Chapter Eight: Sentient and Non-Sentient Beings

I. The Distinction Between Sentient and Non-Sentient Beings

The fundamental distinction between sentient and non-sentient beings lies in the fact that the physical body (rūpa-kāya) of sentient beings is solely generated and sustained by their own Tathāgatagarbha, and possesses the discerning functions of the seven consciousnesses (vijñāna), thereby exhibiting the activities of the five aggregates (skandhas). In contrast, the physical matter of non-sentient entities is collectively generated and sustained by the Tathāgatagarbha of beings sharing collective karma; they lack the seven consciousnesses and the five aggregates. Since the seven consciousnesses arise from the consciousness seeds (vijñāna-bīja) output by a single Tathāgatagarbha and cannot be formed by the combined output of consciousness seeds from numerous Tathāgatagarbhas, non-sentient objects lack the activities of the seven consciousnesses and five aggregates and are not considered sentient beings. The fundamental difference between the activities of the five aggregates in sentient beings and the activities of physical matter in non-sentient entities is that the five-aggregate body of sentient beings possesses the functional capacities of sensation (vedanā), perception (saṃjñā), mental formations (saṃskāra), and consciousness (vijñāna).

If a sentient being's manas (the seventh consciousness, or defiled mental consciousness) perceives that a certain physical matter is useful to it and can serve as its physical body, its Tathāgatagarbha and manas will enter or attach to this physical matter, giving rise to the activities of the five aggregates. This is the phenomenon of attachment (possession) in sentient beings. The reason beings seek rebirth is their desire for the activities of the five aggregates; without physical matter, the activities of the five aggregates cannot occur. Therefore, beings will strive to be reborn. If they truly lack the merit and opportunity for rebirth, they will utilize physical matter as their physical body and then carry out the activities of the five aggregates upon this physical matter. Consequently, the physical body of a sentient being must possess the function of the sensation aggregate, or the perception aggregate, the mental formations aggregate, and the consciousness aggregate; only the combination of these functions can form a five-aggregate being. If physical matter cannot be utilized by beings to generate the activities of the five aggregates, beings will not attach themselves to that physical matter.

After an earthworm is severed into two, three, or several segments, each segment may survive. At this point, each segment becomes a separate earthworm, an individual sentient being with its own Tathāgatagarbha facilitating its distinct five-aggregate activities. The other surviving segments likewise become separate earthworms. Because the earthworm's body possesses a special regenerative function, its bodily functions can be utilized. When a being's Tathāgatagarbha and manas enter it, they can possess their own physical body and engage in five-aggregate activities. The bodies of other animals, when severed, cannot regenerate and cannot be reused as physical bodies; therefore, beings do not enter them, and the severed limbs will decay and perish.

Those beings lacking the merit and affinity for rebirth will utilize any available matter as their physical body. The number of beings in the great chiliocosm is vast; wandering spirits and ghost-like beings without physical bodies, existing in a state of free-floating existence, are exceedingly numerous. They seize any opportunity for rebirth or attachment, striving by all means to be reborn or to possess a body in order to have their own five-aggregate activities. Without a physical body, they feel unanchored and experience great suffering. Being able to utilize a physical body to live in the world provides them with an anchor; no one wishes to be without a body. If environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity are suitable, the number of beings seeking rebirth or attachment becomes especially large. They may become various bacteria-like beings or be reborn among the tiniest flying and crawling beings. Regardless of which type of being they enter, they are willing as long as they can have a physical body as an anchor. Even though the life of bacteria—arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing—is extremely rapid, involving repeated rebirths and deaths, they still seek rebirth because the feeling of being without a body is truly painful.

II. Does Eliminating Viruses Constitute Killing?

Viruses are bacteria-like beings that are harmful and of no benefit to humans. Since they are called sentient beings, killing them constitutes killing (prāṇātipāta). However, the precept against killing established by the Buddha does not include bacteria-like beings, because in the human realm of the Sahā world, no one can avoid bacteria and survive—except for those with great spiritual powers.

Bacteria-like beings are ubiquitous and utterly countless. They are everywhere: inside the body, on the skin, in the air, and in food. Leavened flour products rely on bacteria-like beings to rise; various enzymes, fermented foods, etc., all depend on bacteria-like beings. Without them, humans would be unable to enjoy many foods and drinks. Human survival necessarily depends on bacteria-like beings; otherwise, it would be impossible to survive. For example, the digestion, absorption, and excretion of food and drink, as well as gastrointestinal peristalsis, all rely on the assistance of bacteria. Bacteria are present everywhere in the body, including both beneficial and harmful bacteria. Harmful bacteria are those that can damage the human physical body, causing illness or death. Taking medicine and disinfection target these harmful bacteria. Only with the death of these bacteria can the human body be healthy and life secured.

Strictly speaking, everyone has killed bacteria, both actively and passively. When strong immune cells encounter invading viruses, they actively engulf them, often without human awareness. If eliminating viruses constituted killing, no one could uphold the precepts established by the Buddha, and consequently, no one could attain the Way (enlightenment). From this, it is clear that eliminating viruses does not constitute killing. Protecting higher life forms like humans by eliminating harmful, lowest-level life forms is an unavoidable necessity; this is how life evolves. However, karmic consequences still exist. In future kalpas, these bacteria, reborn as large animals, ghostly beings, or humans possessing some merit, will bear resentment, animosity, and grudges towards humans.

III. Can Bacteria Become Human in the Future? How Do They Become Human Beings?

In the future, bacteria can not only become human but also learn the Buddha Dharma, practice, and even achieve Buddhahood. The key question is how they become human. To be reborn into any realm of beings, one must possess merit corresponding to that realm. Even becoming a desire realm deva, form realm deva, or formless realm deva requires merit corresponding to the beings of those heavenly realms. In the future, being reborn in other Buddha lands also requires merit corresponding to the beings of those lands; otherwise, coexistence is impossible. Even within a human family, members must have corresponding merit; otherwise, they cannot form a family, or the family will disintegrate, its members scattering, each living according to their own merit. The same applies to groups; differing merit prevents cohesion and joint endeavors.

Bacteria are the lowest, most inferior, most minute, and least meritorious beings in the realm of sentient beings. They accumulate merit gradually by serving humans and larger animals, supporting the basic life activities of these beings. When merit accumulates to a certain degree, they are reborn as slightly larger animals. When animals help each other, their merit increases further, leading to rebirth as even larger animals with greater autonomy and vitality, until finally being reborn as humans. If conditions are favorable and they encounter the Buddha Dharma, they may initially hold superstitious beliefs in it, eventually developing correct faith.

All merit accumulated by beings invariably comes from serving other beings. Therefore, if we wish to possess greater merit, we must cease being selfish and self-interested, focusing only on our own small affairs and refusing to benefit others. The truth is that helping others is helping oneself; the merit one cultivates never transfers to others. Cultivating merit is never done *for* others; only by striving to let others gain benefit can one oneself obtain benefit.

IV. How Do Harmful Bacteria and Carnivorous Animals Obtain Human Rebirth?

How bacteria became bacteria, if we trace it to the source, lacks concrete examples, evidence, or scriptural basis in the Buddha's teachings. Similarly, how harmful bacteria became harmful cannot be traced to an origin. However, harmful bacteria are only harmful to certain beings, not necessarily to all beings in the Dharma realm, nor are they necessarily eternally harmful without change. Life forms undergo transformations within the cycle of birth and death because, although bacteria-like beings are extremely ignorant, they still possess extremely subtle conscious mental activity and very faint karmic actions. As long as there are karmic actions, there will be karmic results, and life will undergo changes. As for large animal species, when their karmic retribution ends, they gradually become reborn as humans. For specifics, refer to the Buddha's explanation of the truth of the six paths of rebirth in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra.

Large carnivorous animals were generally human in their previous lives; they were reborn as large animals due to committing evil deeds. Once that evil karma is exhausted, they will naturally revert to being human. The human body is a crucial turning point, capable of leading upwards or downwards. Whether humans can be reborn as the most ignorant bacteria remains unknown at present.

V. The Difference Between Bacteria and Cells

Some say bacteria can "split consciousness" – "consciousness" here referring to the seven consciousnesses (vijñāna). If bacteria could split consciousness, producing multiple manas (mental consciousnesses) and multiple perceptions from the five senses, then they would possess the abilities of splitting bodies (nirmāṇa-kāya), mind-made bodies (manomaya-kāya), and transformation bodies. This would constitute great spiritual powers, surpassing even humans. If they surpass humans, why would they remain as bacteria? Bacteria are the lowest, most inferior sentient beings, possessing a physical body composed of the four great elements (mahābhūta) and having extremely subtle and inferior functions of conscious mind. A single bacterium possesses its own Tathāgatagarbha to sustain its body.

Cells are non-sentient matter; they lack the functional capacities of the seven consciousnesses and have no Tathāgatagarbha sustaining them, because a cell is not a physical body (kāya) itself. It is a basic constituent part of a sentient being's physical body, a minute particle on the sentient body, composed of the seeds of the four great elements. Cell division is one of the most fundamental functional activities of a sentient being's Tathāgatagarbha; it is a characteristic feature of the arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing of the sentient body. All changes of the physical body—arising, abiding, changing, ceasing—are functional activities of the sentient being's Tathāgatagarbha. Bacteria can invade cells, destroying them and thereby causing illness or death in sentient beings.

VI. The Meaning of "Sentient and Non-Sentient Together Perfect the Seed-Wisdom"

"Together perfect the seed-wisdom" (同圆种智) means the perfection of wisdom without obstruction, the ultimate transformation of consciousness into wisdom upon attaining Buddhahood. "Sentient" refers to sentient beings. When sentient beings attain Buddhahood, their five-aggregate body with the thirty-two major marks and eighty minor characteristics is the "direct retribution" (正报, the principal fruition body). The non-sentient environment of the receptacle world, the Buddha land, is the "dependent retribution" (依报). The dependent retribution transforms according to the direct retribution; the Buddha land where a Buddha resides also becomes supremely magnificent and splendid. When the mind changes, all surrounding dharmas transform accordingly. Hence the saying: "A blessed person dwells on blessed land; a blessed land is inhabited by blessed people!"

Plants have growth periods and annual rings; their life lacks the activities of the seven or eight consciousnesses. Therefore, plants are not sentient beings. Not being sentient beings, they do not undergo rebirth (samsara). They are part of the dependent retribution environment for the survival of sentient beings, brought about by the karma of beings. If beings possess merit, the plants they experience will be abundant and precious; otherwise, they will be barren and decayed.

VII. Among the Four Births, Nine Abodes, and Twenty-Five Types of Sentient Beings, Which Category Do Cells Belong To?

Cells are the basic tissues constituting the life form of sentient beings. Composed of the seeds of the four great elements and lacking conscious mind, they are not individual life forms and are not sentient beings. The composition, arising, ceasing, and transformation of the seeds of the four great elements are functional activities of the Tathāgatagarbha. Therefore, all functional activities of cells are the operational mechanisms of the Tathāgatagarbha; all life activities are the operational mechanisms of the Tathāgatagarbha. This subject matter is exceptionally profound and subtle, vastly more difficult to observe than observing the activities of manas. It belongs entirely to the scope of Vijñapti-mātra Seed-Wisdom (唯识种智). Observing the operational mechanisms of manas also requires Vijñapti-mātra Seed-Wisdom. Ordinary people's views on manas are not based on direct perception (pratyakṣa) through observation and practice; therefore, they are unreliable and should not be overly trusted.

Observing the series of activities of cells under a microscope reveals how incredibly intricate, profound, difficult to know, difficult to fathom, and yet wondrous the operational mechanisms of the Tathāgatagarbha are. How does it construct life forms? How does it make life forms operate? How does it cause life forms to vanish and perish? These are all extremely profound, subtle, difficult to know, and difficult to realize. From this, it is understood that the entire life form is entirely the functional activity of the Tathāgatagarbha. Therefore, the life form belongs to the Tathāgatagarbha; it does not belong to the manas-self (the egoistic notion rooted in the seventh consciousness). Manas has absolutely no reason to claim the life form as its own, incessantly clinging to "I, me, mine" without end, lacking self-awareness and awareness of others. Precisely because it knows nothing of all dharmas, it ceaselessly generates the affliction of "I, me, mine" – this is the fundamental beginningless ignorance (anādi-avidyā).

VIII. The Difference Between the Aggregate of Form (Rūpa-skandha) and Form as an Object (Rūpa-viṣaya)

Form as an object (rūpa-viṣaya) is physical matter composed of the four great elements; it is non-sentient. It is the object that is discerned and acted upon, lacking initiative, selfhood, ignorance (avidyā), or afflictions (kleśa), and thus cannot be spoken of as pure or impure. The aggregate of form (rūpa-skandha) is the function of aggregation imposed *upon* the form-object by consciousness. The form-object itself lacks initiative and therefore lacks the function of aggregation; it is a functional activity applied to the physical body by the conscious mind. A physical body propelled by conscious mind is called the aggregate of form. When conscious mind acts upon the physical body, the body is a living, sentient life form. A physical body without conscious mind acting within it is a non-sentient object, a corpse, merely one type of form-object. The function of conscious mind upon the physical body constitutes bodily, verbal, and mental actions (karma). Where there is action, there is karma; where there is karma, karmic seeds are left behind. In this way, karmic fruits are aggregated, leading to suffering, pleasure, or neutral results in future lives.

IX. Why Can HeLa Cancer Cells Survive Outside the Body for 59 Years, Continuously Dividing and Growing?

This type of cancer cell is actually a bacterium, specifically a viral bacterium, harmful to the human body. Cells and bacteria are distinct. Cells are physical matter composed of the seeds of the four great elements; they lack the seven consciousnesses and are not sentient beings. Bacteria, however, not only consist of physical matter formed from the seeds of the four great elements but also possess manas, Tathāgatagarbha, mental consciousness (mano-vijñāna), body consciousness (kāya-vijñāna), and other consciousnesses; they *are* sentient beings. Cells within the body are individually sustained, arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing, by the being's own Tathāgatagarbha. Once outside the body, the four great elements decompose, and they gradually disintegrate, disperse, and perish.

Bacteria, being sentient beings, are individually sustained, arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing, by their own Tathāgatagarbha *within* the body. Even *outside* the body, they are still individually sustained, arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing, by their own Tathāgatagarbha. Various viruses actually belong to the category of bacteria-like beings. They can survive outside the body and may even thrive. Therefore, viral bacteria, as long as their living environment is suitable, can survive and develop whether outside or inside a body. Some cancer cells are also viral bacteria and can survive after leaving the body. The coronaviruses that have appeared in recent years are all bacteria-like beings; they can still survive on low-temperature matter. Various types of matter, under suitable environmental conditions, can give rise to bacteria-like beings. If the environment changes and becomes unsuitable for bacterial survival, the bacteria will perish.