大般涅槃經義記 1.53

1.53

In the text, they are first listed in progressively increasing order according to their numbers; from “twenty Ganges sands of great fragrant elephants” below, the various assemblies are listed without fixed order. In the previous progressively increasing section, it first lists the assemblies of the Way; from “four Ganges sands” below, it explains the assemblies of the ordinary worldly stream. The assembly of the Way has noble virtue and is fewer in number, so it comes first; the ordinary stream has lowly conduct and is greater in number, so it comes later. Within the assembly of the Dharma of the Way, monastics are listed first, followed by householders. Because monastics have noble forms and are fewer in number, they are listed first; householders have lowly forms and are greater in number, so they come later.