The Tao of water

It is said that water cures all ills. As a hydration disciple, this adage is law.

It is my belief that the ultimate miracle of creation lies not in man’s intellect or his inventions, but in ponds, lakes, glaciers, aquifers, rivers, and seas.

Let me state the obvious: water is essential. It is known.

Water empowers. Throughout history, the presence of water had significant impacts on civilization. The earliest human settlement flourished on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Territories near bodies of water possessed economic and military advantages compared to their landlocked counterparts.

Water is standard. The element of life, water is one of the most important compounds sought in other planets for them to be considered habitable. Without water, a person is said to last for only three days.

Bob Nolan’s “Cool Water” describes this perfectly: a man and his mule travel parched through a scorching desert, chasing mirages of an oasis. In the literal sense, dehydration causes lightheadedness and disorientation, which may have conjured apparitions of a desert spring in the dying man’s mind.

I could cite more instances that glorify water, but none could be greater than the benefits it bestows upon the body.

Most people agree on the premise that coffee is the ultimate adult drink, but I beg to differ.

The ultimate adult drink—the mythical Fountain of Youth, the Elixir of Life, the Alpha and the Omega of Beverages—is neither coffee nor wine, but unsophisticated, lowly water.

Water medicates. A large roster of bodily functions benefit from good hydration—adequate water intake leads to healthier organs, better disease prevention, and improved brain performance.

But water doesn’t only heal through simple ingestion. Being surrounded by water, immersing yourself in it, and letting it carry you also works wonders.

In early November, I had the chance to visit the sea. To reject the offer was out of the question.

The decision was a spiritual one. I needed the sea. The humdrum of everyday routine left me restless and wanting. What for others was a welcome diversion was for me a pilgrimage.

The sea did not disappoint. Albeit the congested beachfront reminded me of the world pre-COVID, and despite the fact that I dislike crowds in general, I found myself enjoying the view and even trying water sports for the first time.

The world off-island is a complicated place, with its rat race, politics, social issues, and existential crises. With the ocean, everything is simple. The crystalline water reflects the azure expanse above it, and clumps of seaweed scatter over the waves, casting shadows on passing fish. Afloat on a calm sea with lips and eyes sealed shut, the mind is clear and the heart quiet. With eyes wide open, one sees the endless sky and experiences the infinite. The world delights in the profound, dispensing riddles in every waking moment.

Water simplifies. It answers in sea foam and pebble, in coral and brine.

Science declares water the universal solvent, and it continues to do so in a different sense. It can erode not only metal and stone, but even the most complex of problems.

Water prevails. Tao — the Way, the Absolute, and the Ultimate Wisdom of the Universe as believed by Taoists—is best exemplified by water, a formless, humble, and tranquil liquid able to overpower even the toughest of solids.

Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, spoke about it around the sixth century: “Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water. Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible, nothing can surpass it. The soft overcomes the hard; the gentle overcomes the rigid.” It remains true centuries later.

Water has prevented and cured a multitude of ills—societal, physical, and spiritual—through the ages. For someone insignificant, to owe the things I rediscovered about myself in that brief trip to water is a testament to its universal healing powers.

There’s a reason why people flock to the beach since time immemorial, and I believe it to be sound. I also subscribe to the wonders of good hydration and taking a bath when I feel dispirited. The answer is clear.

The Tao of water is a simple one, be it in drink or destination: it liberates, absolves, and allows us to partake in the divine workings of nature and existence, enabling us to rediscover and celebrate life.

* * *

Eula Louise Canata, 26, is a lifelong lover of art and literature.