This song came to me in the quiet of morning practice, while reading Nichiren’s treatise Shishin Gohon-Shō. He writes:
“Muddy water has no mind but it still catches the moon’s reflection and naturally becomes lucid.
Plants and trees catch the rain in order to blossom, but can we say they do this deliberately?”
That line stopped me—like a bell in deep woods.
There’s something beautiful in how nature receives grace: it doesn’t strive, doesn’t scheme, doesn’t try. And yet—muddy water still reflects the moon. Trees still bloom after the rain.
From this realization, the song “Muddy Waters, Silent Mind” emerged.
🎶 A Song About Letting Go
This isn’t a song about effort. It’s a song about surrender.
About trusting the rhythm of things far greater than our plans.
It opens:
Muddy water / Clear as the night
Caught the moon’s face / Holding it tight
No thought it carried / No plan to speak
Yet it shone so bright in the shallow creek
The lyrics aren’t just poetic—they’re a sermon in blues. The water carries no intent, yet it still becomes luminous. That’s the Dharma. That’s how practice sometimes works: we chant, we show up, we live—sometimes in confusion—and the moon still finds us.
🌧 The Rain That Falls Anyway
Verse two reflects the same truth in trees:
The rain comes down / A gentle sigh
Trees gather drops from the heavy sky
They reach and they open like humble hands
No master plan / But they understand
We often want spiritual growth to be deliberate and defined, but this song reminds us: blossoming is natural when the conditions are right. We don’t need to master everything—we just need to remain open.
🕊️ The Chorus: Nature’s Sermon
Each chorus holds the central teaching of the song:
No mind to wander / No part to play
Nature’s rhythm finds its way
Reflection dances / Soft and true
Muddy water holding the hue
It’s a reminder that our roles, our thoughts, even our worries—aren’t necessary for peace to find us.
When we rest in stillness, the Dharma can reflect through us.
🔔 What I Hope This Song Offers You
I hope “Muddy Waters, Silent Mind” feels like sitting beside a still creek at twilight.
Like listening to the hush behind the wind.
Like being reminded that even in our confusion, we are capable of beauty.
This song is one of many I’ve written where the Lotus Sutra breathes through melody, where Nichiren’s words are not only read, but sung into the world.
Let it move you in its own quiet way.
Let the muddy waters clear, and hear the moonlight sing.
Mr. Altig’s Overview of the Wonderful Dharma of the Lotus Sutra 
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