A farmer requested a Tendai1 priest to recite Sutras for his wife who had died. After the recitation was over the farmer asked, "Do you think my wife will gain merit from this?"
"Not only your wife, but all sentient beings will benefit from the recitation of Sutras," answered the priest.
"If you say all sentient beings will benefit," said the farmer, "my wife may be very weak and others will take advantage of her, getting the benefit she should have. So please recite Sutras just for her."
The priest explained that it was the desire of a Buddhist to offer blessings and wish merit for every living being.
"That is a fine teaching," concluded the farmer, "but please make one exception. I have a neighbour who is rough and mean to me. Just exclude him from all those sentient beings."
Notes:
1. Tendai
The 4 Buddhist Vows
From Zen Mind Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki p.45
"Bowing helps to eliminate our self-centered ideas. This is not so easy. It is difficult to get rid of these ideas, and bowing is a very valuable practice. The result is not the point; it is the effort to improve ourselves that is valuable. There is no end to this practice. Each bow expresses one of the four Buddhist vows. These vows are: "Although sentient beings are innumerable, we vow to save them. Although our evil desires are limitless, we vow to be rid of them. Although the teaching is limitless, we vow to learn it all. Although Buddhism is unattainable, we vow to attain it." If it is unattainable, how can we attain it? But we should! That is Buddhism"