Studying the Matter of the Last Moment of Life

As I contemplate my own life, I, Nichiren, have studied Buddhism ever since I was a child. Our life is uncertain, as exhaling one’s breath one moment does not guarantee drawing it the next; it is as transient as dew before the wind and its end occurs suddenly to everyone, the wise and the ignorant, the aged and the young. I thought I should study the matter of the last moment of life first of all, before studying anything else. In this endeavor I collected commentaries and interpretations of the holy teachings of the Buddha written by commentators and Buddhist masters. Using them as a spotless mirror, I collated all their thoughts upon death and after death, I found no discrepancy.

Myōhō-ama Gozen Gohenji, A Reply to My Lady, the Nun Myōhō, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 141