Buddhism for Today, p125-126The last portion of the verse section has a very important meaning:
“Kāśyapa! You now know
Of these five hundred self-reliant ones. The other band of śrāvakas
Will also be like them.
To these, who are not in this assembly,
Do you proclaim my words.”In other words: “These five hundred self-reliant arhats will become buddhas in the future, as will the many other śrāvakas. Kāśyapa! Do you proclaim what I have now said to those who are not in this assembly, and do you lead them to the way of attaining buddhahood.”
“Those who are not in this assembly” indicates the five thousand arrogant monks who left the assembly saying that since they had already attained enlightenment it was not necessary for them to listen to the Lotus Sutra. As already mentioned, because of his great wisdom and compassion, the World-honored One was silent and purposely did not stop them. Here he gives his prediction that even they will surely become buddhas according to their practice.
Monthly Archives: May 2020
The single thought-moment
When each of the ten realms is multiplied by the ten realms again due to the mutual possession of the ten realms one arrives at a hundred realms. Since each of the hundred realms has ten suchnesses there are said to be one thousand realms. In addition to all this, Zhiyi taught that there are three categories of existence that must be taken into account. These categories are the five aggregates (form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness); the sentient beings of the ten realms; and the environments in which they live. These three categories show that the one thousand realms are present in and manifest themselves in terms of the components of each beings, the sentient beings themselves as a whole, and the environments inhabited by them. The one thousand realms multiplied by the three categories brings the final total up to three thousand realms that are operative in every single thought-moment.
The single thought-moment is nothing other than each singular moment of conscious awareness that comprises the here and now of our life. Each moment of awareness contains all three thousand realms. The single thought-moment and the three thousand realms arise simultaneously. There is never a single moment of awareness without all the realms present within and all the realms are always united in a single moment of awareness. In support of this
Open Your Eyes, p157Merits of Offerings to the Lotus Sūtra
There once lived a king called the Great King Aśoka, who ruled one-quarter of the world. Accompanied by the Dragon King, King Aśoka could cause it to rain as he wished, and he was also attended to by demons. An evil king at first, King Aśoka later converted to Buddhism, gave alms to Buddhist priests as many as 60,000 each day, and built stone pagodas, 84,000 in number.
When we look at the previous life of this Great King, we note that during the Buddha’s lifetime there were two boys named Tokushō and Mushō. One day, when the Buddha was passing by, the two made a “rice cake” from mud, and offered it to Him. Due to this sincere offering to the Buddha, one of the two was reborn as the Great King Aśoka 200 years later.
The Buddha is great, but compared to the Lotus Sūtra He is like the light of a firefly, in front of the sun and moon. When compared in terms of height, the Buddha is like the earth while the Lotus Sūtra reaches the heavens. If making offerings to the Buddha has such great merit, how much more so does one gain by making offerings to the Lotus Sūtra.
The two boys received such a wonderful benefit from the Buddha despite their seemingly insignificant acts. How much more benefit will you receive for your various offerings to the Lotus Sūtra! Moreover, when Tokushō and Mushō made their offerings to the Buddha, it was not during a time of famine while we are now suffering from famine. Hence your gifts at this time are even more precious than the gifts of the two small boys.
From this point of view, how can Śākyamuni Buddha, the Buddha of Many Treasures, and the ten female rākṣasa demons neglect to protect you who made offerings to the Lotus Sūtra?
Ueno-dono Gohenji, A Reply to Lord Ueno, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 125-126
Daily Dharma – May 4, 2020
World-Honored One, know this!
Evil bhikṣus in the defiled world will not know
The teachings that you expounded with expedients
According to the capacities of all living beings.
In Chapter Thirteen of the Lotus Sūtra, innumerable Bodhisattvas sing these verses before the Buddha from whom they had come to hear the Wonderful Dharma. They realized that due to their attachment and delusions, beings in this world would see us who keep and practice the Lotus Sūtra as the source of their unhappiness. When we uphold the Buddha’s teaching, and know the true purpose of that teaching, we can see even those beings who cause great harm as opportunities for all of us to become enlightened rather than enemies that we must destroy.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 12
Day 12 concludes Chapter 7, The Parable of the Magic City, and completes the Third Volume of the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.
Having last month witnessed Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Tathāgata’s turning of the wheel of the Dharma, we consider the request of the sixteen princes.
“When the Buddha expounded these teachings to the great multitude of gods and men, six hundred billion nayuta men emancipated themselves from āsravas, and obtained profound and wonderful dhyāna-concentrations, the six supernatural powers including the three major supernatural powers, and the eight emancipations because they gave up wrong views. At his second, third and fourth expoundings of these teachings also, thousands of billions of nayutas of living beings, that is, as many living beings as there are sands in the River Ganges, emancipated themselves from āsravas because they gave up wrong views. [They became Śrāvakas.] Those who became Śrāvakas thereafter were also innumerable, uncountable.
“The sixteen princes were young boys at that time. They renounced the world and became śramaṇeras. Their sense organs were keen; and their wisdom, bright. They had already made offerings to hundreds of thousands of billions of Buddhas, performed brahma practices, and sought Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi in their previous existence. They said to the Buddha simultaneously, ‘World-Honored One! All these Śrāvakas of great virtue, many thousands of billions in number, have already done [what they should do]. World-Honored One! Expound to us the teaching of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi! If we hear that teaching, we will study and practice it. World-Honored One! We wish to have the insight of the Tathāgata. You know what we have deep in our minds.’
When I read this section today I was struck by the princes’ request: “All these Śrāvakas of great virtue, many thousands of billions in number, have already done [what they should do]. World-Honored One! Expound to us the teaching of Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi!” These teaching of the Śrāvakas, which later in this chapter will be described as temporary resting places, are not ultimate goal of the Buddha.
As the Introduction to the Lotus Sutra explains:
The Lesser Vehicle of the “Sravaka” and “Pratyekabuddha” drew a sharp line between this world of sufferings and the pure world of spirit. Its followers renounced worldly concerns, devoted their lives to religious austerities, and made every effort to attain absolute tranquility. This made for a two-dimensional world view, esteeming the pure world of spirit and devaluating the everyday world in which we live.
Bodhisattvas, on the other hand, saw the two worlds as one. They saw this world as the center stage for their religious practice, and preached that spiritual enlightenment must be realized in our life in this world. In short, the Bodhisattva’s mission to deliver people from suffering is to be accomplished in this world of sufferings.
Introduction to the Lotus Sutra
Summary of the Ten Suchnesses
- Appearance refers to external or objective phenomena. That which is seen, heard, smelled, touched, or tasted is included in this factor. Appearance involves the way phenomena are encountered in their various changing expressions and objective relations. For instance, the hell-dwellers have the appearance of undergoing various painful experiences such as being boiled in oil; on the other hand, heavenly beings have the appearance of pleasure and ease in their palaces and gardens. The two vehicles of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas have peaceful demeanors as they have transcended suffering by realizing nirvāṇa. The bodhisattvas can be observed cultivating the six perfections, realizing nirvāṇa, and attaining virtuous qualities. The liberating activities of a buddha are the appearance of a buddha.
- Nature refers to internal or subjective phenomena. This factor focuses on inner thoughts and feelings. Nature is about the subjective side of life, the conscious and felt nature of experience. It also refers to the inner qualities that remain for a time even as external appearances, expressions, and relations change. For instance, hell-dwellers are constantly dwelling on the perpetration of unwholesome actions that they believe will benefit them, whereas heavenly beings dwell on the performance of wholesome actions in order to gain benefit. The two vehicles are no longer attached to notions of gaining benefit through wholesome or unwholesome actions. The nature of a bodhisattva is either that of heavenly deeds or undefiled wisdom or the determination to remain in the six lower realms to save all sentient beings. The wisdom that illuminates the true nature of reality is the nature of a buddha.
- Entity is the causal nexus that expresses itself in both internal and external phenomena. Internal and external can never really be separated because both are nothing more than partial aspects of an integral whole. The integral whole is the contingent entity whose qualities have an objective and subjective dimension. For instance, the entity of hell-dwellers is characterized by torment, but the entity of heavenly beings is characterized by the temporary transcendence of disturbance. The entity of the two vehicles is the fivefold Dharma-body of morality, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and knowledge of liberation manifest in their actions and attitudes. The entity of the bodhisattvas is that of the 32 marks of greatness and later the ability to transform into whatever is needed to save sentient beings. The entity of the buddha is the true nature of reality.
- Power is the ability of phenomena to effect and undergo change. Whereas the first three factors analyze phenomena in terms of internal and external relations and their integral unity, this factor and the next point out that phenomena do not stand still as they are actually not static things but causes and conditions in a constant process of mutual influence and transformation. Any phenomenon is a causal entity that has the power to affect the world in myriad ways. For instance, hell-dwellers have the power to enter into states of suffering while the heavenly beings have the power to attain pleasure. The power of the two vehicles is to be in the world but no longer of it. The power of the buddhas and bodhisattvas is expressed in the four great vows.
- Activity is the actual change brought about through the function of the aforementioned power. It should be pointed out that phenomena depend upon cooperative conditions in order to have an actual effect on the world. Just because something or someone has the power to do something doesn’t mean that it will actually exert that power. When the right circumstances are met with, then that power will be activated. For instance, the hell-dwellers actively commit the ten evil acts, whereas the heavenly beings are generous and actively abide by the ten good acts. The activity of the two vehicles is to strive diligently to progress on the path to liberation. The performance of the six perfections is the activity of buddhas and bodhisattvas.
- Causes are those intentional actions of moral import made in the present. This factor and the next three directly refer to the moral law of cause and effect or karma. Cause, in this context, refers to all of our thoughts, words, and deeds, which become karmic seeds in the depths of our lives. These seeds are the habit-patterns that determine the ways in which our life will unfold. In fact, the dominant realm or state of mind that is our usual state of being is the fruition of these very seeds. Therefore, it is very important that we plant as many goods seeds in our life as possible. For instance, the hell-dwellers make bad causes of unwholesome thoughts, words, and deeds; the heavenly beings make good causes through wholesome thoughts, words, and deeds. The two vehicles make the cause of coming to know for themselves nondefilement. As the bodhisattvas progress, they initially make the same causes as the heavenly beings, then the same causes as the two-vehicles, and then the perfecting of wisdom becomes their primary cause. The perfection of wisdom is the cause made by the buddhas.
- Conditions are the secondary or environmental causes that allow the primary causes to bear fruit. The seeds we have planted in our life through our own actions require the proper circumstances before they come to fruition. Even when they do come to fruition, the exact ways in which they manifest can be influenced by the conditions that surround them. The causes we have made can be inhibited, distorted, modified, mitigated, or even amplified, depending upon the other causes that we have planted and the circumstances in which we find ourselves. For instance, the hell dwellers find themselves in wretched circumstances and have unwholesome views and attitudes that drive them to greater desperation and even worse evils; whereas the heavenly beings find themselves in pleasant circumstances that put them at ease and inspire wholesome past times and benevolent attitudes. The two vehicles have as their conditions the practice of eliminating defilements. The bodhisattvas initially take the passions that bind beings to rebirth as their conditions but then move on to the practices and contemplations that reveal the truths of emptiness, provisional existence, and the Middle Way. The buddhas have the adornment of virtuous qualities as their conditions.
- Effects are the immediate consequences of the causes we make. Whenever we act, speak, or even think about something, there is an immediate effect upon our lives. That effect might be so minuscule as to be hardly noticeable. However, effects primarily refer to the planting of a new karmic seed in the depths of our lives, not just the immediate change in our consciousness or external circumstances. The importance of this is that everything we do has, at the very least, a subtle effect on our lives, and even more importantly contributes to the formation of our whole character. For instance, the hell-dwellers fall into bad habits as the effect of the causes they have made, whereas the heavenly beings cultivate good habits because they strive to make good causes. The two vehicles progressive elimination of the fetters that bind them to rebirth and their attainment of nirvāṇa is the effect resulting from the causes and conditions, though nirvāṇa is not actually the effect of a cause but what is realized when the fetters are undone. The bodhisattvas initially eliminate deluded views and attitudes and later eliminate the delusions as innumerable as grains of sand as the effects of their continuing efforts. The buddhas realize perfect and complete awakening as the effect of the perfection of wisdom.
- Recompenses are the future manifest results of present causes. This refers to the perhaps unforeseen long-term effects of the causes we have set in motion. In one manner or another the karmic seeds planted in the depths of our lives come to fruition under the right conditions. For instance, the unwholesome actions of the hell-dwellers will lead to future rebirths in the lower realms, whereas the wholesome actions of the heavenly beings will lead to future rebirths in the heavens or at least the human realm. The two vehicles believe that there will be no future suffering of recompense for past karma because they have ended the process of rebirth, but from the perspective of the One Vehicle they are still subject to “transmigration of change and advance” until they overcome fundamental ignorance and attain buddhahood. The bodhisattvas likewise do not suffer the consequences of karmic recompense after they have matured in their practice and cultivation, but they do engage in “transmigration with change and advance” in accordance with their vows. The realization of the true nirvāṇa of purity, bliss, eternity, and self that is neither identical to nor distinct from saṃsāra can be said to be the result enjoyed by the buddhas as a recompense of their cultivation of the One Vehicle.
- Beginning and end ultimately equal refers to the non-duality of all phenomena despite these differing aspects. Even though the ten realms can be distinguished due to their differing appearances, natures, and so on, they are all united and equal in that these differing aspects are all empty of any fixed independent substance, all temporary manifestations of causes and conditions, and all exemplify the Middle Way that embraces both emptiness and provisional existence.
The Essence of the Lotus Sūtra: Myō, Hō, Ren, Ge, and Kyō
These four great bodhisattvas were like the four wise men of Shang-Shan. Appearing in the Lotus assemblies, they glorified Śākyamuni Buddha, the Buddha of Many Treasures and Buddhas in manifestation, and they knocked down the proud banners of slanderers of the True Dharma just as the gale winds blow away twigs. Attendees of the assemblies showed respect to them as if heavenly beings obeyed Indra. Devadatta, who had struck Śākyamuni Buddha, pressed his palms together to express heartfelt respect to them; and Kokālika, who had lied to present himself as innocent and slandered Śāriputra, prostrated to repent his past sins. Great bodhisattvas like Mañjuśrī were ashamed of themselves and speechless, while Hinayāna sages like Śāriputra silently bowed.
Then the Enlightened and World Honored One, Śākyamuni Buddha, expounded “The Life Span of the Buddha” chapter and entrusted the four great bodhisattvas with the task of transmitting it after displaying the ten kinds of divine powers in “The Divine Powers of the Buddha” chapter. What was the dharma that was entrusted to them? Reducing the whole of the Lotus Sūtra, we produce its condensed form. By reducing this condensed form further we get the essence of the Lotus Sūtra: the five Chinese characters of myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō, in which the Five Profound Meanings of the Lotus Sūtra—its name, entity, quality, function and teaching—are all contained. For instance, this is like Chiu Pao-yüan who selected the horse not by the color of its hair but its speed of running, and Shih T’ao-lin who concentrated on grasping the gist of Buddhist teachings while discarding the particulars in lecturing on the sūtras.
Soya Nyūdō-dono-gari Gosho, A Letter to Lay Priest Lord Soya, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 159.
Daily Dharma – May 3, 2020
I shall become a Buddha without fail.
I shall be respected by gods and men.
I will turn the wheel of the unsurpassed Dharma,
And teach Bodhisattvas.
These verses are spoken by Śāriputra, regarded as the wisest of the Buddha’s disciples, at the beginning of Chapter Three of the Lotus Sūtra. His words come not from conceit, but from joy. How does our view of the problems in the world change when we have the assurance that we will become Buddhas? How does our view of others change when we know that they too will become Buddhas? For one thing, we might spend less effort demanding respect and more giving respect.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Day 11
Day 11 continues Chapter 7, The Parable of the Magic City
Having last month concluded today’s portion of Chapter 7, The Parable of the Magic City, we start at the top with what occurred When Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Buddha attained Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:
“When Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Buddha attained Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi, five hundred billion Buddha-worlds in each of the ten quarters quaked in the six ways, and all those worlds, including those intercepted from the brilliant rays of light of the sun and the moon by the neighboring worlds, were illumined [by great rays of light], and the living beings of those worlds were able to see each other for the first time. They said to each other, ‘How did you appear so suddenly?’ The palaces of the gods of those worlds, including the palace of Brahmans, also quaked in the six ways. The great rays of light which illumined all those worlds were brighter than the rays of light emitted by those gods.“The palaces of the Brahman-heavenly[-kings] of the five hundred billion worlds in the east were illumined twice as brightly as ever. The Brahman-heavenly-kings [of those worlds] each thought, ‘My palace has never been illumined so brightly before. Why is that?’ They visited each other and discussed the reason. There was a great Brahman-heavenly-king called All-Saving among them. He said to the other Brahmans in gāthās:
Why are our palaces illumined
More brightly than ever?
Let us find [the place]
[From where this light has come].
Did a god of great virtue or a Buddha
Appear somewhere in the universe?
This great light illumines
The worlds of the ten quarters.“Thereupon the Brahman-heavenly-kings of the five hundred billion worlds went to the west, carrying flower-plates filled with heavenly flowers, in order to find [the place from where the light had come]. Their palaces also moved as they went. They [reached the Well-Composed World and] saw that GreatUniversal-Wisdom-Excellence Tathāgata was sitting on the lionlike seat under the Bodhi-tree at the place of enlightenment, surrounded respectfully by gods, dragon-kings, gandharvas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, men and nonhuman beings. They also saw that the sixteen princes were begging the Buddha to turn the wheel of the Dharma. Thereupon the Brahman-heavenlykings worshipped the Buddha with their heads, walked around him a hundred thousand times, and strewed heavenly flowers to him. The strewn flowers were heaped up to the height of Mt. Sumeru. The Brahman-heavenly-kings offered flowers also to the ten-yojana-tall Bodhi-tree of the Buddha. Having offered flowers, they offered their palaces to the Buddha, saying, ‘We offer these palaces to you. Receive them and benefit us out of your compassion towards us!’ In the presence of the Buddha, they simultaneously praised him in gāthās with all their hearts:
You, the World-Honored One, are exceptional.
It is difficult to meet you.
You have innumerable merits.
You are saving all living beings.As the great teacher of gods and men,
You are benefiting all living beings
Of the worlds of the ten quarters
Out of your compassion towards them.We have come here from five hundred billion worlds.
We gave up the pleasure
Of deep dhyāna-concentration
Because we wished to make offerings to you.
Our palaces are beautifully adorned
Because we accumulated merits in our previous existence.
We offer [these palaces] to you.
Receive them out of your compassion towards us!“Thereupon the Brahman-heavenly-kings, having praised the Buddha with these gāthās, said, ‘World-Honored One! Turn the wheel of the Dharma and save all living beings! Open the Way to Nirvāṇa!’ They simultaneously said in a gāthā with all their hearts:
Hero of the World,
Most Honorable Biped!
Expound the Dharma!
Save the suffering beings
By the power of your great compassion!“Thereupon Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence Tathāgata gave his tacit consent to their appeal.
The Daily Dharma from April 23, 2019, offers this:
Did a god of great virtue or a Buddha
Appear somewhere in the universe?
This great light illumines
The worlds of the ten quarters.
The Brahma Heavenly Kings of the East sing these verses as part of a story the Buddha tells in Chapter Seven of the Lotus Sūtra. Long ago there was another Buddha named Great-Universal-Wisdom-Excellence. When he became enlightened, the entire universe was illuminated. Beings who had never seen each other could recognize each other clearly. We can see this story as a metaphor for what happens when the Buddha’s wisdom comes into our lives. We leave the darkness of our ego attachment and come into the light of the world as it is.
The Daily Dharma is produced by the Lexington Nichiren Buddhist Community. To subscribe to the daily emails, visit zenzaizenzai.com
Summary of the Ten Realms
- The realm of the hell-dwellers is the lowest of the realms. Those who willfully commit the ten evil acts are reborn as hell-dwellers as the fruition of their deeds. Likewise, those who commit one of the five grave offences (killing one’s father, killing one’s mother, killing an arhat, injuring the Buddha, causing a schism in the Sangha) will immediately be reborn in the lowest hell in their next life. The hot hells and cold hells (perhaps for the passionately unrestrained and the cold-hearted respectively) are the abode of those so consumed with hatred, bitterness, and despair that their only wish is to destroy themselves and others out of spite and the desire to end their miserable existence.
- The realm of the hungry ghosts is only slightly better. Those who commit the ten evil acts primarily motivated by selfish craving are reborn as hungry ghosts as the fruition of their deeds. Hungry ghosts are said to have large mouths and bellies, but only tiny throats. Hungry ghosts can never be satisfied and are consumed by craving. This is the state of those who suffer from addictions that control and dominate their lives. These addictions can be to drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, power, work, entertainment, or even religion.
- The realm of animals is the state of cunning, primitive aggression, and instinctive desires. Those who unthinkingly commit the ten evil acts are reborn as animals. It is a state of mind that does not look beyond immediate gratification and pays no heed to consequences or long-term benefit. Here, pleasure and pain reign supreme over reason amid the brute struggle for survival as the strong prey upon the weak. Though not as inherently painful as the two previous worlds, those who are in this state will inevitably meet with frustration and confusion, if not outright pain and suffering.
- The realm of the fighting demons is the realm of arrogant demons who are obsessed with issues of status and power and whose ambition is to overthrow the gods of heaven. Those who follow the five precepts or even the five constant virtues (of Confucianism) but with ulterior motives and in a spirit of hypocrisy and self-righteousness are reborn as fighting demons. Those in this state are full of pride and arrogance and are extremely competitive and envious. They can never rest or feel secure because they must constantly strive to maintain and improve their position and prestige, no matter how well off they may actually be.
- The realm of humanity is, of course, the realm we are most familiar with. Those who follow the five constant virtues or who take refuge in the Three Treasures (Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha) and follow the five precepts are able to be reborn as humans. In the human world, suffering is recognized for what it is, and morality and reason are called upon to improve the human condition. At this point, civilized life can truly begin. The human state is considered a very fortunate one, because the suffering and striving of the previous four realms does not overcome reason, nor is there the complacency brought about by the pleasures of the heavens. From this realm of humanity, one can find the opportunity to encounter the Three Treasures, take up the teachings, put them into practice, and attain liberation.
- The realm of the heavenly beings is where the gods make their abode. Those who take refuge in the Three Treasures, follow the ten good acts, and give generously to worthy people and causes are able to be reborn in the heavens of desire. Those who follow the ten good acts and also go on to cultivate states of meditative absorption to overcome all inner disturbance and negativity are able to be reborn in the more refined heavens of form or formlessness, which correspond to the states of concentration they attained. The heavens are temporary (though long lasting) realms of spiritual bliss of increasing subtlety and refinement.
- The realm of the śrāvakas is the first of the four noble states. Śrāvakas are those who hear the teachings of the Buddha, specifically the four noble truths, and put them into practice by becoming monks or nuns and taking up a life of strict discipline and rigorous contemplative practices in order to awaken to the fact that all conditioned things are ultimately unsatisfactory, impermanent, selfless, and empty of any fixed unchanging essence. This awakening is their attainment of nirvärpa. Nirväna, for them, is the elimination of the fetters of greed, hatred, and false views that bind them to rebirth among the six lower realms. Upon attaining nirvāṇa, śrāvakas are known as arhats (lit. worthy ones), who are worthy to receive offerings. Though this is called a realm, arhats do not exist in a separate realm apart from the world of humanity. Arhats are invariably human beings who attain nirvāṇa and upon their deaths (which is called final nirvāṇa) they are no longer to be found anywhere, much like a fire that has been extinguished.
- The realm of the pratyekabuddhas is the second of the four noble states. Pratyekabuddhas are the ascetics and hermits who live in a time and place where Buddhism is unknown but attain liberation by contemplating causes and conditions and awakening to the unsatisfactory, impermanent, selfless, and empty nature of all conditioned phenomena. Unlike buddhas, they do not afterwards try to teach others how to awaken. Like the arhats they are invariably human beings who have eliminated greed, hatred, and false views. They too have realized nirvāṇa and are no longer bound to be reborn among the six lower realms. Sometimes pratyekabuddhas are not viewed as hermits who awaken on their own apart from Buddhism. Sometimes they are thought to be those Buddhist practitioners who live as forest-hermits and attain nirvāṇa by contemplating the twelve-fold chain of dependent origination taught by the Buddha to provide a deeper understanding of causes and conditions. In this case they are known as “cause-knowers” (J. engaku).
- The realm of the bodhisattvas is the third of the four noble states. Bodhisattvas are those who aspire to attain buddhahood so that they too can lead all sentient beings to liberation. To do this they make vows, for instance the four great vows of the bodhisattva (to save all being, quench all defilements, know all the teachings, and attain the path to buddhahood), and take up the practice of the six perfections (of generosity, morality, patience, energy, meditative absorption, and wisdom). Bodhisattvas sometimes reside in the pure lands of the buddhas of the ten directions but can just as often be found taking rebirth among those in the six worlds in accordance with their vows so that they can help sentient beings, cultivate wisdom, and accrue the merit needed to attain buddhahood.
- The realm of the buddhas is the fourth of the four noble states. Buddhahood is the state characterized by purity, bliss, eternity, and self (or authenticity). With perfect wisdom and great compassion, the buddhas spontaneously and unselfconsciously respond to the spiritual needs of all sentient beings. They reside in the pure lands but also appear in the world of humanity as a person who attains buddhahood, teaches the Dharma, and establishes the Sangha.
Each of these ten realms contains the causes and conditions of all ten within themselves. This means that any of the ten contains the potential to manifest any of the others. This is the mutual possession of the ten realms. One might say that the lower realms contain the higher realms as seeds of their future growth and maturity, while the higher realms embrace the lower realms insofar as they are perspectives that have been outgrown and yet assimilated. These are not ten separate realms lined up alongside each other, but rather ten different subjective modes of the interplay of causes and conditions. This means that if you change the causes and conditions you can also change the kind of realm that is or will be experienced. This also means that the realm of buddhahood is accessible to all the other realms and conversely the realm of buddhahood is able to compassionately interact with the lower realms.
Open Your Eyes, p148-151