substance: with the substance, gist is sustained; and with the gist, substance is manifested. (Vol. 2, Page 439)