Zhiyi Zen Exploration

The paper is composed of four major parts: Essence of Zhiyi's Chan thought, the supreme goal of Zhiyi's Chan-Reality, Key to Zhiyi's Chan practice-meditation of the mind, Analysis of Zhiyi's major Chan practices. Tiantai Buddhism is studied in view of Tiantai Chan practice, and Zhiyi's theory on Chan is given a comprehensive interpretation.First is an introduction of the origin and foundation of Tiantai Chan thought in the background of the historical development of Tiantai Buddhism. Through the analysis of Zhiyi's three major works on Chan, namely Exposition of the Development of Chan Paramita Practice, the Six Wonderful Methods of Chan Practice, on Mahayana Cessation and Contemplation, Zhiyi's Chan theoretical structure and development is revealed, and the three branches of Gradual, Indefinite, and Sudden Enlightenment meditation theory is introduced, therefore the essential theory of "showing the Provisional in order to reveal the Ultimate" is elaborated.From the point of view of the "Supreme Reality" and "Meditation of the mind", the thesis further gives an in-depth study to the rich and subtle elaboration of the Sudden Enlightenment Meditation theory. "Supreme Reality"is the starting point as well as the ultimate goal of Tiantai Chan thought, focusing on the idea of "the Middle Way", this key concept is divided into three aspects for a detailed discussion, namely the " Three Truths", "Innate Three Thousand Worlds", "Innate Good and Evil", thus the subtle and all-inclusive theoretical character of the Tiantai "Middle Way Reality" and its religious significance is fully interpreted. "Mind Meditation" is the key to Tiantai enlightenment theory, whose Sudden Enlightenment branch treat the present "natural streams of ideas" as target of meditation, and the "transcendental truth" the aim of meditation, the "three perspective in one mind" as the key method , and the "non-generation nature" as the preliminary point of meditation.As for Zhiyi's Chan religious practice, the thesis gives the exposition from the perspective of Accumulation of Merits, Objects of Meditation, Preliminary Methods of Meditation, Key Points for Meditation,etc. Thepurpose if which is to show the integration of theory and religious practice leading to the supreme understanding of the Ultimate Truth. In addition, there is an introduction of Zhiyi's ten major practice methods, details of which are provided in order to further display the unique characteristics of Zhiyi's Mahayana Chan of the Ultimate Truth.Finally, an attempt is made to compare the Tiantai Chan and the Chan Zong that dominated the later Chinese Buddhist tradition. The author's view about Tiantai Buddhism and its role in the reconstruction of China's modern Buddhism as well as its significance in the revitalization of a human-centered Buddhism is also presented.