Flowing Clouds and the State of the Sky

Clouds were flowing slowly.
Drifting fluffily through the blue sky.
Today's clouds are flowing gently and leisurely.

The sky shows many different faces.

Sometimes it brings rainstorms
with heavy, looming dark clouds,

and sometimes, along with freezing cold air,
it brings snow or hail.

A calm sky with scattered clouds,

a cloudy sky where clouds spread out to cover everything,

a clear, bright sky without a single cloud.

The sunlight beat down,
a hot and dazzling sky.

In the clear air and silence,
a sky shining with stars.

If the place you are in changes,
the scenery you see in the same sky changes significantly.

Even with the same rain,

if it hasn't rained for a long time and there is thirst and dryness,
some people welcome the rain that falls during a drought
as a blessing,

but if the rain keeps falling continuously,
some people feel gloomy
due to the damp air and the unpleasant feeling of getting wet.

Even with the same snow,
the way it is perceived differs between regions that rarely see snow
and regions with heavy snowfall.

Even with the same starry sky,
the number of visible stars and the scenery
are completely different depending on the region.

Depending on the weather, the state of the sky
changes constantly.

It is difficult to go through life defenseless.

When it rains or snows,
without rain gear such as
umbrellas, raincoats, or rain boots,
you will end up soaked.

Even in a clear sky with the sun beating down,
hats, sunscreen, parasols, sunglasses,
handheld fans, and cooling goods
have become essential items.

Even when playing in the water at the pool or the beach,
more and more people are wearing
rash guards.

The changes in the state of the sky
shift drastically,

and I felt that it is important
to have preparations to prevent issues beforehand
and measures to make time spent more comfortable.

If the sea is the heart,
the sky might be the brain.

Inside the magnificently spreading sea,
fish of emotion are swimming.

Inside the grandly spreading sky,
clouds of thought are flowing.

The state of the clouds determines how the sky looks.

Rain clouds gather,
a sky that sheds tears of sadness and regret,

like the rumbling of thunder,
a sky frightened by angry shouts and loud voices,

covered by thick clouds,
a sky that makes things feel heavy, gloomy, and dark.

Clouds cloud the vision.

They don't disappear even if you try to get rid of them,
and they aren't things that vanish even if you try to erase them.

They are not things that disappear,
nor are they things to be erased.

Thoughts are nurtured by the words and sights
we have seen and heard until now.

The values and ways of thinking
we have received, for better or worse,
are absorbed within us,
and like billowing clouds,
values and ways of thinking are born.

The more strongly prejudice and stereotypes
are embedded within those clouds,
the more heavily they loom and cause suffering.
Words that were used to definitively criticize or deny.

Memories of being spoken to one-sidedly

without our own voice being heard,
and being treated with contempt.
Unpleasant and disagreeable scenes

unfolding before our eyes.
They might be memories from childhood,

or things experienced after becoming an adult.

Memories and recollections

soak into the brain,creating the state of the sky.

That is what I felt.Even if you complain or express dissatisfaction
about the weather,

the weather will not change suddenly.
What you can do
is look at the weather forecast and the flow of the clouds,

and perhaps bring an umbrella, a sun hat,
or a handheld fan as a measure.
I feel the clouds of thought are the same.
Even if you think, 'Go away, disappear,'
they won't easily

go away or disappear.

Instead of reacting immediately to thoughts,
try viewing them objectively,
as if watching the flow of clouds.

Instead of being defenseless against a downpour,
getting soaked, and becoming depressed,


through an umbrella or raincoat,try observing and watching, asking, 'What kind of tears does this rain contain?'

Is it born from sadness,or is it born from regret?

It is not necessarily an emotion that welled up
due to an event that happened right in front of you.

Sometimes it overlaps with past events,
turning into sadness or anger.

Even with the same rain of tears,
there are tears of happiness, tears of joy, and tears shed from being moved.
There are various patterns of rain.

Without reacting immediately,
if you suddenly


stop and observe, the outlines that were not visible begin to appear vaguely.
While observing,thoughts that have finished their role and become unnecessary
pass by like flowing clouds.If the sky becomes stormy,

the sea also becomes rough, and the waves get high.
If the waves are high and the sea is very rough,
the water in the sea becomes murky.

If the sea of the heart becomes murky and visibility is poor,
the fish of emotion will also hide and become invisible.

Thoughts and emotions
influence each other.
That is what I felt.

If you lean too much toward reason and logic,
it can cause swaying and waves in the heart and emotions,
and if the waves and swaying of the heart and emotions become intense,

thoughts can stagnate and create heavy clouds.

Not just logical thinking,

and not just sensory intuition,but with a neutral balance,

with a calm and composed perspective,quietly and calmly watch the clouds flowing in the sky and the fish swimming in the sea.

While organizing thoughts and emotions,
I will continue to walk the journey of nurturing light and love that I have yet to see.
Without abandoning myself,

never forgetting to be my own best ally and supporter...
I will go at my own pace,
and you go at your own pace.

If we walk at our own strides,
it will surely be okay.
Believing that,

I will go on picking up small realizations and joys...