生きる意味を知ってー仏教を知りたいひとのために

Why do we live?

Why do we live? What is the purpose of life?

Shinran's answer is unambiguous.

" The purpose of life is neither to amass money and tresure,

nor to win honors and status.

It is to have the source of suffering eradicated and be filled with joy,

rejoicing that you were born human,and live in never-ending bliss".


The purpose of life is also expressed as "enjoying the benefit of [sesshufusha]

(being held fast and never forsaken)", or as [muge no ichido](the path of no hindrance).

Delight in being alive radiates from the pages of Shinran's masterwork

[Teaching,Practice,Faith,Enlightment] which beings and ends with the words,

" How joyful I am!" It is a manifestation of blazing joy of one who has attained

the purpose of life.

(from"YOU WERE BORN FOR A REASON")

Why is each human life so infinitely precious?

In the words of nineteenth-century German philosopher Schopenhauer,

the thanksless life " swings like a pendulum to and fro between

pain and boredum.

We fight for prizes of dubious value - "evev for an eggshell"-deceived

by hopes that "over the mountain lives Happiness", and then,

having found no deep-sheated satisfaction or peace of mind,

we fall at last into the arms of death.

If that is all life is,why then is each human life so infinitely precious?

(from" YOU WERE BORN FOR A REASON")