Our natural environment reflects to us constantly that we are part of something very grand.  From the tiniest flower growing through a crack in the pavement, in a place you would least expect it, to the vastness and wonder of the night sky and the Universe: the former perhaps offering us an example of the ability to thrive in even the least hospitable of environments; the latter, that there is so much more.  Indeed, many of us as children were enthralled by the wonder of the night sky and the vast silence, stillness and spaciousness it holds.

Nature provides us with the opportunity to feel our own true nature with its endless flow, beauty and harmony.  Nature also provides multiple opportunities for us to feel our Oneness – our interconnectedness to each other and to everything.  Water is a wonderful example of this, having much to teach us.  We can indeed liken the qualities of water, and our relationship with it, to our own behaviours and ways of being as human beings.

For example, the water that pours into Lake Taupō via the Tongariro River arrives sparkling, crystal clear and fresh from its mountainous origins.  It has a transparency and clearness of quality, making it easy to see into its depths.  How often do we as human beings allow that depth of transparency or clarity to be seen in ourselves?  We’ve all witnessed the innocence of a child and how openly they show themselves. From the vast Lake Taupō it flows into the beginnings of the Waikato River (Waikato meaning ‘flowing water’) and makes its way through the narrow canyon of the Huka Falls where the profound power of water can be seen, heard and felt. Charged and invigorated, the river winds on, impacted by various human activity, until its eventual release into the ocean at Port Waikato, having lost much of its sparkle.