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Can You Be Like Water?
Posted by Pat on July 5, 2015 in Uncategorized | ∞
Bruce Lee originated his famous metaphor, be like water, after his period of frustration with his inability to master “the art of detachment” that his teacher was trying to impart to him. We could all use “water” as a lesson!
I am struck by his story as he recounts,
After spending many hours meditating and practicing, I gave up and went sailing alone in a junk. On the sea I thought of all my past training and got mad at myself and punched the water! Right then-at that moment-a thought suddenly struck me; was not this water the very essence of gung fu? I struck it but it did not suffer hurt…I then tried to grasp a handful of it but this proved impossible.
- Water is impossible to grasp a handful of.
- Strike it, yet it does not suffer hurt.
- It has no shape of its own but molds itself to whatever contains it.
- When heated to the state of steam, it has enough power to split the earth itself, yet when frozen it’s like a crystalized rock.
- Yet through all its changes, it is still itself, water.
- And its cycle is dependable and reassuring as it goes through all its changes.
One of my favorite images is visualizing the rain falling in the mountains, flowing down a stream into a river, through a canyon, into a river, and then into the sea where it evaporates back up into the atmosphere to return as rain..
And I do want to be like water, to…
Are there any attributes of water that appeal to you and your life?
9 Comments
Aah! Just what I need, refreshing images of cool water in this heat. Remember, water puts out fire and I’m told, it created the Grand Canyon. I am a Cancer baby so water is my element. Also, humans are 75% water just like the Earth.
Mary Kay, I love the water images-fluid, flowing, clear. And it is challenging to acquire those qualities in my day to day life!
Thanks for sharing! I’m a Cancer baby too!
We return to water each summer – the Oregon Coast and the ocean. The waves just keep coming in, have in my many visits in the past, and will keep coming in. Many people come and go but the ocean is always there and the waves just keep coming in. There is that rhythm that is constant – like the ticking of a clock. Returning to watch the ocean waves to the same place that many of my family has done for many years brings back the scene that they have seen too and watched the waves just keep coming in. There is that rhythm.
Earl, your appreciation for nature shows not only in the photos you take but in the words you use. Thank you!
Thank you.
Earl: I almost got hypnotized reading your comment. Nice!
Thank you.
Years ago when I was having trouble with surgeons doing what surgeons used to do with their egos you used an analogy of water to help me. It was that the stream always makes it to the sea. If there’s a huge, sharp edged rock in the way…what of it? Just keep moving to the sea. Go around that rock, no need to do anything with or about it. Eventually not only will you get there but those sharp edges will be worn smooth, and later that rock will be made smaller and less obtrusive as well. All without confrontation. That image really helped get me through that period.
Fay, I think the strength in water is in its ability to flow around or past perceived obstacles all with the “side effect” of gradually wearing away the obstacle.