天台八教大意 1.50

1.50

又《涅槃》二十七云：「置毒乳中，遍於五味皆能殺人。」譬於祕密及不定教。毒譬佛性了因種子，五味譬受報五道，殺人譬值佛聞法斷惑。不明諸教，經不可通，無彼經譬，教何能顯？

Furthermore, the twenty-seventh fascicle of the *Nirvāṇa Sūtra* states: 'If poison is placed in milk, across all five flavors it is capable of killing people.' This exemplifies the secret and indeterminate teachings. The poison exemplifies the manifesting cause and seed of the buddha-nature; the five flavors exemplify receiving retribution in the five destinies; killing people exemplifies encountering a buddha, hearing the Dharma, and severing afflictions. Without understanding the various teachings, the sūtras cannot be penetrated; without the metaphors in those sūtras, how could the teachings be revealed?