妙法蓮華經玄贊 3.16

3.16

The Commentary says: This explains the previous statement marking the profundity of the teachings (āgama). Within this, there are two parts: first the questioning, and then the illumination. Regarding 'What is the reason?': The Dharma attained by the Buddha is so-called liberation. The three vehicles sit together upon the bed of liberation, and the two vehicles have also attained it. They have also already studied in reliance upon the expedient teachings. Why is it now stated that concerning these two things, the two vehicles do not know and do not see? Furthermore, the intention of this questioning is: The wisdom of the Buddha has not yet been attained by the two vehicles, so it may well be called profound; but regarding its wisdom-gate, the two vehicles have already attained it—why is it called profound, saying that the two vehicles do not know it? If relying on the first explanation of 'What is the reason?': Although the attained liberation is shared by the three vehicles, prajñā, the dharmakāya, and the wisdom of marks and nature have not been attained by them, and you certainly do not know them; moreover, as for the wisdom-gate, they have not yet comprehended it either. Therefore, from here downward, it only explains the eight kinds of profundity of the teachings (āgama), intending to show that the two vehicles are not even able to know the profundity of the teaching, how much less the wisdom of the Buddha! Relying on the second explanation of 'What is the reason?': Previously the reason why the gate of the teaching is profound was questioned; now it shall be fully illuminated. Therefore, from here downward, it only illuminates the profundity of the teaching. The Treatise cites the sūtra as having eight lines, whereas this present text has only six lines. According to the Treatise, it should say: 'The Buddha formerly drew near to hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of countless buddhas, fully practiced the immeasurable path and teachings of the buddhas, was courageous and diligent, his name widely heard, accomplished profound, unprecedented dharmas; and as for the dharmas difficult to understand, the Tathāgata can know them; as appropriate he expounds them, their purports difficult to understand, which all the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are unable to know.' Adding the sixth line in the present sūtra, 'as for the dharmas difficult to understand, the Tathāgata can know them,' and adding the eighth line, 'which all the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are unable to know,' thus completes the eight profundities. The first line, 'The Buddha formerly drew near to hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of countless buddhas,' is the profundity of receiving, upholding, reading, and reciting. This shows that the Bhagavat, across three great kalpas, made offerings to buddhas [as numerous as the sands of] twenty-six Ganges rivers, and in the presence of those buddhas received, upheld, read, and recited this dharma-gate, which is why it is profound. It is not like those of the two vehicles who can understand with mere brevity; hence it is called profound. The second line, 'fully practiced the immeasurable path and teachings of the buddhas,' is the profundity of practice. Because he fully practiced all the buddhas' path-practices of the two benefits of merit and wisdom, not like the two vehicles who merely cultivate causes with brevity, it is called profound. The rest should be understood accordingly. The third line, 'courageous and diligent,' is the profundity of resolute practice. 'Resolute' means determined: pure, courageous, capable of enduring weariness, with whatever is undertaken being brought to completion, which is called resolute. Or, because what was undertaken through diligence was wholesomely accomplished, now attaining the supreme fruit, it is called the profundity of the fruit: casting oneself into fire for a single line, relinquishing one's body for half a verse, six years of ascetic practice, seven days of standing on one foot—these were not obtained without single-minded diligence and toil. The fourth line, 'his name widely heard,' is the profundity of the mind increasing in merits. Because his fame resonated afar and was widely heard by ordinary beings and sages, he urged himself on to diligently apply himself to cultivation and eradication, and his mind of personal merit doubled and increased. Or, because his fame resonated afar and others heard it, all increased their minds of merit; being heard and known by all, it thus constitutes profundity. The fifth line, 'accomplished profound, unprecedented dharmas,' is the profundity of the mind of delightful and wondrous matters. Because the attained dharmas are unprecedented, delightful, wondrous, and supreme matters, the mind capable of accomplishing them is also delightful and wondrous; because it is expounded with a delightful and wondrous mind, the teaching is difficult to understand. The sixth line, 'as for the dharmas difficult to understand, the Tathāgata can know them,' is the unsurpassable profundity. Because the Tathāgata can know dharmas that are extremely difficult to understand, this dharma-gate succeeds in being unsurpassable; or, the essence of the dharmas difficult to understand is itself unsurpassable, and only the Buddha can know it, hence it is profound. The seventh line, 'as appropriate he expounds them, their purports difficult to understand,' is the profundity of entry. The profundity of entry means that the intent of the names, words, and phrases is difficult to grasp; the Buddha himself abides in and enters into the understanding of this intent, unlike non-Buddhists who cannot understand it themselves, so how could they enable others to understand it? Because he expounds the dharma of causes and conditions which is extremely profound. 'Entry' has two meanings: first, difficult to enter and understand, for only the Buddha himself understands it; second, expounding as appropriate to cause others to enter the Dharma; hence the purports being difficult to understand is called profound. The eighth line, 'which all the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are unable to know,' is the profundity of abiding and sustaining unshared with śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas. It is not like that which is done by the two vehicles: [the Buddha's] outward benefit in what is done and inward benefit in abiding and sustaining therefore constitute profundity. To summarize what has been stated above: by having drawn near to buddhas, having received, upheld, read, recited, practiced, been resolute, increased the mind of merit, realized delightful and wondrous matters, and accomplished the unsurpassable dharma, he therefore expounds as appropriate, difficult to understand, and not comprehended by the two vehicles; his wisdom-gate is called profound because it is difficult to understand and enter—how much more so is the Buddha's wisdom itself profound!