There’s something fascinating about seeing rocks and water in a riverbed, bank, pier or stream. Even waterfalls bring a rush of excitement and serenity as the water flows down from the cliff and crashes into the stream. It’s like something magical is happening, yet it is the most natural thing.
We can meditate on rocks and water, ponder the unpredictable movements of the stream, the glassy reflection, the rippling sound that hurdles through the air. It can make us wonder its origin or the life that live in the stream.
As water flows between the rocks during a rapid, it gives the current a sense of determination, purpose and will. It’s almost as if the water is racing toward the end of the river where it might join an ocean or some other stream. Meanwhile, the fishes and other organisms that live in the water use it like a highway to make it to its next destination–its next home.
When the water is calm and settled, there is a peace to it that is kind of like standing in the middle of a forest and looking straight up into the sky. At that moment, you can see the clouds as they slowly glide across the sky as if the earth were standing still. In the water, one can gaze into it and see fishes and frogs swimming between the rocks, sticks and plants as if they simply passing by forks in the road.
And when we skip rocks across water, it bounces in a way that seems almost natural–as if the rock wants to glide upward and fly away. Everywhere we see rocks and water, it’s as if they’re inseparable, and go hand and hand. Doesn’t it seem unnatural to see a body of water without a rock in it?
A body of water can be a natural phenomenon–one that took thousands or millions of years to form. In other cases, it happened by design via engineering and construction (i.e. a pool or a dam). Regardless of how the body of water was created, the interaction between water and rocks capture our imagination, and inspire us to reflect on nature and how beautiful and harmonious it is.
Fallton Havenstonne 