The Ultimate Value of Human Life

An excerpt of dharma speech from Rev. Koju Fujieda (2007)

In the southern part of Osaka Prefecture there lives an obstetrician and devout Nembutsu person, whose name is humbly hidden, but tentatively let’s call him Joji.

He was brought up by his father alone and urged to go to Sunday School at the temple. When he was a sixth grader, however, he sometimes failed to go. When finally his father knew the fact, he scolded him very severely. Joji made an excuse saying that he was studying for the entrance examination to the middle school as his friends did; he did not just play truant, but his father did not forgive him. In his vexation he started to cry, when his father spoke in a serious tone; “Listen, Joji. I intended to tell this to you after you enter the middle school, but this is the time, I think.

"You know you have no mother, but do you know how she died? When she came to this house and became pregnant, everybody rejoiced, expecting the first child, and we held Obi-Iwai or a celebration of pregnancy, even inviting her obstetric doctor. A couple of weeks later, however, the doctor called the six of us, your parents and grandparents from two households and said. ‘I feel very sorry to have to say this to you after your great celebration, but the pregnant wife is suffering from an acute toxemia. So I advise you to give up the fetus this time, or I cannot assure of her life.’ Everybody was shocked into a long time of silence until your grandma from your mom’s side whispered, ‘Please save my daughter.’ and then all the others nodded. At that moment, you mom tossed her head decidedly and spoke out, ‘Doctor, please let my baby come out to this world. I don’t care about my life, because I was brought up in a Buddhist household, imbued with the idea that we humans are born in this world to hear the true Dharma, and I attended Sunday School and Buddhist Youth Association, encountering the Shoshinge and Tannisho, I am now treading the path to Pure Land in this world, so I have no apprehension about the future. But if my child in my womb were sent from the darkness to darkness, he will never meet Buddhism. Please let this precious human life come into this world to see the light of Amida. This wish is just what I was born for, Doctor.’

Bursting into tears, her mother cried, ‘I was wrong. I just wanted to save my owndaughter, but she is right. Please do as she asks.’ All the others simply nodded their heads. ‘As you all say so, I will do my best to save both lives as far as I can,’ the doctor said, but when you were born, your mom left this world at the age of twenty-two. Joji, now you know how you were born and what you were born for, don’t you?”

After this revelation, Joji was never absent from Sunday School; moreover he took every opportunity to hear Buddhist teachings and finally became a devout Nembutsu person.

On the other hand, as a student, Joji decided to become a doctor who can save such afflicted women as his mother and he finally became the head doctor of an obstetric hospital.

When Rev. Kawamura met him some time ago, she found all his family members, including his son and his wife, were leading very devoted lives as Nembutsu persons.

Now you see how Joji’s mother’s wish has come true; how one’s own Shinjin does influence other persons into Shinjin. “Jishin Kyoninnshin” or realizing shinjin oneself and guiding others to shinjin must certainly be the ultimate value of human life.