--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Like the moon on the water, in a way…" description: "\"Like the moon on the water, in a way. When you confront a Zen master, what you're really seeing are not his limitations but yours.\" — Pico Iyer" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/306/pico-iyer-1252_limitation_like-the-moon-on-the-water-in-a-way-when_2843753.png" --- # Like the moon on the water, in a way. When you confront a… ![“Like the moon on the water, in a way. When you confront a Zen master, what you're really seeing are not his limitations but yours.” quote by Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/306/pico-iyer-1252_limitation_like-the-moon-on-the-water-in-a-way-when_2843753.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/306/pico-iyer-1252_limitation_like-the-moon-on-the-water-in-a-way-when_2843753.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/306/pico-iyer-1252_limitation_like-the-moon-on-the-water-in-a-way-when_2843753.png) > “Like the moon on the water, in a way. When you confront a Zen master, what you're really seeing are not his limitations but yours.” [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suggests confronting a Zen master reveals personal limitations rather than the master’s. **In simple terms:** Self‑reflection emerges through confronting mastery. Key Takeaway Use encounters to uncover personal limits. Themes self‑awareness philosophy growth Mood contemplative serene Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - mindfulness practice - travel experiences - coaching sessions Key Concepts mirror metaphor personal insight Questions to Reflect On - What personal limits surface in challenging encounters? - How can we balance self‑critique with humility? A Different Perspective Self‑focus may overlook external factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Limitation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limitation/) [Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moon/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Zen master](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/zen-master/) ## Related quotes > [“You should strike at the moon in the water.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yagyu-munenori/you-should-strike-at-the-moon-in-the-water/) [Yagyu Munenori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yagyu-munenori/) > [“At last the bottom fell out. No more water in the pail. No more moon in the water.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/as-the-character-wendy-john-gould-in-the-short-story/at-last-the-bottom-fell-out-no-more-water-in-the-pail-no-more-moon-in/) as the character Wendy John Gould in the short story > [“There was a moon and it was on the water. A miniature moon rocking on the little waves. I always see nice images like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-franco/there-was-a-moon-and-it-was-on-the-water-a-miniature-moon-rocking-on/) [James Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-franco/) > [If we had the consciousness of a cat or a dog, we would have it in us to become perfect Zen masters. 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She kicks her her splendid legs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-wells/in-the-crook-of-the-crescent-moon-sits-the-holy-lady-with-strong/) [Rebecca Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-wells/) > [She is like the moon-parts of her is always hiding away](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/she-is-like-the-moon-parts-of-her-is-always-hiding-away/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I promise to be an excellent husband, but give me a wife who, like the moon, will not appear every day in my sky.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anton-chekhov/i-promise-to-be-an-excellent-husband-but-give-me-a-wife-who-like-the/) [Anton Chekhov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anton-chekhov/) > [“I’m a survivor. And like the moon, I have a feeling it would take a truly spectacular event to keep me from taking my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-rebhan/i-m-a-survivor-and-like-the-moon-i-have-a-feeling-it-would-take-a/) Janet Rebhan ## More by Pico Iyer > [ \[The Dalai Lama\] told me some years ago, "I've made every concession to China, and I've been as open and tolerant as I could,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-told-me-some-years-ago-i-ve-made-every-concession-to/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [For citizens who think themselves puppets in the hands of their rulers, nothing is more satisfying than having rulers as puppets in their hands.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/for-citizens-who-think-themselves-puppets-in-the-hands-of-their/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [The Dalai Lama would say that meditation is something that can help everyone. But he's aware that it can be misused or things can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-would-say-that-meditation-is-something-that-can-help/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [Like any traveler, I'm always looking for those experiences that are almost unique to any place, and watching films around Alaska of the skies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/like-any-traveler-i-m-always-looking-for-those-experiences-that-are/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [“When you're hurrying around too quickly," he had said, "there's a part of the world you can't see. If, for example, you're taking a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/when-you-re-hurrying-around-too-quickly-he-had-said-there-s-a-part-of/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/we-travel-to-open-our-hearts-and-eyes-and-learn-more-about-the-world/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [The Dalai Lama, these days, encourages Westerners not to take up Buddhism, partly because he feels that our roots are deep in other traditions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/the-dalai-lama-these-days-encourages-westerners-not-to-take-up/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [And if travel is like love, it is, in the end, mostly because it's a heightened state of awareness, in which we are mindful,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/and-if-travel-is-like-love-it-is-in-the-end-mostly-because-it-s-a/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [As soon as I began to talk to Dalai Lama, I realized that Chinese and Tibetans from his point of view are mostly the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/as-soon-as-i-began-to-talk-to-dalai-lama-i-realized-that-chinese-and/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [When we are kids, we imagine that to define ourselves or to find ourselves means charting your own individuality, making your own destiny, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/when-we-are-kids-we-imagine-that-to-define-ourselves-or-to-find/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [A writer is a palmist, reading the lines of the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/a-writer-is-a-palmist-reading-the-lines-of-the-planet/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [In barely one generation, we've moved from exulting in the time-saving devices that have so expanded our lives to trying to get away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/in-barely-one-generation-we-ve-moved-from-exulting-in-the-time-saving/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [For centuries, Cubas greatest resource has been its people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/for-centuries-cubas-greatest-resource-has-been-its-people/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [Writing is, in the end, that oddest of anomalies: an intimate letter to a stranger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/writing-is-in-the-end-that-oddest-of-anomalies-an-intimate-letter-to/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [“Was it only through another that I could begin to get at myself?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/was-it-only-through-another-that-i-could-begin-to-get-at-myself/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) [Explore all 266 Pico Iyer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) ## More Limitation quotes > [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [From the grasses in the field to the stars in the sky, each one is doing just that; and there is such profound peace…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/from-the-grasses-in-the-field-to-the-stars-in-the-sky-each-one-is/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [Worship is not about personality, temperament, personal limitations, church background, or comfort. It is about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wimber/worship-is-not-about-personality-temperament-personal-limitations/) [John Wimber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wimber/) > [Everything in this life have limitations, so in order for you to succeed in life you need to know the limitation of everything you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-emmanuel/everything-in-this-life-have-limitations-so-in-order-for-you-to/) Bernard Emmanuel > [“There is no limitation, to where God can take you. Think of all the possibilities of what he could give you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colishia-s-benjamin/there-is-no-limitation-to-where-god-can-take-you-think-of-all-the/) [Colishia S. Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colishia-s-benjamin/) > [I have only one purpose: to make people free, to urge them towards freedom, to help them to break away from all limitations, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/i-have-only-one-purpose-to-make-people-free-to-urge-them-towards/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [The most powerful movement of feeling with a liturgy is the prayer which seeks for nothing special, but is a yearning to escape from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/the-most-powerful-movement-of-feeling-with-a-liturgy-is-the-prayer/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [The new limitations are the human ones of perception.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-babbitt/the-new-limitations-are-the-human-ones-of-perception/) Milton Babbitt > [I want to remind priests that the confessional must not be a torture chamber but rather an encounter with the Lord’s mercy which spurs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/i-want-to-remind-priests-that-the-confessional-must-not-be-a-torture/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [I admire how she protects her energy and understands her limitations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-admire-how-she-protects-her-energy-and-understands-her-limitations/) [Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/) > [The State may justify a limitation on religious liberty by showing it is essential to accomplish an overriding governmental interest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-e-burger/the-state-may-justify-a-limitation-on-religious-liberty-by-showing-it/) [Warren E. Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-e-burger/) > [Perhaps we will one day be able at least to admit of a God possessing sufficient majesty and expansiveness to transcend the limits of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-tattersall/perhaps-we-will-one-day-be-able-at-least-to-admit-of-a-god-possessing/) [Ian Tattersall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-tattersall/) > [It's fun to see people blow through their own perceived limitations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/misha-collins/it-s-fun-to-see-people-blow-through-their-own-perceived-limitations/) [Misha Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/misha-collins/) > [When we get to wishing a great deal for ourselves, whatever we get soon turns into mere limitation and exclusion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/when-we-get-to-wishing-a-great-deal-for-ourselves-whatever-we-get/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [Style is based on limitations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hartford/style-is-based-on-limitations/) [John Hartford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hartford/) [Browse all 1,414 Limitation quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limitation/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Like the moon on the water, in a way. 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