WATER: NO.21 WATER AND HUMANS

Life is fresh and juicy.  (In Japanese, we say Mizu-mizu shi, meaning it contains full of water inside.)  Water flows smoothly.  In order to keep our life fresh and young, smooth flow of our body fluid is a key.

Focusing our mind on “beauty” is one of the ways.  Desire for beauty, so to say. 

Beauty is light.  As plants grow toward light, we have to exercise our heliotropism in our mind.

Beauty inhabits the truth and virtue.  Desire for beauty leads our lives for better off.  Beauty also flows, and there life dwells. 

Dynamic and flowing beauty is an image of energy.  Desire for beauty calls for hope in life.  Life=light=beauty=water.  Keep this picture in our mind, and let’s make each of our life fresh and young!

Photo : Yu Nozaki

WATER: NO.20 WATER AND SPIRITUALITY

There are four elements to compose the world; earth water, fire, and wind.  We have to keep in our mind how to live with these elements in order to live better life.  Among them, water influences our life directly. 

Humans have used water not only for drinking, domestic use, or commercial use, but also for ethical use in life; such as baptism, other religious ceremonies, and prayers.

My mother used to perform cold-water ablutions during December and February.  She woke up early in the morning, while it was still cold, using a well in our backyard.  She kept the water overnight, so it had gotten ice on it.  She poured the water all over her body for 10 times or so.  I remember to ask her why she did that, because her behavior made me sad somewhat.  She explained to me that this was a prayer for us children, 6 of us, for our future, health, and prosperity.  I wasn’t still convinced and asked again why she didn’t pray for God.  Her answer was that water purified and washed away our sins and “stains” which had accumulated inside of us without noticing. 

This showed me an example how the water and spirituality has been connected in our life.

WATER: NO.19 BODY FLUIDS

Since amnion liquid shares the same constituents with sea water, we can imagine the body fluids is similar as well. 

If the birds, insects, and animals are similar with their body fluids, we can conclude that all the lives are one.  We have water in our body both inside and outside of all the cells.  Water which is inside of the cells creates oxygen, synthesizes protein, or releases hormones.  Water which is outside of the cells brings water and oxygen to whole body, and excretes waste products. 

“Life” means to circulate and to flow.  In our body, blood and body fluids play an important role in the activity.  Those are carried by water.  Water is the “life”.

WATER: NO.18 3.11

Exactly a year ago from today, we had earthquakes and tsuami.  The impact from the disaster will remains in people’s mind as long as they live. Rehabilitations and reconstructions will take long time.   

Since I have been working with water for long time, I am committed to do things in order to express a feeling of atonement.

One of the interviews from the victims remained in my mind.  She said “it was a disaster largely from the tsunami. However, it is beyond my imagination how much we had been blessed by water and the sea. Therefore, I will continue to be thankful and grateful of the water and the sea.”

I cannot help feeling the strong dignity of people who live with exalted spirits in those words.  I am just thankful for the idea.

WATER: NO.17 BLOOD

As long as the blood is running in animals’ body, they are alive.  Since the blood is consisted of water, it is warmed up by body energy and sustains the body temperature.  This sounds very common, but it is very important.  It flows in the body, because it is a liquid. 

Japanese expression of Chi-shio, blood which runs like a sea water, implies the relationship between the blood and sea tide, as well as moon. 

It has been said from the ancient times that sea tides and phases of the moon influence births and deaths of the living beings.

It implies that our lives depend on the water which exists in the universe.  Separated by a thin skin, the water in the body receives the energy from the universe.  Perspiration is a communication between inside and outside of the body influenced by the outside temperature. 

Human blood and sea water is similar in terms of its constituents.  This backs up the fact that the life was born in the sea water.  Water is life itself.

WATER: NO.16 WATER GETS WARMER

There are phrases in Japanese expressions which symbolize each season.  For spring, we say wind glitters, mountains smile, and water gets loose.  Those sounds please my ears. 

“Wind glitters” symbolizes the lights of spring, and you can imagine fresh breezes and glittering lights around you.  If you look at mountains within a month or so, you will see fresh greens from deciduous trees which are full of new leaves, as if “mountains smile”.

Together with that green, other greens from evergreen trees and pink floral bud cover the whole mountains.  From the distance, they are as if smiling.

When you soak your hands in a pond or in a river in spring, it is not freezing anymore.  When the air is warmed up, whole nature becomes relaxed and loosed from the cold, including winds, mountains, and woods.

I wish this relaxed and loosed atmosphere reached in no time to northern parts of Japan where people are still suffering from the past disaster.

WATER: NO.15 CLOWDS

Clouds are assembly of water!!

Since they float in the air, they do not seem as water.  However, they are aggregation of vapors.  Half of the earth is always covered with clouds.  They say it is a 10-day cycle to change the water on the earth and in the air.  In other words, it takes approximately 10 days since the water on the earth evaporates after it is warmed up, floats in the air as clouds, and comes back to the earth again when precipitates as rain.

During the process, the water transforms itself from vapor, ice, rain, and snow while changing its quality and contents.  By doing so, water purifies itself and recharges energy.  People depend their life on that pure water.

I always remember some phrases by looking at the clouds in the sky; In the beginning there was the Water.  And God separated the water into the heavens and the earth.”

Photo : YuNozaki

WATER: NO.14 WATER MIRROR

In ancient times when people still did not have mirrors, they looked into water to see themselves. 

During this season of the year, air is cold and clear.  Therefore, paddles on the roads or in the fields reflect moon mysteriously.  It transcends beauty, and solemnly reaches to deep inside of me.  From the ancient times, people have tremble in awe with the sight.

In autumn time, ponds reflect the color of leaves so beautifully.  That makes me sentiment to see very moments of time which flows away continuously.  It seems to me that nature uses water to boast its beauty as if the water is a special mirror.  The beauty is in particular on the clear water, as if water fairies refine one’s beauty using their surroundings.  At the same time, it also tells us how the water has communicated inside of ourselves throughout the years.

Photo : Yu Nozaki

WATER: NO.13 TEARS

A primary role of tears is to protect eyes.  However, tears are meaningful when it comes to emotion.  We would shed tears when we encounter happiness, sorrow, suffering, or pain.  When we cry too much, tears also come out from our nose.

I think tearing has soothing effects and make people feel relaxed.  I often hear people say that “after I cry a lot to certain point, I feel refreshed.”

This tells me that people have to switch their minds from one thing to another in order to live their lives.

In other words, tears are message from our body to live a human life.  The sensation which comes after crying gives us refreshment and existence of our soul.  That is like sacred water which purifies us.  Given that, I wonder the components of the teas which we shed when we are sad and happy would be different.

Photo : Yu Nozaki