Take a highland lake -- the kind that is seen in Estes Park Colorado in Rocky Mountain National Park -- lakes that are so calm and so blue they look fake, like Bob Ross painted them into the side of the mountain. These lakes reflect everything clearly. If the full moon would like to see itself, a high mountain lake would reflect it perfectly. If the lake was not calm, if it had disturbances, it would distort the reflection of the full moon. This would not be the fault of the moon, but, of course, the fault of the non-still lake.

If you are not calm inside of yourself, you will reflect the actions of others with distortion. But if you are still and calm and clear inside, you will see others clearly, with deep mindfulness and understanding. Deeply understanding someone is love itself.

Try this zen practice: say to yourself, "Breathing in, I am a calm mountain lake. Breathing out, I reflect clearly." After a few breath cycles, you can shorten this to "Mountain Lake" on your in breath, and "Reflect" on your out breath.

Thank you Thich Nhat Hahn for the meditation.