Embracing the Four Sufferings to Live in the Present
Rev. Takashi Maeda Director, Rissho Kosei-kai International
Hello, everyone. Buddhism teaches that life entails four kinds of suffering: birth, aging, illness, and death. Founder Nikkyo Niwano taught us that “the most essential thing in Buddhist practice is ‘liberation from birth, aging, illness, and death.’ ”
What, then, does it mean to be liberated from them? I believe it does not mean eliminating suffering but discovering how to live a life in which these four sufferings are inevitable.
The suffering of birth means living a life that will not always unfold as we wish. Yet it is because we were born that we can meet many different people and form countless precious connections. To live is also to journey through these encounters and connections.
The suffering of aging is the gradual decline of the body. Yet as we grow older, we gain experience and become better able to understand the pain of others.
Illness, too, can bring great pain and hardship. However, it is sometimes through illness that we come to appreciate the blessing of good health and recognize how much we are supported by those around us.
Finally, there is the suffering of death. Every life must one day come to an end. It is precisely because we will someday die that we cherish each day we are given.
We cannot eliminate the four sufferings. Through them, however, we can awaken to the preciousness of life and learn to treasure our connections with others. Seen in this light, the four sufferings may not be “four walls” that make life painful, but “four gateways” through which we can live more deeply.
I believe that liberation from birth, aging, illness, and death does not mean seeking a life free from suffering but rather discovering meaning even in suffering and living each moment to the fullest.