Often covered with cracks and moss, but still beautiful and full of mysterious symbolism, these sculptures silently remind us of what we are increasingly bereft of in the modern world – self-introspection, peace of mind and unity with nature. Yet, some are designed to convey simple messages; for example, the stone water tubs which are common in the gardens of Buddhist temples throughout Japan. They feature a square central to their design, surrounded by four characters, one for each identical side. Read clockwise from the top, they translate to “I only know that enough is enough,” referring to the central Buddhist concept of controlling one’s desires and the ability to be content with little. Perhaps, in our age of mass consumption, this message can be regarded as a wake-up call. Indeed, many of these ancient sculpture’s symbolism have the potential to still impart wisdom to this day. At the same time, their impactful visual language full of natural beauty is something from which we as photographers can learn a lot.