妙法蓮華經玄義 10.117

10.117

三、歷諸教料簡者，如《大經》云：「凡夫如乳，聲聞如酪，菩薩如生、熟蘇，佛如醍醐。」今釋此譬，總喻半滿五時，凡夫無治道，全生如乳，聲聞發真通皆如酪，通教菩薩及二乘如生蘇，別教如熟蘇，圓教如醍醐。

Third, regarding the evaluation through the various teachings: as the Great Sūtra says: 'Ordinary beings are like milk, śrāvakas are like curd, bodhisattvas are like raw and ripened butter, and Buddhas are like clarified butter.' Now, explaining this analogy: it generally illustrates the half- and full-word teachings of the five periods; ordinary beings have no path of treatment, entirely raw like milk; śrāvakas generating the truth are all generally like curd; shared teaching bodhisattvas and the two vehicles are like raw butter; the distinctive teaching is like ripened butter; the perfect teaching is like clarified butter.