摩訶止觀 5.93

5.93

Gathering the five aggregates, they are commonly called sentient beings, yet sentient beings are not identical: gathering the aggregates of the three bad paths makes suffering, sinful sentient beings; gathering human and deva aggregates makes pleasure-experiencing sentient beings; gathering outflow-free aggregates makes true, noble sentient beings; gathering compassionate aggregates makes great being (mahāsattva) sentient beings; gathering permanently abiding aggregates makes supremely honored sentient beings. The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa states: 'The unsurpassed sentient being is the Buddha.' How could he be the same as ordinary and low beings? The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra states: 'At the time of the kalala, the name is different, up to the time of old age, the name is different. At the time of the sprout, the name is different, up to the time of the fruit, the name is also different.' If even within a single lifespan there are differences among the ten stages, how could the sentient beings of the ten realms not be different? Therefore, it is named the 'realm of sentient beings.'