Don't Like How You Look? What Nichiren Daishonin Wrote About the Treasure Tower of Your Body
# Don't Like How You Look? What Nichiren Daishonin Wrote About the Treasure Tower of Your Body
When the mirror feels like an enemy
You avoid photos. You check your reflection and immediately find something wrong. You compare yourself with people on screens, edited and filtered, and feel you'll never measure up. Comments from years ago, about your weight, your skin, your height, your face, still echo.
Maybe it's ageing: lines, grey hair, a body that's changing. Maybe it's something you've felt self-conscious about since childhood. It can affect everything: what you wear, whether you go out, how you feel with a partner, even whether you speak up.
If you struggle with how you look, the Daishonin knew what it was to be judged by appearance, and he taught something remarkable about the human body.
What the Gosho says about body image
Nichiren Daishonin wrote of his follower Abutsu-bo that his body, "composed of the five elements," was "the treasure tower itself" (WND-1, 299): the body is not something to be ashamed of, but a place of the highest dignity. And he himself was mocked for his looks, writing that the sutra's words "They may be cursed with an ugly appearance"… "these too apply to me" (WND-1, 281). Others' judgements of his appearance never defined his worth.
Your body is the treasure tower
In the Lotus Sutra, a magnificent tower adorned with seven kinds of treasures rises from the earth. Writing to Abutsu-bo, an elderly follower on Sado Island, the Daishonin explained what that tower really means:
> "At present the entire body of the Honorable Abutsu is composed of the five elements of earth, water, fire, wind, and space. These five elements are also the five characters of the daimoku. Abutsu-bo is therefore the treasure tower itself, and the treasure tower is Abutsu-bo himself." > — On the Treasure Tower, WND-1, 299
He was talking about an old man's body: not a model's, not an athlete's. And he called it the treasure tower.
That is the Buddhist view of your body too. Not a project to be fixed, not a source of shame, but the very place where your life, with all its dignity, is expressed.
The Daishonin was judged by his looks too
The Daishonin faced constant contempt. In The Opening of the Eyes, he described how the sutra's predictions about those who would spread it applied to his own life:
> "'They may be cursed with an ugly appearance,' 'They may be poorly clad'—these too apply to me." > — The Opening of the Eyes, WND-1, 281
He was mocked for how he looked and how he dressed. He didn't argue. He didn't let it change his sense of who he was. His worth lay entirely elsewhere.
You can care for your body and enjoy your appearance. But the people who judge you by your looks are seeing very little of who you are.
One small step for tonight
Write down three things your body does for you: carries you, lets you hug the people you love, lets you chant. Thank it, even if it feels strange.
Chant to see yourself as the treasure tower, and to be freed from other people's judgements, including the ones you've internalised. Then consider unfollowing any account that leaves you feeling worse about how you look.
If your feelings about your body are leading to restrictive eating, bingeing, purging or excessive exercise, please talk to a doctor or an eating disorder support service. You deserve care and help.
From comparing herself to topping her district
At seventeen, Meera struggled deeply with low self-esteem and her body image. She constantly compared herself with others and doubted her own worth. When she began practising, she prepared for her board exams by chanting and taking part in activities with fellow members, and to her surprise she topped her district. For the first time, she realised that through faith she could overcome any challenge. Years later, after far greater tests, she went on to support many young women and build a value-creating food venture of her own.
Frequently asked questions
How do I accept my body?
Start by noticing what your body does for you rather than only how it looks, and limit what fuels comparison. The Daishonin called a follower's ordinary, ageing body "the treasure tower itself" (WND-1, 299).
Is it wrong to want to look better?
No. Caring for your appearance is fine. What matters is that your sense of worth doesn't depend on it.
What should I chant for when I hate how I look?
Chant to see your own dignity, to be free from others' judgements, and for the courage to live fully without waiting until you look a certain way.
People make comments about my appearance. How should I respond?
You can set a boundary calmly, or simply let it pass. The Daishonin himself was mocked for "an ugly appearance" (WND-1, 281) and never let it define him.
Which Gosho should I read when I struggle with body image?
On the Treasure Tower (WND-1, 299–300) and The Opening of the Eyes (WND-1, 220–298).
Sources
All passages are from The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume I (WND-1):
- On the Treasure Tower, p. 299 - The Opening of the Eyes, p. 281