Mizūmi-chan rested against the wooden canoe, staring peacefully into the night sky. Her captain’s hat tipped backwards against the sole of the small vessel as she lie down in it. Sometimes the wind would find a way to scoop in and twirl her purple hair around. She would simply blink a few times and let the strands dance on her face, unwavering.
Kenen stared gloomily into the small device in his hand. His stern face was illuminated by its soft blue glow. He glanced over at Mizūmi-chan and wondered how she could feel so at peace. There’s so much wrong in the world today. So much horror.
He let out a sigh and swiped the phone a few times. “Swish” the app cried as it left the phone’s memory again. Kenen was still thinking about the atrocities around the world that this little device revealed. He wanted to fix things, to reach out to those who are suffering. Yet here he was, stuck in this boat and not able to enjoy the moment.
“Do you think it’s selfish of us to be out here enjoying ourselves? Floating on the water as if nothing’s wrong?” Kenen asked pointedly. Mizūmi-chan smiled and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath in, as if she were trying to purify the words that left his mouth. She had been waiting for him to break the silence. This was a good start.
“No, I don’t think it’s selfish to enjoy the beauty of nature,” she said calmly. “I think it’s necessary, and I think you deserve it. You have a good heart, and you care deeply for others. That’s a lot to carry. It’s important to reground yourself from time to time, which is what we’re doing.” Mizūmi-chan pressed herself up and secured her captain’s hat as she settled into the bench seat, facing Kenen.
Kenen’s shoulders were tight, and his face had worried lines across his forehead. “I know, I know,” he replied. “I just feel so helpless and useless. Every single day, those in power are making people suffer. It never ends! I just don’t understand! Why are people like this!” He fell into his hands and shook his head while holding back tears, trying to gather some sense of normality.
“Kenen, all humans are afflicted by greed, hatred and delusion,” Mizūmi-chan said in a direct and otherworldly way. “This is what I learned from the monks a long time ago. You’re looking for reasons why things are the way they are, but the answer is very simple. This is why there is suffering in the world. It’s been this way since the beginning, and will always be that way.”
“So, I’m just supposed to give up!?” Kenen scolded with a flash of disgust, lifting his head up, no longer hiding it behind his hands.
“Not at all,” Mizūmi-chan replied. “If you want to fix the world, you need to start with the only thing that you can control… your mind. If you can cultivate loving-kindness in your own heart, then you have made the world a better place already.”
Kenen looked away to the side and scoffed. “Hah, I don’t believe it. Sorry, I just can’t believe that me feeling happy will fix all these horrible problems in the world.” He stared across the water and felt the ripples move the canoe. He understood for a moment that his body was here touching the boat, and connected to everything. “I’m sorry… I’ve been so snappy.”
“You’re under a lot of pressure,” Mizūmi-chan assured him, “but I’m so happy to see you expressing yourself truthfully this time. You’ve been holding it all inside.”
Kenen sighed. He remained silent for a while. The soft water gently rocked the canoe that was floating in the middle of the lake, under the dimly lit stars. This was the first time he was really able to express what he felt out loud. In fact, maybe he never even realized he felt this way before. Most of his time was spent alone, scrolling through news sites, reading opinions online, and growing more disenchanted with the slice of humanity that he was exposed to.
Mizūmi-chan sensed a change. Kenen was having some sort of a realization. “You see how it feels better when you talk things out? You can’t do this all alone. Talking to others is an act of purification. It helps unravel the mind and put things into perspective.”
“People need people,” she stated firmly. “I’ve dedicated my life to teaching others about the importance of camaraderie. It’s a concept I love as much as the stars themselves.” She leaned back and took in the dim yet shimmering display of light above them. Each star twinkled from light years away, like morse code from a heavenly source, revealing secrets. She never tried to decipher the code, as that wasn’t as important as simply receiving the message.
Kenen felt the urge to check his phone again, to see if there’s any new messages, to scroll and find something new, something good. Instead of reaching for it, he turned towards Mizūmi-chan and thanked her. “I’ve been a lot. Sorry.”
She laughed and told him it’s OK. “You have a good heart, and that’s why you worry… but you can’t fix everything.”
Mizūmi-chan placed her hand into the lake and scooped out some water.
“Imagine the world is like this lake. There are people who pollute this lake with trash, just as there are people who pollute our world with ignorance. We can either stare at every act of pollution and freeze it, try to understand it, tell people it’s wrong, and aim for justice… but what does that really do? On the contrary, we can aim to keep adding purified water, and do our best to treat the water with respect. Bodies of water, just like this world, go through cycles of death and rebirth, ups and downs… nothing is eternal, and nothing is ours to control or change. All we can do is what we can do right now in this moment. Focusing on the negative tends to reinforce it. Instead, we should focus on the positive and stay vigilant in our efforts to remain calm and compassionate. That is how we help others… by helping ourselves become stable and strong people who can navigate these murky waters with clarity.”
Kenen tilted his head and inquired, “Who are you, really? Where did you learn all this stuff?”
Mizūmi-chan giggled and glanced up to the sky. “I just listen. The truth is always a whisper, never a scream.” She smiled at the stars as they blinked their way through a symphony of marvels. “We should head back to shore.”
Kenen nodded and felt lighter. He grabbed the oars and splashed each one into the water, beginning to row back to land. His hands felt the shape of the oars, and for a moment he let that become his entire reality. The chatter was still there, but started to soften. He realized how distracted he had become, and how disconnected from the world he really was. At this moment though, he felt at peace. He felt in tune with how things are. He understood the importance of friendship.
Smiling now, he turned to Mizūmi-chan and watched the stars reflect from her bright green eyes. She was mesmerized and in the moment. She seemed happy, and since she was part of this world, the world seemed happier now too.
–
Written by Daniel Dodsworth, expressing the concept of Mizūmi-chan.