Seeing that the correct Ultimate Truth as substance is difficult to describe, Chih-I employs three analogies to single it out. With these analogies, four cases are illustrated that correspond to the Four Teachings. This indicates that the Ultimate Truth bears different definitions in each of the Four Teachings.

The employment of the first analogy singles out the authentic Ultimate Truth by comparing three animals with each other. The simile of the three animals going across the river is a parable of three kinds of the Absolute Truth corresponding to the Three Vehicles (Śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, and bodhisattva). A rabbit and a horse can only cross the river by swimming over the surface, but they are unable to touch the bottom. A big elephant, heavy as it is, can get to the bottom of the river in reaching the other shore. Water is analogous with emptiness as the Absolute Truth, and the bottom is analogous with no-emptiness (i.e., the Middle Way) as the Absolute Truth. The Two Vehicles (Śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha), because of their lack of wisdom, cannot seek deeply, which are analogous with the rabbit and the horse. The bodhisattva is analogous with the big elephant, for he has deep wisdom, and can perceive both emptiness and no-emptiness.

With regard to touching the bottom of the river, there are two situations to be differentiated. Chih-i elucidates that the bottom is analogous with the Ultimate Truth. A small elephant can only reach the surface of mud, and a big elephant can touch the bottom of mud. The small elephant refers to the wisdom of the Separate Teaching. Although the bodhisattva of the Separate Teaching can perceive no-emptiness, he does not have insight into an integrated reality of all dharmas. Therefore, his view of no-emptiness is not the Ultimate Truth. The big elephant refers to the wisdom of the Perfect Teaching. The bodhisattva of the Perfect Teaching can perceive no-emptiness perfectly. This means that he knows that one dharma embraces all dharmas and all dharmas are an integrated reality of one dharma. Since the Ultimate Truth is embedded in all dharmas, by such an exhaustion of all dharmas, the Ultimate Truth is manifested. From the point of view of attaining the Ultimate Truth, not only the view of emptiness of the Two Vehicles is excluded by this analogy, but also the view of no-emptiness of a small elephant (i.e., Separate Teaching) is excluded by this analogy. Only the view of the no-emptiness of a big elephant (i.e., Perfect Teaching) is taken as the substance of the Lotus Sūtra. (Vol. 2, Page 410-411)