How often do you find yourself in the world of anger? Do you find yourself surrounded by angry co-workers? family members? Anger is part of the six lower worlds. Anger is also one of the causes of suffering. It is also one of the most common human emotions, one we cope with every day. The Buddhist explanation of the world of anger can be found in the Buddhist concept of the Ten Worlds.
T’ien-t’ai categorized the life conditions that could be manifested in a single moment of life into ten states. We call them the Ten Worlds. They are Hell, Hunger, Animality, Anger, Humanity, Rapture, Learning, Realization, Bodhisattva, and Buddhahood. Each of these worlds, from Hell to Buddhahood, is endowed with all the others. This is called the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds.
In the Gosho, Conversation Between a Sage and an Unenlightened Man (I) (MW5 – p.80), Nichiren Daishonin, our founder, states:
“In the final analysis, this sutra of Myoho-Renge-Kyo sums up all the teachings and meditational practices of Shakyamuni Buddha’s entire lifetime in a single moment of life, and encompasses all the living beings of the Ten Worlds and their environments in the three thousand realms.”
This Sunday, at 2:00 pm, we will hold an Introduction to Buddhism meeting. The topic of this meeting is the Buddhist concept of the Ten Worlds.
Join us this Sunday at the Temple to hear our Chief Priest, Rev Murata, lecture about the Buddhist Concept of the Ten Worlds. And learn how to change the poison of anger into medicine.
Reference: Rev. Murata’s June 10, 2012 Oko Lecture.
