Grand Master Tiāntái Zhiyi (538-597 CE) categorized Buddhist teachings according to the “two gates of doctrine and contemplation.” This categorization was based on the Lotus Sūtra and came to be known as the Tiāntái doctrine. Grand Master Jingxi Zhanran (711-782 CE), also known as Miaole, and Grand Master Dengyō Saichō (767-822 CE) later expanded these general categories.

Nichiren Shōnin criticized the teachings of Japanese Tendai Buddhism, and established his new doctrine, giving greater emphasis to faith, as building on the original Tiāntái doctrines. Hence, Nichiren Shū has always regarded the three major works written by Grand Master Tiāntái as important. It treats A Guide to the Tiāntái Fourfold Teaching of Chegwan (618-906 CE) as a basic study text.