---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The moon does not think to be reflected…"
description: "\"The moon does not think to be reflected, nor does the water think to reflect, in the Hirosawa Pond.\" — Yamaoka Tesshu"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/yamaoka-tesshu-52421_doe_the-moon-does-not-think-to-be-reflected_2978366.png"
---

#  The moon does not think to be reflected, nor does the…

![“The moon does not think to be reflected, nor does the water think to reflect, in the Hirosawa Pond.” quote by Yamaoka Tesshu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/yamaoka-tesshu-52421_doe_the-moon-does-not-think-to-be-reflected_2978366.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/yamaoka-tesshu-52421_doe_the-moon-does-not-think-to-be-reflected_2978366.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/yamaoka-tesshu-52421_doe_the-moon-does-not-think-to-be-reflected_2978366.png)

> “The moon does not think to be reflected, nor does the water think to reflect, in the Hirosawa Pond.”

[Yamaoka Tesshu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamaoka-tesshu/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The pond and moon exist naturally without intention, yet they reflect each other, illustrating effortless harmony.

**In simple terms:** Nature reflects without trying.

Key Takeaway

Embrace natural reciprocity.

Themes

harmony mindfulness nature

Mood

calm contemplative

Type

philosophical spiritual

When to use this quote

- meditation
- artistic creation
- environmental design
- teaching mindfulness

Key Concepts

non‑attachment interdependence effortless action

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you act without forcing outcomes?
- What does effortless reflection look like in daily life?

A Different Perspective

Assuming reflection requires effort can miss spontaneous connections.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Hirosawa Pond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hirosawa-pond-4619386/) [Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moon/) [Moon Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moon-does-1212407/) [Pond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pond/) [Ponds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ponds/) [Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reality/) [Reflect Hirosawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflect-hirosawa-4619387/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Water Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water-think-389936/)

## Related quotes

> [Empty the pond to get the fish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-bresson/empty-the-pond-to-get-the-fish/)

[Robert Bresson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-bresson/)

> [You never knew about people, like you never knew how deep a pond was because all you saw was the top.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/you-never-knew-about-people-like-you-never-knew-how-deep-a-pond-was/)

[Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/)

> [I like being a big fish in a small pond. I'm not interested in a huge audience because it brings headaches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-lowe/i-like-being-a-big-fish-in-a-small-pond-i-m-not-interested-in-a-huge/)

[Nick Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-lowe/)

> [You throw a stone into a deep pond. Splash. The sound is big, and it reverberates throughout the surrounding area. What comes out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/you-throw-a-stone-into-a-deep-pond-splash-the-sound-is-big-and-it/)

[Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/)

> [But once you throw a stone, there are ripples in the pond, even if you remove the rock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/but-once-you-throw-a-stone-there-are-ripples-in-the-pond-even-if-you/)

[Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/)

> [For hours, in fall days, I watched the ducks cunningly tack and veer and hold the middle of the pond, far from the sportsman;...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/for-hours-in-fall-days-i-watched-the-ducks-cunningly-tack-and-veer/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [I like to sit on the front porch of an old cabin I built in the woods and just listen to the birds; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-cash/i-like-to-sit-on-the-front-porch-of-an-old-cabin-i-built-in-the-woods/)

[Johnny Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-cash/)

> [Music is an ocean, but the repertory is hardly even a lake; it is a pond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/music-is-an-ocean-but-the-repertory-is-hardly-even-a-lake-it-is-a-pond/)

[Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/)

> [The first place that I can well remember was a large pleasant meadow with a pond clear water in it. Some shady trees leaned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-sewell/the-first-place-that-i-can-well-remember-was-a-large-pleasant-meadow/)

[Anna Sewell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-sewell/)

> [And the pond's stillness nippled as if by rain instead is pocked with life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maxine-kumin/and-the-pond-s-stillness-nippled-as-if-by-rain-instead-is-pocked-with/)

[Maxine Kumin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maxine-kumin/)

> [The old pond, ah! A frog jumps in: The water's sound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matsuo-basho/the-old-pond-ah-a-frog-jumps-in-the-water-s-sound/)

[Matsuo Basho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matsuo-basho/)

> [Beyond the terrace, a light breeze stirred the reeds at the edge of the pond. Looking out at this intimate vista, one could see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burnham-schwartz/beyond-the-terrace-a-light-breeze-stirred-the-reeds-at-the-edge-of/)

[John Burnham Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burnham-schwartz/)

> [I prefer being a small fish in a big pond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacy-keibler/i-prefer-being-a-small-fish-in-a-big-pond/)

[Stacy Keibler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacy-keibler/)

> [Swim out of your little pond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/swim-out-of-your-little-pond/)

[Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/)

> [A narrow pond would form in the orchard, water clear as air covering grass and black leaves and fallen branches, all around it black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/a-narrow-pond-would-form-in-the-orchard-water-clear-as-air-covering/)

[Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/)

## More by Yamaoka Tesshu

> [Zen is like soap. First you wash with it, and then you wash off the soap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamaoka-tesshu/zen-is-like-soap-first-you-wash-with-it-and-then-you-wash-off-the-soap/)

[Yamaoka Tesshu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamaoka-tesshu/)

> [The world is wide, full of happenings. Keep this in mind and never believe 'I'm the onlyone who knows.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamaoka-tesshu/the-world-is-wide-full-of-happenings-keep-this-in-mind-and-never/)

[Yamaoka Tesshu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamaoka-tesshu/)

> [As a samurai, I must strengthen my character; as a human being I must perfect my spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamaoka-tesshu/as-a-samurai-i-must-strengthen-my-character-as-a-human-being-i-must/)

[Yamaoka Tesshu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamaoka-tesshu/)

> [Thirst for victory leads to defeat; not tiring of defeat leads to victory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamaoka-tesshu/thirst-for-victory-leads-to-defeat-not-tiring-of-defeat-leads-to/)

[Yamaoka Tesshu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamaoka-tesshu/)

> [If you want to obtain the secrets of such wonderful techniques, drill yourself, harden yourself, undergo severe training, abandoned body and mind; follow this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamaoka-tesshu/if-you-want-to-obtain-the-secrets-of-such-wonderful-techniques-drill/)

[Yamaoka Tesshu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamaoka-tesshu/)

> [Do not think that this is all there is. More and more wonderful teachings exist...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamaoka-tesshu/do-not-think-that-this-is-all-there-is-more-and-more-wonderful/)

[Yamaoka Tesshu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamaoka-tesshu/)

[Explore all 7 Yamaoka Tesshu quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamaoka-tesshu/)

## More Doe quotes

> [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/)

[Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/)

> [I cannot forbid a person to marry several wives, for it does not contradict Scripture. MARTIN LUTHER, letter to Chancellor Gregory Brück, January 13,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/i-cannot-forbid-a-person-to-marry-several-wives-for-it-does-not/)

[Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/)

> [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/)

[Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/)

> [The prophet who fails to present a bearable alternative and yet preaches doom is part of the trap that he postulates. Not only does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-mead/the-prophet-who-fails-to-present-a-bearable-alternative-and-yet/)

[Margaret Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-mead/)

> [Sometimes a sign or a quote is simply interesting by itself and does not require anything beyond being framed on a page.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/sometimes-a-sign-or-a-quote-is-simply-interesting-by-itself-and-does/)

[Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/)

> [A home is not a museum. It doesn't have to be furnished with Picasso paintings, or Sheraton suites, or Oriental rugs, or Chinese pottery.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-m-cain/a-home-is-not-a-museum-it-doesn-t-have-to-be-furnished-with-picasso/)

[James M. Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-m-cain/)

> [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/)

[Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/)

> [He's a fool that marries; but he's a greater fool that does not marry a fool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wycherley/he-s-a-fool-that-marries-but-he-s-a-greater-fool-that-does-not-marry/)

[William Wycherley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wycherley/)

> [Nothing old is ever reborn but neither does it totally disappear. And that which has once been born, will always reappear in a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/nothing-old-is-ever-reborn-but-neither-does-it-totally-disappear-and/)

[Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/)

> [One of the things the United States does well is building coalitions. What the U.S. knows is that if you don't have a coalition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/one-of-the-things-the-united-states-does-well-is-building-coalitions/)

[Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/)

> [Preaching to the choir actually arms the choir with arguments and elevates the choir's discourse. There's a reason the right does it and does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-savage/preaching-to-the-choir-actually-arms-the-choir-with-arguments-and/)

[Dan Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-savage/)

> [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/)

[Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/)

> [ If the State does not acquire supremacy over \[vast private\] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy-over-vast-private-enterprises/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [If Wall Street crashes, does Main Street follow? Not necessarily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bernanke/if-wall-street-crashes-does-main-street-follow-not-necessarily/)

[Ben Bernanke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-bernanke/)

> [It does not seem to me to be sufficiently recognized everywhere among the officials that the existence or non-existence of our people and Empire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-von-hindenburg/it-does-not-seem-to-me-to-be-sufficiently-recognized-everywhere-among/)

[Paul von Hindenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-von-hindenburg/)

[Browse all 25,574 Doe quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The moon does not think to be reflected, nor does the water think to reflect, in the Hirosawa Pond.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Yamaoka Tesshu"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamaoka-tesshu/the-moon-does-not-think-to-be-reflected-nor-does-the-water-think-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Doe"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamaoka-tesshu/the-moon-does-not-think-to-be-reflected-nor-does-the-water-think-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/yamaoka-tesshu-52421_doe_the-moon-does-not-think-to-be-reflected_2978366.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/yamaoka-tesshu-52421_doe_the-moon-does-not-think-to-be-reflected_2978366.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/677/yamaoka-tesshu-52421_doe_the-moon-does-not-think-to-be-reflected_2978366.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The moon does not think to be reflected, nor does the water think to reflect, in the Hirosawa Pond.” — Yamaoka Tesshu",
                "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": "Yamaoka Tesshu",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yamaoka-tesshu/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The moon does not think to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamaoka-tesshu/the-moon-does-not-think-to-be-reflected-nor-does-the-water-think-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yamaoka-tesshu/the-moon-does-not-think-to-be-reflected-nor-does-the-water-think-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
