Chapter7(Encouraging the Accumulation of the Treasures of the Heart)
Main Text
And do not go around lamenting to others how hard it is for you to live in this world. To do so is an act utterly unbecoming to a worthy man. If a man behaves in this way, then after he dies, his wife, overcome with sorrow at losing her husband, will tell other people about the shameful things he did, though she has no real intention of doing so. And that will in no way be her fault, but solely the result of his own reprehensible behavior.
It is rare to be born a human being. The number of those endowed with human life is as small as the amount of earth one can place on a fingernail. Life as a human being is hard to sustain—as hard as it is for the dew to remain on the grass. But it is better to live a single day with honor than to live to 120 and die in disgrace. Live so that all the people of Kamakura will say in your praise that Nakatsukasa Saburō Saemon-no-jō is diligent in the service of his lord, in the service of Buddhism, and in his concern for other people. More valuable than treasures in a storehouse are the treasures of the body, and the treasures of the heart are the most valuable of all. From the time you read this letter on, strive to accumulate the treasures of the heart!
Lecture
He is taught that, as a man and as a samurai, one must never leave a legacy of disgrace behind.
When falling into hardship, people tend to seek the cause in society or in those around them, finding comfort in speaking ill of others. In the case of Shijo Kingo, he was indeed blameless, suffering hardship purely as a result of the envy and malice of those around him. Yet, [Nichiren Daishonin] admonishes that hating the colleagues who slandered him, resenting his lord, or complaining about the world would only serve to bring shame upon himself.
This is extraordinarily difficult to do. Even if people say noble things in normal times, when they find themselves exposed to a storm, they tend to hate their opponents and resent those around them. However, recognizing that the cause of everything lies within oneself, confronting one’s own karma from the perspective of the view of life spanning the three existences, polishing oneself through these trials, and striving for even greater personal growth—this is the true way to live as a human being, and the proper attitude for a practitioner of Buddhism.
“It is better to live a single day with honor than to live to 120 and die in disgrace.”
The value of life does not depend on its length. Even if short, what matters is how meaningful and rich in substance one makes it. The essential point is not how long one lived, but how one lived.
According to the principles of Buddhism, the length of one’s lifespan is determined by past karma. In fact, except in special cases like suicide, a person’s lifespan is beyond their own control. Of course, this was neither given by others nor ordained by a transcendent God, but rather determined by one’s own past actions; yet, in the sense that it lies beyond the control of one’s present free will, it can be said to be “given.”
Within the framework of this “given” life, what free will enables us to do is to determine how sincerity, passion, and wisdom will be exercised to live and bring fulfillment to that life. Through this inner fulfillment, a person can make their life—and indeed their very existence—infinitely noble, or, conversely, make it infinitely base.
In this passage, when [the Daishonin] speaks of “dying in disgrace” and “building honor,” he is not referring to worldly fame or reputation, but to one’s nobility as a human being. This becomes fully clear when considering his subsequent words on “treasures in a storehouse, treasures of the body, and treasures of the heart.”
“More valuable than treasures in a storehouse are the treasures of the body, and the treasures of the heart are the most valuable of all.”
Here, [the Daishonin] concisely presents what is truly important in life. “Treasures in a storehouse” refers literally to material wealth, such as money and property. Material wealth exists external to oneself; from the standpoint of human happiness, it can serve as a condition, but it is shallow and fleeting. In fact, material abundance often ends up undermining genuine human richness.
“Treasures of the body” refers to physical health, acquired skills, social status, and the like. These, too, are conditions for happiness, but they are not everything. In many cases, pursuing them relentlessly leads instead to spiritual poverty as a human being. Moreover, upon death, treasures of the body become just as useless as treasures in a storehouse.
“Treasures of the heart” refers to the richness accumulated within one’s own life. It means how much one has dedicated oneself to others and how much one has developed spiritually and humanly. On a more fundamental level, it means internalizing the eternal Law of Buddhism and awakening to the life force that is as vast as the universe itself. This alone becomes a treasure that leaves no regrets even at the moment of death, bringing an unwavering sense of human happiness and a true richness that imparts boundless warmth to others.
Therefore, what we must strive for above all else is to accumulate “treasures of the heart,” recognizing that “treasures of the body” and “treasures in a storehouse” are merely means to enrich the “treasures of the heart.” We must understand that “treasures of the body” and “treasures in a storehouse” truly function as “treasures” only when connected to “treasures of the heart”; conversely, when they act to impoverish the “treasures of the heart,” they become a form of “poison.”