The following quote is from case 29 of the Mumonkan (also known as The Gateless Barrier), a book of zen koans.

Two monks were arguing about a flag. One said: “The flag is moving.”
The other said: “The wind is moving.”

The sixth patriach happened to be passing by. He told them: “Not the wind, not the flag; mind is moving.”

Mumon’s Comment: The sixth patriach said: “The wind is not moving, the flag is not moving. Mind is moving.” What did he mean? If you understand this intimately, you will see the two monks there trying to buy iron and gaining gold.

The sixth patriach could not bear to see those two dull heads, so he made such a bargain.

Wind, flag, mind moves.
The same understanding.
When the mouth opens
All are wrong.

–ooOoo–

I have already photographed these flags on my digital camera. It was a calm limp-flagged day.

But this day, armed with my film camera, the wind was strong and the flags were flogging like crazy. To get the shot I had to climb up a steep grassy embankment, and by the time I got to the top, the wind was gone and the flags flaccidly taunted me.

Trudging back down, I shouldered my camera. And the wind blew my hat off.

1. climb up the hill.
2. flags go limp.
3. Wait.
4. walk back down.
5. tornado.
6. repeat.

Eventually I got the timing right. This is the shot. Pretty happy with the composition. The flags performed and the light leak in this shot is not too distracting.