The Ten Suchnesses
Dr. Dominick Scarangello
International Advisor to Rissho Kosei-kai
Last time we considered how always “reflecting and correcting”—what many people would call “mindfulness”—is important to practicing the Dharma in daily life.
Have you ever wished for a rule of thumb that clarifies how our mindsets give rise to suffering, helping us identify its roots and align our thoughts and actions with the Dharma, so we can move more easily from suffering to happiness?
Lucky for us, the Lotus Sutra gives us just such a handy guideline. It’s called the Ten Suchnesses. They are a practical teaching showing us how our mindsets and actions create either suffering or happiness. In chapter 2 of the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha teaches that everything that exists, whether an object, living being, or situation, has these ten aspects: “such an appearance,” “such a nature,” “such an embodiment,” “such a potential,” “such a function,” “such a cause,” “such a condition,” “such an effect,” “such a reward,” and “from the first to the last, such an ultimate identity.”
The Ten Suchnesses may sound complicated, but they can be understood as ten steps through which things come into being and events occur. Instead of examining all ten at once, let’s start with the first two—“appearance” and “nature.”
“Appearance” refers to how things present themselves to our senses. This includes vision but also other sense faculties such as hearing, touch, and smell. “Nature” is the disposition or character of something. For us living beings, “appearance” is the image we present to the world through our demeanor, facial expressions, and so forth. Also, in the case of us living beings, our “nature” is the disposition of our minds.
Even though we can’t detect something’s nature directly with our senses, the Buddha teaches us that the inside and outside of things correspond, so if we closely observe the appearance of something, we can also know that it has a corresponding inner disposition—“such a nature.” For example, how do we know when someone is angry? We can’t see their minds, can we? But we know the nature of their minds from their appearance. Their face may look tense, their nostrils flared, and their jaw might be clenched. They may stomp their feet on the ground as they walk, and huff and puff. When our minds are in the realms of hells, appearance gives it away, and even if we try to suppress it, it will eventually surface. We can’t hold it in forever.
Knowing just this much about the Ten Suchnesses can help us in the practice of the Dharma in our daily lives.
Anger doesn’t feel good. But once we become angry, we often stay that way the entire day, or even longer. This is dangerous because anger tends to lead us to act out in ways that will make us suffer even more or hurt other people. If, while reflecting on ourselves, we realize we are angry, we need to correct that as soon as possible. But simply ordering the mind with “Don’t be angry” is often not very effective. What can we do? Buddhism teaches the “oneness of mind and body.” This means that not only do our minds influence our bodies, but conversely, our bodies also influence our minds. So, if we change our appearance—the image we are manifesting on the outside—that can change the nature of our minds. This may sound counterintuitive, but it’s an important takeaway from the Ten Suchnesses.
This is one reason why Rissho Kosei-kai places significant importance on having a bright and cheerful demeanor. By making our countenances bright and cheerful, we can also uplift our minds. Founder Niwano explained it this way: Even if we don’t feel good at first, as we repeatedly smile, it eventually lightens our mood. On the other hand, if we hold a sad face for a while, we’ll naturally begin to feel down. It is said that Founder Niwano, who was known for his magnanimous warmth, practiced smiling. The Ten Suchnesses tell us why; having a bright and cheerful appearance can help us have such a bright and cheerful mind.
If you notice tension in your face, clenched fists, or a sense that people are keeping their distance, these may be signs that anger is present in your mind—even if you aren’t aware of it. To change your mind, try changing the appearance you present to the world. Offer the world a smile! This one simple act can help transform your state of mind. And as you change your “such an appearance,” not only will you begin to brighten your own mind, but you will also begin to have a positive influence on the people around you and the situation in which you find yourself. More on this next time.
Field Report from the Sangha
Rev. Kevin Roche
Minister, San Antonio Dharma Center
Appearance and Nature
Earlier this year, a wonderful member of our Sangha sat with me to discuss the emotional struggles she was contending with. This member is a healthy, spiritually mature, and compassionate individual. As we talked, I could see that she was deeply distressed, nervous, and exhausted. Events in her life had taken a disturbing turn that she could not have anticipated, and she was attempting to navigate a very challenging path from despair to understanding.
From within her capsule of suffering, she was expressing a sense of anger, disappointment, and frustration. But her demeanor remained calm, thoughtful, and composed. One could easily see that she was determined to find Truth and wisdom within her experience. I seemed to be watching water sloshing in a pond during a storm—the turbulence was shallow and temporary, awaiting the eventual calm stillness that is the pond’s nature.
What precipitated the return to peacefulness was an extraordinary decision she made: to turn this experience into a Dharma Journey. Over the next six months, through compassionate practice and listening to the wisdom of her Dharma Teachers, she was able to access the insight that was evident in her authentic self, her true buddha nature. Month after month, she reconstructed her experience, reflecting on her role in the events of her life, recontextualizing the sufferings so they could become Dharma lessons, and seeking healthy ways of correcting and improving her unskillful behaviors.
As time progressed, she realized she was immersed in an advanced study of awareness and acceptance, allowing the Dharma to guide her toward eventually using her challenging experience as a guide for others.
I felt honored and privileged to have observed the methodical evolution of an awakening Bodhisattva. This new person was someone we had all sensed was possible. My experience became one of being an alert spectator in the spiritual development of a burgeoning practitioner. But it was also the experience of learning how to see the buddha nature in all people so that we can activate the condition that provides a field of cultivation when the cause arises.