Editor's Note - This is an excerpt from the February 2010 issue of the Buddhist Wheel

In our daily lives, we always think we can get whatever we want. For example, many people desire money, big houses and expensive cars. A man may wish to have a girlfriend or wife. A woman may want to have a boyfriend or husband. Others may seek honor or high position in our society. Some people are able to achieve these goals, but others may not. Can we have true happiness by getting everything we want?

The following is about the life of Hideyoshi Toyotomi who was the most successful person in Japan. Hideyoshi was born into a poor farming family. He did not want to be a farmer but wanted to become a samurai. He left his hometown to be a successful samurai and later became a follower of Nobunaga Oda. At first Nobunaga governed a small area, but he attacked other areas and gradually became stronger. Hideyoshi was very smart and worked hard, so he gradually attained a high position with the Oda family.

Nobunaga Oda occupied a large area of Japan but was killed by one of his followers. Hideyoshi took revenge for Nobunaga and successfully acquired the land of Nobunaga. He attacked other areas where Nobunaga had not occupied and then became a ruler of Japan.

After Hideyoshi Toyotomi became the ruler of Japan, all the Japanese people bowed to him. He became Kanpaku Dajodaijin, similar to a prime minister in Japan, and built many castles. At this time, Chado (Japanese tea ceremony) was popular in Japan. Many Japanese built tea rooms to do Chado. Hideyoshi built a tea room with walls covered with thin layers of gold. Those days, men in high positions had many wives, so Hideyoshi also had many of them. It is said that he had more than 300 wives. Hideyoshi could get everything he wanted. Everyone envied him.

However, Hideyoshi was still not satisfied. After ruling Japan, he began to attack Korea. It is said that he tried to attack China after occupying Korea. His desires became limitless. He continued to attack Korea for about 6 years, and many Koreans were killed. Many samurais gradually began to hate him because they suffered due to his order to fight the war in a foreign country and had no benefits. Gradually, Hideyoshi lost his power.

Hideyoshi always worried about the future of the Toyotomi family, thinking about what would happen after he passed away. He was afraid that other samurais would destroy his family. He often said, “I do not want to die.” Hideyoshi passed away in 1598. Seventeen years after he passed away, the Toyotomi family was destroyed by other samurais.

Though Hideyoshi Toyotomi worked very hard to acquire money, treasures, honor, high position and loved ones, he lost everything when he passed away. Did he have true happiness in his life?

When we cannot obtain things that we want, we feel frustrated. But even if we can get them, our satisfaction is temporary. We desire things that we do not have. We are always trying to grasp various things. Our desires are endless.

Whether we get them or not, we cannot become happy in reality. Whether we can get what we want or not, we will one day become old, someday become sick and pass away. When we pass away, we cannot take anything that we possess in this world. We are separated from our family, friends, loved ones and possessions. We are alone when we pass away. Hideyoshi’s life shows this truth.

Our lives are limited, but Amida Buddha has infinite life. He always embraces us. When we pass away, we lose everything that we had while living. However, Amida Buddha never leaves us and is always with us.

At the temple, we often put our hands together in Gassho. Our right hand represents Amida Buddha and our left hand represents us. That is, Gassho represents that Amida Buddha is always with us. Gassho.

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