Zhiyi

Zhiyi
智顗
Painting of Śramaṇa Zhiyi.
Personal life
Born	16 February 538 Gong'an County, Hubei, China
Died	3 August 597(597-08-03) (aged 59) Tiantai County, Zhejiang, China
Nationality	Chinese
Other names	Chen De'an (陳德安), Master Tiantai (天台大師), Master Zhizhe (智者大師)
Religious life
Religion	Buddhism
Temple	Waguan Temple Guoqing Temple
School	Tiantai
Lineage	4th generation
Dharma names	Zhiyi
Senior posting
Teacher	Faxu (法緒) Huikuang (慧曠) Nanyue Huisi

Part of a series on
Chinese Buddhism
History Buddhism in Central Asia Dharmaguptaka Silk Road transmission Dunhuang manuscripts Four Buddhist Persecutions in China
Major figures Lokakṣema Kumārajīva Sengzhao Jizang Dharmakṣema Paramartha Xuanzang Kuiji Woncheuk Daoxuan Huiyuan Tanluan Daochuo Shandao Zhiyi Zhanran Fazang Chengguan Śubhakarasiṃha Vajrabodhi Amoghavajra Bodhidharma Huineng Daman Hongren Mazu Daoyi Hongzhi Zhengjue Dahui Zonggao Linji Zongmi Hanshan Deqing Zhu Hong Ouyi Zhixu Miyun Yuanwu Taixu Tanxu Hsu Yun Hsuan Hua Yang Wenhui Yin Shun Nan Huai-Chin Nenghai
Traditions Chan Tiantai Huayan Pure Land Weishi Sanlun Esoteric Buddhism Humanistic Buddhism
Texts Chinese Buddhist canon Taishō Tripiṭaka
Architecture Buddhist architecture in China
Sacred Sites Mount Wutai Mount Emei Mount Jiuhua Mount Putuo Mount Lu Tiantai Mountain White Horse Temple
Culture Buddhist Association of China Cuisine Martial arts Diyu
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Zhiyi (Chinese: 智顗; pinyin: Zhìyǐ; Wade–Giles: Chih-i; Japanese pronunciation: Chigi; Korean: 지의; 538–597 CE) also Chen De'an (陳德安), was the fourth patriarch of the Tiantai tradition of Buddhism in China. His standard title was Śramaṇa Zhiyi (沙門智顗), linking him to the broad tradition of Indian asceticism. Zhiyi is famous for being the first in the history of Chinese Buddhism to elaborate a complete, critical and systematic classification of the Buddhist teachings. He is also regarded as the first major figure to make a significant break from the Indian tradition, to form an indigenous Chinese system.

According to David W. Chappell, Zhiyi "has been ranked with Thomas Aquinas and al-Ghazali as one of the great systematizers of religious thought and practice in world history."^[1]