There's a Rainbow Within us All
nicole gluckman"There is a light that shines bright in every one of us. To see that light in others, you don't need glasses, just compassion." — Charles F. Glassman
In Thailand, there is a Buddhist ritual called ploi pla, where people release fish into rivers, canals, and temple ponds. This practice is believed to have originated during times of drought when people rescued fish from drying ponds and transferred them into flourishing rivers, demonstrating an act of both conservation and compassion. While the ritual is not specifically tied to the Thai legend of Phra Ruang and the Reborn Fish, it does draw similarities.
The story goes that a man with incredible wisdom and spiritual abilities named Phra Ruang sought asylum from the overlords of the Khmer Empire in a temple. At this temple, he became a monk and eventually liberated the Thai people from the cruel regime’s dominion that often demanded tributes of water from its subjects. Because they carried heavy clay pots filled with water, Phra devised a way to waterproof woven bamboo containers to make their loads lighter. Out of gratitude and in return for his compassion, the Thai people presented Phra with a fish. After consuming the fish, Phra collected every bone—even the very smallest—and returned it to the water, focusing his attention as he said, "May you live again! May you swim and be whole once more!" Miraculously, the bones coalesced, and the flesh and scales reformed, bringing the fish back to life.
The folktale doesn’t mention the type of fish Phra received, but its skeletal description makes us think of the glass catfish common to the region. The species, scientifically known as Kryptopterus (Greek for “hidden fin”) vitreolus, has an inconspicuous anal fin and no dorsal fin (the fin many fish have on their backs). It also has a transparent body—due to its lack of pigmentation and scales—which allows an unobstructed view of its skeletal structure, a pouch behind its head containing most of its major organs, and even its heart. While the glass catfish’s transparency serves as a form of camouflage (even its muscles are invisible), there are moments when it suddenly flashes vibrant color. (Like all the colors. 🌈) Scientists have discovered that the iridescent rainbow effect is actually caused by microscopic, repeating structures called sarcomeres (think tiny motors that make muscles contract) that diffract light as it passes through the fish, much like silica spheres do in opals. They have also observed that the transparent tissues turn a milky color after death, which suggests that their transparency is caused by a biological process.
The tiny fish may show off their inner light, but they have also been observed to be shy, social creatures who prefer to stay in schools—a preference that we can, at times, very much relate to. Still, we believe that every person’s inner light is something to be shared, as even one person has the power to evoke inspiration and compassion in another.
Drawing upon the most delicate transparencies found in nature, our unique Coalescence Australian Opal Necklace hints at the hidden architecture of light and life within each of us. Within its oval depths, all colors of the rainbow coalesce, their individual brilliance dissolving and reuniting into a singular, breathtaking spectrum.
