Mou Zongsan (1909-1995) was such a seminal, polymathic figure that scholars of Asian philosophy and religion will be absorbing his influence for at least a generation. Drawing on expertise in Confucian, Buddhist, Daoist, and modern Western thought, Mou built a system of “New Confucian” philosophy aimed at answering one of the great questions: “What is the relationship between value and being?” However, though Mou acknowledged that he derived his key concepts from Tiantai Buddhist philosophy, it remains unclear exactly how and why he did so. In response, this book investigates Mou’s buddhological writings in the context of his larger corpus and explains how and why he incorporated Buddhist ideas selectively into his system. Written extremely accessible, it provides a comprehensive unpacking of Mou’s ideas about Buddhism, Confucianism, and metaphysics with the precision needed to make them available for critical appraisal.

Part one of Maha Meditation which was originally taught by Rev. Zhi Yi (538-597)

“Other than the devil, there is no Buddha; other than the Buddha, there is no devil.” The Chinese monk Siming Zhili (960–1028) uttered this remark as part of his justification for his self-immolation. An exposition of the intent, implications, and resonances of this one sentence, this book expands and unravels the context in which the seeming paradox of the ultimate identity of good and evil is to be understood. In analyzing this idea, Brook Ziporyn provides an overview of the development of Tiantai thought from the fifth through the eleventh centuries in China and contributes to our understanding of Chinese intellectual culture and Chinese Buddhism, as well as to basic ontological, epistemological, and axiological issues of interest in modern philosophy.

This book originates from a thesis work whereby it is one of the first comprehensive study of Chi-Tsang`s treatment of The Two Truths in English. The work aims to build up a strong interest in readers, particularly, people in Western socities who are unfamiliar with Chinese tradition, culture and language. The topic is not only important in the theoritical approach but also critical to a practitioner to comprehend Chinese Buddhism for its ability to be a good reference work.

The Tian Tai's Maha Meditation was the major writings by Rev. Zhi Yi ( 538-597),who was the fourth Patriarch of Tian Tai school of Chinese Buddhism .