妙法蓮華經玄義 2.9

2.9

The dharmas of sentient beings are divided into two: first, listing the numerical dharmas, and next, explaining the characteristics of the dharmas. As for the numbers, sūtras and treatises sometimes clarify that a single dharma subsumes all dharmas, which is the mind: 'In the three realms there is no other dharma; it is created by the one mind alone.' Sometimes they clarify that two dharmas subsume all dharmas, namely name and form: 'In all the world, there are only name and form.' Sometimes they clarify that three dharmas subsume all dharmas, namely life, consciousness, and warmth. Such increments in number go up to hundreds of thousands. The present sūtra uses ten dharmas to subsume all dharmas: 'That is to say, of all dharmas: such appearance, such nature, such substance, such power, such activity, such cause, such condition, such effect, such retribution, and such ultimate equality of beginning and end.' The master of Nanyue read this text taking all as suchness (ru), and therefore called them the ten suchnesses.