妙法蓮華經玄贊 3.14

3.14

若通義解，或隨所應所詮，四慧皆有義、體、證、依四深，或智慧相、性、伴、境四法，如次配初四種甚深，唯無上深在大菩提，諸德主故。又非喻所喻、思議所思議故名甚深。上來解深唯在智慧不通慧門，准論解經，慧門亦有五：論名總句阿含深故即五難是，無量者智性、智相、智伴、智境如其次第，體遍、用寬、德備、法廣，如空無限、德數無窮，終必無盡，故名無量。然今但說智性、智相二種智慧名為無量，體、德、作用皆具無限，無窮盡故。其門甚深亦有二義：一體妙、二難了。體妙者，論引經云：「其智慧門難見、難覺、難知、難解、難入，具彼五難。難了者，二乘不知故。一由智義深故其門難見，二由智體深故其門難覺，三由智內證深故其門難知，四由智依止深故其門難解，五由智無上深故其門難入。」以教五難別配智慧五種甚深。又智有二：一凡、二聖。凡有二智：一現、二比。凡現智不知名難見，比智不知名難覺。聖智有二：一有漏、二無漏。有漏世俗智不了名難知。無漏智有二：一根本、二後得。初無漏智不知名難解，後無漏智不知名難入，入者證解。今此經中唯有二無漏智，不知故言難解難入，總顯證、教二難了，云「一切聲聞、辟支佛所不能知，唯佛能知故。」佛今所以歎二深者，論自解云：「為諸大眾生尊重心，畢竟欲聞如來說故，為下將說一乘真實佛所得法甚深難解之由漸故，先歎智深，彰下所歎有所言說意趣難知二乘為權之由漸故，先歎門深，令其發心希所聞也。不爾唯應歎智慧深，總攬萬德以成佛故。」

If explained according to general meaning, or according to what is appropriate to what is expressed: the four wisdoms all possess the four profundities of meaning, essence, realization, and basis; or the four dharmas—the characteristics, nature, companions, and objects of wisdom—are respectively matched with the first four kinds of profundity, with only the supreme profundity residing in great bodhi, because it is the master of all virtues. Furthermore, it is called profound because it is not what can be illustrated by metaphor, nor what can be thought by thought. The above explanation of profundity applies solely to wisdom and does not extend to the gateway of wisdom. Following the Treatise to explain the sūtra, the gateway of wisdom also has five [aspects]: the Treatise terms the general phrase "the profundity of the āgama," which is precisely the five difficulties. "Immeasurable" refers to the nature of wisdom, characteristics of wisdom, companions of wisdom, and objects of wisdom, respectively: their essence is all-pervading, their function is broad, their virtues are complete, and their dharmas are vast; like space they are boundless, the number of their virtues is inexhaustible, and in the end they must be without limit; hence they are called "immeasurable." Yet now, speaking only of the two kinds of wisdom—the nature of wisdom and characteristics of wisdom—as "immeasurable," their essence, virtues, and functions are all fully boundless and inexhaustible. The profundity of its gateway also has two meanings: first, the marvelousness of its essence; second, its difficulty of being comprehended. As for the marvelousness of its essence, the Treatise cites the sūtra, saying: "Its gateway of wisdom is difficult to see, difficult to perceive, difficult to know, difficult to understand, and difficult to enter," possessing those five difficulties. As for its difficulty of being comprehended, it is because those of the two vehicles do not know it: first, because the meaning of wisdom is profound, its gateway is difficult to see; second, because the essence of wisdom is profound, its gateway is difficult to perceive; third, because the internal realization of wisdom is profound, its gateway is difficult to know; fourth, because the basis of wisdom is profound, its gateway is difficult to understand; fifth, because the supremacy of wisdom is profound, its gateway is difficult to enter. Thus the five difficulties of the teaching are separately matched with the five profundities of wisdom. Furthermore, wisdom is of two kinds: first, ordinary; second, noble. Ordinary [wisdom] has two wisdoms: first, direct perception; second, inference. Not being known by ordinary direct perceptual wisdom is called "difficult to see"; not being known by inferential wisdom is called "difficult to perceive." Noble wisdom is of two kinds: first, tainted; second, untainted. Not being comprehended by tainted conventional wisdom is called "difficult to know." Untainted wisdom is of two kinds: first, fundamental; second, subsequently attained. Not being known by initial untainted wisdom is called "difficult to understand"; not being known by subsequent untainted wisdom is called "difficult to enter"—"entering" means realization and comprehension. Now in this sūtra there are only the two untainted wisdoms; because they are not known, it says "difficult to understand and difficult to enter," comprehensively showing the difficulty of comprehending both realization and teaching, saying: "Cannot be known by any śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha, because only a buddha can know it." As to why the Buddha now praises the two profundities, the Treatise itself explains: "In order that the great assembly might give rise to a mind of deep reverence and ultimately desire to hear the Tathāgata speak; in order to serve as the gradual prelude to the forthcoming preaching of the profound and difficult-to-understand Dharma realized by the Buddha, the reality of the Single Vehicle, he first praises the profundity of wisdom; in order to serve as the gradual prelude to manifesting that what is praised below—that the intended purport of whatever is spoken is difficult to understand, and that the two vehicles are provisional—he first praises the profundity of the gateway, causing them to bring forth the aspiration and long for what is to be heard. Otherwise, he should only have praised the profundity of wisdom, since all myriad virtues are brought together to accomplish buddhahood."