Be Water, My Friend
As I was out walking in the snowy woods yesterday, I happened upon a flowing stream. It has been unseasonably warm so far this winter so that when it snows it tends to melt in town (the woods insulate the snow better), the ground is not frozen, and the streams are still flowing. It was actively snowing at the time I was out walking, and the combined sounds of the moving water and the crunching snow under my feet lulled me into a meditative state.
I began to ponder the properties of water.
In an interview discussing his philosophical thoughts, Bruce Lee said, " . . . be formless, shapeless, like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow, or it can crash. Be water, my friend."
If I may be so bold as to go a bit further on this thought train, water not only takes the shape of the surface upon which it flows or fills, it is also responsive to the environment: when cold, it forms solid fractalized sacred geometric patterns, and when warm it invisibly escapes into the air. It is constantly changing and shifting.
When flowing, there is no fight or struggle, it simply finds the path of least resistance.
When it encounters resistance or blockage, it gathers itself up until the blockage is pushed aside, or it finds rest where it pools.
When pooled, it becomes reflective, providing a mirror for its surroundings.
When crashing, it is one of the strongest forces in nature, channeling kinetic energy with vigorous power. It gives life and takes it, undulating in and out of everchanging patterns of existence, naturally seeking balance.
Today we are in the sacred 1/11 portal, a time for aligning with your highest self, setting intentions and manifesting new beginnings. We are in a 9 year (2+0+2+5=9), completing unfinished business, letting go of what no longer serves your highest self, the year of the mystic, later this month moving into the year of the snake according to the Chinese zodiac. The snake perfectly exemplifies the undulations of this realm, the constant movement and adjustment that is needed at the macro and micro levels to find equilibrium. The serpent, far from being evil or scary, is representative of the nature of our dense physical bodies: our spirits know perfection and infinity, yet our bodies exist in a realm of light and dark, good and evil, scarcity and abundance, young and old, happy and sad, fearful and loving, alive and dead, growing and decomposing. The world of opposites, one side not existing without the other. This is the truth tasted from the tree of knowledge, presented by the undulating snake, the symbol of this realm. The world of opposites makes us forget the world of oneness and the infinite light of which we are each a spark.
Navigating these opposites is the work of life. There is no finish line. At the top of every mountain is the view of the next valley. Where are you today? How is the journey going and what map have you laid out for yourself? Is there a stream you might follow, a lake or ocean you might float in along the way?
I try to remember to take Bruce Lee's advice as often as possible. Be water, my friend.
