The Teacher and his Mission      Unit MI 102

Lesson 2

The Ten Worlds

In the first unit we set the stage and gave you a glimpse of the events and ideas which formed Buddha, and examined his environment and heritage during and before his teachings, but we have said little about Buddha himself. In this lesson we will look at what is going on in the minds of human creatures, realizing that Buddha was no exception. We can see here the way in which a logical system of description can be transformed into superstition and elaborated into a cosmic idea that benefits no-one.

Lesson 1               The Ten Worlds

Few Buddhists understand the importance of the Ten Worlds or Dharma-Worlds.

The worlds actually relate to human beings who, with the changes of feelings, may be at one time in hell and at another in heaven. For instance, when we suffer from sensations which torment us, we are in the state of animal demons; when greedy, we are in that of the hungry ghosts; when with aversion or hatred, anger or over-indulgent in passions, we are in the world of the demoniacal savage beasts.

These are the three basic worlds where most people dwell within their minds.

Many times people are offended when they are described in one of these three ways, but they are really quite graphic and cut through the pretty words and camouflage that easily cover our Confusion and Doubts, our Greed, and our Aversion and Hostility.

But although at any moment we may dwell in one state or another, each person has one state which is dominant. Thus one may be an Animal Demon of Confusion, a Hungry Ghost, or a Savage Beast.

These states are inherited states which form the base of our suffering, for they are rooted in Duality, but it is the growth of negative Karma which gives each a more hideous form and expression.

You have seen these three described before in the form of the three Gunas: Sattvan, Raja and Tamas. The only difference is that Buddhists have taken off the Brahmin’s rose colored spectacles and named the Super Ego, -a clear Sattva Identity form of Social Duty-, an addiction, and a disguise for power, aversion and hostility. Likewise it has taken off the Brahmin bias against the Sudras and renamed the Tamas as mental confusion and doubt. The Rajas have been renamed as a form of greed. We will look at each of these later in detail.

Do you remember how they were referred to in the Bhagavadgita?

The Doors of Hell are threefold, whereby men to ruin pass, --

The door of Lust (Ignorance and doubt),

The door of Wrath (hostility and aversion),

The door of Avarice.

Let a man shun those three!

Buddha and the Human world

We know that the founder of Buddhism, Sakyamuni Buddha was born into this world; he cultivated his spiritual development, attained enlightenment, and shared with others in this world the profound truth he had realised. The human world was emphasised in everything he did. Buddha lived, we are told, in the Human world. What does this mean?

We saw in the last lesson that when he began his life as a beggar, he psychologically changed his world from that of a Savage Beast to that of a Human and then became, in short order, a realized Bodhisattva and Buddha.

You can see then, if we deny superstition, that these ten worlds are states of mind.

When there is an awareness of your basic mental dominance as an Animal Demon, a Hungry Ghost, or a Savage Beast, then, like Gotama, you enter into a new state of mind. We call the confused and doubting  person who has made his first step upon the path of refuge a Semi God. Quite a difference, is it not, from an Animal Demon of Confusion to a Semi God.  But clearly the description only marks the change of mental state. The inhibiting factors of confusion and doubt continue and must be slowly dissolved.

The Hungry Ghosts, who are running about everywhere like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland looking for more and more, not knowing that they can never be satisfied, convert their state of mind into Gods.

One might expect that the Savage Beasts of hell who turn the corner might have a

description which reflected their lofty heights as Sattvan, but no, Buddhism rights the

scale and they are given the description that also described Gotama, “Human”. Thus

the inherent pride of those who believe themselves elite is crushed by a place that

appears less dignified than the semi Gods and Gods.

There are then six lower “Worlds,” which represent the base states of all living beings.  They are:

1    The world of Confused and Animal Demons

2     The world of Hungry Ghosts

3     The world of Savage Beasts (from hell)

4     The world of Humans (The world of Gotama before the Bodhisattva state)

5     The world of Semi Gods

6     The world of Gods

Unfortunately, you will find students of the early teachings of the Buddha, and many who are Buddhists apparently advanced upon the path today, who insist that these worlds are separate places. Many Tibetan Buddhists for example, believe that hell, heaven, animality, anger, and hunger exist somewhere apart from our world (humanity). When they talk of Hell, they are quite literally referring to a pit somewhere below or apart from the Earth where the ‘spirits’ or essences of men and women are thrown upon their deaths. 

To a Nichiren Buddhist, however, or any other advanced student of the Buddha, these hells are mental conditions where sorrow and suffering are predominantly featured as a result of Identity impediments.

Many people live incessantly in their own particular hell. This does not indicate that their physical location is actually in some fiery pit. It means that their predominant life condition is one of extreme torment and sorrow. Actually, in a way, these are privileged people, for their state is such that they can more easily see the folly of the world and thus make a shift to a clear path without grave attachments to their Identity. The majority, however, live in these hell worlds without any knowledge of their condition, covered by a blanket of mentally initiated false happiness.

Occasionally they will be exposed to their real subliminal state of mind and feel the suffering. Then they may be ready to listen, but once the suffering is relieved, they race away once more in search of their personal happiness, which is flawed.

THE DOMINANT PERSONALITIES

THE DELUDED PERSONALITY OF CONFUSION AND DOUBT

The Demon of Confusion and Doubt (Deluded)

There are not many people who suffer with a governing state of delusion and have a deluded personality, but those who probably don't feel that and would be quite insulted if they were to be called that. Many of these deluded people will accept the fact that they are sometimes confused, but this becomes only a game of words. The deluded person, you see, has a penchant for falling into the unfortunate habit of living in his or her own world.

It may well appear to be a happy world of sensitivity surrounded with charming mystique, romantic concepts, and compassion. In this state of delusion, those who suffer and feel the tension of stress build this whole new world of fantasy and false ideas around themselves to provide a certain comforting environment. They do not see their own deception and accept their ideas as truth. The subtle hidden demands for visceral satisfaction that form their behavior and their attitudes, however, go on unabated. They believe in sensations, and since feelings are important and they know that they are sensitive, they can evolve in one of two directions, as an extrovert or as an introvert.

As an extrovert, they can permit themselves free expression of all the acceptable social emotions, but deny their true internal emotions, particularly that of a sincere love. For them to deny their sensations and social emotions is to deny life. They see themselves often as being tuned to the cosmos and they love the language which provides apparent transcendental mystery that can mask their delusion. If there are alternative physical or mental methods of healing and solving the problems of human creatures, they will find them. Faith is their way, so they may even cling to compassionate "cures" that have little worth, for they pride themselves in being intuitive. They are not analytical or scientific, so no deeper proof is necessary than the apparent success of their efforts.

They can also evolve as an introvert. Their sensitivity then becomes a closely guarded secret and their emotions are completely repressed. They may appear to be manipulators, but that is not really their style, although they will take advantage of their apparent charm, for actually their veiled sensitivity is attractive and gives them an air of innocence. Socially they are either rejected as false or accepted as appealing, but their true introverted state is never seen by others or themselves, so they are emotionally alone and in the introverted state seldom find an appropriate partner, nor permit themselves to love freely.

No matter which of the two forms of behavior exhibited by the  person, he or she will be easily distracted. Both the ambience and the presence of others will affect them so that they will flow from one interest to another without really dealing in depth with any concept.

Generally at the roots of the person’s behavior if it is extreme, is a weak, but dominating mother who appears to be filled with love, but is actually highly egocentric and a father who is constantly in conflict with his partner. The father is also generally an egoist, but is critical and demanding. At heart he is a coward, an intelligent dreamer who wishes to gain all that his sensitivity sees as valuable, while escaping all responsibility.

What the deluded person seeks above all things is not to be a failure, but all his or her actions make failure almost certain in every endeavor, for they do not possess attitudes of resolution or persistence.

Experiences are important for the deluded and confused personality, but deeper direct experience at a profound level requires a long dedication without the transcendental glitter which they require for apparent stability and comfort. Subconsciously for them, it is a world that is too full of stimulation and decisions that must be made, although they do not recognize this. The Id Identity that rules the demand for visceral satisfaction, likes to see itself as the sensitive agent for greater good that both "sees" and "understands" people. It doesn't seek the limelight like Ego, for the apparent knowledge of its own humanity and humility, which is quite false, is sufficient.

Of the three governing Identities which cause so much camouflaged suffering and stress, it is this Id Identity which is the most difficult to dislodge. It creates a blindness in the sufferer which is quite remarkable in its subtlety. We have, therefore, painted a particularly strong picture of this person who is governed by delusion. This is necessary in order to break through the resistance of Id that sees itself with such virtue and appears to speak with apparent Compassion.

Those who have fortunately not advanced deeply upon the path of delusion and feel only the confusion can thus be warned of future dangers, while those who are deep in delusion and are wise enough to see it, may be shocked from their path by such a challenging alternative view of their comportment.

The vision that the deluded person has of himself as Sensitive and Compassionate is a worthy and correct vision. They do not require a mask of social delusion. They do require a diligent application of one pointedness and mindfulness. They are astute if they accept the label of delusion, difficult though it may be to do so. Then they can allow their real sensitivity and an understanding of what is spiritually correct to develop.

They must not smother themselves in their own comfortable, but false, spiritual worthiness. With strength they can set pride aside and refuse to cling to their masks of love, sensitivity, and virtue.

THE CONTAMINATED CYCLE OF WISDOM FOR A DELUDED PERSON

ROOTS                      CORRECT ATTITUDES                INCORRECT ATTITUDES

EXPERIENCE          Gladness                                                        Suffering

CONSEQUENCE     Wisdom of Noble Judgment                         Ignorance 

CATALYST               The Disposition for Sensitivity                    Visceral Demands

Look now at the cycle of Wisdom and its contamination by Ignorance. Why, oh why, do most people accept this contamination of Ignorance? Because delusion is accepted by most people as a part of human nature. When delusion is put in its place and called human ignorance everyone holds up their hands in horror, declaring "We are not ignorant, look at our progress."

Indeed the human creature has made progress, but without natural balance and harmony. In his own eagerness for comfort and security, and his demand for dominance man has built his world so that it is balancing on a fine needle above a pit of darkness. Man believes that he has complete control of this spinning globe because he appears intelligent. He is in error, because his intelligence is only the intelligence of afflicted consciousness and there is no Wisdom.

Do you believe that we are Ignorant because we are trapped in this tangle of suffering? Do you believe that this Ignorance is not inevitable and can be changed?

Do you recognize yourself in any part of the description of the deluded person?

Then relieve yourself from your burden by embracing the GREAT COMPASSION MANTRA OF NATURAL WISDOM. The beauty of doing this is that you will have released yourself immediately from the strong pressing grasp of delusion and will be more receptive to the careful introspection that is necessary if you wish to be liberated from delusion altogether.

Rest assured that when delusion is set aside, then your natural governing disposition for truly beautiful sensitivity will take its place. Then you will know real joy and live with real harmony, having true compassion for all sentient creatures.

THE GREEDY PERSONALITY

                                                                The Hungry Ghosts

The three fine qualities of being sensitive, discriminative, and naturally intelligent have been distorted in the human creature. Sensitivity has become a thirst for visceral satisfaction, the power to discriminate correctly has been turned to the task of greedy acquisition, and natural intelligence to a shocking hostility.

Most of the world's population is governed by the demands for Ego satisfaction. Because globally, greed at all levels of government and within every strata of society is so evident, the situation appears absurd to most people. The problem is that although they see the absurdity of the general situation and the greed of others, they do not see this greed in themselves.

It is clear that there would be more than enough real security for every member of this planet if the world was ruled with Wisdom.

Those who live in parts of the world which we call advanced certainly have real security and should easily be able to see that this is "One World". Yet almost everyone feels insecure responds to their Ego Identities, and is prepared to endure the consequences: suffering and stress.

Most people are almost completely governed by their Ego Identity and we say they have a greedy personality. The rest, although they are not governed by this identity, are greatly influenced by it. This greedy personality is no more the personality of anyone at birth than that of the deluded personality.

The greedy person was born with the inherited disposition to be discriminating. That is to say that they had the latent disposition to see all things with clarity, to be able to make correct and noble judgments, to discriminate minute differences and nuances in things, people, and conditions. Their birthright was to know the correct from the incorrect, to make correct choices and decisions about paths to be taken.

They resist this label of greedy and that is understandable, for the person so described sounds quite despicable. They prefer to think of themselves as hostile or even confused, for the greedy person is condemned by everyone. Strangely enough they have no problem at all pinning this label upon others.

Try and remember that although we say that this insecure person has a greedy personality, it is really the behavior that we are talking about. This is important to remember, for behavior has nothing to with the true potential personality which lies beneath that demand-driven behavior.

The greedy person can liberate himself and become the person whose correct intentions are reflected in the great compassion and true happiness which shows externally, and is really available through the GREAT COMPASSION MANTRA.

THE CONTAMINATED CYCLE OF WISDOM FOR A GREEDY PERSON

ROOTS                                 CORRECT INTENTIONS         INCORRECT INTENTIONS

EXPERIENCE          Compassion                                  Suffering

CONSEQUENCE     Wisdom of Cause and Effect      Ignorance  

 CATALYST              The Disposition for Correct        Ego Demands

     Discrimination

Once more you can see the debilitating effect of Ignorance. Greedy people in a greedy world appear to be in a terrible trap. Satiation is easy, but the Ego demands are unceasing, so there is no respite. It is impossible to gain full satisfaction, for there are always more and better products to satiate his greed. Why isn't he or she satisfied? It is because the whole world is busy greedily devouring everything. His or her own personal Hungry Ghosts feel insecure and want their share. Round after round of Samsara is assured. So the greedy person is perpetually unhappy subconsciously.

Those Hungry Ghosts have got to be destroyed if there is to be harmony and balance in this world. It is up to each Greedy person to eliminate his own Hungry Ghosts, but unfortunately everybody wants there to be something to replace the fruits of craving of Ego, but they don't actually want to replace the clinging of Ego which gives them great apparent pleasure and excitement.

Look at the other side of the coin. If you are greedy, do you really wish to cling to this suffering?

               Anguish

               Regrets and Recriminations

               Desire

               Disappointment, Futility

               Annoyance, and Anger

               Panic of Consequences

Do you really wish to maintain these mental states?

               Misbelief, Mistrust, Jealousy,

               Possessiveness, Conceit       

               Want

               Puzzlement

               Inertia      

THE HOSTILE PERSONALITY

                                     The Savage Beasts of Hostility and Aversion

            Some people, and they are not met frequently, are completely ruled by the demand for dominance. We call them hostile personalities, for they are basically hostile to the world that does not live up to their expectations. They want to be on top of the heap, less as leaders, though they nourish this image of themselves, but more as dictators.

It is not success which these hostile personalities crave, it is the desire that everything should be exactly as they imagine it should be. They are idealists, although their ideals may be warped. They thrive on admiration and respect. These are essential, but they paradoxically loathe praise and thanks. They know that they are driven and are not filled with benevolent love for individuals. They do, strangely enough, have real and great benevolent love for mankind as a whole, providing that it shapes up. You can see that in this world of greed they are doomed to suffer continual frustration.

They are not perfectionists in any way, but they do expect full conformity to their own standards and rules, even in themselves. They feel that they belong to the world, and they actually do, perhaps more than any other type of personality, for they feel a part of the natural world with all its conflict and chaos. They revere life and respect death without consternation and fear.

Their passion is intense, so they would destroy the world if they could paradoxically save it, for their respect, admiration, and love for all that is natural, except flawed mankind, is absolute. The problem is that they sense that they belong as part of the world but they deny that they belong with other human creatures who are corrupted.

They long to belong as one with all people, but reject this belonging because the greedy are not worthy of union. Because the greedy rule the world and are perceived as the betrayers of nature, they reject any union at all. They have, in fact, a revulsion for those who are filled with such folly and who, seeing this folly, refuse to do anything about it. They are in a terrible dilemma. They love the human potential and they can forgive the confused, but the greedy and foolish who will not listen draw their full hostility. Even if they try to belong socially in order to satisfy their need, they cannot succeed.

The obstacle is they are not like most ordinary people. They are on the fringe: too different to be included, too remote, too pensive, too abstract, too unemotional, too calculating, too manipulative, too demanding, and too dominating to be acceptable in an apparently social and happy-go-lucky society. That doesn't appear to bother the hostile personality, at least on the surface, but inside he resents being alone with himself. It is a pity, but he accepts that with stoicism, knowing that few are worthy to be a true partner to his thoughts and passions.

In fact, the dominating personality would love to be the distributor of justice or an omnipotent God, for he believes that few are as competent as he is to dominate the situation. He is paradoxically torn between this lust for dominance and the idea that greatness is only perceived by little minds. Society approves of this dominant personality, although it condemns that dominance if it is in excess, so he is generally rewarded well for all the success which he may have if it is in line with social norms. He is a quick learner, an abstract thinker, and highly dynamic, and is as often loathed as he is admired for his aggressive manner. He is a person of paradoxes and extremes and is seldom really understood. His resultant state of dominance we call hostile revulsion, because it is weighed with such intense passion. He suffers stress more than any other personality type and is therefore prone to physiological stress-related problems.

He is clearly intelligent and knows that without smugness, but does not understand that this intelligence is misdirected. The pity is that he seldom develops the natural intelligence which is his for the asking. Instead his worldly intelligence is directed towards dominance which results in his hostility and revulsion towards human creatures.

He has naturally a predisposition to deny all emotion, and is capable of drawing a protective screen around himself in an instant, providing himself with ironclad reasons for this screen. If his emotions do explode, however, they explode with fury, but without physical violence directed at any creature. Objects, however, may see the full power of his wrath, but behind the wrath there is reason which dictates every apparent violent action.

THE CONTAMINATED CYCLE OF WISDOM FOR A DOMINATING PERSON

ROOTS                      CORRECT ACTIONS                     INCORRECT ACTIONS

EXPERIENCE          Benevolent Love                               Suffering

CONSEQUENCE      Wisdom of Illumination                    Ignorance  

CATALYST               The Disposition for Native               Demands

                                      Intelligence

If you are a person with a truly hostile personality, even the Savage Beasts within you will not prevent you from knowing what the correct path is. Are you willing to take that path?

AN OVERVIEW of COMMON SUFFERING

You have seen a brief outline of the three character types. Are you deluded, greedy, or hostile? Some readers may say, "I'm greedy, but not really all that bad." The situation is similar to that of childbirth. One cannot be half pregnant. Similarly, others may declare, "I'm a little bit of everything." That is evading the question.

It is foolish to evade the issue. You are either deluded, greedy, hostile, or are without suffering. Look at the list of your potential for suffering as a victim of the demands. Do you have any of this suffering in yourself? Do you see the probability that one of these demands may actually govern most of your behavior? If you can, then you will already have come a long way.

We have used many words to describe various experiences of suffering. On inspecting all these and others which you no doubt have experienced, you will wonder about some of them. What is the difference, for example, between the mind states of puzzlement and bafflement. Why is the former an Ego initiated state and the latter a Super Ego state?

The experience of bafflement is sharp, like a well-honed knife. It evokes passions which are like a cold fire that consumes itself without moving in any direction. Can you see the idea?

This is in no way the same as the puzzlement of the Ego Identity, which, in failure, cannot understand what exactly has gone wrong. When there is puzzlement, the victim searches about in a word-filled consciousness for reasons, and clear emotional experiences are evoked.

Let us  look at Super Ego frustration for a moment. It has its Ego demand counterpart in the emotion of futility, which is often felt after the failure to satisfy a demand for Ego satisfaction. The difference between the two is the passion which is attached to frustration. This passion has a base which is also cognitive, but its mental states are far removed from those which rule the emotional turmoil of futility, which is quite enmeshed with a mass of associations and a hopelessness which does not accompany frustration.

The key to understanding the subtle differences between the emotions of Ego satisfaction  and the mental passion of the Super Ego lies in discernment of the ice-like Passion which is completely uncomplicated by chains of thought. This cold piercing passion is the hallmark of this demand for dominance.

If you look at remorse, you will see the same thing. Passionate remorse is quite different from the emotional and wistful regrets and the recriminations manufactured by Ego. The Ego Identity beats its breast and cries out its woes. In its sorrow it wants to be noticed: it wants the Security which it has lost by non-satiation of the demand. The Super Ego, on the other hand, dwells upon the more general "should not have happened" idea without dwelling on the reasons. The passionate Super Ego laments, but it does so silently.

Envy too, as a state of suffering under the demand for Dominance, is different from the emotional state of covetousness which is ruled by the demand for Ego satiation. When Ego is involved, there are almost always chains of thought involved, for the Ego structure has an overactive imagination prompted by ideas. The Ego mind in those moments actually searches for ways and means to secure the elusive prize.

The Super Ego, on the other hand, when it is in command, is simply envious of the position, influence, and power that others may have or in the way they have obtained their apparent reward. Others have it. They ‘should’ not have it. There are no mental gyrations. There is simply injustice at work as far as Super Ego is concerned.

We can then separate the experiences related to the demand for Ego satisfaction from those of the demand for domination quite easily. You don't have to worry too much about the meanings of the words. If the experience of suffering is Ego dominated there will be emotions and chains of thought running through conscious awareness like a train completely out of control. If the experience is that connected to a dominating Super Ego then there will be a cold cognitive passion unconnected to chains of thought.

Id ruled behavior is easier to recognize. Id, as we have mentioned before, sends out clear visceral signals which we call sensations. Sometimes sensations and emotions may be present at the same time when Id and Ego are working together with mutual demands. Watch out for them and you will detect the subtle differences.

We can also look at the distinction between visceral disappointment and cognitive disillusionment. The latter experiences are completely different from the brooding sensations of disappointment derived from Id. You can see the difference if you really are mindful, for the former is woeful and you can sense the physiological response of the body to that disappointment. On the other hand, disillusionment is clear and concise. The mind, cognitive and passionate, can define the problem in a single strong statement. The  disillusioned person may say fiercely, "You can't trust anyone", while the Id will be more concerned about its loss.

These are the dominant personalities, but realize that as well as the dominant personality, each person has traces of the other personalities. Now when you look at the models presented, you will see that suffering promotes Ignorance and that Ignorance promotes the world state.

Thus what you feel is the consequence of suffering, not the suffering itself.  Getting rid of the consequence does not get rid of the suffering. This becomes quite important to remember.

That is why, when you see your apparent suffering, all you are seeing is that which arises out of suffering.  That is why the first Noble Truth is so important.  Buddha was not saying what everyone clearly knew, “there are terrible experiences that we all feel.”  He was declaring that he had seen the Subliminal State of Suffering which was common to all human creatures. Now that is important.

Then in the second Noble Truth he declares that that which arises is desire (Craving) and Clinging) which here we called Demands. But note too that Ignorance is a prior condition. Thus both Ignorance and Demands (Clinging and Craving) arise from suffering.

Both, you will remember, are in the cycle of Dependent Origination. Both Theravadins and Mahayanas are saying almost precisely the same thing with different emphasis.

But where is one’s best point of attack to cut this cycle? Clearly in the elimination of what is not natural: the Incorrect Attitudes, Intentions and Actions whose Correct aspects  form part of the Eightfold Path.  

Do you see that although here and now those connections are explained, the Buddha, almost four thousand years ago, found this out by Direct Experience?

 It is your task, at one level, to reduce impediments by developing Correct Attitudes, Intentions and Actions.  That is where the precepts help. That is where the practices of both Theravadin and Mahayana systems help. But finally, to make the definitive cleansing, Direct Experience is required. It is only then that we see the contamination of all that is Natural (the Buddha Nature) by the Staining of the Mind of the Identities, fed constantly by the cycle of Dependent Origination.

The Four Higher Worlds

We have shown you the six lower worlds. Now we will look at the four higher worlds:

1.     The world of Sravaka Buddhas

2.     The world of Pratyeka Buddhas

3.     The world of Bodhisattvas

4.     The world of Buddhahood

Some schools describe the  first two higher worlds as Learning and Realization.

Now an important question is are the four higher worlds available for all human creatures?  The Brahmin position was clear.

Beyond the Gunas (Beyond Mundane Life)

When, watching life, the living man perceives

The only actors are the Qualities,

And knows what rules beyond the Qualities,

Then is he come nigh unto Me!

The Soul,

Thus passing forth from the Three Qualities --

Whereby arise all bodies -- overcomes

Birth, Death, Sorrow, and Age; and drinketh deep

The undying wine of Amrit.

The early idea was then that all can reach the higher mental states through a transcendental union with Brahma. But in Buddhism it was suggested, after the experiences of progress within Sanghas and the observation of spiritual advances that it was not quite as simple as it appeared. There were considered to be two great hindrances to progress and five clear inherited dispositions.

“Good sons: due to their inherent desire, sentient beings generate ignorance and manifest the distinctions and inequalities of the Five Natures. Due to the Two Hindrances they manifest deep and shallow [afflictions]. What are the Two Hindrances? The first is the noetic hindrance, which obstructs correct awareness; the second is the phenomenal hindrance, which enables the continuation of samsara.”

The Two Hindrances

The doctrine of the Two Hindrances is another important Buddhist concept that was generated by the Yogacara school and was incorporated to some degree in the Hua-yen and Chan doctrine.

This doctrine teaches that the inability of sentient beings to attain awakening was due to two principal obstructions.

1.      the “hindrance of affliction" This hindrance is prevention of awakening because of  desire, craving, fear, hope, attachment, dislike, anxieties--all the afflictions that engender suffering. It is sometimes called “phenomenal hindrance” and may clearly be overcome by both Mahayana and Therevadin practices.

2.      the "hindrance by the known" This is the hindrance due to attachment to a present level of knowledge, awareness, or wisdom. It does not matter that that knowledge is correct or not, for it is “right knowledge in the view of the holder” that causes the blockage to awakening. This is termed “noetic hindrance," or the "hindrance of intellectual understanding."

It is believed that one may only overcome the hindrance by the known ("noetic hindrance") through the development of the emptiness-based wisdom of the bodhisattva.

You can see then, that only those with the third and fourth seeds, and not either the sravakas and pratyeka buddhas, may overcome the hindrance of this defilement.

To be hindered at the noetic level would mean that one is obstructed by a religious experience engendered by the mind, by intellectual arrogance or false belief in one’s own “Awakening”.

But listen now further what Buddha says to Matraiya:

“Good sons, if sentient beings have not yet been able to destroy the Two Hindrances, this is called "non-consummation of one's Buddhahood." If sentient beings permanently discard desire, then they have succeeded in removing the phenomenal hindrance, but have not yet severed the noetic hindrance. They are able to awaken in the way of sravakas and pratyeka buddhas but are not able to manifest and dwell in the state of the bodhisattva.

Good sons, if all sentient beings of the degenerate age desire to float on the great ocean of the Tathagata's Perfect Awakening, they should first arouse the determination to do away with the Two Hindrances. Once the Two Hindrances are subdued, one can awaken and enter the state of the Bodhisattva.

After permanently destroying the noetic and phenomenal hindrances, one is able to enter the sublime Perfect Awakening of the Tathagata, and able to fully accomplish bodhi and great nirvana.

                                                    The 'Five Natures?'

The leading exponents of the later Indian schools (most notably the brothers Asanga and Vasubandhu in the School of Consciousness-only) developed the basic idea that the religious capacities of human beings were divided into five categories, according to the predetermined level of attainment an individual practitioner might reach. The key lay with the "seeds" (bijas) contained in one’s alaya consciousness or "store consciousness”.

The Five Natures are:

1.       the nature predetermined for sravaka;

2.       the nature predetermined for pratyekabuddha;

3.       the nature predetermined for bodhisattva,

4.       the indeterminate nature (meaning that any of the prior three was possible)

5.       the so-called icchantika nature (considered devoid of the seeds of

  buddhahood).

The Five Natures then may be said to represent different levels of penetration into truth, or different degrees of the removal of the hindrances of enlightenment. But in the same text in which Buddha speaks to Matraiya about the hindrances he continues thus:

Good sons, all sentient beings without exception actualise Perfect Awakening. When you meet a Genuine Teacher, rely on the dharma-practice of the causal stage that he sets up for you. When you follow this practice, both sudden and gradual will be contained. If you come upon the correct path of practice of the unsurpassed bodhi of the Tathagatas, then there are no "superior" or "inferior" abilities of people: all accomplish buddhahood.

If, while seeking a Genuine Teacher, sentient beings meet one with mistaken views, they will not gain the correct awakening. Although this is called the 'heterodox nature,' the fault lies with the teacher, and not with the sentient beings. This is the 'distinction of the Five Natures' of sentient beings."

Thus we see a refutation of the idea of the limitations of the seeds, but there may be a great disposition of resistance due to the presence of such mental dispositions.

The limited state of a Sravaka stems from his learning experiences in which he fulfills his spiritual needs and learns the Dharma through simply hearing the Dharma from a teacher, taking courses and reading sutras and books.

These are limiting experiences, and when accompanied by the tendency to believe in his achievement of awakening, there can be no advance. It is essential to always take the attitude of a true beginner while studying the Dharma.

The limited state of the Pratyeka stems from a personal realization that due to an intellectual blockage he believes his experience to be the final awakening and cannot be convinced of his error. 

Passing through these two worlds without pause and without clinging to those states is perfectly acceptable but extremely dangerous, not just for the person himself, but also because there is great danger that his contamination may lead others astray. There is almost always a blockage due to Identity clinging and then progress is terminated and the person invariably believes in error that he has reached a state of Awakening.

One of the symptoms is believing one knows and feeling superiority without the slightest understanding of suffering or compassion beyond what the intellect supplies, but these Inferior Buddhas fail to see that flaw.

The state of the Bodhisattva is available with the third or fourth seeds.  It is a state in which the development of natural and correct attitudes, intentions and actions generates natural experiences of happiness, compassion and benevolent love that are far removed from the mundane mind-chained experiences of mundane happiness, mundane compassion and mundane benevolence or love.

Words cannot explain the actual state of the Bodhisattva who realizes this state in which his attitude, intentions and actions are not ruled by the mind that assumes its natural place only as a tool. One can only say that without Identity, his or her curiosity and creativity, sense of humor and the natural unrestrained impulse to help others is always uppermost.

As with a Bodhisattva, words are not adequate to describe the state of a Buddha, except to say that the Bodhisattva’s noble, non-Identity suffering for all sentient creatures ceases. The full Awakening of the Bodhisattva has been developed by melding the sublime knowledge of the primordial state with the perfect knowledge of all form and the relationship between the two, not in the way that it is known by Awakening, but by a full knowledge of its practical application in the mundane world and the resolution of all questions. It is beyond the blending of the Compassion and Wisdom of the Bodhisattva, and in which all distinctions pass away so that there remains no Dual thought at all.

Knowing the nature of these ten artificial divisions, which helps understanding, does not in itself guide anyone along the path more than a cat’s whisker. But, thanks to thousands of years of experience, these divisions into the three initial worlds, provided by the original Gunas and modified by Buddhist knowledge, helps us choose the path that is most appropriate and warns us of the dangers.

In the Visuddhimagga of the Theravadin tradition, a magnificent work, Buddhaghosa explains the path to Nirvana (purification).

The Buddha recognized that persons of different temperaments should approach meditation in different ways with different meditation subjects. He divided disciples into four main types:

1.      One prone to aversion and hostility

2.      One Lustful and emotional

3.      One prone to persuasion (confusion and doubts)

4.      One who is intelligent

The first three divisions are very clear and show those who come to Buddhism looking for Awakening or Enlightenment, those who come to relieve their Suffering in this world and those who come to resolve their confusion and doubts.

The fourth type are those who come, like Buddha himself, to discover what the truth is no matter what it may be, disagreeable, agreeable or neutral, without preconceived ideas.

The basic list of meditations runs to 101 topics, which may be amplified in different dimensions. It is sufficient here to say, however, that the analysis required to place anyone in one of the four categories cannot be done by oneself. The mind of Duality and the Ignorance of the Identities precludes a correct identification by anyone who is not a master, and the meditations themselves require close guidance, for they are more subtle than may appear to the unwary.

Not all the meditation subjects lead one to the higher Jhanas. For example, the basic meditations on the ten Kasinas, Mindfulness of Breathing, Neither Perception nor non Perception, may lead to the eighth jhana, while meditation upon Selfless Joy, Benevolent Love, and Compassion surprisingly only lead one to the third Jhanic level and Equanimity only to the fourth.

Thus you can see the benefits in understanding the ten worlds and practicing diligently the meditations required.

It is no different in the Mahayana practices. Different persons require different practices. In Chan, for example, six different schools developed in the Golden Age, each one more suitable for one particular type of person. These subtleties, however, are complex and that is why a master is essential to guide one, particularly in preliminary practices. In this modern world it is so easy to think that one can be one’s own master and continue upon an inappropriate path.

It becomes particularly difficult, because Buddhism has become somewhat tainted by over-extension and the original teachers, due to the pyramidal organization of many schools, have sometimes led to corruption of the teachings, not in terms of the words and nature of the practices, but the deeper knowledge and understanding which is required for true transmission.

Here we have touched briefly the topic of the ten worlds just to show that the apparently transcendental factors are really parsimonious. Deeper understanding, however, is available for advanced students who have shown their correct advances upon the path, together with the traditional “tests” of the basic natures which has been available and documented in the Visshuddimagga

Exercise Lesson 2

This exercise is really quite simple. I would like you to describe, in the terms outlined in the lesson, your dominant Identity and the secondary facets of your character shown by the other two Identities.

It is an understanding of the application of the ideas that we are interested here, and your capacity to apply those ideas to your own life.