MIZU - Water
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Water is an understatement. Seeking the lowliest of gutters, at the same time it is what soars above mountains. Yielding to the slightest breeze, at the same time it is what gathers to show the world its stormy face. Tasteless, odorless, colorless and always taken for granted, it conveys flavors to our palate and makes the world bloom with color. It is no wonder that water was adopted by the ancient philosophy and religion of Taoism as a paragon of how to be.
Being humble as water is not easy. It is easier to affect humility by being the opposite of proud, but that would not produce the many faces of water. The humility of water, complying with all conditions, now produces mist, then produces tsunami. Compliance with conditions means not thinking contrarily.
Where there is neither high nor low in thoughts, there water can be found among the lowest and the highest. Where there is neither weak nor strong in actions, there water can be found to be the most yielding and the one that best prevails over time. Where there is neither richness nor poverty in sensation, there water can be found to be nothing much but everything at the same time.
The written character for water is a test in opposites: upward placement of the brush followed by downward stroke, quick slash followed by determined flair. But it is important that the writer not succumb to opposites. The character should be an understatement. Like water, it should be at home where it is with nothing to either prove or hold back. It should gracefully follow changing conditions and be resplendent. One aid in achieving this is to execute the character with a single exhalation of breath.
Water is simple. Water knows no opposites, yet is all things. In the words of Laotze, the first Taoist sage, "The attained one is as water." One is never far away from that. To be an understatement is the first step closer.
By the way, it may appear at this point that Asian thought disparages thinking, opposites, pride, and complexity. There is a time and place for these, and we are only on water. There are many more to come.
by Robin Fujikawa