T’en-ˊTai Master ˋChih -i is a supporter of Kuan-yin cult , his interpretation ofKuan-yin chapter is the earliest published interpretation and is very valuable.Among them,“Kuan- yin-ˋi-ˋsu was explained with T’en-ˊTai ’s theories and three structures including explaining basis meaning , making tales of miracles and explaining by contemplation.Thus it can be said that it is a theoretical and faithful text full of the characteristics of Master ˋChih-ˊi and T’en-ˊTai school.In Kuan-yin-ˋi-ˋsu ,˙T'ien -ˊt'ai Great TeacherˋChih-ˊi quoted seventeen stories of Kuan-yin’s miraculous response to his devotees as examples to explain the universal manifestations of Kuan-yin Bodhisattva. However, the contents of the stories recored by Kuan-Tin in Kuan-yin –i-su are so abridged that it is difficult for its readers to see their whole feature and understand Chih-i’s interpretations of those stories. Although the original texts of Kuan-yin’s miraculous tales cited by ˋChih-ˋi in Kuan-yin-i-su lost in T’ang Danasty, its manuscripts were found atCh’ing-Lien-yüan in Japan about sixty years ago. Before I discussedˋChih-ˊi’s interpretations of those abridged stories of empathy and response in Kuan-yin-i-su, Iwill first restore the whole contents of those stories in my essay ; secondly, I will try to find the association between ˋChih-ˊi ’s theories of empathy and response and the stories of Kuan-yin’s miraculous response according to Chih-i’s thought of empathy and response.Judging by MasterˋChih-ˊi’s theory of Kuan-yin’s empathy and respond,suffering itself is a good way to communicate with Kuan-yin,the idea was described in simple terms in Kuan-yin’s miracle tales.In Chih-i’s idea,thought Kuan-yin’s miracle tales can develop Buddhist disciple’s mind in some situation, however it is just a mean and its purpose is to lead people to be eternally enlightenment. Hence,Buddhist disciples should not indulge into the various manifestations of Kuan-yin. In fact, by learning prajñā they can go from‘the conventional gate of empathy and respond’ to‘the real gate of emptiness’, and understand ‘the dharma-kāya exists everwhere’, ‘any form and smell is middleway ’as well as all good and bad conditions are universal manifestations and perfect teachings from Boddhisattva Kuan-yin.
