阿彌陀經疏 1.86

1.86

The sūtra says: “All twelve hundred and fifty of them.” This is stating the number, referring to the constant attendants. Formerly it was thought that the disciples of the three Kāśyapas and two non-Buddhist masters converted by the Tathāgata totaled twelve hundred and fifty persons, who constantly followed and served him to repay the Buddha's kindness. Now, checking against the names, it is feared that this matter is not so; for instance, Rāhula, Mahākāśyapa, and others were always among them—could they also have been disciples of those [masters]? Now, according to the first fascicle of the Dīrghāgama: “The Buddha said that when the kalpa is about to end, all things diminish; as when the former Buddha Kāśyapa preached the Dharma in one assembly, his disciples were always twenty thousand, whereas now I, Śākyamuni, when preaching the Dharma in one assembly, have twelve hundred and fifty disciples.” As for “together” (jù), the Samantapāsādikā states: “Dwelling together in one place.”