Of the Four Higher Worlds – voice­ hearers, privately awakened ones, bodhisattvas, and buddhas – voice­ hearers is the world as viewed from the perspective of the Four Noble Truths: suffering, the cause of suffering, freedom from suffering, and the way to eliminate suffering. Those who live in this state of mind look to the Buddha for insight and guidance, and strive to free themselves from the Six Lower Worlds.

The world of the heavenly beings is where the gods make their abode. Unlike the Western concept of heaven, however, Buddhist heavens do not refer to a realm of eternal salvation. Rather, they are temporary realms of bliss where all of one’s desires are satisfied. The heavens are also realms of increasing subtlety and refinement, transcending our worldly concepts of time, space, and matter. The heavens are attained as a reward for good deeds, as well as through the cultivation of meditation of other spiritual disciplines. Eventually, however, those in the heavens will have to leave and “come back down to earth.”

The world of humanity is, of course, the world we are most familiar with. 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 reason is not dominated by the suffering and striving of the “Four Lower Paths” (hell, hungry ghosts, animals and fighting demon), nor is it distracted by the pleasures of the heavenly path. From the world of humanity, those who are able to make a connection with the Buddha Dharma and who have a clear head and strong discipline will be able to cultivate insight and attain the path of liberation.

The world of the fighting demons is the realm of arrogant demons who are obsessed with their own power and whose sole wish is to overthrow the benevolent gods of heaven. 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 world of animals is the state of cunning, primitive aggression, and instinctive desires. 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. There is no sense of morality. Though not as inherently painful as the first two states, those who are in this state will inevitably meet with frustration and confusion, if not pain and suffering.

The world of the hungry ghosts is only slightly better than that of hell-dwellers. 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 world of the hell-dwellers is the lowest of the Ten Worlds. Buddhist cosmology teaches that there are more than 100 hells, including the eight major hot hells and eight major cold hells, which are reserved for those who are so consumed with hatred, bitterness, and despair that their only wish is to destroy themselves and others out of spite and the desire for non-existence.

In the Buddha’s vision, our actions and attitudes govern which of the Ten Worlds we are born into from lifetime to lifetime. However, the Ten Worlds also describe the various states of life that all people experience constantly throughout everyday life. Each state flows smoothly and swiftly into the others many times over during the course of a day. These states of life encompass our thoughts, feelings, actions, relationships, and even our general environment.

Before Nichiren Shonin, Ichinen Sanzen was a theory that Buddhist practitioners attempted to understand through meditation. Nichiren Shonin, however, taught that Ichinen Sanzen could be realized through faith in the Odaimoku. At the very end of the Kanjin Honzon-sho, he wrote:

For those who are incapable of understanding the truth of the “3,000 worlds contained in one thought,” Lord Shakyamuni Buddha, with his great compassion, wraps this jewel with the five characters of Myo, Ho, Ren, Ge, and Kyo and hangs it around the necks of the ignorant in the decadent Latter age of the dharma.