In the Japanese gardening tradition, the water is a symbol of life and purification, but can bear multiple meanings, depending on its manifestation: a calm lake can symbolize tranquility, meditation and interior harmony, while a lake with waves can mean exactly the opposite, restlessness and anxiety. A stream signifies the passing of the time and continuous changing…

But the most complex meaning is attributed to the waterfall: although the waterfall seems to be a physical object, unchanging and with a well-defined shape, the water flows continuously… that’s why the waterfall is a a symbol of duality, impermanence and change.

Waterfall, Sengan-en, Kagoshima

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Japanese castle architecture, Dokuritsushiki style