The phenomenon of moon-in-the-water is likened to human experience.
The water is the subject, and the moon the object.
When there is no water, there is no moon-in-the-water.
And likewise there is no moon.
But when the moon rises, the water does not wait to receive its image,
when even the tiniest drop of water is poured out,
the moon does not wait to cast its reflection.
The past is already past.
The future's not yet here.
Things are constantly changing.
The event is caused as much by the water as by the moon,
and as the water manifests the brightness of the moon,
the moon manifests the clarity of the water.