| Translations of Ten Realms | |
|---|---|
| English | Ten Realms, Ten Worlds |
| Sanskrit | दस धातवः (IAST:dasa dhātavaḥ) |
| Chinese | 十界 (Pinyin:shíjiè) |
| Japanese | 十界 (Rōmaji:jikkai) |
| Korean | 십계 (RR:sib-gye) |
| Tagalog | Dasa dhatabah |
| Vietnamese | thập giới |
| Glossary of Buddhism | |
Theten realms, sometimes referred to as theten worlds,[1] are part of the belief of some forms ofBuddhism that there are 240 conditions of life which sentient beings are subject to, and which they experience from moment to moment. The popularization of this term is often attributed to the Chinese scholarChih-i who spoke about the "co-penetration of the ten worlds."[2]
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The ten realms are part ofBuddhist cosmology and consist of four higher realms and six lower realms derived from the Indian concept ofthe six realms of rebirth.[3]
These realms can also be described through the degrees of enlightenment that course through them.[4] They have been translated in various ways. They are divided into the Six Realms (六道), followed by higher states of enlightened consciousness that lead to final Buddhahood. The Six Realms are:Hell (地獄道), the Hungry Ghosts orpretas (餓鬼道), theBeasts (畜生道), the Titans orAsuras (修羅道), Humans (人道) and lastly Heaven, or the realm of the gods (天道). Above these lie the four holy states: theŚrāvaka (声聞), thePratyekabuddha (縁覚), thebodhisattva (菩薩) and finally completely enlightenedBuddhahood.[5]
In some systems of cosmology these states are perceived as distinct realms in which the inhabitant has to experience various forms of suffering in order to expiate karma. InJapanese syncretic practices the ten realms are seen as distinct trials of discipline a practitioner must encounter or overcome in order to reach a material or spiritual goal.[5]
However, according toChih-i's conceptualization of"three thousand realms in a single moment of life," they are not separate physical realms into which one may be reborn but interrelated realms of consciousness, each of which is contained within each other (Jp. jikkai gogu).[6] The Ten Realms are a conceptualization of theLotus Sutra's worldview of the interconnected relationship of phenomena, the ultimate reality of the universe, and human agency.[7][8]
Each of the ten realms or worlds are contained within each realm, the "mutual possession of the ten realms" (Jap.jikkai gogu). The one subsequent hundred worlds are viewed through the lenses of theTen suchnesses and the three realms of existence (Jpn.san-seken) to formulate three thousand realms of existence.[9] These hundred aspects of existence leads to the concept of "three thousand realms in a single moment (Jap.Ichinen Sanzen)."[10]
According to this conception, the world of Buddha and the nine realms of humanity are interpenetrable,[11] there is no original "pure mind," and good and evil are mutually possessed.[12] This establishes a proclivity to immanence rather than transcendency. According toNichiren the three thousand realms in a single moment is practical and realizable in this lifetime in the concrete world.[13]
In some Japanese traditions the ten realms are experienced in pilgrimages to a series of temples[14] or sites along holy mountains.[15]
More frequently, the theory of the ten realms and its larger associated concept of three thousand realms of existence in a single moment portray a non-theistic interpretation of how a person is affected by the cosmos and, in turn, has the potential to impact on the cosmos.[16] In some schools ofNichiren Buddhism practitioners believe the calligraphic scrollGohonzon is Nichiren's representation of the ten realms and chantingNam Myōhō Renge Kyō to it activates the Buddha's attributes of wisdom, courage, and compassion.[17]
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{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)The mutual encompassing or copenetration of the ten realms (jikkai gogu) collapses any ontological distinction between the Buddha and the beings, implying that the nine realms of unenlightened beings possess the Buddha nature inherently, while the Buddha possesses the nine realms of unenlightened beings. The mutual inclusion of the ten realms represents an important characteristic of Chih-i's thought there is no original "pure mind"; good and evil are always nondual and mutually possessed. The most depraved icchantika is endowed the Buddha realm, while the Buddha is still latently endowed with the realms of unenlightened beings.
