Definition

Noun: - Saving/liberating sentient beings: In Buddhism, "độ thế" refers to the compassionate act of guiding and helping all living beings escape from the cycle of suffering (samsara) and attain enlightenment or liberation. It embodies the Bodhisattva ideal of working for the salvation of all.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Vị Bồ Tát với lòng từ bi vô hạn, nguyện độ thế chúng sinh. (The Bodhisattva, with infinite compassion, vows to save all sentient beings.)
  • Tâm nguyện độ thế là cốt lõi của đạo Bồ Tát. (The vow to liberate beings is the core of the Bodhisattva path.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is almost exclusively used in a religious, specifically Buddhist, context. It describes a profound spiritual mission rather than a physical act of rescue.
• It often appears in classical Buddhist texts, prayers, and discussions about the vows and duties of Bodhisattvas.

Variants and Related Words

• Cứu độ (v): To save, to deliver (used in both Buddhist and general religious contexts).
• Giải thoát (v/n): To liberate; liberation (from suffering, ignorance).
• Phổ độ chúng sinh: A common four-character idiom meaning "to universally save/all living beings."

Synonyms

• Cứu thế: To save the world (can have a broader religious connotation, not exclusively Buddhist).
• Cứu vớt: To rescue, to save (more general, can be used in secular contexts).

Notes on Meaning

• "Độ thế" is a compound Sino-Vietnamese word where "độ" means to ferry across, to save, and "thế" means the world, the generation. The literal meaning is "to ferry the world across (the sea of suffering)."
• It is a highly specialized term. In everyday modern Vietnamese, it is not commonly used outside of religious discourse or classical literature.

1. Save mankind from sufferings (theo đạo Phật)