Passion, we’re told, is the key to success. Following your passion and chasing your dreams is the road to fulfillment. Passion fuels our ambition, ignites creativity, and drives us to do remarkable things. In both our personal and professional lives, we are encouraged to embrace our passions fully, as they represent our truest selves.

But do they? What happens when passion turns into obsession? When the drive that once inspired us begins to consume us?

Consider This

The tale of Kiyohime tells of a young woman who fell deeply in love with a Buddhist monk named Anchin. Initially, Anchin reciprocated her kindness, but when Kiyohime confessed her romantic feelings, he rejected her. Instead of confronting the situation openly, Anchin promised to return but secretly planned to avoid her altogether.

When Kiyohime discovered his deception, her heartbreak quickly morphed into an all-consuming rage. She chased Anchin with such fervor that her anger transformed her—literally—into a serpent or dragon. Consumed by fury and obsession, she tracked him to Dōjō-ji temple, where he sought refuge beneath a large bell. But Kiyohime, now a monstrous dragon, coiled around the bell and breathed fire until the heat killed Anchin inside.

Putting it into Play

Kiyohime’s story reminds us that passion, left unchecked, can easily become obsession—and that obsession can warp us. While most of us won’t breathe fire or become dragons, the transformation of obsession is very real in modern life. Our inner power—our drive, emotions, convictions—can spiral out of control in subtle but significant ways.

We see it when our beliefs become so all-consuming that opposing views trigger rage, hateful comments, and even death threats. We see when people go into debt to buy the latest iPhone, running shoe, or luxury bag. When we doomscroll, check our phones compulsively, feel anxious when disconnected. 

Passion is beautiful. But also consuming. The Buddhist lesson in the myth of Kihohime is to make sure your passion is in service of your deeper values, not just your immediate desires or attachments. And it’s about self-discipline, developing power over our impulses, so our passions energize us, and not consume us.