妙法蓮華經玄贊 9.96

9.96

Explaining the title: "Upholding" means abiding so as not to allow decay; copying, making offerings, up to practicing are all called upholding, not merely receiving and upholding as one among the ten [dharmic practices]. Earlier, encouraging exposition also praised those who copy, recite, and so forth; now this is called "upholding", hence we know upholding pertains to all ten practices, causing the Dharma to abide long and sentient beings to benefit, which is collectively called upholding. Some versions of the sūtra have the title "Chapter on Encouraging Upholding", and the root treatise also calls it the "Chapter on Encouraging Upholding", because following the Buddha's previous encouragement, they are made to uphold it; or because in this chapter, the Buddha looks toward the bodhisattvas, which also amounts to encouraging upholding. Although the principle is not amiss, most versions of the sūtra simply title it the Chapter on "Upholding".