Zen Master Dogen taught: “What different types of beings see is different. We should reflect on this. Is it that there are various ways of seeing a single object? Or is it that we have mistaken a variety of images for a single object? We should examine this question in detail, concentrate every effort on understanding it, and then concentrate even more. Given this multitude of perspectives, it follows that training on the way of practice and verification cannot be of one or two kinds, and the realm of ultimate reality must also have a thousand types and ten thousand kinds.”

So there are many ways in which to view water. Water can help or destroy depending on how much of it is being used. The balance of water’s use is an important idea here, and to remember the circumstances of water’s uses and perspectives are ever-changing.

Zen Master Dogen continues: “However, the various waters, which accord with the kinds of beings that see water, do not depend on mind, do not depend on body, do not arise from karma, are not self-reliant, and are not reliant upon others. Water, being dependent on water, is liberated.”

If one can move beyond all the perspectives of water, it can be truly seen for what it is and connect everything in our world. (Reference: Parabola Magazine Vol. 34 No. 2)

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The Jews saw water as a purification substance, but more often than not it was something to be feared. The flood in which only 8 people survived according to the book of Genesis, was God’s way of punishing the wicked and starting fresh with Noah and his wife, 3 sons and daughters-in-law along with one male and female of every animal in the Arc that God instructed Noah to build.

Later, when God is inflicting the 10 plagues upon Egypt, he has Moses turn the Nile River from water to blood. Also, the Exodus of the Hebrew slaves from Egypt back to their native land was accomplished by crossing the Red Sea while God parted it.

With the magnitude of power the Jews witnessed in these miraculous happenings, it is no surprise that water was seen as a fearful, powerful element. Still, water is used in the Old Testament as a means of salvation. Moses was saved from the Pharaoh’s decree to kill all Hebrew male babies when his mother made a basket of reeds and floated him down the Nile River in it. Later in Moses’ life, his people were indeed saved by passing through what must have been the terrifying walls of the parted Red Sea, and finally, while wandering in the desert with the Jews, God provided life-giving water from a rock that Moses struck with his staff.

It was also a tradition that Jewish translators would wash their hands and pray to God before doing their work to translate the Torah from Hebrew to Greek. Furthermore, the washing of another’s feet was seen as an act of service, to clean off all the dirt and whatever else collected during the days of walking with no shoes or only thin sandals. Water was ultimately symbolic of purification, removing all that is unholy, to the Jews. (Reference: Parabola Magazine Vol. 34 No. 2)

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Ancient Greek society gave honor to the bath time ritual. They had stories of the female gods bathing, such as Artemis in the forest waters, Hera retrieving her virginity in a spring, and Aphrodite (Venus) enriched in cleansing waters. The Greeks had statues of Venus removing clothes, removing jewelry, and getting into or out of her bath.

Our bathing rituals could stem from the example of Venus, washing our hair, using a mirror to restore our appearance, and just soaking in the bathtub. The soaking was seen as a spiritual practice of removing oneself from the pressures of the hectic world and simply renewing one’s feeling of peace. We have adapted to this by paying for massages and spa treatments, pedicures and manicures, etc. It has the same outcome: a renewed peaceful outlook on life and the current problems we are facing.

“When you take a bath, you soak your soul as well as your body.” Even the sound of running water is a part of the healing. Using fragrant oils was to Venus like a healing for the skin and spirit, awakening all the senses. Disrobing was Venus’ way of moving past shame into appreciation for the beauty of the human form.

Many people remodel and redecorate their bathrooms, realizing that this is the place where their soul feels renewed. Can you remember a time when you took a bath and it calmed your fears or helped you through a rough day? We may have trouble thinking of a time when a bath didn’t do those things! (Reference: Parabola Magazine Vol. 34 No. 2)

To learn more about Natural Action Structured Water Units, please visit our Store.