Health Declining With Age? What Nichiren Daishonin Wrote About Growing Younger in Spirit
When your body isn't what it used to be
Stairs that used to be nothing now need a rest halfway. New aches every season. A growing list of medicines. Doctors' appointments filling the calendar. Hearing or eyesight not quite what it was. Friends of your own age falling ill or passing away.
Ageing can bring a quiet grief: for the strength you had, the independence you're afraid of losing, the future that feels shorter. And sometimes a feeling of being less useful, less visible, less needed.
If you're facing this season of life, the Daishonin wrote words that have encouraged older members for centuries.
What does the Gosho say about growing old?
Nichiren Daishonin told a follower anxious about her age, "You will grow younger, and your good fortune will accumulate" (WND-1, 464). The body ages, but a life rooted in faith can keep growing in vitality and good fortune. To an elderly couple he wrote, "No place is secure. Be convinced that Buddhahood is the final abode" (WND-1, 491). True security in later life comes from within.
"You will grow younger"
Shijo Kingo's wife, Nichigen-nyo, was worried about reaching an age that was considered unlucky in her time. The Daishonin ended his letter of reassurance with these words:
> "You will grow younger, and your good fortune will accumulate." > — The Unity of Husband and Wife, WND-1, 464
No one's body actually grows younger. But spirit can. Many older members say they feel more alive, purposeful and joyful in their later years than when they were young, because their life has a mission that age cannot take away.
Good fortune accumulating: the wisdom, relationships, gratitude and capacity to encourage others built over a lifetime are treasures that only grow with age.
Buddhahood is the final abode
The lay priest of Ko and his wife were an elderly couple on Sado Island with no children. The Daishonin, concerned about their security in old age, wrote:
> "And since you have no sons, please consider coming here to live with me in your old age. No place is secure. Be convinced that Buddhahood is the final abode." > — Reply to the Lay Priest of Ko, WND-1, 491
He offered them a practical home. And he pointed to a deeper security: the state of Buddhahood within one's own life, which no illness or ageing can take away.
The Daishonin's follower Abutsu-bo, also from Sado, made the long journey across sea and mountains to visit him at least three times in his old age, and lived to ninety-one. Age didn't stop his spirit.
One small step for tonight
Write down three things you can do now that you couldn't do when you were young: perhaps the patience to listen, the wisdom to advise, the calm to face hard news.
Chant for good health and good care, and for your later years to be your most meaningful yet. Then do one thing this week that connects you with others: a call, a visit, a meeting.
Keep regular health check-ups, follow your doctor's advice on medication and movement, and ask for help when you need it. Accepting help is not a loss of dignity.
Forged through fire, still striving at eighty
Harish began practising when many people his age are slowing down. Soon afterwards he was diagnosed with an aggressive stomach cancer. He underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, supported by fellow members, and was declared cancer-free. Years later, after his wife's death, more serious illness followed, including a new cancer. Drawing strength from the Daishonin's words about a sword forged in fire, he chanted, encouraged fellow patients, and was once again declared cancer-free. Now eighty, he looks back on a life of repeated health battles, and continues to strive with gratitude for every day he has to live and encourage others.
His story, and others like it, are below.
Frequently asked questions
How do I cope with my body getting older?
Allow yourself to grieve what has changed, care for your health wisely, and focus on what age has given you. The Daishonin wrote, "You will grow younger, and your good fortune will accumulate" (WND-1, 464).
I feel useless now that I'm older. What can I do?
Your experience, wisdom and encouragement are needed. Many older members find deep purpose in supporting younger people and sharing what life has taught them.
What should I chant for in old age?
Chant for good health, for good care when you need it, for warm relationships, and for your later years to be full of meaning and joy.
How do I stop fearing death as I get older?
That's a profound question. Our article on facing the end of life may help. The Daishonin taught that "Buddhahood is the final abode" (WND-1, 491), a security that doesn't depend on the body.
Which Gosho should I read as I grow older?
The Unity of Husband and Wife (WND-1, 463–465) and Reply to the Lay Priest of Ko (WND-1, 491–492).
Sources
All passages are from The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume I (WND-1):
- The Unity of Husband and Wife, p. 464 - Reply to the Lay Priest of Ko, p. 491 - Background on Abutsu-bo: Background section of The Treasure of a Filial Child