Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s1.t2.3

v1.c7.s1.t2.3

In the first year of Tian Jia Period of Emperor Wen of Chen Dynasty (560 CE), Zhiyi, the founder of the school, followed Huisi, his teacher to study Fahua Samadhi at the Dasu Mount (present-day Xinyang, Henan) and finally gained the true essence. He came to Jinling (present-day Nanjing, Jiangsu) in the first year of Guangda Period (567 CE) and was invited to live in the Waguan Temple to deliver lectures on *Saddharma Pundarika* and paraphrase *Mahāpraj¤āpāramitā Upadeśa* where he not only addressed speeches but also wrote books and set up his own theories. In the seventh year of Taijian Period of Chen Dynasty (575 CE), Zhiyi led his over 20 disciples including Huibianto to live in Mount Tiantai for 10 years and established the Tien-Tai School. Finally, Zhiyi died in Sui Dynasty and was buried at the foot of Xinchang Buddha in Zhejiang. His disciple Guanding who was faithful in promoting his theories and essences built the Guoqing Temple. The Tien-Tai School then blossomed to its peak but declined soon after his passing away. With support from emperor Xuanzong, Suzong and Daizong of Tang Dynasty, the ninth patriarch of the school Zhanran began to revive it by following transmitted knowledge, spreading their doctrines and confronting other schools. During the Song Dynasty, the Tien-Tai School was divided into two wings: Shanjia Wing and the Shanwai Wing. The Zhili branch living in Siming (present-day Ningbo, Jiangsu) considered itself to be the straight successor of the Tien-Tai School and called itself, the Shanjia Wing, while the other branch with Wu'en, Hongmin, Yuanqing, Tianzhao and Zhiyuan as representatives and holding different thoughts was degraded as the Shanwai Wing. These two wings violently debated on various aspects of Tien-Tai doctrines when the Zhili branch moved ahead. However, after that, the the Tien-Tai School gradually tended to fall in silent oblivion. In Ming Dynasty, the founder pavillion of the Tien-Tai School was rebuilt and its ancestral temple with carved scriptures was repaired towards the end of Qing Dynasty. Guxu and Dixian of early Republic of China further advanced the School and spread its doctrines across China. Today, Yanxu, Xingci, Jingquan and a number of eminent monks are expanding doctrines of this school with great commitment. Since the Yuan Dynasty, the Tien-Tai School has, however, been not as popular as ever before. It later grew in the form of a religion. The contemporary development of the school has been emphasised and studied in detail by modern scholars.