Word 054
Byakugoji Temple sits quietly on a gentle hillside on the eastern edge of Nara City.
Climbing the stone steps, the main hall comes into view — and just before it, the landscape opens wide. Below, the city of Nara spreads out: rooftops stretching on and on, and in the distance, the great roof of Todaiji rising above the rest. To the south, the ridge of Mount Kasuga meets the sky; to the north, Mount Wakakusa traces its soft green arc.
Within that vast expanse, countless lives unfold, each one unknown to you. But standing here alone, everything feels very quiet, and very far away.
We are born alone into this world, and we leave it alone.
It is a deeply lonely thing.
There is no escaping this truth — this destiny.
And that is precisely why " companions " are precious.
Respect and cherish the " companions " who surround you.
Perhaps it is only by standing alone on this hill that the warmth of those distant lights below finds its way so deeply into the heart.