With regard to the Ten Suchnesses in the Buddha-realm, “appearance” refers to the Buddha-nature as the Conditional Cause (Yiian-yin) of Buddhahood, i.e., the merits living beings accumulate; “nature” refers to the Buddha-nature as the Understanding Cause (Ch., Liao-yin; Skt., vyan͂janahetu) of Buddhahood, i.e., the wisdom of beings; “substance” refers to the Buddha-nature as the Fundamental Cause (Cheng-yin) of Buddhahood, i.e., the pure and tranquil mind as the ultimate truth beings possess; “power” refers to the Buddha’s initial aspiration for enlightenment that surpasses that of the Two Vehicles; “function” refers to the Buddha’s performance of the Four Great Vows; “causes” refers to the Buddha’s grand adornment of knowledge and wisdom; “conditions” refers to the Buddha’s grand adornment of blessings and virtues; “effects” refers to the repetitive effects of the state of unsurpassed enlightenment in which each thought of the Buddha is integrated with the mind of great awakening; “retributions” refers to the fruit of mahāparinirvāṇa, and the last suchness “beginning-and-end-ultimately-alike” conveys the truth of the Middle Way, meaning that the Threefold Truth inherent in sentient beings at the beginning stage of practice is not different from the Threefold Truth revealed at the final stage of enlightenment. This is to say, both types of the Threefold Truth denote the same aspects (i.e., Emptiness, the Provisional, and the Middle Way), and both are based on the same reality consisting of causes and conditions. Chih-i supports his statement by explaining that in terms of the truth of Emptiness, sentient beings and the Buddha are inherently not different, since they are empty of substantial Being. When this non-distinction is spoken of in terms of the truth of the Provisional, it means that the Ten Dharma-realms are interpenetrating and mutually inter-existent. Sentient beings are the same as the Buddha, in a sense that they all inherently possess the Buddha-nature. The Buddha and sentient beings are the same, considering that everyone can attain Buddhahood as long as one makes efforts through diligent practices like the Buddha did in his previous lives before his enlightenment. With regard to the truth of the Middle Way, “ultimately alike” means that all of ignorant men and sages are part of reality that constitute the Ultimate Truth. (Vol. 2, Page 79)