Part I――Ten Realms

From now this on, I am going to start to tell you basic stories about introduction to Buddhism. It is the first time today. Our daily lives are ruled by one’s mind. For example, even though the other person is greedy and he or she talks in a way of saying like being furious, Buddhism considers that having problems by being made a fool of it is because of one’s heart. In other words, if it is unfair words and deeds, it is the problem that he or she should correct so you do not have responsibility. You do not need to suffer by it at all. In Mahayana Buddhism, the meaning to live is to acquire wisdom to overcome weakness that you flatter the other person and you suffer from being a slave to it; compassion that you move the other person. Mahayana Buddhism preaches that there are ten changes in mind. The mind cannot be seen by our eyes, so that it teaches as making intangible mind tangible. The moments of the mind that always move are stilled, objectively analyzed, and then categorized into ten categories for expression.

• • The world of hell: the state of mind when you get angry
  • The world of hungry spirit: the state of mind when you covet.
  • The world of beast: the state of beastly mind
  • The world of Asura: the state of mind of conflict and strife
  • The world of Jinkan: the state of peaceful mind
  • The world of heaven: the state of joyful mind
  • The world of Sravaka (voice-hearers):the state of mind when you listen to the truth of Dharma
  • The world of cause-awakened ones: the state of mind when you meditate.
  • The world of Bodhisattva: the state of mind when you seek wisdom and compassion
  • The world of Buddhahood: the state of mind settled in wisdom and compassion

In this Mahayana Buddhism, from the world of hell to the sixth world of heaven out of these ten realms is called “the six regions”. The order is not decided, but this six regions are the cycle that is ruled by desire and moves. We, human beings are bound by these six states of mind and float and sink into emotions of joy, anger and sorrow. In addition, Mahayana Buddhism preaches that there are higher states called “the four sacred world”.

The state in which we experience the three states of the worlds of voice-hearers, cause-awakened ones and Bodhisattva then strive for the world of Buddhahood is named “the training of Buddhahood”. If we are freed from desire of mind and become able to see the true nature of things correctly, we will be able to attain spiritual completion like Buddha. Therefore, if our minds attain the higher world, we can all become Buddhas. The reason why we were born in this world by God is the one point to cultivate our souls. The mind is not constantly stable. Beautiful good mind may change ugly bad mind. However, we can improve the lower mind into the higher mind conversely. We try not to be steeped in the corruption of the world, so that we continue training to have pure mind and eyes as reading sutras, endeavoring the practice of meditation and so on. If it is pain that we are making, we should be able to break away from it by one’s mind. No matter how the other people are, we should live positive lives for oneself.