法華論疏 3.444

3.444

如〈法師品〉，即指三品為三種法門也。問：羅什經但云持品，今何以云勸持品？答：牒前之勸，明後之持，故云勸持品。亦是因勸而持，故云勸持，實是持品。廣說法力者，問：應云廣說持力，云何乃言法力耶？答：有二義。一者出所持之法，故言法力，實是持力也；二者此是三品中指〈法師品〉為法力。何以知之？以次此文即釋〈法師品〉經故也。

"As in the 'Dharma-Teacher Chapter'" refers to these three chapters as the three kinds of Dharma-gates. Question: Kumārajīva's sūtra [translation] only calls it the "Upholding Chapter"; why does it now say "Encouragement to Uphold Chapter"? Answer: It takes up the preceding encouragement and elucidates the subsequent upholding; hence it is called the "Encouragement to Uphold Chapter". It is also that they uphold it because of encouragement; hence it says "encouragement to uphold", while in reality it is the "Upholding Chapter". Regarding "broadly expounded the power of the Dharma": Question: It should say "broadly expounded the power of upholding"; why does it instead say "the power of the Dharma"? Answer: There are two meanings. First, it brings forth the Dharma that is upheld, hence it says "the power of the Dharma", though in reality it is the power of upholding. Second, among the three chapters, this points to the "Dharma-Teacher Chapter" as the power of the Dharma. How do we know this? Because the text immediately following this explains the sūtra text of the "Dharma-Teacher Chapter".