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The Ten Levels of Mind
A Summary
At the Shingon Japanese Esoteric
Buddhism web site
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In The Ten Levels of Mind, Kobo Daishi summarized the
stages by which a mind develops from the most basic animalistic level
to the knowledge of the true nature of the universe. He wrote it at
the request of Enperor Junna in 830. The Emperor had called on each
Buddhist sect to present a summary of its teaching.
The essay takes as its starting point a passage in the
Mahavairocana sutra that says enlightenment consists of knowing the
mind as it really is. He then sets out the stages of the spiritual
development of the mind from base, animal instinct to full
realization of ultimate reality.
- 1 The Animal Mind
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In the first level, your mind is like that of an animal. You are
driven by instinct and desire. Your only cares are to satisfy the
hungers of your body.
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2 The Basic Ethical Mind
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In the second level, you begin to think ethically. You moderate your
eating, saving some food to share with others and taking delight in
helping in this way. You don't discriminate between friends and
strangers, but you gradually come to feel fulfilled, respecting
others and gaining their respect.
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3 The Mind that Hopes for Heaven
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In the third level, the mind hopes to be reborn in heaven. There, it
believes, it will find peace.
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4 The Mind That Understands That There Is No Permanent Ego
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At the fourth level, the mind sees the world as a product of the
senses. It realizes that perceived objects have no substance and
that there is no permanent ego. Everything is transient. This level
of mind Kobo Daishi associates with those who listened to the
preaching of Shakyamuni.
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5 The Mind Freed From The Necessity of Rebirth
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At the Fifth level, the mind has mastered the twelve links of
causation. The seed of ignorance has been extirpated, and rebirth is
no longer necessary. Kobo Daishi associates this level with the
pratyekabuddhas of Hinayana Buddhism.
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6 The Mahayana Mind
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At the sixth level, the mind recognizes that all phenomena are
shadows of the mind itself, and compassion for all beings arises
spontaneously and unconditionally. Kukai relates this level to the
doctrines of the Hosso (Yogacara) school of Buddhism, which explains
the samadhi of Maitreya Buddha.
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7 The Mind That Understands the Unborn Nature of Mind
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At the seventh level, the mind understands the Eightfold Negation of
the philospher Nagarjuna. He taught that all possibile qualities of
existence are equally void. The Eightfold Negation is: unborn,
imperishable, unceasing, nonconstant, nonidentical, not different,
not going away, and not coming. Kobo Daishi relates this stage to
the samadhi of Manjusri Bodhisattva.(Japanese Monju)
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8 The Mind In Harmony With the One Way
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Kobo Daishi relates this level with the Chinese T'ien-T'ai school of
Buddhism and the Lotus Sutra. It embodies the samadhi of
Avalokitesvara.
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9 The Profoundest Exoteric Buddhist Mind That Is Aware of Its
Nonimmutable Nature
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Kobo Daishi realtes this level to the Avatamsaka sutra and the
Chinese Hua-yen school. It is the level of the doctrine of
interpenetration, often illustrated by the image of Indra's net,
with its infinite number of mirrors each reflecting all the others.
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10 The Glorious Mind, the Most Secret and Sacred
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The tenth stage embodies the mind of the Dharmakaya Buddha,
Mahavairocana. We are not mind and body but Body/Mind, which is part
of the Body/Mind of Mahavairocana, which is the ultimate reality.