A Comparison of Chih-i’s Five Sections with the Human Body

This is the third analogy for the Five Sections, indicating the completeness of the Five Sections in elaborating the teaching of the Buddha as a whole. The human body (Jen-shen) is analogous with the section “Name”, for the name indicates the general characteristics of the teaching of the Buddha. The other four sections indicate the specific characteristics of the teaching of the Buddha. Chih-i says that “Substance” is analogous with consciousness (Shih); “Gist” is analogous with life (Ming), “Function” is analogous with heat (Nuan), and “Characteristics of the Teaching” is analogous with the mind that distinguishes (Fen-pieh).

The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra: Tien-tai Philosophy of Buddhism