That Day, The Lotus Spoke to Me on the Wind

Lotus petals gather one by one, finally forming a single lotus flower. Although the lotus is commonly known to symbolize enlightenment, stillness, and the depth of life, I do not wish to impose such a fixed symbol upon it. The lotus is simply a self-existing flower. I do not wish to attach any further meaning or fixed definition. The Hua-yen (Flower Garland) world is not composed solely of the lotus. Countless flowers, from weeds to vividly colored blooms, blossom in their own ways, each possessing its own meaning and value of existence.

Everything is interconnected, and through that harmony, a complete single world is realized. The lotuses in my painting sway on the pond, riding the wind. The leaves are disassembled and scattered, and the forms gradually collapse. This expresses my mind's intention to remain nowhere and cling to nothing. Every world is constantly changing. What was beautiful grows old, what was firm collapses. Our minds are likewise; liking and disliking ebb and flow like waves. Life flows gradually through this endless repetition.

What remains, perhaps, is nothing at all. But within that nothingness, I gaze upon a single lotus. That day, the lotus spoke to me on the wind, without words. There are moments in life when everything is conveyed without the need for speech, and this is the moment.