--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is an old Zen saying about seeing…" description: "\"“There is an old Zen saying about seeing the moon's reflection in a pond. If the surface of the pond is agitated and full of ripples, the moon's reflec..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cf/eve-adamson-236866_reflection_there-is-an-old-zen-saying-about-seeing_3043159.jpg" --- # There is an old Zen saying about seeing the moon's… ![“There is an old Zen saying about seeing the moon's reflection in a pond. If the surface of the pond is agitated and full of ripples, the moon's reflection won't look anything like the moon. That agitation, those ripples, are your constant thoughts and feelings, which disturb your ability to…” quote by Eve Adamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cf/eve-adamson-236866_reflection_there-is-an-old-zen-saying-about-seeing_3043159.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cf/eve-adamson-236866_reflection_there-is-an-old-zen-saying-about-seeing_3043159.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cf/eve-adamson-236866_reflection_there-is-an-old-zen-saying-about-seeing_3043159.jpg) > ““There is an old Zen saying about seeing the moon's reflection in a pond. If the surface of the pond is agitated and full of ripples, the moon's reflection won't look anything like the moon. That agitation, those ripples, are your constant thoughts and feelings, which disturb your ability to perceive truth. When the pond is perfectly still, however -when your thoughts and feelings withdraw and stay quiet -then you can see the moon's reflection. You can perceive the truth.”” Eve Adamson ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Stillness of mind allows clear perception of truth, like a calm pond reflecting the moon. **In simple terms:** Quiet thoughts reveal truth. Key Takeaway Cultivate mental stillness. Themes mindfulness clarity truth Zen reflection Mood calm contemplative Type inspirational educational When to use this quote - stress reduction - spiritual practice - creative problem solving - personal insight Key Concepts philosophy of mind meditation cognitive quietude Questions to Reflect On - How can you quiet your mind daily? - What truths emerge in stillness? A Different Perspective Constant mental chatter can obscure insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Reflection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflection/) [Thoughts and feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thoughts-and-feelings/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) ## Related quotes > [Seeing the moon, he becomes the moon, the moon seen by him becomes him. He sinks into nature, becomes one with nature. The light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasunari-kawabata/seeing-the-moon-he-becomes-the-moon-the-moon-seen-by-him-becomes-him/) [Yasunari Kawabata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasunari-kawabata/) > [Dutch beaches were known to me as man-made territories, as part of various land reclamation projects. But I was also interested in the media…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandra-mir/dutch-beaches-were-known-to-me-as-man-made-territories-as-part-of/) [Aleksandra Mir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandra-mir/) > [“He loves being the only one walking through the night. The snow catching the moon's reflection casts a blue-white sheen. He doesn't feel small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shandi-mitchell/he-loves-being-the-only-one-walking-through-the-night-the-snow/) Shandi Mitchell > [“And when all was done and all was said, we sat silently staring at the moon's reflection on the rippling river, soaking it all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alys-arden/and-when-all-was-done-and-all-was-said-we-sat-silently-staring-at-the/) [Alys Arden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alys-arden/) > [“The moon is the reflection of your heart and moonlight is the twinkle of your love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/the-moon-is-the-reflection-of-your-heart-and-moonlight-is-the-twinkle/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [How much more beautiful is the moon, Slanting down the gauffered branches of a plum-tree; The moon Wavering across a bed of tulips; The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-lowell/how-much-more-beautiful-is-the-moon-slanting-down-the-gauffered/) [Amy Lowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-lowell/) > [“Our universe is like the moon’s reflection upon a lake.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-figueroa-otero/our-universe-is-like-the-moon-s-reflection-upon-a-lake/) [Ivan Figueroa-Otero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-figueroa-otero/) > [“What words she had thought to write on the face of the moon were washed away from her as she submerged, trying to disturb…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-maguire/what-words-she-had-thought-to-write-on-the-face-of-the-moon-were/) [Gregory Maguire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-maguire/) > [“As well to clutch at the moon’s reflection in a still midnight pond as to seek a grip on that bright mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/as-well-to-clutch-at-the-moon-s-reflection-in-a-still-midnight-pond/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [“a girl as pale as the moon’s reflection in a rain barrel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-vandermeer/a-girl-as-pale-as-the-moon-s-reflection-in-a-rain-barrel/) [Jeff VanderMeer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-vandermeer/) > [“When you perceive a truth, look for the balancing truth.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-acton/when-you-perceive-a-truth-look-for-the-balancing-truth/) [Lord Acton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-acton/) > [“None of us is fully able to perceive the truth that shines through another person’s window, nor the falsehood that we may perceive as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/forrest-church/none-of-us-is-fully-able-to-perceive-the-truth-that-shines-through/) [Forrest Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/forrest-church/) > [If I simply refrain from making a judgment in cases where I do not perceive the truth with sufficient clarity and distinctness, then it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ren-descartes/if-i-simply-refrain-from-making-a-judgment-in-cases-where-i-do-not/) [Rene Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ren-descartes/) > [“The means through which people may perceive Truth have forms; Truth has no form.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/idries-shah/the-means-through-which-people-may-perceive-truth-have-forms-truth/) [Idries Shah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/idries-shah/) > [The human mind may perceive truth only through thinking, as is clear from Augustine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-aquinas/the-human-mind-may-perceive-truth-only-through-thinking-as-is-clear/) [Thomas Aquinas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-aquinas/) ## More Reflection quotes > [You made me hate my own reflection Question every choice I make So I could try to be perfect But I will try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn/you-made-me-hate-my-own-reflection-question-every-choice-i-make-so-i/) [Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn/) > [Anybody looking for a quiet life has picked the wrong century to born in.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/anybody-looking-for-a-quiet-life-has-picked-the-wrong-century-to-born/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You say you know love, but you are just reflecting words you hear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jayme-dee/you-say-you-know-love-but-you-are-just-reflecting-words-you-hear/) Jayme Dee > [ The young man \[Turgot\] destined for an ecclesiastical career was placed within walls carefully designed to keep out all currents of new thought; his… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-dickson-white/the-young-man-turgot-destined-for-an-ecclesiastical-career-was-placed/) [Andrew Dickson White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-dickson-white/) > [Art is not a reflection of reality, it is the reality of a reflection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-luc-godard/art-is-not-a-reflection-of-reality-it-is-the-reality-of-a-reflection/) [Jean-Luc Godard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-luc-godard/) > [I decided to lock myself in. A forced segregation. Sabbatical. A retreat into myself. My selves. Play hide and go seek in the looking-glass.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/i-decided-to-lock-myself-in-a-forced-segregation-sabbatical-a-retreat/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [This means that the mind or spirit is present anywhere, because it is nowhere attached to any particular place. And it can remain present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugen-herrigel/this-means-that-the-mind-or-spirit-is-present-anywhere-because-it-is/) [Eugen Herrigel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugen-herrigel/) > [By the age of eighteen, a human has acquired enough joy and heartache to provide the food of reflection for a century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/by-the-age-of-eighteen-a-human-has-acquired-enough-joy-and-heartache/) [Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/) > [There are, after all, atheists who say they wish the fable were true but are unable to suspend the requisite disbelief, or who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/there-are-after-all-atheists-who-say-they-wish-the-fable-were-true/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“We look to ourselves to find the reflection of others. That is the origin of all wars.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dahlia-l-summers/we-look-to-ourselves-to-find-the-reflection-of-others-that-is-the/) Dahlia L. Summers > [...that icy glass reduces your beauty - dims your fire - let me be your mirror...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-icy-glass-reduces-your-beauty-dims-your-fire-let-me-be-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Our mind is the most valuable possession that we have. The quality of our lives is, and will be, a reflection of how well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/our-mind-is-the-most-valuable-possession-that-we-have-the-quality-of/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [In the eyes of those lovers of perfection, a work is never finished a word that for them has no sense but abandoned; and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-valery/in-the-eyes-of-those-lovers-of-perfection-a-work-is-never-finished-a/) [Paul Valery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-valery/) > [I think characters are going to be, if not a reflection of the author, at least some refraction of some part of their personality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/i-think-characters-are-going-to-be-if-not-a-reflection-of-the-author/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [“Our reflection of action occurs in different contexts which may influence us to shape our accounts in different ways for different audiences - our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqui-stedmon/our-reflection-of-action-occurs-in-different-contexts-which-may/) [Jacqui Stedmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqui-stedmon/) [Browse all 3,160 Reflection quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflection/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There is an old Zen saying about seeing the moon's reflection in a pond. If the surface of the pond is agitated and full of ripples, the moon's reflection won't look anything like the moon. That agitation, those ripples, are your constant thoughts and feelings, which disturb your ability to perceive truth. When the pond is perfectly still, however -when your thoughts and feelings withdraw and stay quiet -then you can see the moon's reflection. You can perceive the truth.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eve Adamson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-adamson/there-is-an-old-zen-saying-about-seeing-the-moon-s-reflection-in-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Reflection" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-adamson/there-is-an-old-zen-saying-about-seeing-the-moon-s-reflection-in-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cf/eve-adamson-236866_reflection_there-is-an-old-zen-saying-about-seeing_3043159.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cf/eve-adamson-236866_reflection_there-is-an-old-zen-saying-about-seeing_3043159.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7cf/eve-adamson-236866_reflection_there-is-an-old-zen-saying-about-seeing_3043159.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is an old Zen saying about seeing the moon's reflection in a pond. If the surface of the pond is…” — Eve Adamson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Eve Adamson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eve-adamson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There is an old Zen saying...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-adamson/there-is-an-old-zen-saying-about-seeing-the-moon-s-reflection-in-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eve-adamson/there-is-an-old-zen-saying-about-seeing-the-moon-s-reflection-in-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```