The Way of Water: Spiritual Unity (Part I)

“You are not just a drop in the ocean, you are the entire ocean in a drop.” Rumi, Sufi poet and mystic, 1207 AD-1273.

The secret of finding Unity with all things begins and ends with the loving understanding that we are all things…expressing Itself through, with, and for us. Across all cultures and eras, we find the element of water as a symbol for purity, intuition, transformation…and the eternal flow of life. From time immemorial we have learned to travel the seas to seek out new lands, new fortunes, new beginnings. In song and verse, we have compared these journeys to the explorations of our Soul. So often we have imagined our soul as a ship. So often have we left the safe harbors of our present to venture into the unknown oceans of tomorrow. Some tack towards the seas of unconsciousness and mental garbage. Others dare to find the Oceans of Love Intelligence and find a New World where Peace and Justice rule. What is your destination? What (Spiritual) maps are you consulting, and how will you get there?

Both the Prophet Isaiah and Jesus also used the metaphor of water to relate to finding one’s Path and Salvation. Jesus, drawing upon Isaiah declared: “Rivers of living water will flow from his heart”. (John 7:38). What exactly is this “Living Water”? What does it mean, what are the techniques, and how can it help us in our Path towards spiritual and personal integration?

“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it”: Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher, 570 BC.

Lao Tzu is best known as the legendary founder of Taoism and credited as the author of the Tao Te Ching, a core text that teaches harmony with nature, simplicity, and living in the flow of the universe. His paradoxical rules and observations on how life works are a manual for thinking and living more effectively. His wisdom applies to every area of your life: work, relationships, decisions, creativity, and character building. His writings are seen as the basis for the practice and Life Path of Taoism. The core ideas of Taoism are:

• The Tao (The Way): The unseen, natural flow and underlying force of the universe. You cannot fully name it, but you can live in tune with it.
• Wu Wei (Non-action): Acting without forcing. It means going with the natural current of life instead of fighting against it.
• Simplicity: Letting go of greed, status, and complex desires to find inner peace.
• Humility: Being like water, which nourishes all things without trying to be first or important.

In our popular culture the Star Wars trilogies can be seen as being deeply influenced by concepts like the Tao (the Way), Qi (the Force), and Wu Wei (Effortless Action). George Lucas blended this Eastern tradition with Buddhism, Shinto and samurai folklore to create the mythos that still resonates today. But do we need to become Jedi warriors to live those truths?

In a word, “No”. But neither can we avoid the lessons of the “Jedi.  For me, in my Life’s Journey: “Water may be fluid, soft and yielding. But it will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield”. Again, the words of the Old Master (the meaning of “Lao Tzu”) once again points the Way. It has taken me a lifetime to realize this Truth. In seeking to scale the summit of a Most High Mountain, I have learned the Wisdom of the River, which wears that very mountain down to become the beach upon which I can truly contemplate my Oneness with Love.    

Every Sunday, at the CenterPoint Service, we explore the Way of Compassion. The key Teaching lies not only in the study of the Principle of Allowing (or going with the Flow), but in the shared experience of that Way as rooted in Divine Love. When the twin Rivers of Understanding and Love combine, there we find true Unity, as well as Peace.

What are some of the CenterPoint techniques for discovering the direction of one’s LifeRiver? The first step is becoming aware of (and trusting) your vibrational frequency and flow. I draw upon the work of “dowsing”- the practice of finding water (or oil or metals) by holding a forked stick, metal rods, or a pendulum. In my home area of rural New England, it was (effectively) used for centuries to dig wells. The “science” of it has been much debated, although Albert Einstein defended it, stating in a 1946 letter that the practice is not a mere superstition, but rather an unexplained physical reaction of the human nervous system. My experience of it- using it in the United States and in experiments Iin England in which I participated in the late 1980’s is that it does work, and works best, if one works at inner attunement.  

For me, Divine Mind is the lens through which God operates. My job is to attune my mind (and heart) to that. Just as our drop of water (our individual self) is absolutely connected to the ocean, so are we inextricably connected to the Superconscious Self. Without accepting this underlying assumption, finding one’s flow becomes like asking a small stream: “Who are you, and where do you come from?” The stream is part of the universal system of water on Earth. If the stream was unaware of this, it would only be aware of its point of origin, and its point of departure- into either the earth, the air, or a larger body of water. When we begin to understand the concept(s) of the cycle of water, from cloud to earth and back again, then we can begin to understand our own cycle(s) of birth, death and re-birth. The real growth, however, only emerges when can begin to “feel” this flow of our soul, of our LifeRiver. This feeling dimension is absolutely essential in discovering and going with our vibrational flow. 

At the beginning of this blog I put forth the idea that to swim in the Ocean of Love Intelligence, and follow the Way of Compassion, it is essential to find that place where the twin Rivers of Understanding and Love combine. This is the place of the HeartMind…this is the best place to experience one’s Life Flow. One does not have to be an ardent follower of Jesus, or a Taoist, or Buddhist, etc. to understand and live these principles. One simply has to basically get out of the way. Easier said than done, perhaps, but in the end it is easier done than said. Begin by remembering times when life flowed effortlessly. Close your eyes and remember the feeling state that was present. Let that become the focal point of your meditation. Allow your breathing to slow and let this feeling state “breathe” you. When you can feel the breath emerging effortlessly, organically, you are beginning to experience your LifeRiver. A way to know this happening is when you feel a smile break. This is where you are ready for the next step in your journey-allowing that inner river to carry you effortlessly forward. 

We will explore these next steps with a Living Waters meditation next time to support this practice of living in Spiritual Unity.