In my last post, I shared my experience revisiting a seal engraving shop in Hong Kong. This time, I had a special word in mind that I wanted to add to my collection of artist’s seals.
The beautiful Zen phrase “行雲流水” (Kōun Ryūsui) was the word. It refers to clouds that drift through the sky, constantly changing shape, disappearing, and reappearing again. It also speaks of flowing water that never stays in one place. These elements of nature eloquently remind us of life’s impermanence and that time itself is finite.
In Japanese culture, there’s a deep awareness of this concept of impermanence, or mujou. For example, The Tale of the Heike (13th century) reflects this idea. When I first encountered it in my youth, I found it somewhat gloomy and melancholic, not something I felt compelled to explore. As young people, we often wish for joyful moments to last forever, don’t we?
However, looking back now, I realize how precious it is to embrace change rather than resist it, and to find beauty in the transience of things.
Like clouds drifting across the sky or water flowing through a stream, learning not to cling too tightly and allowing events to unfold naturally is, I believe, a key to living with resilience and grace. Of course, it’s easier said than done, but perhaps it’s in this very effort that we discover the true beauty of life’s impermanence — by flowing with its currents rather than resisting them.
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