Common Knowledge in Pure Land Teaching
淨土小常識
Sentient Beings in the Ten Directions
“Ten directions” refers to the worlds in the ten directions, i.e. all worlds and all lands.
A “sentient being” is defined as a living being whose consciousness and spirit are able to feel and perceive. It generally refers to all such beings within the Six Realms. Broadly speaking, it refers to ordinary beings reincarnated within the Six Realms: celestial beings, human beings, Asuras, hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals. It also refers to the four kinds of sacred beings – Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas. Collectively, they are called sentient beings in the Ten Dharma Realms
“Sentient beings in the ten directions”( as said in Amitabha’s 18th Vow) refers to all of the other nine Dharma Realms, except that of the Buddhas.
十方眾生
「十方」指十方世界,即所有一切世界、一切國土。
「眾生」又翻譯為有情、含識或含靈。一般指六道迷界的有情眾生;廣義的眾生包括天、人、阿修羅、地獄、餓鬼、畜生等六道輪迴的凡夫,以及聲聞、緣覺、菩薩、佛四種聖人,即六凡和四聖,總稱為十法界眾生。
阿彌陀佛第十八願所說的「十方眾生」,就是除佛以外的九法界眾生,當然包含「你我」在內。
Namo Amituofo!
