中國臺賢二宗所倡三諦，不但沒有違背中觀之二諦中道； 更解除了二諦思想之困局。尤其天臺宗智者更以創造詮釋家身份，開展出「真空即顯妙有」空、假、中圓融三諦。將三諦成觀，使諦論與修證相印和而形成天臺四大特質：其一，是二諦中道相即不二，建立圓、妙之判教；其二，是即事而真，肯定現實世界之價值；其三，是圓頓止觀之觀心，將「一切法空」提昇到「觀一切法空」；其四，是奉持《法華經》之一佛乘，而圓建眾生，而形成中國人間佛教之大乘精神。 但天臺宗發展到宋、明以後，除山家、山外有修真心、修妄心之爭，已沒有什麼發展；倒是東傳到日本的道元法師有所發揮。

　　　　　The three truths expounded in Chinese T'ien-t'ai and Hua-yen thought do not contradict the understanding of the two truths in Madhyamike,and in fact resolve the dilemma Madhyamika thinkers faced when discussing this problem. In particular, T'ent-t'ai thinker Chih-i, as a part of his innovative hermeneutic, developed the notion of "three truths," namely, emptiness, provisionality, and the middle. Chih-i held that, through contemplation, the three truths can be understood as one truth. In this way, he integrated the theory of truth the realization of practice. This hermeneutic led to four distinguishing characteristics of T'ien-t'ai thought: (1) The two truths are inter-penetrating and non-dual. (2) Phenomena are themselves noumena, a notion that affirms the value of the real world. (3) The contemplation of mind, as in the "Perfect and sudden calming and contemplation," is directed towards "contemplating everything as empty," rather than holding that "everything is empty," (4) The worship and practice of the "one-vehicle Buddha" of the Lotus Sutra is the foundation of practice for all beigns. These characteristics disclose the Mahayana spirit of Chinese "this-worldly" Buddhism. In the Sung and Mind Dynasties, T'ine-t'ai thought became embroiled in the controversy between the Shan-chia and Shan-wai subects over the question of the "true mind" versus the "ignorant mind," and did not develop significantly. The mond Dogen, on the other hand, introduced interesting new elaborations to these issues in Japan.