| Life from birth through the formative years
All creatures that exhibit life are born of the Three Realms of Existence. They all have form, perception, conception, volition, and consciousness (five components). They all have their own individual environment and each displays different worlds of the Ten Worlds. Pay close attention to the term volition as it will be raised later, but understand that all creatures are born as a blank slate (no self), according to the Three Truths.
Ku - Non-Substantiality
Ke - Temporary Existence
Chu - Middle Way
It must be noted here that the Middle Way is not a compromise. It is the understanding that even though we are non-substantial and temporary in nature, we are capable of substantiation and permanence. Permanence (non-death) is not to not die or not be born. It is to be born with full knowledge of past lives.
The form may be that of a dog, human, or shrimp, and in all cases they reflect the natural instincts (condition) of their species. They are subject to heredity from their parents (condition), and the conditioning of their parents and society. In any form, life follows the conditioning of the form it is born into from the aspect of instinctual behavior. You will never see a dog acting like a cat or vise versa. Remember that we are born as a blank slate and are taught by our parents.
Of course we bring with us conditions from past lives, but these are the conditions born from our karma. Your basic temperament, personality, etc. are all conditions. The blank slate refers to the fact that you must learn to be who you will turn out to be, and the conditions you are born into, from your parents to society, affect how you percieve your environment. No responsible parent would kick their child out before they are ready.
All forms of life, excepting plants and other inanimate species, are taught by their parents how to act in accordance with their species. The distinction must be made between inanimate and animate life at this point, because inanimate life acts according to instinctual behavior and environmental factors, while animate life can be conditioned to act in manners that do not accord with instinct or environmental factors. This is the case with humans and certain animal species, specifically mammalians.
The words inanimate and animate might not be the correct terms to use, but it is clear there are two classes of life. One class is born with everything they need to go out into the world alone. They do not need any teaching from their parents because everything they need is instinctual. The other class of life needs to be taught how to survive and are reared by their parents for a time that accords with their species. This is the class of life that displays emotion.
Indeed, even the time a person is born impacts the way a person interacts with and perceives his or her environment. Astrology is very good at identifying characteristics that appear due to the time a person is born and this predisposition, and the conditions a person are born into are functions of karma from a previous life.
As a person continues through the formative years they are taught the values that they will later display. If a persons basic needs are not met during these years it can lead to personality disorders, which is also evident in the animal world. Everything that happens to a person is the process of causes and conditions which shape a person so that they can receive the retribution later on from past deeds whether good or bad.
Nichiren says it succinctly in his writing "An Essay on the Chain of the Twelve Causes and Karmic Circumstances that Run through the Whole of Sentient Existence".
"This chain is made up of (i) a fundamental unenlightenment which leads to (ii) dispositions that are inherited from former lives. Then, (iii) the first consciousness after conception takes place in the womb whilst (iv) the body and mind are evolving which leads to (v) the five organs of sense and the functioning of the mind as it makes (vi) contact with the outside world. This becomes (vii) the receptivity or budding intelligence and discrimination from six to seven years old onwards which evolve into (viii) the thirst, desire or love at the age of puberty; (ix) the urge of sensuous existence which (x) forms the substance of future karma. Then (xi) the completed karma is ready to be born again as it takes its direction towards (xii) old age and death. This chain of the twelve causes and karmic circumstances are said to be spread over the two levels of cause and effect which are understood as past cause and present effect and present cause and future effect. Also this chain is carried over from the past to the present and on to the future."
http://hokkeko.ca/chapter11.htm
It is necessary that a person really think about just what conditions affected them in these formative years because the conditions affect the way a person perceives and reacts to phenomena later on in life. It is also necessary to not get tied up in this and blame the conditions for how you turned out. Understanding the basis leads to understanding the whole, and understand that the past cannot be changed.
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