妙法蓮華經玄義 2.58

2.58

Now I explain it with a metaphor. It is like the government possessing three large ferries along with private boats, ferrying people from this shore to the other shore. The milk teaching is like the large and medium ferries together carrying people to the other shore. The cream teaching is like a private boat ferrying people to an islet in the middle. The raw curds are like four kinds: the small ferry and the private boat ferry people to the islet in the middle, while two ferries carry people to the other shore. The cooked curds are like three ferries: one ferry to the islet in the middle, and two ferries to the other shore. Clarified butter is like the large ferry carrying people to the other shore. Because the three ferries are all alike government property, they are all called "full." The private boat is not government property, and therefore is called "half." Among the government vessels, two ferries are small and accommodate few; the large ferry is magnificent and carries many times more, and it alone is called subtle. The wise attain understanding through metaphors; the meaning of the metaphor is like this (and so forth).