Tiantai Zhiyi’s Idea of tathāgatagarbha: The Relationship between the Fourfold Doctrine of Conversion and tathāgatagarbha

Abstract

The Four Kinds of Four Noble Truths 四種四諦 in Zhiyi’s works is always explained in relation to the Fourfold Doctrine of Conversion 化法四教, a special classification of teachings by Zhiyi. It is not only applied to each element in the Fourfold Doctrine of Conversion, but the meaning of the elements also differs based on the sūtra that he is quoted. This paper aims to investigate the meaning of Buddha-nature and tathāgatagarbha from the perspective of the Four Kinds of Four Nobles Truth.