Chih-I

The T'ien-t'ai patriarch Chih-i lived from 538 to 597 of the common era. He developed an interest in Buddhism early in life, and went on to become a Buddhist monk and teacher. His manual "The Great Stopping and Seeing" is one of the most important works of T'ien-t'ai Buddhism, and was frequently relied upon by followers of Zen and Pure Land Buddhism.