7fe10ec4-09f0-11ed-a13c-c9de5a43d6bf /publications/journals/.content/item/item_123456789_3221.xml A Study of the Jin'gang pi

Tiantai school flourished during the time of its founder, Zhiyi (538-597), and went into decline after his disciple Guanding (561-632) passed away. The adjust it to the changing environment of the Tang China composed a number of exegetic and explanatory works. His effort culminated in his final masterpiece: Jin'gang pi (The Diamond Cutter). In this text, Zhanran presented specifically Tiantai interpretation of the idea that even insentient beings possess the Buddha nature; an argument which opposed the widely accepted interpretation of the Mahaparinirvāṇa sutra statement that only sentient beings possess the Buddha nature.