Deciphering Water

As a New England resident, I'm probably unfairly biased against water, especially after the series of downpours that engulfed this area in March. During those days (when close to ten inches of relentless rain befell the region), water to me was the source of all nuisance — flooded streets, muddy sidewalks, drenched clothes, and a leaky bedroom ceiling.

World Water Day two weeks ago has helped me forget my hypocritical grudge against water and has let me focus on its symbolic importance. It is easy to take for granted something so locally ubiquitous and overlook the fact that even though water consists of the most abundant (hydrogen) and the third most abundant (oxygen) elements in the universe, it is hardly an omnipresent compound.

Because of its special preponderance on our planet and its inextricable tie to what we know about life, water has occupied a revered place in our history. A mere look at the diversity and number of countries — Korea, Botswana, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, Kiribati, etc. — that bear references to water on their national flags is enough to emphasize its symbolic significance. World Water Day should be more than just a celebration of the utilitarian and biological importance of water; it should also be a global appreciation of its nexus in culture and ideology.

Far from being a just a physical phenomenon, water has seeped into our collective consciousness as a profoundly polysemic concept. Its dynamism, unique solvent properties, and ability to be both yielding and powerful all inspire a rich web of significance.

The meaningfulness of water is prominent in many religions, including Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism, in which water is often regarded as a spiritual cleanser. The practices of baptism, Hindu morning cleansings, Islamic ablutions, and the story of the Great Flood all associate water with purification and catharsis. Daoism — an Eastern philosophical and spiritual tradition — uses water to embody the concept of non-action (of efficacy without effort).

In the genesis of life, water additionally serves a symbol of fertility. In Greek mythology, for example, the goddess Artemis, the ruler of the tides, is associated with menstruation. Also in Greek mythology, the river Styx guards the underworld and death itself. Lastly, water is shrouded in mystery and represents the unknown, for its depths hide many processes and life-forms that are still so alien to us.

Our attachment to water is irrefutable. Just go sit by the banks of a meandering river or on a rock overlooking the sea. The tranquility we feel is palpable yet ineffable. A symbol of suppleness and strength, of purity and pollution, of clarity and mystery, of life and death — water is a complex idea that societies have grappled with for millenia. Imagine a waterless world: without water, culture would be as barren as life itself.

--Dayan Li

Image Credits: http://wikimedia.org