Mohe zhiguan 摩訶止觀

Mohe zhiguan 摩訶止觀 "Great calming and contemplation" is a Buddhist treatise. Together with the Fahua xuanyi 法華玄義 and Fahua wenju 法華文句, it is known as the "Three Great Works of the Tiantai School" (Tiantai sa da bu 天台三大部).

Its original title was "Perfect and sudden calming and contemplation" (Yuandun zhiguan 圓頓止觀). It consists of 10 juan (in some versions, 20 juan). The text is based on lectures delivered by Zhiyi 智顗 (538-597) at Yuquan Temple 玉泉寺 in Jingzhou 荊州, and was recorded and compiled by his disciple Guanding 灌頂. According to Zhanran 湛然 (711-782), the ninth patriarch of the Tiantai school, the text existed in three versions.

This work is the principal Tiantai text that systematically explains the meditative practice of "perfect and sudden calming and contemplation" (yuandun zhiguan famen 圓頓止觀法門). The book is divided into two main parts: a prefatory section and a main exposition. The prefatory section briefly outlines the origin of the text. It first describes the lecturer, the time, and the place of teaching, along with the general circumstances. It then discusses the transmission lineage of the teaching of perfect and sudden calming and contemplation, divided into two types, the "golden-mouth transmission" (jinkou xiangchuan 金口相承, direct transmission from the Buddha), and transmission through later masters (xinshi xiangchuan 今師相承). The latter refers to the lineage starting with Huiwen 慧文 (6th cent.) of Northern Qi 北齊 (550-577), who inherited teachings from the Indian master Nāgārjuna (Ch. Longshu 龍樹, 2nd cent. CE). This lineage transmitted the meditation method of the "threefold contemplation in one mind" (yi xin san guan chan fa 一心三觀禪法) to Huisi 慧思 (515-577) of Mount Nanyue 南岳. Zhiyi studied under Huisi and received three types of calming and contemplation practices: the gradual (jianci 漸次), indeterminate (buding 不定), and perfect and sudden (yuandun 圓頓) contemplation.

Building on these foundations, Zhiyi devised his own system of contemplative practice. Focused on the doctrine of the harmonious integration of the three truths (sandi yuanrong 三諦圓融), he established the contemplation of "three thousand realms in a single thought" (yi nian sanqian zhi guan 一念三千之觀), thereby illuminating the profound significance of the perfect and sudden method of calming and contemplation.

The main exposition section (zhengshuo fen 正說分) is divided into ten chapters, collectively called the "Ten Extensive Topics" (shi guang 十廣). The first chapter, "General Meaning" (Dayi zhang 大意章), serves as the overall outline of the entire work. It summarises the remaining chapters into the sections "Arousing the great aspiration" (Fa da xin 發大心), "Cultivating the great practice" (Xiu da xing 修大行), "Attaining the great result" (Gan da guo 感大果), "Breaking the great net [of delusion]" (Lie da gang 裂大網), and "Returning to the great destination" (Gui da chu 歸大處). These provide a brief overview of the whole text and are also known as the "Five Summaries" (Wulüe 五略). The seventh chapter, "Right contemplation" (Zhengguan zhang 正觀章), is the core of the entire work. It presents the Tiantai method of practising calming and contemplation by emphasising the objects of contemplation, known as the Ten Realms or Ten Objects (shijing 十境). Next, the book describes the methods of proper contemplation, known as the Ten Modes of Contemplation or Ten Vehicles (shisheng guanfa 十乘觀法).

However, Zhiyi only elaborated up to the section on contemplating the realm of various views within the seventh chapter, and then the text suddenly ends. The subsequent sections as well as the later chapters on results, retribution, etc., are absent. Therefore, the overall structure and content of these missing parts can only be understood in outline from what is described in the first chapter.

The Mohe zhiguan circulated initially as an independent text, but it was included in the Buddhist canon in 1024. The most important commentaries include Zhanran's 湛然 Moke zhiguan fuxing zhuanhong zhi 摩訶止觀輔行傳弘決, Mohe zhiguan fuxing souyao ji 摩訶止觀輔行搜要記 and Mohe zhiguan kewen 摩訶止觀科文, Congyi's 從義 Mohe zhiguan fuxing buzhu 摩訶止觀輔行補注 and Fazhao's 法照 Mohe zhiguan fuxing dujiao ji 摩訶止觀輔行讀教記. Liang Su 梁肅 compiled an abbreviated version, Shanding zhiguan 刪定止觀. Zhanran also authored two summaries, namely Zhiguan yili 止觀義例 and Zhiguan dayi 止觀大意. Related works include Liang Su's Tiantai zhiguan tongli 天臺止觀統例, the anonymous Mohe zhiguan kejie 摩訶止觀科節, Mohe zhiguan jizhong yiyi 摩訶止觀記中異義 by Daosui 道邃 and Qianshu 乾淑, Congyi's Mohe zhiguan yili zuanyao 摩訶止觀義例纂要, Zunshi's 遵式 Mohe zhiguan yixian 摩訶止觀義顯, Chuyuan's 處元 Mohe zhiguan yili suishi 摩訶止觀義例隨釋, and the Mohe zhiguan guanyi ke 摩訶止觀貫義科 compiled by Shoudeng 受登, and supplemented by Lingyao 靈耀.