ten mystic principles ［十妙］ ( jū-myō): Ten principles set forth by T’ien-t’ai (538–597) in The Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sutra interpreting the word myō of Myoho-renge-kyo, the title of the Lotus Sutra. According to T’ien-t’ai, the ten mystic principles are all implicit in the single word myō. There are two categories of ten mystic principles: the ten mystic principles of the theoretical teaching (first half) of the Lotus Sutra, and the ten mystic principles of the essential teaching (latter half) of the sutra. In the descriptions below, the word mystic is a translation of myō.
  The ten mystic principles of the theoretical teaching are based on the concepts of the true aspect of all phenomena and the replacement of the three vehicles with the one vehicle. They are (1) the mystic principle of reality, meaning that the objective reality observed and illuminated by wisdom is mystic; (2) the mystic principle of wisdom, that the wisdom with which one understands this reality is mystic; (3) the mystic principle of practice, that practice based on mystic wisdom is mystic; (4) the mystic principle of stages (which are attained through practice), that the stages leading to enlightenment are mystic; (5) the mystic principle of the three elements, that objective reality or truth, subjective wisdom, and the behavior arising from the fusion of these two, are mystic; (6) the mystic principle of responsive communion, meaning that the Buddha appearing in order to respond to the people’s desire to seek him is mystic; (7) the mystic principle of transcendental power, that the supernatural powers the Buddha uses to reveal the truth are mystic; (8) the mystic principle of preaching, that the Buddha’s preaching what is verbally inexpressible is mystic; (9) the mystic principle of relationship, that all people are related to the Buddha is mystic; and (10) the mystic principle of merit and benefit, that people who received the seeds of Buddhahood major world system dust particle kalpas ago finally attain the truth through the process of maturing is mystic.
  The ten mystic principles of the essential teaching are based on the revelation of the Buddha’s original enlightenment countless kalpas in the past as expounded in the “Life Span” (sixteenth) chapter. The ten mystic principles of the theoretical teaching are preparatory to the ten mystic principles of the essential teaching. Because the Buddha who revealed his original enlightenment in the remote past is called the true Buddha, each of the mystic principles of the essential teaching are modified by the word “true.” They are the mystic principles of (1) true cause, meaning that the practices of the true Buddha are mystic; (2) true effect, that the merits and virtues attained by the true Buddha are mystic; (3) true land, that the land where the true Buddha dwells is mystic; (4) true responsive communion, that the true Buddha appearing in response to the people’s desire to seek him is mystic; (5) true transcendental power, that the supernatural powers the true Buddha displays when he preaches are mystic; (6) true preaching, that the true Buddha’s preaching in the remote past is mystic; (7) true relationship, that the people who formed connections to the true Buddha in the remote past are mystic; (8) true nirvana, that the true Buddha’s nirvana is not an expedient means but eternal and inherent, and therefore is mystic; (9) true life span, meaning that, though the true Buddha’s life span is eternal, his repeatedly being reborn as an ordinary mortal with a life span he desires is mystic; and (10) true benefit, that the benefit the true Buddha bestows upon the people in the Land of Eternally Tranquil Light is mystic.