法華義疏 9.242

9.242

此品來亦具二義：一者、成前；二者、開後。言成前者，〈寶塔品〉偈文四番命持，〈提婆達品〉歎經三力，亦是勸持。今菩薩聲聞應命持經，故有此品。言開後壽量者，以菩薩聲聞各明住於忍力者，恐聞遠壽心生驚疑，故逆遮之也。所以應命者有四：一、欲上報佛恩；二、欲增進自行；三、欲將勸餘未弘宣亦令傳化；四、既是菩薩欲利益眾生，故有此品來也。為秉持此經以化物，故名「持品」也。品開為五：第一、二萬菩薩發誓弘經；第二、五百聲聞發誓弘經；三者、學無學八千人發誓弘經；四者、諸比丘尼發誓弘經；五者、重命菩薩發誓弘經。就此五人可為二例：初四人是應佛前命自誓弘經，後一人佛重命弘經。就初四人中，初一是直往菩薩自誓持經；後比丘、比丘尼是迴小入大菩薩自誓弘經。又為三類：初、明諸菩薩慈悲深厚忍辱力大，能於穢土弘經；二者、自餘三眾迹示劣弱，淨土弘經；第三、諸菩薩住不退地，通於淨穢二土弘經。初偏舉二人者，藥王既流通所寄，樂說能發輝涌塔，故為宣持之首。藥王流通所寄者，流通乘權乘實也。樂說發輝涌塔者，開發身權身實之端也。

This chapter comes with two full functions: first, completing what came before; second, opening what comes after. Regarding completing what came before: the verse passages of the Apparition of the Jeweled Stūpa Chapter urge upholding in four turns, and the Devadatta Chapter's praise of the sūtra's three powers is also an encouragement to uphold. Now bodhisattvas and śrāvakas respond to the command to uphold the sūtra, hence there is this chapter. Regarding opening the subsequent Lifespan [Chapter]: because the bodhisattvas and śrāvakas each explain their abiding in the power of patience, fearing that hearing of the remote lifespan they might feel astonishment and doubt, it precludes this in advance. The reasons for responding to the command are four: first, wishing to repay the Buddha's kindness above; second, wishing to advance their own practice; third, intending to encourage others who have not yet propagated it to also transmit and convert; fourth, being bodhisattvas, they wish to benefit sentient beings; hence this chapter comes. Because they hold firmly to this sūtra to transform beings, it is called the "Encouraging Upholding Chapter." The chapter opens into five sections: first, twenty thousand bodhisattvas vow to propagate the sūtra; second, five hundred śrāvakas vow to propagate the sūtra; third, eight thousand trainees and adepts vow to propagate the sūtra; fourth, the bhikṣuṇīs vow to propagate the sūtra; fifth, the Buddha again commands the bodhisattvas, who vow to propagate the sūtra. Regarding these five groups, two patterns can be drawn: the first four groups respond to the Buddha's prior command and vow on their own to propagate the sūtra; the last group consists of those whom the Buddha again commands to propagate the sūtra. Among the first four groups, the first consists of direct-advancing bodhisattvas who vow on their own to uphold the sūtra; the subsequent monks and nuns are bodhisattvas who turn from the Lesser to enter the Greater, vowing on their own to propagate the sūtra. They also form three categories: first, explaining that the bodhisattvas, whose loving-kindness and compassion are profound and whose power of forbearance is vast, are able to propagate the sūtra in an impure land; second, the remaining three assemblies display traces of weakness and propagate the sūtra in pure lands; third, the bodhisattvas abide on the non-retrogressing ground and propagate the sūtra in both pure and impure lands alike. As for singling out two persons at the start: since Bhaiṣajyarāja is entrusted with propagation, and Pradānaśūra can illuminate the welling-up of the stūpa, they serve as the heads of proclaiming and upholding. Bhaiṣajyarāja being entrusted with propagation refers to propagating the provisional vehicle and real vehicle. Pradānaśūra illuminating the welling-up of the stūpa refers to initiating the provisional body and real body.