It is preached in the Nirvana Sūtra, “The life of a human being is not at a standstill. It changes more rapidly than a swift stream in the mountain. Though we exist today, we do not know whether or not we will exist tomorrow.” The Māyā Sūtra, states, “Human life is like a caṇḍāla who drives a flock of sheep to the slaughterhouse. Likewise, human life approaches death step by step.” Finally, the Lotus Sūtra preaches, “The triple world is unsafe, like a burning house. It is full of suffering and is dreadful indeed.” These are scriptural statements made by our compassionate father, the Greatly Awakened and World Honored One, in order to teach ordinary people in the Latter Age of Degeneration about the impermanence of human life and to awaken us, his naive children.

However, we unenlightened ones are not awakened and do not aspire for enlightenment even for a moment. Instead we spend time needlessly trying to find nicer clothing to adorn our bodies, which will be naked within a night after being discarded in the field when we die. Or, we try to save a fortune to support our bodies, which will disappear completely in a few days after death when it becomes water and drains away, dust mixed with the soil, or smoke rising to the sky. These imprudent activities of the human world remain the same throughout the ages.

Matsuno-dono Gohenji, Response to Lord Matsuno, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Page 68-69