a world of dew, 
and within every dewdrop 
a world of struggle
         ~ Issa

Japanese gardens are designed to convey spiritual and philosophical messages. They convey an understanding that man and nature are one, aiming to express the religious belief that the whole universe is in the smallest thing. The branch of religion and philosophy that this is based on is Zen Buddhism which teaches that everything in the world, right down to the smallest seed, is governed by the same cosmic source in the universe.

I was busy photographing what I thought of as reflections when this koi floating just benath the surface remeinded me that, while not a dewdrop, this pond contains a hidden world. And Issa's haiku reminded me that just as we live in a world of struggle, so does the koi and the other pond inhabitants.

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