Living With a Disability? What Nichiren Daishonin Wrote About the Treasures No Condition Can Take
# Living With a Disability? What Nichiren Daishonin Wrote About the Treasures No Condition Can Take
When the world wasn't built for you
Steps with no ramp. Forms you can't read. Conversations that happen over your head. People who speak to your companion instead of you, or who look at you with pity, as if your life must be smaller than theirs.
Maybe you've lived with a disability all your life. Maybe it arrived suddenly, through an accident or illness, and you're still learning a new way of living. Either way, there may be days when you wonder whether your life can be as full and meaningful as anyone else's.
The Daishonin's answer to that question is unambiguous.
What does the Gosho say about living with a disability?
Nichiren Daishonin taught that "more valuable than treasures in a storehouse are the treasures of the body, and the treasures of the heart are the most valuable of all" (WND-1, 851). A person's greatest worth lies in their heart, which no physical condition can diminish. He also wrote that "fortune comes from one's heart and makes one worthy of respect" (WND-1, 1137). Dignity is not measured by the body.
The treasures of the heart
Writing to Shijo Kingo, the Daishonin described three kinds of treasure:
> "More valuable than treasures in a storehouse are the treasures of the body, and the treasures of the heart are the most valuable of all." > — The Three Kinds of Treasure, WND-1, 851
Treasures of the body include health and physical ability. They matter, and losing them can be a real grief. But the Daishonin places something above them: the treasures of the heart. Courage, compassion, wisdom, humour, the ability to encourage others: these belong to the heart, and no condition can take them away.
Many people living with disability have shown extraordinary treasures of the heart. Your life is not a lesser version of someone else's. It is a complete life, with its own unique mission.
Respect comes from the heart
In a New Year letter, the Daishonin wrote:
> "Misfortune comes from one's mouth and ruins one, but fortune comes from one's heart and makes one worthy of respect." > — New Year's Gosho, WND-1, 1137
The respect a person deserves doesn't come from their body. It comes from their heart.
That means two things. First, you deserve full respect, including from yourself. Second, when others look at you with pity or ignorance, the problem lies in their seeing, not in your worth. Your life, lived with courage and joy, can change how the people around you see disability.
One small step for tonight
Write down three treasures of the heart you have, such as patience, humour, insight or the way you encourage others. Read them before you chant.
Chant for the support, access and opportunities you need, and for your own unique mission to shine. Then do one thing this week that widens your world a little: a new place, a new person, a new activity.
Practical support matters too: disability services, assistive technology, rehabilitation and peer support groups can make a real difference. If you're struggling emotionally with adjusting to disability, please talk to a counsellor.
From "Why me?" to a smile revolution
Aditi was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at the age of ten. Over the years she gradually lost strength in her limbs and became a wheelchair user. She finished college by correspondence, but for more than a decade her world shrank to the inside of her house, and the question "Why me?" never left her. After she began chanting, she found the courage to dream again. She began talking with her students, their parents and people around her, and started going out: shopping, eating out, and even travelling abroad. When she read guidance addressed to a young man with muscular dystrophy, "Everyone has a special mission," she realised her condition itself could become her mission: to show that a life can be full of joy and courage with any body.
Frequently asked questions
Can my life be meaningful with a disability?
Absolutely. The Daishonin taught that "the treasures of the heart are the most valuable of all" (WND-1, 851). Meaning, joy and contribution come from the heart, which no condition can limit.
How do I deal with people who pity me?
Their pity reflects their limited view, not your worth. "Fortune comes from one's heart and makes one worthy of respect" (WND-1, 1137). Your confident, joyful life is often the best answer.
What should I chant for if I live with a disability?
Chant for the access, support and opportunities you need, for strength and good health, and for your unique mission to be fulfilled.
I recently became disabled. How do I cope?
Allow yourself to grieve what has changed, seek rehabilitation and practical support, and connect with others who have walked the same road. Adjustment takes time.
Which Gosho should I read when living with a disability?
The Three Kinds of Treasure (WND-1, 848–853) and New Year's Gosho (WND-1, 1137–1139).
Sources
All passages are from The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume I (WND-1):
- The Three Kinds of Treasure, p. 851 - New Year's Gosho, p. 1137