阿彌陀經通贊疏 1.52

1.52

且初道行尊高眾，分三：初標類舉數、二歎德、三列名。此即初也。與者，兼并共及之義。龍樹釋大而有五義：一、數大，千二百五十人故；二、離大，大障斷故；三、位大，大阿羅漢故；四、名大，名稱遠聞故；五、識大，大人大眾所知識故。梵云苾芻，訛云比丘，由具五義所以不翻：一曰怖魔，初出家時魔宮振動故；二云乞士，既出家已乞食自濟故；三名淨持戒，漸入僧數應持戒故；四云淨命，既受得戒，所起三業以無貪發，不依於貪邪活命故；五曰破惡，漸依聖道滅煩惱邪故。又依草立名，喻五德草故云比丘。眾者僧也。理事二和得眾名也，三人已上得僧名故。千二百五十人俱，俱至祇園故。

Moreover, the first, the assembly eminent in the practice of the Path, is divided into three: first, specifying the category and stating the number; second, praising their virtues; third, listing their names. This is the first. 'Together with' has the meaning of combining, uniting, and extending to. Nāgārjuna explains 'great' through five meanings: first, great in number, because there are one thousand two hundred and fifty people; second, great in abandonment, because great hindrances have been severed; third, great in status, because they are great arhats; fourth, great in reputation, because their renown is heard far and wide; fifth, great in recognition, because they are known and recognized by great men and great assemblies. In Sanskrit it is *bhikṣu*, erroneously called *biqiu*; because it possesses five meanings, it is not translated: first, 'terrifying Māra,' because when one first leaves home, Māra's palace trembles; second, 'almsman,' because having left home, one maintains oneself by begging for food; third, 'purely upholding precepts,' because gradually entering the ranks of the Saṅgha, one must uphold the precepts; fourth, 'pure livelihood,' because having received the precepts, the threefold karma that one gives rise to is motivated by non-greed, not relying on greed for wrongful livelihood; fifth, 'destroying evil,' because gradually relying on the noble path, one destroys the errors of affliction. Furthermore, the name is established based on a grass, using the five-virtued grass as an analogy, hence called *bhikṣu*. 'Community' is the Saṅgha. Harmony in principle and harmony in practice confer the name 'community,' for three or more persons receive the name of Saṅgha. 'One thousand two hundred and fifty in all' means they came together to the Jeta Grove.