The prime concern of Buddhism is our life-state, the joy or
suffering we experience at each moment. This is always seen as an
interaction between external conditions and inner tendencies; the
same conditions (the same workplace, for example) that will be
experienced by one person as unremitting misery may be a source of
exhilarating challenge and satisfaction to another. Strengthening
our inner state so that we are able to resist and even transform
the most difficult and negative conditions is the purpose of
Buddhist practice.
Based on his reading of the Lotus Sutra, the sixth-century Chinese
Buddhist T'ien-t'ai developed a system that classifies human
experience into ten states or "worlds." This Ten Worlds teaching
was adopted and elaborated by Nichiren, who stressed the inner,
subjective nature of these worlds: "As to the question of where
exactly Hell and the Buddha exist, one sutra reads that Hell exists
underground and another sutra says that the Buddha is in the west.
However, closer examination reveals that both exist in our
five-foot body."
The 10 Worlds:
1. Hell--a condition of despair in which one is completely
overwhelmed by suffering
2. Hunger--a state dominated by deluded desire that can never be
satisfied
3. Animality--an instinctual state of fearing the strong and
bullying the weak
4. Anger--a state characterized by an unrestrained competitive urge
to surpass and dominate others and often a pretence of being good
and wise
These four states above are referred to as the Four Evil Paths
because of the destructive negativity that marks them.
5. Humanity--is a tranquil state marked by the ability to reason
and make calm judgments. While fundamental to our identity as
humans, this state can also represent a fragile balance that yields
to one of the lower states when confronted with negative
conditions
6. Rapture is a state of joy typically experienced when desire is
fulfilled or suffering escaped
The worlds thus far are sometimes grouped together as the Six Lower
Worlds. These are all basically reactions to changing external
conditions in which we experience a lack of real freedom and
autonomy.
What Buddhism refers to as the Four Noble States represent the
effort to live with integrity, inner freedom and compassion. Below
are the Four Noble States.
7. Learning-- describes a condition of aspiration to
enlightenment
8. Realization--indicates the ability to perceive unaided the true
nature of phenomena. Together, these are sometimes referred to as
the Two Vehicles as people manifesting these states are partially
enlightened and free from some deluded desires
But these worlds above can be very self-absorbed, and in many
Buddhist texts we find the Buddha admonishing the people of the Two
Vehicles for their selfishness and complacency.
9. Bodhisattva--is a state of compassion in which we overcome the
restraints of egotism and work tirelessly for the welfare of
others. Mahayana Buddhism in particular emphasizes the Bodhisattva
as an ideal of human behavior
10. Buddhahood--is a state of completeness and perfect freedom, in
which one is able to savor a sense of unity with the fundamental
life-force of the cosmos. For a person in the state of Buddhahood,
everything--including the inevitable trials of illness, aging and
death--can be experienced as an opportunity for joy and
fulfillment. The inner life-state of Buddhahood makes itself
visible through altruistic commitment and actions enacted in the
world of Bodhisattva
Buddhahood continues to exist even within a person whose life is
dominated by the lower life-states of Hell, Hunger or Animality.
The reverse is also true. The life-state of Buddhahood is not
separate or discontinuous from the other nine worlds. Rather, the
wisdom, vitality and courage of Buddhahood can infuse and transform
the manner in which a tendency toward, for example, Anger,
functions in a person's life. When Anger is directed by the
compassion of the worlds of Buddhahood and Bodhisattva, it can be a
vital force in challenging injustice and transforming human
society.
