《 Fish Swimming Slowly 》

The water is clear right down to the bottom
Fish lazily swim on
~ Chan Master Hongzhi Zhengjue (1091 - 1157)

This calligraphy was inspired by a day of Mindfulness practice of our Plum Village tradition. At the end of the day, I was out doing a walking meditation with our group, with everyone walking so mindfully and gently on the streets and in the park in Upper West side. I was walking side by side with a sangha sister, our steps were in sync, our moves were so slow that i felt as if I were a fish swimming in a lake with the crystal clear reflection of the buildings, birds, children laughing, etc.. My mind was as clear as still water, reflecting all that was around me. We were like a school of fish lazily swimming on. This line of Hongzhi's poem came to me. That was the beginning of me learning to walk, just to enjoy walking. Walk with my feet, not with my mind.