“A truly wise man will not be carried away by any of the eight winds.”
written by Nichiren Daishonin, 13th century Japan
The “eight winds” are eight influences that agitate and inflame the human heart and mind.* They consist of four favorable circumstances (prosperity, honor, praise, and pleasure) and four setbacks (decline, disgrace, censure, and suffering). Their contents are roughly as follows:
Prosperity: to obtain what one desires
Decline: to suffer loss
Honor: to be admired and praised in one’s absence
Disgrace: to be criticized and defamed in one’s absence (behind one’s back)
Praise: to be admired and praised directly
Censure: to be criticized and defamed directly
Pleasure: to be happy in body and mind
Suffering: to suffer in body and mind
People naturally seek out the four favorable circumstances and try to avoid the four setbacks. This is why their defenses can be penetrated by these eight winds. The four favorable circumstances are viewed as rewards of the world of Heaven and the four setbacks as retributions of the three evil paths. For the most part, life consists of repeated encounters with these eight winds, what is termed in Buddhism “transmigration of the six paths.”
Sunday, December 17th at 2:00 pm
Visit Myosenji Temple this Sunday for a lecture on the Buddhist Concept of the Ten Worlds by our Chief Priest and learn more about the eight winds, why you can easily be swayed by the eight winds, and what you can do to take responsibility for your life and change your karma.
*Excerpted from: Do No Be Swayed by the Eight Winds
