法華經義記 4.53

4.53

問者復言：「若說解脫義齊、三車等者，不應有羊、鹿、牛車三種優劣。」解者言：「因斷三界正使盡同得盡智，亦同照三界果亡得無生智，是故三無學人二智一種，亦斷三界子果兩縛，故解脫義齊也。所以有此羊、鹿、牛車三種優劣者，聲聞止斷正使別相枝條，能荷負最劣，取譬羊車；緣覺侵斷小習，知見少廣，取譬鹿車；菩薩斷習淨盡，知見圓明運用最勝，取譬牛車。負重致遠橫語知見有勝負之殊，是故有三優劣。」

The questioner further says: "If it is said that the meaning of liberation is equal and the three carts are equal, there should not be three kinds of superiority and inferiority among goat, deer, and ox carts." The interpreter says: "Because they equally attain the knowledge of exhaustion through severing the primary propensities of the three realms, and equally attain the knowledge of non-arising through illuminating the demise of the effects in the three realms, the two knowledges of the three kinds of non-learners are of one kind, and they also sever both the binding of seeds and the binding of fruits of the three realms; therefore, the meaning of liberation is equal. The reason there are these three kinds of superiority and inferiority among goat, deer, and ox carts is that śrāvakas only sever the distinct, branch-like aspects of the primary propensities, and their capacity to bear loads is the most inferior, being illustrated by the goat cart; pratyekabuddhas encroach upon and sever minor propensities, and their knowledge and vision are slightly broader, being illustrated by the deer cart; bodhisattvas sever the propensities completely and cleanly, and their knowledge and vision are fully luminous and their application supreme, being illustrated by the ox cart. Bearing heavy loads to reach distant places speaks broadly of the distinction between superiority and inferiority in knowledge and vision; therefore, there are the three [degrees of] superiority and inferiority."