This new series, prepared by the SGI-USA Study Department, features timeless stories in Nichiren Daishonin’s writings (called the Gosho) that continue to offer practical wisdom for us today.
High in the snowy Himalayan mountains lived a bird called the “cold-suffering bird” (kankucho). Every night it shivered in the freezing cold and promised itself that once the sun rose it would finally build a warm nest.
But each morning, as soon as the sun warmed its feathers, the bird forgot its promise. Instead of building a nest, it spent the day playing and sleeping. When night came, it suffered in the cold once again.
Day after day, the same pattern continued. The bird was miserable at night but avoided work during the day. In the end, the cold-suffering bird lived its whole life without ever building a nest—suffering simply because it put off taking care of the important things.
From ‘Letter to Niike’
Nichiren Daishonin tells the story of the cold-suffering bird, then likens the bird’s fate to that of ordinary people, writing:
The same is true of human beings. When they fall into hell and gasp in its flames, they long to be reborn as humans and vow to put everything else aside and serve the three treasures[1] in order to gain enlightenment in their next life. But even on the rare occasions when they happen to be reborn in human form, the winds of fame and profit blow violently, and the lamp of Buddhist practice is easily extinguished.
—“Letter to Niike,” The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin, vol. 1, p. 1027
‘Building Our Nest’ by Strengthening Our Heart
Many of us can probably relate to the cold-suffering bird. Like this bird, we might sometimes choose short-term comfort instead of putting effort into reaching our goals or facing challenges.
By chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, however, we can bring out wisdom and courage to take the best action now instead of waiting for “tomorrow.”
In this story, the bird never builds its nest. For us, “building our nest” means strengthening our hearts and Buddha nature—the wisdom, courage and compassion inside us. We do this by studying Nichiren’s writings and Ikeda Sensei’s guidance, sharing Buddhism with others and chanting for our own and others’ happiness.
Nichiren Buddhism teaches that genuine happiness comes from steady inner growth. As we strengthen our hearts, we naturally become more joyful and resilient. Yet society often tells us that happiness comes from status, wealth or success—what Nichiren calls “the winds of fame and profit.” These things aren’t inherently bad, but if we get distracted by such temporary comforts, like the cold-suffering bird, we may lose sight of what truly matters. When our “lamp of Buddhist practice” dims or goes out, we can be shaken by life’s problems. But when we focus on developing a strong self, we build a life state that no suffering can sway.
Many people search for happiness outside themselves, unaware of their deeper purpose. Sensei says that it’s like paying to stay in a luxurious hotel but then returning to a run-down home. Buddhist practice isn’t about escaping to a lavish hotel. It’s about improving our own inner home, making it into a splendid palace. To do this, he explains:
We must first understand the fundamental causes of our suffering—the places where the roof leaks or where there are drafts—and fundamentally repair these areas and so create a comfortable and homey state of life.
In other words, Buddhist practice lies in perceiving that the cause of suffering is none other than one’s own illusions and then struggling to transform the self so as to conquer these illusions. (The Wisdom of the Lotus Sutra, vol. 4, pp. 157–58)
By sharing the story of the cold-suffering bird, Nichiren reminds us not to give in to our negative tendencies and to appreciate how rare it is to be born human and encounter this Buddhism. Instead of being like the bird and repeating the cycle of suffering, we can work to build a warm home within our hearts, create lasting happiness and share that warmth with others.
—Prepared by the SGI-USA Study Department
March 20, 2026 World Tribune, p. 11
References
- The three treasures: The Buddha, the Dharma (his Law and teaching) and the sangha (the Buddhist order or community). ↩︎
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