Ten Worlds

 

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Key Points / Summary:

Ten worlds is one of the most interesting Buddhism concepts. As per Buddhism, there are ten distinct states or ten distinct worlds. Think of ten worlds as 10 different emotions we may go through in a day. From the time we wake up to go to bed to sleep, through the day we may go through different states or moods

As per Budhhism, these states are described as 10 worlds. Let's start understanding these starting from the worlds which are lower , that is low life state to worlds with higher life state.

1.The World of Hell

1. It is the lowest state of Life.
2. Hell is a life state where you feel no Life Force, No Motivation, Feel Like Nothing Can Work Out, feel depressed with no way to get out.
3. We feel immense suffering as if entire world around us in inflicting suffering on us.
4. We feel rage, frustration, discontent either with ourselves for not achieving the results or on the world around us.
5. We feel complete hopeless and tormented.
6. Whatever happens around us, we see it colored by our unhappiness and misery.

2.The World of Hungry Spirits

1. Also knows as life state of hunger
2. Hunger is a life state where you are driven by greed. Greed can be Money, Food or Power. Basically you are getting controlled by desires.
3. No matter how much you get it, you will still feel starved or wanting to have more
4. You are getting controlled by desires and enslaved by them.

3.The World of Animals

1. Also knows as life state of animality.
2. Animality is an emotion where you feel the law of jungle. That is Survival of Fittest Instinct.
3. Threaten the weak and fear the strong.
4. Trying to get along with influential people even when they are not right and trying to suppress people who are weak in society.
5. You are acting on instinct and not on Judgement of right and wrong, good and evil.
6. Since you are acting on instinct, you are focusing on immediate rewards and not giving thought to future consequences.

4.The World of Asuras

1. Also known as world of Anger.
2. Anger is an emotion wherein you get in Rage.
3. You are obsessed with personal superiority or self importance, always comparing to others.
4. Anger is not just about losing Temperament but also if you are harbouring Jealousy or animosity.
5. They may appear to be people of virtue and fine characters, may even pretend to be humble but deep inside they are filled with jealousy and resentment.
6. Huge gap between outward appearance and inner reality. Hypocrisy and Self Deception.
7. Perversity is the world of Asuras
8. Perversity = concealing one’s true feelings in order to ingratiate oneself with others.

5.The World of Human Beings

1. Also known as world of Humanity
2. Calm, Composed State. “Calmness is the world of human beings”
3. Humanity is an emotion wherein you try to reason and think rationally.
4. Understand the principle of cause and effect
5. Can distinguish right and wrong, good and evil, can exercise self-control.
6. Need continuous efforts to sustain this state of life.
7. World of humanity is the first step towards a life state of winning over oneself.

6.The World of Heavenly Beings

1. Also known as world of rapture.
2. Rapture is the state when you Feel Joyful when your desire get fulfilled.
3. The feeling when you get high score, praises or eat your favorite food.
4. The Joy you get when you listen favorite music or meet your favorite sportsperson.
5. However, this life state is very temporary and short lived.
6. It is not lasting and fades away with the passage of time.
7. In that sense, the world of heavenly beings is not the state of genuine happiness that should be our ultimate aim.

These Six emotions or life state are combinedly called six Lower Paths as these emotions are easily influenced by external circumstances or the external environment.

The aim of Buddhist practise is to transcend the six paths and develop a self-determined state of happiness that is not controlled by external circumstances.

Now let's understand four better emotions or worlds which combinedly are called Four Noble Paths. They are the awakened states of life a person can develop through Buddhist practice.

7.The World of Voice-Hearers

1. Also knows as world of Learning.
2. Attained by those who gain a partial awakening through hearing the Buddha’s teaching.
3. Learning is life state when you want to understand and comprehend the workings of life. When you are motivated from within to learn, read and understand.
4. You get awakened to the impermanence of all phenomena.

8.The World of Cause Awakened Ones

1. Also knows as world of Realization
2. Attained by those who gain a partial awakening through their own observations & efforts.
3. Realisation is the life state wherein you discover something based on learning.
4. However in this state you are Self Determined but self-centred. You are focussing on using the knowledge for yourself and not help others.
5. You get awakened to the impermanence of all phenomena.

Persons of the two vehicles

The world of voice-hearers and cause awakened together referred to as the ‘persons of the two vehicles’.

1. Persons of two vehicles get awakened to the impermanence of all phenomena.
2. The awakening of two vehicles in imperfect and partial.
3. Persons of two vehicles are content with this lesser degree of enlightenment.
4. They do not seek the complete enlightenment as they thing they are not capable of it.
5. They do not make efforts to help others to get to enlightenment.
6. Focusing only on themselves and inclined to self-absorption.

9.The World of Bodhisattvas

1. Bodhisattva means a living being who strives continuously to attain the enlightenment of the Buddha.
2. Bodhisattva is a state wherein you not just help yourself to reach Buddhahood but also relentlessly help others to gain enlightenment and has a strong seeking spirit.
3. Believes everyone has the potential to become Buddha and helps other people to reach Buddhahood.
4. The essence of the world of Boddhisattvas is compassion.
5. Those in the life state of bodhisattva direct this spirit of compassion to all people and make it the foundation for their lives.

10. The World of Buddhas

1. Buddhahood is the supreme life state wherein you are in the state of absolute happiness that nothing can destroy.
2. It is likened to the spirit of a lion king - a state of complete ease and confidence in which, like the lion king, one fears nothing.
3. Has immense wisdom and courage to take action for the wellbeing of all people, and compassion flowing from within.
4. Awakened to the fact that Mystic Law is the foundation of one’s being.
5. Life state inherent in all of us but difficult to manifest.
6. Daishonin incribed the Gohonzon as a means for all people to bring forth from within them the life state of Buddhahood.
7. When we believe in the Gohonzon and chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for the happiness of ourselves and others, we can tap the life state of Buddhahood within us.
8. Lotus Sutra states that we all people are inherently Buddhas.

Mutual Possession of Ten Worlds.

1. The most interesting and revolutionary part of the ten worlds is concept of mutual possession of ten worlds.
2. The beauty of this concept is that anyone at any moment can become Buddha showcasing the potential of every life. At the same time, it also states that you can go down to the world of hell from the state of Buddhahood in a moment.
3. So, basically, every state contains nine other states in it. You can be in hell at one moment but in the next moment, you can move to hunger or to realization.
4. This acknowledgment makes us humble and vigilant and keeps on checking our behavior.
5. Also gives us hope that regardless of our current life state, we can summon Buddhahood and create value in every situation.
6. It also keeps on our toes that Buddhahood is not an ultimate and static state but fluctuating as well. You need to keep on exerting yourself to remain at Buddhahood from one moment to another.