一いっ切さい衆しゅ生じょう

い

っ

さ

い

しゅ

じょ

う

Meanings

1

noun

all living beings

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)›Buddhism›

Buddhist term referring to all sentient beings without exception. Often used in sutras and doctrinal contexts.

仏ぶっ教きょうでは、一

いっ

切さい

衆しゅ

生じょう

に

仏ぶっ

性しょう

が

ある

と

説と

く

。

Buddhism teaches that all living beings possess Buddha-nature.

Kanji

一one, one radical (no.1)
切cut, cutoff, be sharp
衆masses, great numbers, multitude
生life, genuine, birth

Built from

一いっ切さい+衆しゅ生じょう

Etymology

A yojijukugo of Buddhist origin, composed of 一切 (all) and 衆生 (living beings). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is well-established in Buddhist scriptures.