Zhiyi (538-597), an eminent monk in the Chen and Sui dynasties of the Southern Dynasty, was known as the Master of Wisdom and the founder of the Tiantai Sect of China. The common surname is Chen, with the word De'an. It is from Huarong, Jingzhou (now southwest of Qianjiang, Hubei). Zhiyi's father was an important official of the Liang Dynasty.

It is said that when Zhiyi's mother was pregnant, she often saw multicolored auspicious clouds in her dreams, like floating white clouds lingering in her arms. Every time she tried to dispel the auspicious clouds, she heard a god in the sky say to her:

"This is the cause of a previous life, a sign that great fortune is coming, and cannot be driven away."

Later, Zhiyi's mother dreamed that she swallowed the white mouse. The couple felt strange about this and asked someone to do divination. The diviner said that this was the sign of the white dragon entering the abdomen. Please don't panic. They were relieved.

The night Zhiyi was born, the house was as bright as day. The whole family celebrated the birth of Zhiyi. The family wanted to kill pigs and sheep and stew meat for the guests to celebrate. But once the meat was cooked, the fire went out. After several times, it was all like that. People were surprised. Just then, two strange looking monks pushed the door and came in. They said to Zhiyi's father, "Congratulations, you have an eminent monk at home, Ami Rudd Buddha!"

Then the two disappeared.

After that, Zhiyi's parents found that the wise man's eyes were heavy on benevolence. In ancient mythology, there was a legend that Shun valued benevolence, which was considered as the image of a sage. Zhiyan's parents love Zhiyi as the apple of their eye.

Zhiyi liked to read Buddhist scriptures when he began to study, and his daily words and deeds should always follow the requirements of Buddhist scriptures. And he meditates every night. I always want to become a monk and learn Taoism.

Emperor Liang Yuandi, Xiao Yi, was killed. Zhiyi's father lost his official position, and his family declined. From this, the wise man felt the impermanence of life and became more determined to become a monk.

Soon, Zhiyi's parents died one after another. After finishing his parents' funeral, Zhiyi went to Xiangzhou Guoyuan Temple to become a monk. The wise man was 18 years old that year.

Leaving Dharma, Zhiyi learned Dharma from Huikuang. Huikuang was a famous monk at that time, who was proficient in law and various Mahayana Buddhist scriptures. At the age of 20, Zhiyi followed Huikuang and received the precept of having enough. Before long, he went to Daxian Mountain in Hengzhou, Hunan Province, to study the Fahua Sutra.

After several years of study, Zhiyi has mastered several important Buddhist scriptures. But Zhiyi thought that the origin of Buddhism is to make people see things clearly. But now he discusses some words and principles every day. His mind is often trapped by this thing. How can he get the ultimate way of Buddhism? It seems that it is not good to read only scriptures, but also to learn the cultivation method.

At this time, Huisi, who has profound meditation skills, was preaching in Dasu Mountain, Guangzhou. When Zhiyi heard the news, he rushed to Dasu Mountain to learn from Huisi.

During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, different social customs and cultures were formed due to the division of the country. Buddhism in the north and south also has its own characteristics. Southern Buddhism inherits the tradition of metaphysics since the Eastern Jin Dynasty and lays particular stress on righteousness; Northern Buddhism, due to the influence of the northern ethnic groups at that time, paid more attention to meditation.

Huisi learned from Huiwen Zen Master, and became a great virtue with equal emphasis on meditation and righteousness. Later, Huisi led Tu to the south to temporarily live in Dasu Mountain in Guangzhou to preach in order to blend with Buddhism in the north and south.

When Zhiyi came, Huisi got excited:

"Aren't you the person who used to be with me in Lingjiu Mountain to listen to the Sakyamuni Buddha's interpretation of the Chinese scriptures? You and I were destined by previous lives."

Zhiyi was deeply moved:

"I did listen to the Buddha in the Spirit Vulture Mountain with the mage. No wonder I felt relaxed and refreshed when I saw the mage today?"

Since then, Zhiyi has devoted himself to cultivation under the guidance of Huisi.

A few years later, Zhiyi's kung fu was greatly improved. When he practiced meditation, he only felt calm, peaceful and comfortable in his heart, and entered a wonderful realm.

During this period, Huisi often asked him to speak for him. Zhiyi was admired by all monks for his endless preaching, analysis of Buddhist principles, and explanation of seclusion.

One day Huisi called Zhiyi and said to him:

"I want to go to Hengyue to practice in seclusion. Your studies have been completed, and you can go to preach Dharma. But only you have insufficient concentration, so you should work hard to practice. If you are predestined by the State of Chen, you can go to Jinling first, and you will surely achieve the great cause of preaching Dharma."

In the first year of Emperor Guangda, Zhiyi came to Jinling, the capital of Chen. He was thirty years old that year.

When Zhiyi arrived at Jinling, he immediately began to speak. Zhiyi spread the meditation method he learned from Huisi to the public, and was generally welcomed by people who practice Buddhism. The eminent monk Dade in Jinling abandoned what he had learned and led his disciples to listen to Zhiyi. At that time, Zen learning flourished. The main reason is that the development of Buddhism was hindered by the empty talk of reason and righteousness and the lack of practice among the monks in the south of the Yangtze River. Zhiyi's meditation has brought something new to Buddhism in the south of the Yangtze River.

There are also some conservative and stubborn monks, some of whom are contemptuous of the meditation method, and some are angry that their status has been threatened.

One day, Zhiyi was teaching Dharma when someone reported that Huirong was visiting. Hui Rong is a famous monk in Jinling City. He is proficient in Buddhism and good at debating. People call him "Yi Hu". When people said that the "Righteous Tiger" was visiting, they knew that he was coming to debate, and they were worried about Zhiyi.

After Huirong came in, he saluted Zhiyi, sat down and asked:

"It's said that the Dharma Master's Taoism is superior to others. Even the ministers in the court are very respectful to you. I want to see you now."

Zhiyi just smiled at him blandly and said flatly:

"I don't have much talent, I don't have much talent. I just do my little to promote Buddhism and help all living beings."

Huirong proudly shakes the fan in his hand and is about to ask a question, only to find that the fan is thrown out. Huirong leans down to pick it up, causing all living creatures to roar with laughter:

"How did the righteous tiger in the past become a falu today? There is nothing to say in such a panic."

Huirong picked up the fan and went away with a look of shame.

After a period of time, Zhiyi wanted to leave the capital and practice in a quiet place. He said to his disciples:

"The capital is messy, which is bad for practice. I preach Zen in Wagong Temple. In the first year, there were 40 people learning Zen, and 20 people learned the Dharma; in the second year, there were 100 people, and still 20 people learned the Dharma; in the third year, there were 200 people, but only 10 people learned the Dharma. Recently, more people learned the Dharma, but fewer people learned the Dharma. It seems that if it goes on like this, it will be against the promotion of Dharma. He decided to leave the capital and find a quiet place to practice Dharma. "

Zhiyi had a dream. In his dream, he saw that there were ten thousand heavy rocks, white clouds around, red sun hanging on one side, boundless sea and billowing waves. On the mountain, a monk waved to him. Zhiyi described the place he saw in his dream to his disciples, who said that it was Tiantai Mountain in Kuaiji Mountain and the place where sages used to live.

When Zhiyi remembered this, he decided to lead his disciples to Mount Tiantai. After the incident was reported, everyone in Jinling came to detain, even the emperor. But Zhiyi was determined and did not stay.

When Zhiyi did not reach Tiantai Mountain. The monk Dingguang lived there. One day he told people in the mountains:

"Great knowledge will come to the roof. We should plant beans to make sauce, cut reeds and weave mats to meet him."

When Zhiyi arrived at Tiantai Mountain, he met Dingguang and saluted each other. Dingguang said:

"Do you still remember that two years ago, I used to palm on the mountain?"

Zhiyi was very surprised to know that it was Dingguang who met him in a dream. At this moment, people heard the bell ringing in the valley, and Dingguang said:

"The bell sounds to show that you are predestined by this mountain and can live here. When the country is peaceful and the four sides are unified, there will be a noble person who will build a temple for the Zen master, and then the mountain will be full of houses.

People didn't believe him at that time.

One night, Zhiyi went to the top of the mountain to meditate alone. When I was in meditation, a strong wind suddenly blew away the trees and shook the thunder. Another group of demons gathered around him and sprayed fire on him. Zhiyi concentrated on keeping quiet, and soon the scene disappeared. Then Zhiyi felt physical and mental pain again, as if he were being burned by fire. He also saw his dead parents lying on his knees, complaining about their grief. Zhidun is determined to stay calm, and immediately enters the wonderful place where the moon is as bright as water, quiet and peaceful. At this time, a god man came down from the western sky and praised his practice.

After Zhiyi lived in Tiantai Mountain, the four roads and customs swarmed in. Zhiyi then opened the lectern and taught everyone meditation while lecturing.

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