大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 36.68

36.68

疏「能生佛果故曰生因道」，上釋正因，今釋生因也。前有六對生了二因，前三對以因為生因、緣為了因，皆就能生；後三對以因望果以論生了。今是前意，如乳是生因，酵等為了因故。乳等即喻眾生，望於佛果而為因也。

Regarding the Commentary's statement, "Because it can generate the Buddha-fruit, it is called the path of the generative cause": the above explained the direct cause; here, it explains the generative cause. Previously, there were six pairs of generative and revealing causes: the first three pairs take the cause as the generative cause and the condition as the revealing cause, all in terms of that which can produce; the latter three pairs discuss generative and revealing by looking from the cause toward the fruit. Here, it is the former sense: just as milk is the generative cause, while yeast and the like are the revealing cause. Milk and the like are similes for sentient beings, functioning as causes looking toward the Buddha-fruit.