Want to Grow Your Income? What Nichiren Daishonin Wrote About Roots and Good Fortune

Title: Want to Grow Your Income? What Nichiren Daishonin Wrote About Roots and Good Fortune

The question many members are shy to ask

You want more. A bigger home for your parents. Your children's education without loans. The freedom to stop worrying. Maybe a business of your own.

But there's a hesitation. Isn't Buddhism supposed to be about letting go of desire? Is it greedy, or somehow less spiritual, to chant for money?

Many members carry this question quietly. The Daishonin's answer is clear, and it may surprise you.

What does the Gosho say about chanting for wealth?

Nichiren Daishonin taught that "earthly desires are enlightenment" (WND-1, 218): our desires, including wanting a better life, are not obstacles but the fuel for growth through chanting. He quoted the Lotus Sutra's promise that "their wishes will not be in vain, and in this present existence they will gain the reward of good fortune" (WND-1, 654), and taught that "the deeper the roots, the more luxuriant the branches" (WND-1, 940).

Your wishes will not be in vain

When the young steward Nanjo Tokimitsu sent New Year gifts to the Daishonin, including rice cakes, sake, taros, radishes and yams, he received this in reply:

> "The eighth volume of the Lotus Sutra says, 'Their wishes will not be in vain, and in this present existence they will gain the reward of good fortune.' It also states, 'In this present existence he will have manifest reward for it.'" > — Good Fortune in This Life, WND-1, 654

"In this present existence." Not only in some future life. The Daishonin did not see wanting a good life as something to be ashamed of. He saw it as something the practice is meant to fulfil.

Elsewhere, he named this principle directly: "earthly desires are enlightenment" (WND-1, 218). The desire for a better life, chanted about sincerely, becomes the energy that drives your growth as a person.

Deep roots, luxuriant branches

When Shijo Kingo's lord finally granted him a new estate after years of hardship, the Daishonin wrote to him:

> "The deeper the roots, the more luxuriant the branches. The farther the source, the longer the stream." > — The Farther the Source, the Longer the Stream, WND-1, 940

He was speaking of the Lotus Sutra itself, but the principle fits wealth exactly. Lasting prosperity grows from deep roots: skills, character, trustworthiness, and the good causes you make for others. Money that grows without roots can disappear just as fast.

So chant for income, absolutely. And chant just as much to deepen the roots: to become someone whose work is so valuable, and whose character so trusted, that prosperity follows naturally.

One small step for tonight

Write down a specific financial goal, with a number and a date. Vague wishes produce vague results. Then, beneath it, write one "root" you will strengthen to get there: a skill, a qualification, a new way of serving your clients or employer.

Chant for both: the goal and the root.

From collection agents to his own company

When Karan was in college, his family discovered a large bank debt, and collection agents began visiting their home. He started a zero-investment export business while still studying, faced rejection after rejection from overseas buyers, and finally executed his first order. He also earned the highest placement package in his college. The family repaid around 60 percent of the debt. Later he was laid off after five months in a new job, rebuilt his confidence through faith, and found a better-paid role, where he was promoted twice, the second time to lead a team, with a 30 percent salary rise. In 2023, the family bought their own home in Gurugram, and he went on to co-found his own company.

Frequently asked questions

Is it okay to chant for money in Nichiren Buddhism?

Yes. The Daishonin taught that "earthly desires are enlightenment" (WND-1, 218). Chanting for a better life, including financially, is a natural part of the practice. What matters is that you also grow as a person in the process.

Is wanting wealth greedy?

Wanting security and abundance for your family is not greed. The Daishonin quoted the sutra's promise that in "this present existence they will gain the reward of good fortune" (WND-1, 654). Greed is wealth that harms others or never feels like enough.

Why haven't my prayers for money been answered yet?

Branches grow from roots, and roots take time (WND-1, 940). Keep chanting with a clear goal, and keep strengthening the skills and character that let prosperity last.

How should I use wealth once it comes?

Many members find that using good fortune to support family, encourage others and contribute to society deepens it further. Wealth with a purpose tends to keep growing.

Which Gosho should I read about prosperity?

Good Fortune in This Life (WND-1, 654–655), The Farther the Source, the Longer the Stream (WND-1, 940–944) and The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life (WND-1, 216–219).

Sources

All passages are from The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, Volume I (WND-1):

- Good Fortune in This Life, p. 654 - The Farther the Source, the Longer the Stream, p. 940 - The Heritage of the Ultimate Law of Life, p. 218