妙法蓮華經玄義 5.78

5.78

Ninth, citing the five analogies of the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] to establish the stages of the four teachings: If one does not use the four teachings to explain the analogies, the analogies cannot be understood. If one does not use the five analogies to determine the stages of the four teachings, it is difficult to inspire belief. If one believes the sūtra text, the meaning of the stages is easy to comprehend; once the intent of the various stages is understood, those analogies become crystal clear. Mutually depending on one another, they can be called doubly splendid. That text says: "Ordinary beings are like milk; srotaāpannas are like curd; sakṛdāgamins are like raw curd-butter; anāgamins are like cooked curd-butter; arhats, pratyekabuddhas, and buddhas are like ghee." This is an analogy for the five stages of the tripiṭaka [teaching]. Why? Ordinary beings are completely raw, unable to eradicate delusion; bodhisattvas are also like this, merely equivalent to milk. Srotaāpannas destroy views, transforming from ordinary beings into noble ones, like milk turning into curd. Sakṛdāgamins diminish six grades of thoughts, so they are like raw curd-butter. Anāgamins exhaust thoughts of the desire realm, so they are like cooked curd-butter. Arhats, pratyekabuddhas, and buddhas all sever views and thoughts of the three realms completely, and therefore are all designated as ghee. Thus the Commentary states: "In the śrāvaka sūtras, the arhat ground is called the buddha ground; hence they share a single flavor."