妙法蓮華經玄義 9.58

9.58

As for the four gates of the perfect teaching, they are all subtle, without coarseness. Why? The gate of existence is the dharma realm, inconceivably subsuming all dharmas, identical to all dharmas—how much more so the [other] three gates! The gate of emptiness is identical to the dharma realm, subsuming all dharmas—how much more so the [other] three gates! The remaining two are also like this: the marks of the dharmas are equal, with no superiority or inferiority. If so, then there is no difference among the four gates; it is merely in accord with spiritual capacities, responding to conditions with four preachings, like four fingers pointing to a single moon: the moon is one, and the fingers are four. Why? This is because sentient beings have practiced these four gates life after life, thereby forming their natures. In the past, reasoning within the four gates in the desire to overturn ignorance formed the root-nature of wisdom. In the past, cultivating goodness within the four gates in the desire to overturn evil karma formed the root-nature of merit. The conditions of merit and wisdom stimulate present name-and-form, contact, and feeling, each producing craving and grasping based on habitual tendencies; these ten dharmas constitute sentient beings of the perfect nature. Their inclinations and preferences differ, and what is appropriate to cure them varies; the Buddha's wisdom shines clearly, illuminating their capacities without error. Using the mundane siddhānta to respond to the inclinations of the four natures, he preaches these four gates; using the individual-adaptation siddhānta, he generates the four goods; using the therapeutic siddhānta, he remedies their four attachments; using the paramārtha siddhānta, he causes the four persons to see the principle. Without these four conditions, the Buddha does not preach the Dharma. Since conditions are not uniform, we briefly state them as four; all are 'honestly setting aside expedient means' and 'only preaching the unsurpassable path.' The characteristics of the gates are completely integrated, and all four gates are subtle.