A woman's nature differs from a man just as fire differs from water, fire being hot and water cold. Fisherman are skilled in catching fish, and hunters are proficient in trapping dear. A sutra states that it is a woman's nature to be jealous, but no sutra says that women are good at seeking Buddhism. A woman's mind is compared to a breeze; even if it were possible to bind the wind, one could never grasp a woman's mind. A woman's mind is likened to characters written on the surface of water; they do not remain a moment. A woman is compared to a liar; one cannot tell whether a liar's words are true or false. A woman's mind is compared to a river, for all rivers meander.
Letter to Nichimyo Shonin
The number of those endowed with human life is as small as the amount of earth one can place on a fingernail. Life as a human being is hard to sustain - as hard as it is for the dew to remain on the grass. But it is better to live a single day with honour than to live to 120 and die in disgrace. Live so that all the people of Kamakura will say in your praise that Nakatsukasa Saburo Saemon-no-ji is diligent in the service of his lord, in the service of Buddhism, and in his concern for other people.
The Three Kinds of Treasure (WND, 851).
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