Can't Seem to Save? What Nichiren Daishonin Wrote About Chasing What Others Have

Title: Can't Seem to Save? What Nichiren Daishonin Wrote About Chasing What Others Have

Where did it all go?

The salary arrives, and within days it has scattered: online orders, dinners out, the upgrade you didn't really need, the "investment" a friend said couldn't fail. You promise yourself that next month you'll save. Next month comes, and it happens again.

Often, if you look closely, the spending isn't really about the things. It's about how you feel: keeping up with colleagues, matching what friends post online, a moment of comfort after a hard day, or the fear of missing out on a quick win.

The Daishonin had something to say about that, and it is surprisingly modern.

What does the Gosho say about money habits?

Nichiren Daishonin compared seeking happiness outside oneself to "a poor man who spends night and day counting his neighbor's wealth but gains not even half a coin" (WND-1, 3). He also cautioned against spending one's time "thoughtlessly coveting worldly fame and profit, which are as fleeting as a bolt of lightning or the morning dew" (WND-1, 64).

Counting your neighbour's wealth

In one of his very first letters, written to Toki Jonin, the Daishonin explained why happiness can never be found by looking outside ourselves:

> "If you seek enlightenment outside yourself, then your performing even ten thousand practices and ten thousand good deeds will be in vain. It is like the case of a poor man who spends night and day counting his neighbor's wealth but gains not even half a coin." > — On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime, WND-1, 3

He was writing about Buddhist practice. But the image fits our relationship with money exactly. How much of our spending is really "counting our neighbour's wealth"? The colleague's new car, the cousin's foreign holiday, the influencer's lifestyle?

Every hour spent measuring ourselves against others is an hour not spent building our own life. And every rupee spent to keep up is one that could have gone toward what we actually want.

Lightning and morning dew

In another early letter, the Daishonin wrote:

> "Though at present you may taste only a tiny fraction of the everlasting joys that await you in the future, surely you should not spend your time thoughtlessly coveting worldly fame and profit, which are as fleeting as a bolt of lightning or the morning dew." > — Questions and Answers about Embracing the Lotus Sutra, WND-1, 64

Lightning is bright, and gone in an instant. Morning dew sparkles, and has disappeared by noon. That is what most impulse purchases feel like: a flash of satisfaction, then nothing.

The Daishonin is not saying you should never enjoy anything. He is pointing to what lasts. Saving money is one way of choosing what lasts over what flashes.

One small step for tonight

Look at your last month's spending and mark each item with one of two letters: N for need, or F for feeling (comparison, comfort, boredom, fear of missing out). Don't judge. Just notice.

Then chant to become the master of your money rather than letting it master you, and set up one small automatic saving, however modest, that leaves your account on the day your salary arrives.

If you find you can't stop spending even when you want to, or gambling or trading is involved, please speak to a counsellor. Compulsive spending is a real struggle, not a character flaw, and help works.

The investment that wiped out her savings

Ananya grew up in deep hardship. Her mother worked as a domestic helper, and the family lived in a single room. Through chanting, she moved from a night-shift BPO job into a stable IT role and, for the first time, began saving toward a home for her mother. Then she lost that job in a recession, found another, and soon afterwards invested a large sum in a business opportunity a close friend recommended. It failed, and she lost everything. Instead of blaming her friend, she chanted for her friend's happiness and for her own wisdom, and kept encouraging members. In time, the same friend helped her recover the entire amount.

Frequently asked questions

Does Buddhism say it's wrong to spend money on myself?

No. The Daishonin's teaching is not about denial. It's about not chasing what is "as fleeting as a bolt of lightning or the morning dew" (WND-1, 64). Spend on what genuinely enriches your life, and save for what matters most.

Why do I keep overspending even when I know I shouldn't?

Often the spending is meeting an emotional need: comparison, comfort or fear of missing out. The Daishonin's image of "a poor man who spends night and day counting his neighbor's wealth" (WND-1, 3) points to the root. Chanting can help you notice and transform the feeling behind the habit.

What should I chant for when I can't control my spending?

Chant to see clearly what you really want for your life, and for the strength to choose it over momentary impulses. Pair the prayer with one practical system, such as automatic savings or a spending limit.

Is it okay to invest money a friend recommends?

Only after checking it independently, ideally with a qualified advisor. Sincerity and trust in a friendship do not replace due diligence. Never invest money you cannot afford to lose.

Which Gosho should I read about money habits?

On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime (WND-1, 3–5) and Questions and Answers about Embracing the Lotus Sutra (WND-1, 55–67).

Sources

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

- On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime, p. 3 - Questions and Answers about Embracing the Lotus Sutra, p. 64