03/06/2026
When I was a child, I read a novel about a hunter who hunted for a living. He spoke of “fairness” in hunting—that a hunter must enter the hunting grounds putting his own life on the line. If a hunter takes unfair advantage of his prey, such as using a bullet that is too large, it is considered a dishonorable hunt. The same applies to animals in nature; for instance, in a battle between a snake and an eagle, either side could blunder and lose. Both fight purely for survival.
Personally, I do not support the taking of life, and I do not know if these kinds of “honorable battles” still exist nowadays. However, that concept of harmony with nature may have subconsciously deeply ingrained itself in me without my realizing it.
Looking at this from the perspective of woodworking:
Using a power saw feels like giving a “command” to the piece of wood.
Using a hand saw, on the other hand, feels as though I am having a “gentle conversation” with it.
What I have said might sound rambling, as if I am drawing far-fetched analogies.
But the truth that outweighs everything else is this:
I simply “love the atmosphere” of working this way,
and I dislike the atmosphere of working that way.
I am just being completely, utterly honest with myself.
Because it feels good to every single one of my senses.
My body moves in just the right way. That is really all there is to it.
As for whether I will be successful or not:
I would like to bring up the teaching of Ajarn Chalermchai:
“As long as you are not mediocre (not ‘Krajok’), no matter what you do, you can achieve success.”
Look at that young man who drives nails with perfect accuracy; he just drives nails (also without blinking even once!). Or the other person who can mix colors to an exact match without using any measuring tools or scales at all.
