妙法蓮華經玄贊 9.535

9.535

釋名者，「功」謂功勞聞法力用，「德」謂道德體即福慧。由聞妙法功力所得之德，故名功德。「分」音府文反。「別」音方列反，或作「莂」，或作「𧧸」，此辨釋義。或「分」音扶問反，「別」音憑列反，分別諸功德事。此品辨釋分別彼功德事，故名分別功德品。

Regarding the explanation of the title: 'Merit' (gōng) refers to meritorious labor, the power and function of hearing the Dharma; 'virtue' (dé) refers to the essence of moral virtue, namely merit and wisdom. The virtue obtained by the power and labor of hearing the wondrous Dharma is therefore called 'merit and virtue' (gōngdé). 'Fēn' (discrimination) is pronounced with the fanqie fǔ-wén. 'Bié' (distinction) is pronounced with the fanqie fāng-liè; it is also written as 莂 or as 𧧸. This has the meaning of distinguishing and explaining. Or, 'fēn' has the fanqie fú-wèn, and 'bié' has the fanqie píng-liè, meaning to discriminate the various matters of merit and virtue. Because this chapter distinguishes, explains, and discriminates those matters of merit and virtue, it is named 'Chapter on the Discrimination of Merits'.