How to Read “Reciting Buddhist prayers to pigs and sutras to cats”
Buta ni nenbutsu neko ni kyō
Meaning of “Reciting Buddhist prayers to pigs and sutras to cats”
This proverb teaches that sharing valuable or sophisticated ideas with someone who lacks the ability or interest to understand them is meaningless.
It describes situations where you talk at length about difficult or specialized topics without considering the listener’s knowledge level or interests.
The message simply doesn’t reach them. For example, explaining technical details to someone with no interest, or teaching advanced concepts to someone who isn’t ready.
This expression exists because Japanese culture recognizes that “the receiver’s readiness” matters in communication.
No matter how wonderful the content, if the listener cannot understand it, it might as well not exist.
Today, this proverb reminds us that effective communication requires considering the other person’s position and level of understanding.
Origin and Etymology
No specific written source has been identified for this proverb’s first appearance. However, its structure reveals interesting background information.
The proverb uses two Buddhist terms: “nenbutsu” and “kyō.” This suggests it became popular during or after the Edo period, when Buddhism was deeply woven into common people’s lives.
Nenbutsu refers to chanting the name of Amida Buddha. Kyō means sutras, the scriptures containing Buddha’s teachings.
Both are sacred and meaningful to humans. But pigs and cats cannot understand them at all.
The choice of animals is clever. The proverb uses familiar animals from everyday life.
Cats were probably chosen because their carefree, independent nature perfectly represents ignoring teachings. Pigs represent animals that live by appetite and instinct.
A similar expression exists: “Reciting prayers to a horse’s ears.” But “Reciting Buddhist prayers to pigs and sutras to cats” creates stronger rhythm and impact by pairing two animals.
This proverb is a crystallization of wisdom born from common people’s life experience, with a touch of humor.
Interesting Facts
“Nenbutsu” and “kyō” in this proverb actually represent practices from different Buddhist sects.
Nenbutsu refers to chanting “Namu Amida Butsu,” emphasized in Pure Land Buddhism. Kyō refers to sutras read in Zen and Tendai Buddhism.
Having different Buddhist practices in one proverb may show that Edo-period common people were influenced by various sects.
The image of cats ignoring sutras matches real cat behavior perfectly. Cats show remarkable indifference to things that don’t interest them.
No matter how much you call them, they sometimes act like you don’t exist. This sharp observation makes the proverb more convincing.
Usage Examples
- Explaining things to new employees using only technical terms is like reciting Buddhist prayers to pigs and sutras to cats, so let’s start with the basics
- I passionately explained game strategies to my mother who has no interest in games, but it was like reciting Buddhist prayers to pigs and sutras to cats
Universal Wisdom
This proverb has been passed down because it brilliantly captures a fundamental human desire and the structure of frustration.
We humans have a strong wish for others to understand what we find important. A book that moved us, a hobby we’re passionate about, values we believe in.
The desire to share these things shows our social nature. But at the same time, we often misjudge the other person’s state.
The more enthusiastic we become, the less we see the other person’s readiness or direction of interest.
This proverb reveals the essential asymmetry of communication. The speaker’s passion and the listener’s receptive capacity don’t necessarily match.
No matter how valuable the content, without a vessel to receive it, that value cannot be realized. This is a harsh reality.
However, this teaching doesn’t preach resignation. Rather, it teaches the importance of understanding others and standing in their position.
True communication isn’t about saying what you want to say. It’s about conveying things in a form the other person can receive.
This is a deep insight. The proverb conveys, with humor, the ancestral wisdom about the need for humility and consideration in human relationships.
When AI Hears This
In information theory, every communication channel has a limit called “channel capacity.” This is the maximum amount of information that can be sent per second through that path.
But when reciting Buddhist prayers to pigs, a more fundamental problem occurs. It’s “encoding mismatch”—the language systems used by sender and receiver are completely different.
When humans recite prayers, the physical signal of sound definitely reaches the pig’s ears. It travels as air vibrations, so channel capacity isn’t zero.
The problem is that the pig’s brain has no “dictionary to decode Buddhist concepts.” It’s like giving a letter written in Japanese to someone who knows no Japanese at all.
They can see the characters, but cannot extract any meaning.
What’s interesting is that this situation isn’t complete information zero. The pig can receive information like “a human is nearby” or “something is being vocalized” from volume and tone.
So the information transmission rate is close to zero, but not strictly zero. The same happens in modern AI-human dialogue.
AI can process words, but cannot fully decode human cultural background or emotional nuances. Understanding always requires a “shared codebook.”
Lessons for Today
This proverb teaches modern people that “the effort to know the other person” matters as much as “the effort to convey.”
In our modern age overflowing with SNS information, we have many opportunities to share our opinions and knowledge.
But transmitting and being understood are different things. Speaking one-sidedly without considering the other person’s knowledge level, interests, or mental state is no different from talking to yourself.
What’s especially important is the observational skill to determine “whether the other person can receive this right now.”
Have you ever noticed the other person pulling away the more enthusiastically you speak? That might not be a content problem, but a timing or delivery problem.
This proverb also teaches humility in communication. When someone doesn’t understand, it’s not only their lack of ability.
There might be a problem with how you’re conveying it. Standing in the other person’s position and choosing words they can receive.
Such consideration creates communication that truly “gets through,” doesn’t it?
Comments