The Vast and Infinite Scope of Saving Beings

Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju provides these teachings, recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe.

September 4, 2022

The Nature of Sentient Beings

When we speak of sentient beings, we are referring to those who possess spirits and consciousness. These beings exist across the six realms of existence, scattered throughout the vastness of the Dharma Realm and occupying countless different spaces. Because of this, the scope of our work in saving beings is incredibly broad and profound.

First, you must realise that you are yourself a sentient being. Furthermore, you are deeply connected to a vast network of others who are waiting for your help. This includes your parents and teachers from countless past lifetimes, your karmic creditors, and your current family members and relatives. All of these are included in the category of beings.

The Ubiquity of Life in Our Daily World

If you look around you, you will see that the world is filled with beings in various forms. We must recognise that our daily lives are inextricably linked with them: the fourfold assembly of disciples are beings; the hardware and software we use in our daily work are beings; the food we consume to sustain our bodies is composed of beings; the clothes we wear and the objects we use in our daily lives are beings; the very houses we live in are formed by the coming together of many beings; and the vehicles we use for transportation are also beings.

Wherever you go, you are surrounded by life. The roads you travel upon, the surfaces of the earth, the soil beneath your feet, the sand, and the asphalt—all are beings. The physical world—wishing to be as free as the wind, mountains & rivers—and the creatures of the ocean are all beings. Whether it is the flowers, the grass, the trees, or the various crawling and flying creatures, all are beings. Those that appear to have life and those that appear to be inanimate are all, in truth, beings. Everything you can see is a being.

The Invisible and Infinite Realms

Beyond the forms we can see, there are countless invisible beings that are impossible to count. The air molecules around us, the clouds in the sky, and even the viruses and bacteria that exist in our environment are all beings. The scope of our compassion must extend to all of them: the six realms of existence—the hells, hungry ghosts, animals, the human realm, the heavenly realm, and the asuras—are all beings. The Four Sacred Realms—the Arhats, Pratyekabuddhas, Bodhisattvas, and the Buddha realm—are all beings. The vastness of the Dharma Realm, from the Milky Way to every corner of the universe, is filled with beings.

I have listed only a few categories here, but all of these are sentient beings with karmic affinity who are waiting for your help. They are all in need of salvation.

The Duty of the Practitioner

Therefore, the fourfold assembly of disciples, and especially the Bhikshus, must practise with great diligence. You must strive to purify your body, mind, and spirit. The time when you reach the state of an awakened being is the very moment when the sentient beings with karmic affinity who are connected to you will be saved and find rebirth in the Western Pure Land. Do not let a single moment pass in vain, for the work of saving infinite suffering beings is a task that never stops. Namo Amituofo.