How to Read “Begging for salvation with six evil natures”
goshō negai no rokushō aku
Meaning of “Begging for salvation with six evil natures”
This proverb warns that people who only pray for happiness in the next life while neglecting effort in this life will fall into six evil character traits.
Wishing for peace in the afterlife is not bad in itself. The problem is relying only on that wish while neglecting the present.
People who avoid real effort and just wish to be “saved someday” develop various bad traits. They become lazy and run from challenges right in front of them.
They grow greedy, always seeking the easy path. They become jealous of others’ happiness. These evil natures grow stronger over time.
This proverb is used to warn people who talk about ideals and wishes but never actually do anything. People say “Don’t fall into begging for salvation with six evil natures.”
It criticizes empty faith that’s only words. It warns against wanting results without effort.
Today, we can understand it as a warning for people who only talk about goals without taking action. It applies to those who dream about future happiness but don’t value the present moment.
Origin and Etymology
Clear written records about the origin of this proverb are limited. However, it is clearly influenced by Buddhist thought.
“Goshō” is a Buddhist term meaning the afterlife or next life. “Goshō negai” means wishing for happiness in the next life or rebirth in paradise.
This phrase has been widely used in Japanese Buddhist culture. The number “six” in “rokushō” appears often in Buddhism to represent human delusions and suffering.
Examples include the “six roots” (eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind) and the “six realms” (hell, hungry ghosts, animals, asuras, humans, heaven).
This proverb warns against neglecting practice and good deeds in this life while only wishing for comfort in the next. Buddhism originally emphasizes polishing one’s heart through daily practice.
Those who neglect this and only pray for the afterlife with empty words will fall into evil traits like laziness and greed. This is the paradox the proverb points out.
There are various theories about which six evils “rokushō aku” specifically refers to. Most likely it represents basic human afflictions like laziness, greed, jealousy, anger, complaining, and arrogance.
The proverb contains a Buddhist teaching that values practice. It shows how abandoning effort in this life and placing all hope in the next life actually causes people to fall into corruption.
Usage Examples
- He only dreams of success without working hard, truly begging for salvation with six evil natures
- Let’s not fall into begging for salvation with six evil natures, but do what we can today one step at a time
Universal Wisdom
The human nature this proverb describes is truly profound. Everyone has moments when they want to look away from painful reality.
At such times, people try to find peace of mind by wishing “I’ll be saved someday” or “The future will surely get better.”
However, our ancestors saw the danger hidden there. Hope for the future can support people, but it can also become an escape from the present.
A heart that avoids today’s effort and only waits for tomorrow’s good fortune gradually makes people lazy. It steals away the power to face reality without them noticing.
What’s more interesting is that this proverb speaks of “six evil natures” in plural, not just “one evil.” There’s an insight that one escape triggers various bad traits in a chain reaction.
Laziness that avoids effort creates greed seeking comfort. That breeds jealousy toward others. Eventually it develops into anger and complaints to justify oneself.
The corruption of the human heart progresses in stages like this.
This proverb has been passed down for so long because humans are fundamentally beings who want to escape from “here and now.”
Talking about ideals is easy, but steady practice is difficult. That’s why this warning continues to resonate across time.
When AI Hears This
The human brain tends to choose 100,000 yen today over 1,000,000 yen in one year. Behavioral economics calls this “hyperbolic discounting.”
What’s interesting is that this discount rate isn’t constant across time. For example, people can choose “1,100,000 yen in one year and one day” over “1,000,000 yen in one year.”
But they choose today when comparing “1,000,000 yen today” versus “1,100,000 yen tomorrow.” In other words, people are calm when comparing distant future options.
But they suddenly become impatient when benefits dangle right in front of them.
What’s amazing about this proverb is how it perfectly captures this asymmetry through the contrast of “goshō” and “rokushō.” Salvation after death is an ultimately distant benefit.
Mathematically, its value is discounted almost to zero. Meanwhile, immediate desires appear inflated to many times their actual value.
Research shows people discount rewards one month away to about half their value. When it becomes years or decades away, subjective value approaches zero.
In other words, “wishing for the afterlife while losing to six natures” isn’t weakness of will. It’s a structural bug built into the human time perception system.
This proverb grasped the essence of human decision-making mechanisms in an era without brain science or behavioral economics.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches you today is the importance of balancing dreams and reality.
We hold various goals and ideals every day. We want to be healthy, successful, and happy. Having such wishes is wonderful.
But stopping there is meaningless. What matters is taking a small step today toward that ideal.
In modern society, we have more chances to feel anxious seeing others’ success on social media. We dream of ideal lives through self-help books.
However, if you feel satisfied just talking about ideals without actual action, you risk falling into the “six evil natures” this proverb warns about.
What you can do is hold distant goals while focusing on what you can do this very moment. You don’t need to aim for perfection.
Small efforts are enough. An attitude of moving forward a little each day will truly help you grow. As a result, it will guide you to the future you desire.
Dreaming about the future and living in the present are not opposing things. By valuing both, your life will become richer.
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