Water and tranquility

2026/05/25 14:41

Ice, water, steam. Water changes its form with temperature, flows from high to low places, and makes up 90% of our bodies. The ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu (B.C 571~470?) said:　
上善水の如し　
‘The Best Good is like water. Water never competes with others even though it benefits all things.’
Whenever my heart is troubled, when I am sad, when I want to regain my composure, or when I want to find some kind of answer, I always go to a body of water where I can drift peacefully. Sometimes it might be a stream, other times a pond, or it might be a beach. I try to calm my mind as much as possible in the quietest and most peaceful body of water, and take deep breaths in silence, without thinking about anything. After a while, sometimes I feel something settle deep within my heart, and other times I feel nothing at all, but then suddenly realize that my feelings have changed. It's not something as grand as meditation, but I've experienced that kind of fulfillment several times in the past.

Trying to capture such feelings in a photograph is quite difficult. It's like the old East Asian fairy tale where a child asks their parent to get them the moon. Not only is it difficult to grasp the ever-changing form and flow of things like the moon, water, and time, but it's also extremely challenging. In the story, the parents tell you to look at a bucket of water under the moonlight. It is undeniably there, rippling on the surface. Whether it's water in a bucket or the moon reflected in it, these things have no real substance. The same is true of an image that has been photographed and fixed as "water." Just as no one can stop time. However, by looking at the world captured in that image, we may be able to cultivate an image of "water" in that person's mind. If you can find something in my efforts, then I will have achieved my goal.