True Buddhist Ecology

Forward

"...if the minds of the people are impure, their land is also impure, but if their
minds are pure, so is their land. There are not two lands, pure or impure in
themselves. The difference lies solely in the good or evil of our minds." -
Nichiren [1222-1282 C.E.]

ICHINEN SANZEN (One life-moment possesses three-thousand conditions)

A philosophical system set forth by T'ien T'ai [538 - 597 C.E.] on the basis of
the Lotus Sutra, clarifying the mutually inclusive relationship of the ultimate
truth and the phenomenal world.

The concept of Ichinen Sanzen means that your life and all the things around
you that make up your environment are one single entity. There is no
separation between what people believe to be 'self ' and the surroundings
that they live in.

ICHINEN SANZEN

· Ten Aspects

· Three Realms of Existence

· Ten Worlds

· Mutual Possession of the Ten Worlds

[10 x 3 x 10 x l0 = 3000]
TEN ASPECTS

An analysis of the unchanging aspects of life common to all changing

phenomena. These ten aspects are life itself:

· Appearance

· Nature

· Entity

· Power

· Influence

· Internal Cause

· Relation

· Latent Effect

· Manifest Effect

· Consistency From Beginning To End

(1) APPEARANCE

That aspect of things which can be discerned from the outside. It includes
such attributes as color, form, shape and behavior, and points to the material
and physical side of existence.

(2) NATURE

This aspect indicates inherent disposition or quality that cannot be perceived

directly from the outside. In terms of human life, it corresponds to such
spiritual aspects as mind and consciousness.
(3) ENTITY

The essence of life which permeates and integrates external appearance and
internal nature. These first three aspects explain the reality of life itself.

(4) POWER

The aspect of life's inherent strength, or energy to achieve something.

(5) INFLUENCE

The movement or action produced when latent power is activated. Entity,

when accompanied by power and influence, can be thought of as an
autonomous self which can interact with other existences.

(6) INTERNAL CAUSE

The cause latent in life which produces an effect of the same nature as itself,
i.e., good or evil. Internal cause is formed through influence or actions. Each
internal cause simultaneously contains a latent effect.

(7) RELATION

Sometimes translated as external cause. The auxiliary cause, or external

stimulus, which helps an internal cause produce its effect. Relation is not the
environment itself but the function relating life to its environment.

(8) LATENT EFFECT

The effect produced in the depths of life when an internal cause is activated
by "relation." Whether the mind produces good or evil depends on whether it
has produced good or evil before. In this sense, what the mind has produced
is internal cause and what it will produce is latent effect.

(9) MANIFEST EFFECT

The concrete, perceivable result that emerges with the passing of time as a
consequence of internal cause and latent effect.
(10) CONSISTANCY FROM BEGINNING TO END

The integrating factor which unifies the other nine from "appearance" to
"manifest effect" in every moment of life.

THREE REALMS OF EXISTENCE

The three dimensions of the phenomenal world:

· The realm of the five components

· The realm of living beings

· The realm of the environment

(1) REALM OF THE FIVE COMPONENTS

The elements which constitute a living being:

· Form

· Perception

· Conception

· Volition

· Consciousness

(1.1) FORM

The physical aspect of life, which possesses color and shape. Form also
includes the five sense organs (eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body) through
which one perceives the outer world.
(1.2) PERCEPTION

The function of receiving external information through the six sense organs
(the five sense organs plus "mind"), which integrates the impressions of the
five senses.

(1.3) CONCEPTION

The function by which life grasps and forms some idea or concept about what
has been perceived.

(1.4) VOLITION

The will to take some action toward that which one has perceived and has
formed a conception of.

(1.5) CONSCIOUSNESS

The discerning function of life which can make value judgments, distinguish
between good and evil, etc. It also integrates the other four components.
Form indicates the physical aspect of life, and the other four components, the
spiritual aspect.

(2) REALM OF THE LIVING BEINGS

The individual formed by a temporary union of the five components. Since

"living being" is simply the name given to a temporary union of the five
components, this realm is sometimes called "the realm in name only".

(3) REALM OF THE ENVIRONMENT

The place where living beings dwell and in which they carry out their life-
activities. The differences of the Ten Worlds manifest themselves in the
environment, according to the life-condition of the people who live in it.
TEN WORLDS

Ten life-conditions which a single entity of life manifests. Originally the Ten
Worlds were viewed as distinct physical places each with its own particular
inhabitants. In light of the Lotus Sutra, they are interpreted as potential
conditions of life inherent in each individual:

· Hell

· Hunger

· Animality

· Anger

· Tranquility

· Rapture

· Learning

· Realization

· Bodhisattva

· Buddhahood

(1) HELL

Rage is the world of Hell. Hell indicates a condition in which one is dominated
by the impulse to destroy oneself and everything else. In this state one is
utterly devoid of freedom and undergoes extreme suffering. Without the world
of Hell, however, we should never be able to understand happiness, nor
identify with anyone else's suffering.
(2) HUNGER

Greed is the world of Hunger. Hunger is a condition characterized by an

insatiable desire for food, clothing, wealth, pleasure, fame, power and so
forth. One in this state is tormented by relentless craving and by his inability
to assuage it. Looked at positively, though, hunger is the driving force behind
most human activity. Put simply, without the desire to do something, nothing
would get done.

(3) ANIMALITY

Foolishness is the world of Animality. It is a condition governed by instinct, in

which one has no sense of reason or morality. One in the state of Animality
stands in fear of the strong but despises and preys upon those weaker than
himself. The positive aspects of animality are intuitive wisdom and the instinct
to protect and nurture life - both our own and the lives of those close to us.

(4) ANGER

Perversity is the world of Anger. It is a condition dominated by a selfish ego.

One in this state is compelled by the need to be superior to others in all
things, despising them and valuing himself alone. Its positive side is
passionate energy, a desire for excellence and a burning abhorrence of
injustice.

(5) TRANQUILITY

Calmness is the world of Tranquility. In this state, one can pass fair judgment,
control his instinctive desires with reason and act in harmony with his
environment. On the other hand, this is also the condition of laziness, the
refusal to make effort or challenge obstacles.

(6) RAPTURE

Joy is the world of Rapture. This state indicates the sense of pleasure, which
one experiences when his desire is fulfilled. However, the joy in the state of
Rapture is temporary, and disappears with the passage of time or with even a
slight change in circumstances.
(7) LEARNING

A condition in which one awakens to the impermanence of all things and the
instability of the first six Worlds, and seeks some lasting truth and aims at
self-reformation through the teachings of others.

(8) REALIZATION

A condition in which one perceives the impermanence of all phenomena and

strives to free himself from the sufferings of the six Worlds by seeking some
lasting truth through his own observations and effort. However, those in this
world of Realization and the previous world of Learning may have a tendency
to form an arrogant attitude that causes them to look down upon others.

(9) BODHISATTVA

In this state, one not only aspires for enlightenment himself but also devotes
himself to compassionate actions. The characteristic of Bodhisattva lies in
this dedication to altruism. Even this state can have a negative aspect
however, the tendency towards self-sacrifice leading to neglect or disrespect
of one's own life.

(10) BUDDHAHOOD

This is a condition that might be described as being in a positive synchronous

harmony with your environment from becoming one with the eternal truth that
is the reality of all things. This truth is the Mystic Law [myoho] of cause and
effect, the Law revealed by the Buddha.

MUTUAL POSSESION OF THE TEN WORLDS

Each of the Ten Worlds contains the potential for the other nine within itself.
That life is not fixed in one or another of the Ten Worlds but can manifest in
any of the ten, from Hell to Buddhahood, at any given moment. All common
mortals of the nine worlds have the potential for Buddhahood.
Conclusion:

This clearly demonstrates that living beings always possess all ten-world
states. It is also apparent that every being will manifest one of these states,
or, what is more likely, some combination of them in any life-moment. Thus,
negative forces continue to exist even in the life of a Buddha. T'ien T'ai wrote:
"Whether or not they are awakened to it, all living beings have the nature of
enlightenment within themselves, as they are part of the spiritual reality as-it-
is."

Compiled by Jim W.

bodhi672@hotmail.com