寶王三昧念佛直指 2.16

2.16

行者十人已還，多則不許，須預審擇其人可不。觀彼平日行止無大麁過，或信根淳厚，離諸卒暴、音聲和雅、儀軌端莊、受人約束，為生死故、不生悔惱、肯存謙下，可作同修。若無是人，止四三人亦善，或一已尤妙。不可失察，反使敗壞軌則、惱亂清修。又於眾中，宜推尊一人德重行熟者，或別請久為師範者，作方等道場之主，主行懺事。使一眾觀其儀禮、聽其舉揚作大依止。於中或時示現逆順之相，毋見過失。其人亦可審已謙辭，或赴或止。

As for practitioners, ten persons or fewer [are allowed]; more are not permitted. One must examine and select beforehand whether each person is suitable or not: observing whether their daily conduct is free of gross faults, or whether their root of faith is pure and solid, free from all rash violence, their voice harmonious and elegant, their deportment dignified, their manner amenable to discipline, acting for the sake of birth and death, free from regret and vexation, and willing to maintain humility—such a one may serve as a fellow practitioner. If there are no such persons, merely three or four persons is also good, or even oneself alone is particularly fine. One must not fail to investigate, so as to bring about the ruin of the rules and the disturbance of pure cultivation instead. Moreover, among the assembly, one should venerate and select one person of weighty virtue and ripe practice, or specially invite someone who has long served as a teacher and model, to act as the host of the Fangdeng place of practice and preside over the penitential affairs, so that the entire assembly may observe their ritual deportment, listen to their instructions, and take them as a great refuge. If among them they occasionally display aspects of opposition or compliance, do not see faults in them. That person may also examine themselves, decline with humility, and either attend or desist.