Hi Everybody,
We're in the middle of the chapter that sets out to explain the Buddhist concept of the ten worlds, or the ten states of life. It's one of the fundamental teachings of Nichiren Buddhism and its aim of course is to take us towards a greater self awareness, a deeper understanding of our behaviour so that we can respond more sensitively and more creatively to situations in our life, rather than simply reacting to them. That's its whole purpose, to enable us to create greater value out of every circumstance we find ourselves in, good, bad and indifferent. So we've looked at six of these life states, which Buddhism argues, describes the reality of life for most of us. This is where we spend most of our time, and the key insight is that we experience them very much in response to what is going on in our external environment; now up now down, now left now right depending to a large extent on what is happening to us. The clear implication is that our life state, and in a sense therefore our identity, from moment to moment, how we think and feel and behave and look even, is to a considerable extent dependent on what comes at us from without.
The remaining four lives could be described as representing the great potential in human lives, not simply responding to events and changes in our environment in a somewaht reactionary or oportunistic way, but seeking to take greater control of our lives to make the very most of them, making and shaping our lives you might say. So they are all marked, these four lives, by the effort that is required to achieve them. Which takes us to Learning and Realisation.
These two life states are often taken together because they are so closely related. They represent in a sense the two sides of the same coin. Both are concerned with the strong desire for self-improvement, although via slightly different routes. So learning essentially describes the process of study, putting ourselves ina position where we can take on board the knowledge and understanding accumulated in particular fields. In the modern world of course we are likely to spend a considerable portion of our early lives in this arena. Acquiring new knowledge and skills, constantly deepening and widening our understanding of how the world worksm, has become more or less a life-time activity for many of us.
Realisation is slightly different in that it involves the inner process of reflection and consideration that enables us to relate this knowledge and understanding to our own lives and our own circumstances and so make the most creative and productive use of it, to enhance our own lives and the lives of those around us.
Buddhism does alert us to the potentially negative aspects of learning and realisation that can be manifested in a sense of superiority for example, over those who don't aspire to these life states. And we've all encountered unhappy examples of that; doctors for patients for example, professors for students, scientists for the relative ignorance of the general public. But in general these two life states, Learning and Realisation are seen very practically in Buddhism, as indeed they are presented by modern educationalists, as the veritable springboard to realising our individual potential, hence the use of the word, realisation.
That's it for today. Two more life states to go, Bodhisattva and Buddhahood. Deal with them later in the week.
See you then.
Best wishes,
William
PS The Case for Buddhism is available on Amazon or as a download on Kindle.
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