All living beings

It means "one who has life" or "one who has a mind." It is a translation of the Sanskrit word sattva. It can also be translated as "sentient beings." In India, Buddhism and other religions do not make a fundamental distinction between humans and animals, and teach that we are reborn in various ways (reincarnation) depending on our karma. Buddhism teaches that we are reborn in six realms: hell, hungry ghosts, animals, asuras, humans, and heavens. Usually, beings lost in reincarnation are considered sentient beings, but in a broader sense, Buddhas and bodhisattvas who have escaped from reincarnation (enlightened) are also included in sentient beings. In addition, mythical creatures such as dragons, rakshasas, yakshas, ​​kendatsuba, kinnara, and magoraka, as well as the prison guards of hell, are sometimes considered to be sentient beings.

[Hiroshi Ogawa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

「命ある者」「心をもつ者」の意。サンスクリット語サットバsattvaの訳語。有情(うじょう)とも訳す。インドでは仏教も他の諸宗教も、人と動物との間に根本的な区別を設けず、業(ごう)（カルマ）によって種々に生まれ変わる（輪廻(りんね)）と説く。仏教では地獄・餓鬼(がき)・畜生(ちくしょう)・阿修羅(あしゅら)・人・天の六道を輪廻転生すると説く。通常は輪廻に迷う存在を衆生とみなすが、広義には輪廻から脱(ぬ)け出した（解脱(げだつ)）仏・菩薩(ぼさつ)も衆生に含める。また、竜、羅刹(らせつ)、夜叉(やしゃ)、乾達婆(けんだつば)、緊那羅(きんなら)、摩呼洛迦(まごらか)など神話上の異類や、地獄の獄卒(ごくそつ)などを衆生とみなす場合もある。

［小川　宏］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例