1. Great Lakes RTC Chapel 1 10 Factors of Life Making the Best of Everything

5. Soka University of America

6. 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. 7 Nyo Ze… AppearanceNyo ze so NatureNyo ze sho EntityNyo ze tai PowerNyo ze riki InfluenceNyo ze sa Inherent CauseNyo ze in RelationNyo ze en Latent effectNyo ze ka Manifest effectNyo ze ho Consistency from beginning to end Nyo ze honmatsu kukyo to

8. 8 Review – 10 Worlds 1. Hell 2. Hunger 3. Animality 4. Anger 5. Humanity 6. Rapture – Heaven 7. Learning 8. Realization 9. Bodhisattva 10. Buddhahood

9. 9 “Expedient Means” Chapter Lotus 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. 10 Reality of Life Appearance –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. 11 Workings of Life & Their Characteristics Power – capability latent within life Influence – when latent power becomes manifest Inherent 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. 12 Workings of Life & Their Characteristics Manifest Effect – when latent effect becomes visible Consistency 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. 13 “What state or condition of being we manifest at any given moment determines how we experience our environment…” Appearance Nature Entity Power Influence Inherent cause RELATION Latent Effect Manifest Effect Consistency from beginning to end

14. 14 Relationship 1. Hell 2. Hunger 3. Animality 4. Anger 5. Humanity or Tranquility 6. Rapture or Heaven 7. Learning 8. Realization or Absorption 9. Bodhisattva 10. 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. 15 example AppearanceNature ILLNESSPaleDepressed ENTITY Expresses state of suffering (HELL) Relation - upon hearing a troubling diagnosis from doctor Inherent cause Fear of illness Latent effectHopelessness Manifest effectAnxiety, breathlessness, sweat Consistency from beginning to end Hearing the bad news, all aspects of their entire being consistently manifest hell HELL Power – inherent capacity is usually weak Influence

16. 16 Every 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

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18. 18 Review – 10 Worlds 1. Hell 2. Hunger 3. Animality 4. Anger 5. Humanity 6. Rapture – Heaven 7. Learning 8. Realization / ABSORPTION 9. Bodhisattva 10. Buddhahood

19. 19 Forrest Gump Appearance Nature Entity Power Influence Inherent cause Relation Latent effect Manifest effect Consistency from beginning to end

20. 20 AppearanceNature Ordinary; everyday man Blank tabula rasa / selfless Instinct (Animality) / Unlimited potential; just needs target or mission ENTITY Expresses state of ? RELATION - He Runs Away/ Towards - He Doesn’t Know to STOP Inherent causeMother / Jenny / to be part of something greater Latent effectInstinct / Humanity / Friendship / Love Manifest effectOutruns 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 of ABSORPTION/REALIZATION Forrest Gump Power – Does what he’s told - “OK” Influence

21. 21 10 x 10 1. Hell 2. Hunger 3. Animality 4. Anger 5. Humanity 6. Rapture – Heaven 7. Learning 8. Realization 9. Bodhisattva 10. Buddhahood Appearance Nature Entity Power Influence Inherent Cause Relation Latent effect Manifest effect Consistency from beginning to end X 10

22. Ichinen Sanzen 10 x 10 x 3 Realms = 3,000 22

23. 23 Ten Factors Teaches us importance of developing good karmic habits –Form positive ‘relations’ with events in our environment regardless of what they are Through Bodhisattva or Buddhahood, we can transform every hardship into personal growth – inherent causes – solidifying our state of happiness

24. 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". 24

25. True 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. 25