PRITHVIRAJ THALI

Water has arrived in its most refreshing form – the Monsoons. At last!!! For me, the heavenly downpour always comes with a message from the gods. It is a timely reminder that every dark cloud of gloom assuredly gives way to an eventual ‘downpour of divine grace’; that no matter how dismal the present moment is, the next refreshing drizzle of hope is just round the corner. God aptly summarised the whole of creation when he created water. About 60 % of the human body is made up of water and it covers about 71 % of the earth’s surface.
When the great Bruce Lee introduced his message of martial arts to the West, it was more philosophic than physical – something that his western followers were new to. In one of his recorded documentaries, he advised his students to be like water. Put water in a pot and it ‘becomes’ the pot; put it in a glass and it ‘becomes’ the glass, he had said. Adaptability, then, is at the very heart of its existence. Water is tenacious. It persists simply because it does not resist. And in not resisting lies it’s secret to survival. If you were to hit the surface calm of a pond of water with a stick, the water would just part, albeit momentarily. It is too pliant to resist. But, soon the calm is restored. In taking the shape of the vessel which holds it, water unerringly mirrors the lesson of unconditional ‘surrender to the divine will’. It acquiesces, permeates and ultimately it transmutes. Its colourlessness amply reveals the dispassion of the awakened soul.
The same water of the brook that gently meanders unsuspectingly cuts the hardest of rocks. How does it do it? one drop at a time. It carves its unique signature on the rock through sheer persistence. And no matter how muddy water becomes, the dirt eventually settles and water moves on, clearer and purer. Through the eons, water has immensely sculpted more creative designs out of rock than human artistry.
Water has traditionally been associated with the emotional side of a human being. Even the astrological zodiac has three of its twelve constellations assigned to the water element, namely, Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. People born under the predominating influence of these zodiac signs are said to be emotional and intuitive in their approach towards life.
The human mind is represented most appropriately by the fluid nature of water than by any other element in nature. The various states of the human mind — agitation, distressed or peaceful — is symbolised by water in its different states of motion. Perhaps, it is not without some deeper connection that meditating near a body of water is found to help attain a more profound state of calm faster and more easily.
Water forms an important constituent in Ayurveda which advocates physical well-being through a balance of the three doshas or dispositions, namely Vata (Inter-mixing of ether and air elements), Pitta (inter-mixing of the fire and the water elements) and Kapha (inter-mixing of the earth and the water elements). A healthy balance of the water element amongst others is, thus, central to a sound body.
The heavenly ballet of the rain drops as they plunge onto the earth below is a sight to watch. New shoots of life that lay in slumber, stir anew. And as they unfold, they have a story to tell. A story of self-belief and unflinching faith in the miracle called Life. Those seeds have waited for ages for that first heaven-sent torrent. And their wait is richly rewarded.
So, off with our umbrellas and our rain-wear, it’s time to soak in the bounty of nature and rejoice with new-found trust.