Number “ten” symbolizes the completion of a concept or the infinity of the universe in Buddhism. The traditional view in Buddhism of the ten directions: east, west, north, south, north-east, north-west, south-east, south-west, above, and below, are intended to encompass the whole space. The concept of the Ten Dharma-realms (i.e., the realms of hell-dwellers, hungry ghosts, animals, asuras, humans, heavenly beings, śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas and Buddhas that are arranged hierarchically), is formulated by Chih-i, and is Chih-i’s system in encompassing the whole universe. Completeness is an important character of Chih-i’s philosophical system. Correspondingly, that the Hsüan-i (Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra) consists of ten volumes can be seen as this symbol of completeness.

The function “Abiding in the Traces and Employing the Origin” (Chuchi Yung-pen) signifies the Subtlety of the Original Life-span and the Subtlety of the Original Retinues. This is because by abiding in the Traces, the Buddha is able to manifest birth and death numerous times, and this life-death is only possible because it is derived from the Original Life-span of the eternal Buddha. Moreover, the Traces are represented by the disciples of the Three Vehicles, and these disciples are actually Original Retinues. Therefore, this function is linked to the meanings of Original Life-span and Original Retinues. (Page 121)

As the direct use of sign, analogy is also applied by Chih-i to clarify certain issues. For example, to reveal the meaning of the Substance as the Ultimate Truth and its relationship with the Gist as the cause and effect of Buddhahood, different parts of a house are taken as an analogy:

“As with pillars and roof beams, houses are neither beams nor pillars but empty space inside a house. Pillars and beams analogize Cause and Effect; neither beams nor pillars analogize the Ultimate Truth. The Ultimate Truth is the Substance but not beams and pillars. If a house has no empty space, it cannot contain anything. If Cause and Effect have no Ultimate Truth, they cannot be founded.”

This analogy distinguishes different functions the Substance and the Gist exert. Yet, the significance of both is indispensable. The Substance is what the Gist can be founded upon, and the Gist is what can display the Substance. (Page 116)

The third analogy is concerned with gold that is contained in a yellow rock. The gold symbolizes the Ultimate Truth possessed by all living beings. Chih-i describes:

“It is like the gold that is contained inside the yellow rock. The foolish man does not know and thinks that it is only a piece of rock. He throws it in the manure pit and does not even take care of it. When the appraiser gets it, he melts the rock and gets the gold out, but only keeps its value. When the goldsmith gets it, he makes various kinds of ornaments. When the immortal gets it, he makes a golden elixir, with which he can fly to the sky and enter the ground, reach the moon and the sun, and assume whatever shapes as he wants. The foolish man analogizes all common men: though embracing the Ultimate Truth, they do not know how to practice. The appraiser analogizes the Two Vehicles, who only sever the affliction, and keep the value of emptiness, but do not do anything with it. The goldsmith analogizes the bodhisattva of the Separate, who is skillful in using expedient means. Knowing that emptiness is not empty, he enters the Provisional, adorns the Buddha land, and accomplishes living beings. The immortal analogizes the bodhisattva of the Perfect. By perceiving the Absolute that is contained in the Facts, he immediately attains the proper enlightenment as soon as he brings forth the Bodhi mind. With one body, he gains immeasurable bodies, and universally responds to all. The present [Lotus] Sütra only takes the Ultimate Truth that is the golden elixir as the substance of the Sūtra.”

This analogy indicates that, in respect to commonality, the Ultimate Truth is possessed by all beings, from the common men to the disciples of the Perfect Teaching. However, in respect to difference, the rock differs from the gold; the gold differs from the jewelry; and the jewelry differs from the elixir. This symbolizes differences among disciples of the Four Teachings in terms of their capacities and dispositions of realizing truth.

[This] analogy is concerned with two kinds of gems P’o-1i (a crystal) and Ju-i (wish-granting gem). Although both are called gem, the former as a crystal cannot rain down treasures, which analogizes emptiness (that is one-sided view). For Chih-i, one-sided emptiness refers to the attainment of the śrāvaka who is only concerned about the salvation of himself, but not of others; and the treasure refers to the bodhisattva practice of helping others. Since emptiness does not involve the functional aspect of saving living beings, the gem P’o-1i that cannot rain down treasures is taken to analogize emptiness. The wish-granting gem, on the other hand, analogizes the Middle Way. Since the Middle Way signifies the comprehensive view of affirming both emptiness and the provisional existence, it involves the bodhisattva’s actions of saving living beings in the phenomenal world. Therefore, the gem Ju-i that can rain down treasures is taken to analogize the functional nature of the Middle Way. From the practical dimension, this analogy is meant to say that the substance of the Lotus Sūtra is synonymous to the wish-granting gem Ju-i, which is dynamic, functional, and impartial.

[Chih-i’s] talent lies in the fact that he not only absorbed and incorporated different views and theories, but also went beyond all of his predecessors and contemporaries by formulating his own system of thought. Since his system is based on a complete evaluation and critique of all other available views of his time, it is thus endowed with the features of syncretism, comprehensiveness, and completeness, and a sense of harmony, flexibility, and perfection. (Page 22)

Chih-i describes that like the lotus flower in one pool that have just ripened, the flower that has ripened falls down in mud and water, reproducing the lotus which grows until it ripens again. Such spreading and reproducing and ripening, the lotus is accumulated as time passes by, and the lotus flowers pervade the big pool. The fields of flowers are everywhere. The Buddha is like this too. Having at the very beginning accomplished the cultivation as the Cause and the realization as the Effect at the time of the Origin, for the sake of living beings, the Buddha further applies the expedient means. In the cycle of life and death, the Buddha shows the initial mind of aspiration to attain enlightenment and proceeds again to demonstrate the attainment of the Ultimate Truth. Repeatedly, the Buddha goes through life and death in countless times. He manifests himself to respond to sentient beings from the place of the Origin and identifies himself with ignorant beings in the mundane world. Furthermore, he cultivates Five Practices of the Tathāgata. The dark root that reproduces stamen and leaves analogizes the Buddha’s further cultivation of “Noble Practice.” The lotus root that is empty in four directions and grows a little bit analogize the Buddha’s further cultivation of “Divine Practice.” The lotus leaves that begin to grow analogize the Buddha’s further cultivation of “Pure Practice.” The lotus seed that falls in mud analogizes the Buddha’s further cultivation of “Sickness-like Practice.” The root that starts to sprout analogizes the Buddha’s further cultivation of “Infant-like Practice” (which is to identify with small wholesomeness of beings). (Page 111-112)

The third group of [lotus flower] analogy is Chih-i’s description of various practices enumerated in the Subtlety of Practice. Although the lotus seed is small, it is equipped with the root, stem, flower, and leaves. This analogizes the Subtlety of Practice. The root is identical to kindness and compassion; leaves are identical to knowledge and wisdom; stamen is identical to samādhi; and blossom is identical to liberation. Furthermore, the lotus is used to analogize the practice of the Six Pāramitās. The root, flower, seed, and leaves that are beneficial to human beings and bees are identical to T’an (giving); the fragrance of the flower is identical to Shi (precepts); the seed that grows in mud without feeling humiliated is identical to Jen (patience); the lotus that grows is identical to Ching-chin (vigor); the leaves that are soft and damp are identical to Ch’an (dhyāna); and the flower that is not tainted is identical to Hui (wisdom). (Page 108)

[T]he lotus is used to analogize Objects as the Ten Suchnesses in terms of the Buddha-realm:

1. “Appearance of its Suchness of the Buddha-realm” is analogous with the stone-like seed, which is always like what it is without being affected by or depending on any external conditions, and neither originates nor extinguishes, for the suchness of its appearance is not due to causes and conditions. This suchness of its appearance is taken by Chih-i as the internal enlightenment (bodhi) possessed by all living beings. Thus, this analogy indicates that all living beings are identical to the appearance of bodhi.
2. “Nature of its Suchness of the Buddha-realm” is analogous with the white pulp of the lotus root, which embodies the wisdom that is possessed by all living beings. This wisdom is the Buddha-nature as the Understanding Cause of Buddhahood, which allows one to realize one’s inherent nature for attaining Buddhahood. Although living beings are bound in the presence of various kinds of defilement and the afflictions of life and death, this inherent wisdom is always therein. Thus, in Chih-i ‘s view. This analogy indicates that affliction is identical to bodhi.
3. “Substance of its Suchness of the Buddha-realm” is analogous with the indestructible body of the lotus root, which embodies the Buddha-nature as the Fundamental Cause of Buddhahood possessed by all living beings. This Buddha-nature is the inherent nature, which determines one’s possibility to attain Buddhahood, and is characterized by constancy, bliss, selfhood, and purity. These four characteristics are related to the state of nirvāṇa the Buddha abides in, which neither moves nor decays.
4. “Power of its Suchness of the Buddha-realm” is analogous with the seed inside the lotus root, which embodies the bodhi-mind brought forth by living beings in the midst of suffering and defilement. This bodhi-mind is so powerful that it enables one to eventually reach enlightenment.
5. “Function of its Suchness of the Buddha-realm” is analogous with the lotus seed that functions to allow all other related things to grow, which embodies the initial bodhi-mind of all living beings. This is because, with one’s initial resolve to the bodhi-mind, one is able to carry out practices in order to strive for Buddhahood.
6. “Causes of its Suchness of the Buddha-realm” refers to the causes that bring about effects similar to themselves and is analogous with the lotus root that dwells in mud that gives rise to the flower leaning in air and enjoying glory. This embodies the bodhi-mind (i.e., root) of living beings that is brought forth from ignorance (i.e., mud).  With this bodhi-mind as the cause, one is able to proceed to cultivate bodhisattva practice, from which one eventually enters the sea of all-embracing wisdom.
7. “Conditions of its Suchness of the Buddha-realm” refers to indirect or conditional causes, and is analogous with the lotus that is equipped with stamen, flower, and seed, which embody various bodhisattva practices. These practices are the conditional causes that can lead one to attain fruition.
8. “Effects of its Suchness of the Buddha-realm” refers to the effects that are the same as their causes, and is analogous with the formation of the lotus seed and the ripening of the seedpod and the seed that result from the existence of the flower and the withering of the flower and leaves respectively. This embodies the attainment of the bodhisattva. Based on his resolve to the bodhi-mind as the real cause, the bodhisattva is able to attain unsurpassed enlightenment as the effect.
9. “Retributions of its Suchness of the Buddha-realm” refers to the effects resulting from the deeds one has done in one’s previous incarnations and is analogous with the lotus seed enveloped by the seedpod, embodying the retributions of the bodhisattva. The wonderful practice of the bodhisattva results in unsurpassed retributions that determine the ultimate attainment of the bodhisattva.
10. “The Suchnesses of the beginning-and-end-ultimately-alike of the Buddha-realm” is analogous with the lotus root (as the beginning stage) and the seedpod (as the final stage), both of which are empty in four directions, embodying the four virtuous qualities of Buddhahood (constantcy, bliss, selfhood, and purity). If the four virtuous qualities refer to what is inherently possessed by living beings as the beginning stage, then the four virtuous qualities of nirvāṇa is the final stage. Although the beginning is hidden and the end is manifest in terms of these four virtuous qualities, they are not different. Therefore, the beginning and the end are ultimately alike. (Page 105-106)