Isshō (A Lifetime)

A lifetime means the period from birth to death. A lifetime for a thousand people will be a thousand ways of living and for ten thousand people, ten thousand ways of living. There are truly countless different ways of living.

There will be persons who are born into wealthy families and will reach at the end of their lives without ever having had financial difficulties. Conversely, there will be those born into poor families who will shed tears about not having money throughout their whole life.

However, even one born into a wealthy family can fail in business and live a life of financial struggle. By the same token, someone born into a poor family can become greatly successful and achieve much wealth. There are many kinds of lives.

The eighth patriarch of the Hongwanji, Rennyo Shōnin, said in one of his epistles:

When we deeply consider the transience of human life, [we realize that] what is altogether fleeting is our own span of life. And so we have not yet heard of anyone living ten thousands years. A lifetime passes quickly...            (Gobunshō)

How should we live this fleeting life? Merely acquiring or having wealth is a not a life.