Zhiyi (538-597) is a key figure of Tiantai school. Amajor feature of Tiantai is its emphasis on “balance practice of zhi and guan (wamatha-vipawyana).” Zhiyi’s major works on meditation are his three “Major Texts on Zhiguan (wamatha-vipawyana).” However, for a long time, one of these three texts, Cidi Chanmen has been ignored by many, let alone the chapter on “Tongming guan (The Contemplation that Leads to Six Supernormal Powers and Three Insights)” in this text. Zhiyi’s early writings are mostly about meditationand all of these writings are based on the Cidi Chanmen. “Tongming guan” is a very unique meditation method, as most of the meditation techniques mentioned in the Cidi Chanmen follow Dazhi dulun, but Tongming guan follows another text, Daji jing. Furthermore, it incorporated many Daoist meditation techniques and the concept of five activities popular in China since the Han dynasty. The apocryphal sutra Tiwei jing was also quoted extensively in the “Tongming guan” chapter of the Cidi Chanmen. What is the content and significance of this meditation method? What was Zhiyi’s attitude towards Daoism and other religions? How did Zhiyi receive or treat these non-Buddhist ideas? In this paper, I will attempt a detailed discussion and analysis of “Tongming guan”
