The following is a summary and interpretation of a selection from the Tiantai classic Great Calming and Contemplation attributed to Zhiyi (538–597). This is a foundational Tiantai scripture that outlines the school’s doctrinal core and addresses the “ten modes of contemplation.” Since the first mode includes the other nine, it is considered the most important and fundamental. The section expounding this mode, translated here, is called “Contemplating Mental Activity as the Inconceivable Realm.” It explicitly reflects Zhiyi’s ideas on mental activity in light of the other crucial doctrines in Tiantai teaching.
