The Ten Worlds and the American Dream
Introduction
You don’t need to be a Buddhist to benefit from the wisdom of Buddhist philosophies and teachings, as they offer great insight into understanding life and resonate with our modern world.
I learned about the Nichiren Buddhist principle of the Ten Worlds in The Buddha in Your Mirror. The Ten Worlds principle provides a brilliant logical blueprint and insight into the ever-changing feelings and emotional states we experience in life.
Allied to the Ten Worlds is the concept of “Ichinen Sanzen” which teaches that “at each moment in our lives, we can shape our future and the world around us”. We can change ourselves, others, and society by taking meaningful actions. To do that, we need perspective to understand our life state and emotions.
In mapping the Ten Worlds to today’s life in the United States, I see unhealthy influences that direct us to undesirable places. I also see opportunities to re-orient our aspirations in a more meaningful direction.
Let’s introduce the Ten Worlds, first with the Six Lower Worlds.
The Six Lower Worlds
When you find your life state in the Six Lower Worlds, you’ll find your emotional state can change many times daily. One minute you’re living in tranquil Humanity and suddenly you receive some bad news and you’re in the world of Hell.
Many of us strive towards the ideals of the American Dream, having expectations of material success:
- A career with opportunities for advancement
- Homeownership
- Upward mobility and success for our children
- Possession of fashionable clothing, nice cars, and capable smartphones
We expend tremendous effort in this pursuit. The American Dream maps closely to the world of Heaven where we realize some joy and happiness in reaching our goals.
Is it wise for us to have a driving ambition for temporary happiness?
The Four Upper Worlds
In contrast to the Six Lower Worlds, reaching the Four Upper Worlds requires effort and intention. Being in these worlds provides you with strength and perspective to better handle life’s inevitable challenges. And you’re better positioned to affect the future in a meaningful way.
When we take an action there is a multiplier effect. If you sincerely wish someone a good day with a smile, you likely lift their mood, and they will spread some good cheer as well.
Based on our personalities and tendencies, most of us are drawn to one or two worlds more than the others. Are there dominant worlds in your life? Mine are Hunger and Learning, and of the two I greatly prefer Learning.
The Ten Worlds in the United States
A view from 115 years ago
Before modern advances like indoor plumbing, electricity, tractors, and automobiles, life was simpler and more rhythmic in following the seasons. A day in the life on the farm in the early 1900s as described by my Nebraska relatives:
- The lady of the house started a fire from corn cobs in the stove to bake bread, which was kneaded and risen from the last evening. Her day is spent taking care of babies, cleaning the house, and preparing food.
- The older children woke up to water and feed chickens and pigs, milk the cow, fetch water and more corn cobs.
- The man of the house started by putting collars and harnesses on a seven-horse and one-mule team for plowing a field. The prep time for plowing could be up to two hours, then he might spend 8 or 9 hours plowing in the field.
- The family assembled for dinner at noon and supper at six.
- After supper, the man and children mucked the barn and cleaned the harnesses and collars with saddle soap and water to prepare for the next day, while the lady prepared more bread and other food for the next day.
- At the end of the day, everyone was bone-tired and slept like a rock, because they did physical work all day long.
They were in a predictable situation primarily living in the world of Humanity. I believe they were also in the worlds of Compassion and Realization. From family accounts, these were some very happy times. They enjoyed humor, music, and storytelling. They were pursuing the American Dream but had patience and modest expectations.
Other family members lived in St. Louis, Missouri at this time. This was a time and place of great optimism, where the World’s Fair was held in 1904. “The Fair showcased the grandiose ambition of the gilded age, forming a kind of collective tribute to the nineteenth century’s international understanding of the furtherance of peace, prosperity, and progress.” Family stories from that time reveal great ambition in pursuing higher education and starting businesses. They were chasing the American Dream in a big way.
Although there were hope and optimism in my family at that time, life was much more difficult than today. The average life expectancy in the US was only 47 years and aspirin wasn’t available until 1915. Infant mortality was roughly 10% in the first year of life. Think of the pain parents suffered from losing their babies. The workplace was about 30 times as dangerous as today. And if you did make it to old age, poverty was widespread for older Americans as there was no Social Security.
At this time, about 15% of houses had a bathtub and adults typically washed their hair monthly with borax or egg yolks as shampoo.
Life was much more difficult but Americans had two things that gave them hope:
- Strong faith in their families and institutions: churches, businesses, schools, governments, and the press
- A belief that progress would be making life better all the time
A Ten Worlds view in the present
“Compared with their grandparents, today’s young adults have grown up with much more affluence, slightly less happiness and much greater risk of depression and assorted social pathology.” — Hope College psychologist David G. Myers, Ph.D.
According to Chapter 5 of the 2019 World Happiness Report, “The years since 2010 have not been good ones for happiness and well-being among Americans. Even as the United States economy improved after the end of the Great Recession in 2009, happiness among adults did not rebound to the higher levels of the 1990s, continuing a slow decline ongoing since at least 2000 in the General Social Survey.”
Why is our level of happiness and well-being on the decline?
- We seek the American Dream instead of the Upper Worlds, and the American Dream is becoming more difficult to attain.
- High levels of debt raise our anxiety level. US consumer debt is at an all-time high of $14 trillion and we are hard-pressed to pay student loans and medical debt.
- Modern life often provides material affluence but this affluence can easily feed the three poisons of greed, anger, and delusion.
- Americans have lost optimism and faith in their institutions:
- Our faith in the Federal government has been dropping in earnest since the mid-1960s starting with the Vietnam War. The Federal government is no longer for the people but represents special interests who have no limits on their lobbying efforts and influence.
- Faith in corporations to take care of their employees has dropped, as more resources are directed to executives, shareholders, and technology than workers.
- Parents and students are anxious about school safety, and 4th graders have to participate in active shooter drills.
Now let’s examine some specific insights for each World.
Hell
All of us experience Hell at some point, being in a hopefully temporary state of misery. Forces capable of putting us in Hell:
- physical injuries, chronic pain, hormonal imbalances, catching the stomach flu, mental illness
- guilt and disappointment
- failure in reaching our goals
- loss of a loved one
- someone else’s anger
- long periods of exposure to toxic people, especially when they’re bosses or family members
A lot of these forces are unavoidable. We need to temper expectations and brace ourselves emotionally for some rough times. The best way to prepare is by maintaining a support network with good friends, as Compassion and friendship can pull us out of Hell.
As humans, we only have limited reserves of strength and patience. We need to keep track of these reserves and ensure they’re not wiped-out by toxic people and situations.
Hunger
These forces are helping drive Americans into the world of Hunger:
- Social isolation: When you’re alone, there’s nothing to distract you from your desires.
- Corporate Marketing: Advertising campaigns continue stimulating the desire for things we don’t need. Corporations are overbuilding products to raise profit margins and increase consumer debt. Compare a 1965 Ford pickup truck against a 2019 model (they both can haul a half-ton):
3. Intoxication: If we don’t have faith in the future we are more inclined to seek the temporary relief of intoxication. Also, many of us are self-medicating to deal with pain, depression, and anxiety.
4. Immediate gratification: our culture is geared towards instant gratification, where we buy the latest merchandise with credit cards and now…one-day shipping.
A few techniques in deflecting the world of Hunger:
- Make a list of what you’re grateful for
- Exercise
- Spending time with worthwhile friends
- Meditation and prayer
Animality
Behaviors include the domination of others and psychological displacement where negative feelings are transferred to those who are weaker. Animality breeds negativity and darkness.
These forces are helping drive Americans into the world of Animality:
- Failure to achieve unrealistic expectations of success
- A general lack of manners and restraint in how we treat others. This is often a failure to think before we act.
- Social media gives teens a convenient platform for bullying, where 59% of teens have experienced some form of online harassment. It also can polarize adults.
- Embracing victimhood
Anger
Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned. — Buddha
Anger has become the biggest threat to our well-being.
“I think if you look at the tenor of our dialogue and conversations, you look at what you see on social media, you cannot help but believe that we see a lot more anger. Maybe it was always there just below the surface, and we are just seeing it more because it is more available and accessible to us.” — David Schanzer
Social media breeds anger by directing people into specific camps where existing opinions are reinforced, and new more extreme views are introduced.
The “FCC fairness doctrine” required broadcasters to present controversial issues in an equitable and balanced manner from 1949 until it was eliminated in 1987. An interesting comment from Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) in 2008:
I would want this station and all stations to have to present a balanced perspective and different points of view. All I’m saying is that for many, many years we operated under a Fairness Doctrine in this country, and I think the country was well-served. I think the public discussion was at a higher level and more intelligent in those days than it has become since.
We need to bring more class, intelligence, and respect in public discussions and bring back the fairness doctrine.
Another fuel to fire-up anger are political messages like this one: “The reason you have no jobs here is the xyz party took them from you.” Instead of presenting a positive message of what you can do, portray a negative message of the opposition and polarize the public. These tactics are widely used, they’re insulting to our intelligence, and stir up unneeded anger.
It’s very sad to see mass shootings, where Anger propels the shooters to Hell to carry out their evil deeds.
Anger is so destructive that we need to be ultra-vigilant to contain it in our lives. If this is our native world, then we should at least try to channel it to fight against injustice and wrongdoers.
Humanity
Although Humanity is considered a lower world I believe it is a good place to be. It can be a refuge from the other lower worlds. In times past, people had to spend more time here from necessity. I find everyday cooking, gardening, dishwashing, and exercising to be relaxing and therapeutic.
With the right attitude, these everyday activities can raise our level of peace and comfort with ourselves. Some observations:
- It’s fun to be average — much lower stress than being a superhero
- Anonymity is peaceful
- People-watching can be quite amusing
Heaven
We can enter the world of Heaven when we attain a goal or receive some great news. Scoring the winning run in a baseball game or perhaps just getting on base. Receiving a well-deserved promotion. Getting the part you wanted in your high school play. We experience temporary euphoria and satisfaction in Heaven.
Achieving the goals of the American Dream can also put us in Heaven. There’s nothing wrong with living comfortably and experiencing some success.
However, our material expectations have risen considerably in the last 100 years. When family sizes were larger in 1920, the average size of a new single-family home was 1,048 square feet. In 2014 the size increased to 2,657 square feet for much smaller families. We expect a lot in everyday comforts: air conditioning, fast wi-fi, and lots of recreational activities.
Perhaps the best approach to the world of Heaven is taking a hard look at what we truly need, and take satisfaction from achieving modest goals. Realize that dwelling on material success too much is fraught with dangers like getting carried away with greed or becoming a narcissist.
The good life in the Upper Worlds
Learning
Learning can be a great refuge from Anger and Hunger. There are more Learning opportunities than ever before. There are YouTube instructional videos on countless “how-to” topics, such as the best way to cut a pineapple. Free computer programming classes are available. New online training techniques can teach complex topics with speed and precision.
The study of history can give us deep insights into human nature that help us understand the world and facilitate our interactions with others.
Another opportunity in Learning is to hone skills in observation. Try to carefully listen to others and study your surroundings. You might be surprised by what you find.
The practice of introspection (self-examination) can help us learn about ourselves to provide direction:
- study your thoughts and emotions to see where you are
- identify strengths and weaknesses
- discover your motivations and desires and tie them to a significant goal or purpose
Realization
Realization can be seen in two ways. First, it can be seen as the development of wisdom and the discovery of truths. You can develop unique wisdom by appreciating nature, traveling, and enjoying the company of others.
Second, Realization involves creative pursuits and practices. These pursuits include music, art, and writing. A variant of creative pursuit is the expert practice and development of a craft, like making a beautiful stone patio or a quilt. Given the right circumstances, we can get lost in creativity and have a wonderful time in Realization.
If we’re fortunate to have the chance, finding Realization in the workplace by mastering a skill and applying it is healthy and rewarding.
We can experience another form of Realization by teaching our craft and sharing our knowledge with others. As with Learning, spending time in Realization might inform you of a worthwhile goal or purpose.
Compassion
We are in the world of Compassion when we appreciate another’s sufferings and want to help without getting anything in return. When we show empathy and concern for others, it may open a path to Enlightenment.
When we are focused on the welfare of others, our anxieties and issues seem to diminish.
Opportunities in Compassion:
- Call a friend or send an unexpected and uplifting text message
- Give someone the pleasant surprise of a handwritten note or a card
- Participate in volunteer opportunities at churches, veteran’s organizations, food pantries, and other community causes
- Grow your relationships by tending to them with kindness and gentleness
- Make a new friend
- Give money to a worthy cause
Pursuing Compassion is much better for our overall well-being than chasing the American Dream.
Enlightenment
Unlike the other worlds, the concept of Enlightenment varies greatly based on one’s view of Buddhism as a philosophy or as a specific religious tradition. In the various Buddhist traditions, you can see a discussion of these concepts in Wikipedia. Enlightenment can be seen as synonymous with self-realization or reaching one’s maximum potential.
In any case, Enlightenment contains a sense of strength, completeness, and contentment. It is a result of pursuing the other 3 upper worlds and continuously supports you when you find yourself in another world.
In Nichiren Buddhism, “The word enlightenment is often used synonymously with Buddhahood. Buddhahood is regarded as a state of perfect freedom, in which one is awakened to the eternal and ultimate truth that is the reality of all things. This supreme state of life is characterized by boundless wisdom and infinite compassion.”
I’ve personally visited the other nine worlds but the one described here by Nichiren seems several light-years away from me. That’s OK. As long as I have Humanity, Learning, Realization, and Compassion open to visit I have plenty of opportunities for fulfillment, sharing, and growth.
I sincerely hope we can restore some of the American optimism of the past. And may your life’s journey bring you vitality, purpose, and happiness!
