Word 063
East of Nara city, deep in the mountains, there is an ancient path called the Yagyu Kaido. It is a roughly fourteen-kilometer mountain trail that leads to Yagyu-no-sho — the home of the legendary swordmaster Yagyu Sekishusai.
In the Edo period, young samurai walked this path on their way to train. There were no shortcuts. They had to climb over rocks, cross streams, and ascend steep slopes tangled with tree roots — one step at a time.
Sunlight filters through the leaves. Only birdsong breaks the silence. The path ahead disappears into the trees. Even so, only those who keep moving their feet will reach the next view.
"What if you could suddenly become an all-powerful person who could do anything and everything?"
It would surely be boring.
The process of transforming 'inability' — the 'unfreedom' — into 'ability' — the 'freedom' — through your own effort. That is what makes it exciting!!
In travel, too, there's no such thing as 'instantly arriving at your destination,' is there?
The place where you stumbled, the place where you caught your breath, the place where you stopped and looked up at the sky — all of it belongs to your journey. When you finally arrive, you will understand the weight of every step.