How to Read “The elderly and Buddhist altars have no place to put them”
Toshiyori to butsudan wa okidokoro ga nai
Meaning of “The elderly and Buddhist altars have no place to put them”
This proverb describes a situation where both the elderly and Buddhist altars are important presences in the home that deserve respect.
Yet finding the right place for them is surprisingly difficult.
Buddhist altars have many rules about direction and position. Finding the ideal spot in a limited living space is not easy.
Similarly, elderly family members deserve respect. But deciding how to treat them in daily life and which room they should live in becomes a troubling problem.
This depends on family structure and housing circumstances.
This proverb frankly expresses a delicate household problem. The more precious something is, the more care we must take in handling it, making proper placement difficult.
Even today, when considering two-generation housing or elderly care issues, the essential challenge this proverb describes remains unchanged.
Origin and Etymology
The exact first appearance of this proverb in literature is unclear. It likely emerged against the background of traditional Japanese housing conditions and changing family structures.
From the Edo period through the Meiji and Taisho eras, Japanese houses had limited space where many family members lived together.
The Buddhist altar was a central presence in the home. It had strict rules about direction and position, making it difficult to secure an appropriate location.
North-facing placement was to be avoided. The relationship with the Shinto altar also required consideration. Sunlight and humidity had to be factored in as well.
Meanwhile, the place for the elderly also presented complex problems within the extended family system.
While maintaining authority as head of the household, keeping appropriate physical and psychological distance when living with younger generations was difficult.
Should they stay in the formal sitting room or the living room? Should they have a sunny room or a quiet room in the back?
These decisions involved the delicate balance of family relationships.
By pairing these two things, the proverb expresses a universal dilemma Japanese households face.
Both deserve respect, yet in actual living space, they are difficult to handle.
This saying captures with humor the ironic reality that the more we should respect something, the more care we must take in handling it, making it harder to find the right place.
Usage Examples
- We’re considering three-generation living, but as they say, the elderly and Buddhist altars have no place to put them, so we need to think carefully about the floor plan
- The hardest part of the renovation was deciding where to put the Buddhist altar room. I really experienced the truth of the elderly and Buddhist altars have no place to put them
Universal Wisdom
The universal truth this proverb speaks is a fundamental dilemma of human society. The more precious something is, the harder it is to handle.
We struggle with distance and positioning precisely for things we should respect and honor.
Neither Buddhist altars nor the elderly can be treated carelessly. That’s exactly why we become too cautious about where to place them and how to interact with them.
We can’t reach an answer. The stronger our desire to cherish something, the more we feel crushed by the weight of that responsibility.
This structure applies to many situations in human relationships. How should we treat a respected boss? What position should we give a distinguished contributor? How should we repay a benefactor?
The deeper our respect for someone, the less clear the appropriate response becomes.
Thinking more deeply, this proverb teaches us how to face problems with no correct answer.
Perhaps the perfect place doesn’t exist. Still, within our limited space and resources, we must do our best to find an answer.
Our ancestors transformed this difficulty into laughter. By doing so, they freed themselves from seeking perfection.
Struggling with how to handle precious things is proof that you’re facing them sincerely. The struggle itself is an expression of respect.
This proverb gently teaches us that truth.
When AI Hears This
The second law of thermodynamics states that entropy in an isolated system always increases. Entropy is the degree of disorder.
In other words, if left alone, things inevitably become chaotic. This proverb depicts exactly this law occurring in domestic space.
Consider the home as a limited space. In their youth, parents functioned as labor force, generating energy within the space.
But with aging, that function declines. At the same time, the Buddhist altar was once the family’s spiritual center.
In modern times, however, it has become an “untouchable but undiscardable object” in many households.
In physics, even objects that do no work continue to occupy energy, in this case space. This reduces the freedom of the entire system. This is entropy increase.
What’s interesting is that this process is irreversible. Just as heat flows only one direction from high to low temperature, family relationships cannot reverse the change from functioning presence to object of respect.
Even if you tidy the room, the “immovable mass” of the elderly and Buddhist altar remains. This is a physical constraint and proof that invisible emotional energy complicates the system.
Reducing entropy requires energy input from outside. In other words, without expanding the system through a larger house or social support, this placement problem is fundamentally unsolvable.
Lessons for Today
What this proverb teaches us today is that struggling with precious things is natural. If you’re worried about caring for your parents or family housing, that worry is proof you’re taking it seriously.
Don’t seek perfection too much. Within limited space and resources, an ideal solution that satisfies all conditions may not exist.
Still, what matters is doing your best with what you have now. And maintaining flexibility to adjust according to circumstances.
Also, by stating flatly that there is no place to put them, this proverb actually makes us feel better.
Knowing everyone struggles with this problem helps you realize you’re not incompetent. Our ancestors struggled the same way, yet still lived together with family.
In modern society, aging populations and changing housing situations make this problem more complex. That’s why dialogue seeking compromise that satisfies everyone is essential, rather than aiming for perfection.
As long as you have the desire to cherish precious things, you will find a place for them.
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