Water

Over years of practicing meditation and, more broadly, thinking about what it means to be human, there are a lot of non-conceptual ideas that are hard to get at. I'm not sure "non-conceptual idea" even makes sense as English language, but what I'm getting at is most of the really tough questions in our lives - who am I, why do I do the things I do - can't be understood logically or with concepts. They simply are in a way that you have to approach differently, often without any words. That being said, sometimes words used in different ways can jog you into another form of understanding. Poetry can definitely be like that, and also metaphor. I was thinking recently about the number of water-related metaphors that are used in mindfulness and other contemplative practices, and that got me thinking more widely about water itself. It's easy to forget about how unique water is, and how essential its properties are to our existence. A few thoughts on that follow, and then a rundown of a some water-related metaphors that can be helpful as you traverse your time on earth..

The Miracle of Water

The fact that there is water on this planet is essential to the fact there are humans here at all. Water covers about 70% of the earth's surface, and of course most living creatures on the planet are mostly made of water. It's such a simple molecule: two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom, but within this simplicity lies subtleties that are crucially important. Water is a polar molecule, meaning it has a slight positive charge on one side (the hydrogen atoms) and a slight negative charge on the other (the oxygen atom). This polarity allows water molecules to form hydrogen bonds with each other, creating a cohesive force that is essential to many of water's unique properties. It's also why water is such a good solvent. In biological systems like ourselves, that property is vital for life. It allows ions, nutrients, and other molecules to be dissolved and transported within cells and throughout the body. Most biochemical reactions occur in an aqueous environment, with water acting as a medium for the reactants to interact.

A Unique Anomaly

Consider water's behavior as a liquid. Unlike most substances, water is less dense as a solid than as a liquid, which is why ice floats. This anomaly is crucial for life on Earth; if ice sank, bodies of water would freeze from the bottom up, making life as we know it impossible. Water also has the highest specific heat capacity of any liquid—the amount of energy required to raise its temperature—which allows it to absorb and retain heat, moderating Earth's climate and stabilizing the internal temperature of living organisms.

But the role of water goes beyond its physical functions. It is also a symbol of life itself. Amniotic fluid, the watery environment in which we begin our existence, cradles us in the early stages of development. We are literally born from water, and throughout our lives, we are drawn to it—whether it’s a cool drink on a hot day, a relaxing shower, or the sight and sound of waves crashing on a beach.

Watery Metaphors

I started off this article talking about how metaphors can be useful at pointing at the non-conceptual nature of our existence. Given the importance of water and its unique attributes discussed above, maybe it's not surprising there are so many water-related metaphors out there that are ancient and, more importantly, still useful. Here's a few to noodle over:

1. Waves and the ocean

The fact that we are all interconnected with each other at the most basic level is one of the most valuable insights you can have during your life. And of course the same interconnection with everything else around us in our environment is true as well. I love the (very ancient) analogy of waves on the ocean. Waves are the ocean; made of the same material but kicked loose from the main body of water for a time. Human beings are exactly that - the universe is kicking us up out of the primordial stew - we remain for a while and then fall back into the whole. For that oh so brief time as waves, we see other waves, the people in our lives, and imagine this is our life, before we pass away. Don't you see we are all exactly the same? Does that change your relationship to the other people you're sharing this time with, no matter who they are?

2. You can't stop a wave with another wave

The scientific-minded readers will understand the concept of constructive interference. This is when two or more waves combine to produce a wave with a larger amplitude than any of the individual waves. This happens when the waves are in phase, meaning their peaks and troughs align. Thus waves that interact with each other in this way will tend to grow, sometimes out of control. Now think about emotions in this way. How do you deal with a negatively-aspected emotion like anger in another person? What happens if you get mad in response? Do things get better, or do they escalate? You can't stop anger with anger; instead you may need understanding, or compassion. You can't stop a wave with another wave...

3. Don't hold on, float

This image is of someone in a raging river, clinging dearly to a rock in the middle, trying to save themselves. You may have felt this way at some time of your life. If you try and hold on to the rock, what happens? You get relentlessly smashed against the rock. Has your life ever felt that way? What would happen if you didn't cling to the rock, but just let. it. go? You may find yourself floating, able to find a way out or to another place altogether.

4. Things are still, down deep

Imagine a lake or other body of water on a windy day. The wind froths the top surface ferociously, waves form, and anything on the surface can get damaged. But now go deeper into the lake- things are a little more still down there. Keep going deeper and you'll find that there is no movement at all caused by the weather, but there is a deep stillness no matter what is going on outside. It's the same thing with your mind. All those weather patterns that you know so well - your moods and thoughts, the pressures of the outside world. They are frothing up the mind something awful. However, there is a vast well of stillness just waiting for you to find. A place of peace and healing. All you need to do is practice...(meditation, prayer, you fill in the blank).

I could go on with many more very easily, but you get the point. Again, these are useful constructs to prod something in your awareness. Sure, you may understand them logically, but they are more useful as pointers to... something. You can use them like Zen koans, holding the image in your mind while you meditate, or just be still with them and see what arises for you and your situation.

As I've said before, these articles follow the twists and turns of my thought processes. They may not always be coherent, but hopefully they are interesting. I recommend paying attention to your own thought streams, it's really interesting to see where they start and where they go. In fact, that is a topic in and of itself.... ??

-Scott