Ming · by 智旭述
59,473 · about 198 min
The *Essentials of the Mahāyāna Śamatha-Vipaśyanā Dharma Gate*, expounded by the late Ming eminent monk Zhixu, serves as an authoritative commentary on the *Mahāyāna Śamatha-Vipaśyanā Dharma Gate* composed by the Great Master Huisi of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. This work emerged during the late Ming period, a time of revival in the study of Buddhist doctrine, and systematically elucidates the practical methods of Mahāyāna śamatha-vipaśyanā and the philosophy of inherent nature. It integrates the essential teachings of the Tiantai school with Yogācāra doctrine, emphasizing core tenets such as the simultaneous cultivation of śamatha and vipaśyanā, and the arising of phenomena from the true suchness. Regarded as an important guide for the practice of śamatha-vipaśyanā within the Chinese Buddhist tradition, this commentary profoundly influenced later theories and practices of meditative contemplation. It occupies a pivotal position in Tiantai literature, bridging earlier and later developments, and remains an indispensable classical commentary for the study of the ś