Dharma Realm Sequential Preliminary Gates (法界次第初門)

About 法界次第初門

Sui · by 智顗撰

41,724 · about 139 min

Zhiyi was the founder of the Tiantai school during the Sui dynasty, revered as the Great Master Zhiyi. *The Preliminary Gates to the Dharma Realm Stages* is his important work systematically expounding the stages of Buddhist practice, completed during the flourishing period of Buddhism in the Sui dynasty. The book analyzes Buddhist terminology and stages of cultivation with clear gradation, guiding practitioners from fundamental concepts to profound principles, gradually leading them into the true reality of the dharma realm. Its content covers core Tiantai doctrines such as the Three Contemplations and the Ten Vehicles, embodying the distinctive practice of equal emphasis on śamatha and vipaśyanā. As one of the fundamental texts of the Tiantai school, this work profoundly influenced the systematization of East Asian Buddhist doctrine, providing later generations of Buddhist practitioners with a structured guide to cultivation and holding a significant position in the history of Chinese Buddhism.