Great Lakes RTC Chapel1

10 Factors of Life10 Factors of LifeMaking the Best of Everything

Soka University of AmericaSoka University of America

6

Introduction – 10 Factors Life is dynamic Describes the workings of our lives

in context of the 10 Worlds and how we manifest change from one moment to the next

Clarifies the functions common to ALL life in any given condition or any given moment

7

Nyo Ze…Nyo Ze…Appearance Nyo ze soNature Nyo ze shoEntity Nyo ze taiPower Nyo ze rikiInfluence Nyo ze saInherent Cause Nyo ze inRelation Nyo ze enLatent effect Nyo ze kaManifest effect Nyo ze hoConsistency from beginning to end

Nyo ze honmatsu kukyo to

8

Review – 10 WorldsReview – 10 Worlds1. Hell2. Hunger3. Animality4. Anger5. Humanity6. Rapture –

Heaven7. Learning8. Realization9. Bodhisattva10. Buddhahood

9

““Expedient Means” ChapterExpedient Means” ChapterLotus SutraLotus Sutra

“The true entity of all phenomena can only be understood and shared between

Buddhas. This reality consists of appearance, nature, entity, power, influence, inherent cause, relation,

latent effect, manifest effect, and their consistency from beginning to end.”

10

Reality of LifeReality of LifeAppearance

– Facial expressions/behavior– Physical, material aspects of life

Nature– Inner quality/tendencies– Spiritual aspect of life

Entity– Life as a whole or essence of life. Manifests

both appearance and nature, yet is neither

11

Workings of Life & Their Workings of Life & Their CharacteristicsCharacteristics

Power – capability latent within lifeInfluence – when latent power becomes manifestInherent cause – our ‘karmic’ orientations or

tendencies formed by our past actions (thoughts, words, deeds) - possibilities

Relation – our relationships with external circumstances – ‘external cause’

Latent Effect – result implanted in life when an ‘inherent cause’ acts in ‘relation’ with an external event

12

Workings of Life & Their Workings of Life & Their CharacteristicsCharacteristicsManifest Effect – when latent effect

becomes visibleConsistency from beginning to end – when

life’s appearance, nature, entity, power, influence, inherent cause, relation, latent effect and manifest effect all consistently express the condition that life is at any particular moment

13

““What state or condition of being we What state or condition of being we manifest at any given moment manifest at any given moment

determines how we experience our determines how we experience our environment…”environment…”

Appearance Nature Entity

Power Influence Inherent cause RELATION Latent Effect Manifest Effect Consistency from

beginning to end

14

RelationshipRelationship

1. Hell2. Hunger3. Animality4. Anger5. Humanity or Tranquility6. Rapture or Heaven7. Learning8. Realization or Absorption9. Bodhisattva10.Buddhahood

On the deepest level, it is not our environment or external circumstances that determine our state of life but the nature of our ‘relationship’ with our environment

15

exampleAppearance Nature

ILLNESS Pale DepressedENTITY

Expresses state of suffering (HELL)

Relation-upon hearing a troublingdiagnosis from doctorInherent cause Fear of illnessLatent effect HopelessnessManifest effect Anxiety, breathlessness, sweatConsistency from beginning to end

Hearing the bad news, all aspects of their entire being consistently manifest hell

HELL

Power – inherent capacity is usually weakInfluence

16

Every Person is UniqueEvery Person is Unique The same event may cause different reactions in

different people– What state of life are you in now?– 10 worlds are potentials within each of us – what we

experience differs vastly from one person to another

How we relate to our environment largely depends on how we have lived our lives, not only in this lifetime but perhaps from our past lives– Past actions, life habits, constitute ‘inherent causes’

React automatically, positively or negatively to stimuli in our environment – sometimes beyond our conscious control or intellectual understanding

17

18

Review – 10 WorldsReview – 10 Worlds1. Hell2. Hunger3. Animality4. Anger5. Humanity6. Rapture – Heaven7. Learning8. Realization / ABSORPTION9. Bodhisattva10. Buddhahood

19

Forrest GumpForrest Gump Appearance Nature Entity

PowerInfluence

Inherent cause

Relation

Latent effect

Manifest effect

Consistency from beginning to end

20

Appearance NatureOrdinary; everyday man

Blank tabula rasa / selflessInstinct (Animality) /

Unlimited potential; just needs target or mission

ENTITYExpresses state of ?

RELATION- He Runs Away/ Towards- He Doesn’t Know to STOPInherent cause Mother / Jenny / to be part of something greaterLatent effect Instinct / Humanity / Friendship / Love Manifest effect Outruns a pickup truck / scores TDs for

Alabama Crimson Tide / Captain Dan’s orders / Shrimp boat captain / SUCCEEDS

Consistency from beginning to end

Lives in world ofABSORPTION/REALIZATION

Forrest Gump

Power – Does what he’s told - “OK”

Influence

21

10 x 101. Hell2. Hunger3. Animality4. Anger5. Humanity6. Rapture – Heaven7. Learning8. Realization9. Bodhisattva10. Buddhahood

AppearanceNatureEntityPowerInfluenceInherent CauseRelationLatent effectManifest effectConsistency from beginning to end

X 10

Ichinen SanzenIchinen Sanzen10 x 10 x 3 Realms = 3,00010 x 10 x 3 Realms = 3,000

22

5 Components5 ComponentsRealm of the IndividualRealm of the Individual

23

The realm of the 5 Components (skandhas) is the 5 elements that temporarily constitute an individual life:

FORM PERCEPTION CONCEPTION VOLITION CONSCIOUSNESS

5 Components5 ComponentsFORMFORM

24

Is the physical aspect of life and includes

the five sense organs — eyes, ears, nose,

tongue, and body—with which one

perceives the external world

5 Components5 ComponentsPERCEPTIONPERCEPTION

25

Perception is the function of

receiving external information

through the six sense organs (the

five sense organs plus the "mind,"

which integrates the impressions of

the five senses).

5 Components5 ComponentsCONCEPTIONCONCEPTION

26

is the function of creating mental

images and concepts out of what has been perceived.

5 Components5 ComponentsVOLITIONVOLITION

27

is the will that acts on the conception and motivates action

5 Components5 ComponentsCONSCIOUSNESSCONSCIOUSNESS

28

Consciousness is the cognitive

function of discernment that

integrates the components of

perception, conception, and

volition.

5 Components5 Components

29

Form represents the physical aspect of life,while perception, conception, volition, andconsciousness represent the spiritual aspect.

Physical and spiritual aspects of life are inseparable, there can be no

form without consciousness, and no consciousness without form

All life carries on its activities through the interaction of these five

components. Their workings are colored by the karma one formed in

previous lifetimes and at the same time create new karma.

Realm of Living BeingsRealm of Living Beings

30

The realm of living beings refers to an individual as an integrated whole, but since no living being exists in perfect isolation, it is also taken to mean the collective body of individuals who interact with one another Family, tribe, clan Organization, club, association Society

Realm of the EnvironmentRealm of the Environment

31

The place or land where living beings dwell and carry out life-activities. The state of the land is a reflection of the state of life of the people who live in it.

•A land manifests any of the Ten Worlds according to which of the Ten

Worlds dominate in the lives of its inhabitants. The same land also manifests

different worlds for different individuals.

•"There are not two lands, pure or impure in themselves. The difference lies

solely in the good or evil of our minds" ~ Nichiren

•In making this statement, Nichiren was countering the popular view that

there are separately existing impure lands and pure lands.In addition, the

three realms themselves are not to be viewed separately, but as aspects of an

integrated whole, which simultaneously manifests any of the Ten Worlds.

Ichinen SanzenIchinen Sanzen Easier to identify the root of suffering and change

the situation so it leads to joy. The ten factors also form part of a broader theoretical framework of "three thousand realms in a single moment of life".

On a deeper level, Nichiren explains that the ten factors are in fact a manifestation of the underlying creative and compassionate life of the cosmos. He expressed this as the Mystic Law or Myoho-renge-kyo. To view all things as the manifestations of the Mystic Law of life is thus to perceive what the Lotus Sutra refers to as the "true aspect of all phenomena".

32

33

Ten FactorsTen FactorsTeaches us importance of developing good

karmic habits– Form positive ‘relations’ with events in our

environment regardless of what they areThrough Bodhisattva or Buddhahood, we

can transform every hardship into personal growth – inherent causes – solidifying our state of happiness

True Aspect of Our LifeTrue Aspect of Our Life

The true aspect should be understood as a potential to be realized.

Nichiren taught that it is not enough to be aware on a theoretical level of the true aspect of our lives. Rather, he urged his followers to commit themselves to their Buddhist practice in the midst of the realities that confronted them. It is by transforming ourselves and our surroundings, making them shine with the positive potentials they hold, that we reveal the true aspect of all phenomena -- the state of Buddhahood -- in our own lives.

34