In the Tiantai teachings such as yinian sanqian 一念三千 and shijie huju 十界互具, the true reality of “human beings” 衆生法 is often thought to be attained by contemplation of the mind. However, according to the chapter “The Subtlety of Threefold Dharmas” 三法妙 of the Fahua xuanyi 法華玄義, human beings can be grasped by the three aspects of reality known as “tracks” 軌: the true nature of reality 真性軌, the illumination of wisdom 観照軌, and the perfection of oneʼs disposition 資成軌. The three tracks of an unenlightened person are “the three ways of ignorance” 無明三道. Likewise, for a Buddha, there are “three virtuous qualities” 涅槃三徳. However, in Zhiyiʼs later works, he argued that these three paths of ignorance are identical to the three virtuous qualities. Based on this fact about the true nature of human beings, it is no surprise that yinian sanqian is asserted as the true reality.
