Word 037
Passing through the Great South Gate of Tōdai-ji, two enormous guardian figures loom on either side. Each stands more than 8 meters tall — masterworks said to have been carved by Unkei, Kaikei, and their fellow sculptors in just 69 days.
I stood before them for a long time, quietly wondering: could work driven purely by obligation carry this much soul?
What fills every carved line, I felt certain, was not "I must do this" — but "I want to."
"I must do ○○."
With this mindset, your spirit will someday break.
"I do ○○ because I want to."
Nothing can surpass this.
The moment "I must" takes hold, the weight of what we do begins to grow. But actions born from "I want to" carry the power to turn even fatigue into something meaningful. Ask yourself today — is this step driven by obligation, or by something you truly desire?