Namo Amituofo teaches us that crawling and flying creatures are among the beings of the six paths. Their numbers are vast beyond human comprehension. They manifest in an endless variety of shapes, appearances, living environments, and ways of life. Each species occupies its own unique space, separate from the human world, yet they are all part of the same cycle of life.
The Infinite Diversity of Life
Human beings and these crawling and flying creatures are all included within the four types of birth: birth from eggs, birth from wombs, birth from moisture, and birth through transformation. The number of beings born through these four methods is truly immense. They are all beings of the six paths. The creatures that we cannot see, or have never even encountered, far outnumber those that are visible to our eyes.
Every single one of these crawling and flying creatures possesses a spirit that contains the eight consciousnesses and fifty-one mental factors. Their spirits are fundamentally unborn and undying, just as our own are. However, due to their actions and choices while they were in previous lives, they have fallen into the of being born as crawling and flying creatures. This is a reality that should serve as a profound warning to all of us.
The Weight of Karmic Retribution
Many of these beings have committed grave offences or have violated the five . Often, they have emerged from the experience of having to suffer retribution in hell, only to be reborn into the bodies of these small creatures to continue their karmic repayment. In particular, those who have engaged in adultery, or who harboured thoughts of lust at the very moment of their death, will face the consequences of their actions. Depending on the causes they have sown, they will either fall into the hells to endure intense suffering or be reborn into the bodies of insects, where they are driven by an incessant, uncontrollable urge to engage in sexual activity.
A Life of Unspoken Agony
The spirit of a crawling or flying creature is often clouded and dim. They live according to the instincts of their specific species and exist within the limited space assigned to them by their . From a human perspective, we might think that a life which begins in the morning and ends by dusk is short, but for many moisture-born or transformation-born creatures, life is even more fleeting. Some pass through their entire existence in a matter of hours or even minutes.
They exist within their own confined spaces, believing that this is simply what life is. However, from the perspective of a human being, their existence is a profound and indescribable form of suffering. If we were to unfold the life of their spirit and look into the past stored within their eight consciousnesses, we would discover that they once existed in the human world as people. Some have even dwelled in the heavens as celestial beings, while others have traversed the ghost realm, the animal realm, and the hells.
The Hidden Light Within
Now, they have become crawling and flying creatures. Even in this state, they still possess their true self and their Buddha-nature. It is simply that, at this moment, their true self and Buddha-nature are covered up, hidden deep within the depths of their spirit. Namo Amituofo sees the suffering of all beings. My children, as you hear these words from the Buddha, do you also recognise this as suffering? It is suffering; it is truly, deeply painful.
My children, you must constantly awaken your awareness and repent for your past deeds. In the life that remains to you, you must actively grasp this opportunity and apply yourselves with greater diligence. Do not waste this magnificent and rare human body you have obtained. At Hsiang Kuang: A Sacred Sanctuary, you must strive to realise your true self and reach as soon as possible.
