Having finished with Tao-Sheng’s 5th century commentary on the Lotus Sutra, I now return to Yoshiro Tamura’s 20th century Introduction to the Lotus Sutra, which includes a chapter-by-chapter discussion of the sutra.

In chapter 2, “Skillful Means,” the Buddha arises from his meditation to explain first the truth about all things in the cosmos (the ultimate reality of all things). According to Kumarajiva’s translation, everything happens and functions in ten ways, such that everything has characteristics, a nature, an embodiment, powers, actions, causes, conditions, effects, rewards and retributions, and a complete fundamental coherence.

“Characteristics” means an outward aspect. “Nature” means inner character. “Embodiment” means the outward and the inner characters together. “Powers” means potential. “Actions” means actual acts. “Causes” are the direct causes that give rise to and move things. “Conditions” are the indirect causes that facilitate direct causes. “Effects” are the results produced by causes and conditions. “Rewards and retributions” are the facts that issue from the effects. “Complete fundamental coherence” means the coherent interrelationship of all of these.

Since “such a/an” precedes each of these in translation, they have been called the “ten suchnesses.” They have been highly regarded since ancient times as the aspects of existing things and events. The ten suchnesses are the truth that supports and underlies every kind of thing, making them coherent “dharmas.” Or, put the other way around, the concrete truth that supports all kinds of things is the ten suchnesses. It is the reality of all things.

When we understand the categories of the ten suchnesses, we will see that nothing is independent or unchanging (the doctrines that nothing has a permanent self and of emptiness), but everything is interdependent, being related to others as it arises and changes (the doctrines of impermanence and of interdependent origination). The Lotus Sutra finds the unifying truth of the cosmos in the interrelating of all things, all dharmas, under the ten suchnesses. This unifying truth of the cosmos was called “the Wonderful Dharma of One Vehicle.”