Word 007
On a Golden Week morning, the air in Nara carries a quiet clarity.
In a corner of this ancient city, full of visitors, I pause for a moment.
Through long centuries, countless people have walked beneath this same sky, each weaving their own life into being.
Not one has walked exactly the same path as another.
That is no coincidence — for each of us is the sole author of our own story.
You are the creator of your own life.
Every person is the creator of their own life.
Therefore, each of us bears responsibility for our own life —
and at the same time, holds the freedom that is ours alone.
One who truly understands their own responsibility and freedom
can also respect the responsibility and freedom of others.
Living your own life fully, and respecting the lives of others — these grow, in the end, from the same root.