仏作って魂入れず ほとけつくってたましいいれず Also written 仏造って魂入れず Meanings Expression so near, yet so far; ploughing the field and forgetting the seed (literally: making a Buddha statue but not putting a soul in it) Kanji 仏 Buddha. Read as ほとけ. 作 make. Read as つくる. 魂 soul. Read as たましい. 入 enter. Read as いれ. Word lists Idioms Jinuma: Japanese Dictionary · Word lists