吾唯足知 　Kobe Tarumi　Hyogo　Japan 　 平池 邦夫 KUNIO Hiraike Ryōan-ji has a teahouse and tea garden, dating to the 17th century. Near the teahouse is a famous stone water basin, with water continually flowing for ritual purification. This is the Ryōan-ji tsukubai (蹲踞), which translates literally as "crouch;" because of the low height of the basin, the user must bend over to use it, in a sign of reverence and humility. The kanji written on the surface of the stone basin, 五, 隹, 疋, 矢, are without significance when read alone. Though the water basin's frame is circular, the opening in the circular face is itself a square (口). If each of the four kanji is read in combination with 口 (the square-shaped radical is pronounced kuchi, meaning "mouth" or "aperture"), which the square opening is meant to represent, then the characters become 吾, 唯, 足, 知. This is read as "ware, tada taru (wo) shiru", which translates literally as "I only sufficiency know" (吾 = ware = I, 唯 = tada = merely, only, 足 = taru = be sufficient, suffice, be enough, be worth, deserve, 知 = shiru = know) or, more poetically, as "I know only satisfaction". Intended to reinforce Buddhist teachings regarding humility and the abundance within one's soul, the meaning is simple and clear: "one already has all one needs". Ryōan-ji　　From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ My name is Kunio Hiraike. I am a boy. I was born in 1943. I am a Buddhist. I belong to the Boy Scout Kobe 2. , also a member of IST while the 23WSJ. in Western-Hub Isizuchi SC. URL = http://hiraike.jp 　Please click「吾唯足知」. e-mail address = 23wsj@hiraike.jp ( This address will be closed on the last day of 2015.)