Philosophical Schools: T'ien-t'ai

Summary by Nick Drexler

Three schools took the Mahayana and transformed it into an organic worldview, with a this-worldy orientation, and harmony both cosmic and social. They focus on dharma-as-it-is which refers to overcoming all conceptuality to find true wisdom and true compassion.

T'ien-t'ai, in particular, was a school with more focus on the realization of the true nature of reality, and not so much in scholarly pursuits. For this, there was more of an emphasis on having teachers experienced in actual religious practice. It was also distinctively Chinese.

The perfect harmony of the threefold truth (p.350) views emptiness, provisional form, and middle as a single truth understood in a threefold way. The threefold truth is involved in all manners of life. This is the realization of dharma-as-it-is. All of T'ien-t'ai is based on this truth.

There object of contemplation are found in the realms of phenomenal, blind passions, illness, karmic law, demons, meditation, dogmatic views of meditation, arrogance and pride, negative emptiness, and bodhisattva. All of these realms are the realm of truth. The stress is on the evil nature of man because everyone is caught up in delusion, including the Buddha, and not necessarily good.

Religious practice is focused on ten realms of contemplation and includes four types of practice. The constant-sitting Samadhi involves ninety days of continuous meditation focusing on Amitabha Buddha. Constant-walking Samadhi involves ninety days of reciting the name of Amitabaha. The combination of the two involves elaborate rituals preceded by the purification of sins. Then the Samadhi with neither walking nor sitting is where every though become thought of contemplation.