Go with the Flow
Mystics from diverse traditions have long looked to the natural world to explain spiritual truths. One of the most enduring metaphors is water. The phrase ‘living waters,’ for example, is found in texts dating back several millennia and describes God’s creative power, the Word, in spiritual traditions from the Middle East to South Asia. Water as a metaphor also helps us understand other aspects of spirituality. This article explores what water can teach us about the mind, our receptivity to grace, and what it means to go with the flow of life.
Water is both powerful and beautiful. It gives life and shapes the world around us. When water is clean and pure, it looks clear and bright. For example, water flowing from a mountain is so transparent that you can see every stone and pebble on the riverbed. But when storms strike and the wind picks up, the riverbed turns muddy, fills with debris, and the light that once reached the bottom can no longer get through. However, if left undisturbed, the mud and debris slowly settle, and the water becomes clear once more.
Our minds work in much the same way. When we are caught up in wants, worries or anger, we lose our inner balance, and the Lord’s grace can feel distant. It is not that grace is absent, but that we are too unsettled to notice it. The mountain spring teaches us that the mud does not need to be forced out; it settles on its own when the water is still. In the same way, we do not find clarity by struggling or fighting our thoughts. Clarity comes naturally when we sit quietly and let go of our worries. When our minds are calm, God’s light can shine through.
An innate desire exists within humans to connect with God. We might ignore or suppress this feeling, but it can resurface. An example of this is when we hold a newborn – something within us recognizes and longs for that original closeness to the divine. Even so, a new baby comes with its own destiny, and we know that such purity and innocence are short-lived.
As we grow older, the world fills our minds with noise, making our innate longing harder to hear. Today, with the internet and AI, information reaches us instantly from all directions, and if we are not careful, this constant flow can clutter the mind rather than enrich it.
Moreover, these technologies can gradually condition us to seek constant stimulation, drawing our attention compulsively from one screen to the next. Little by little, we drift away from our natural inner stillness.
Nonetheless, the wisdom of going with the current of life, rather than against it, is so timeless and universal that even a simple children’s nursery rhyme captures it:
Row, row, row your boat
gently down the stream,
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.
The nursery rhyme encourages us to go through life quietly, not to fight its natural flow of ups and downs, and to adopt a positive outlook. But how do we return to that gentle flow in our lives? How can we clear and calm the mind? Saints from many traditions say that meditation, as taught by a true living master, is one of the surest methods. By focusing our attention at the eye centre, meditation helps the mind become lighter, clearer, and more focused within. Over time, we can become aware of God’s presence within. This is the path of Surat Shabd Yoga. In Light on Sant Mat, Maharaj Charan Singh writes, “The best way to cleanse the mind is to vacate the nine doors of the body through repetition of the five holy names, repeated with love and devotion.”
In this sense, meditation is like spiritual water. Just as water cleans and refreshes everything it touches; meditation cleanses the mind and restores its natural clarity. As this happens, spiritual calm begins to flow into our lives, and we start to feel the Lord’s presence and grace shining quietly within us. As the English proverb says, “Still waters run deep.”
Water also teaches us something important about surrender and living in God’s will. Water is completely flexible. It takes the shape of whatever holds it and never insists on its own form. When a stream meets a boulder, it does not fight or stop; it simply finds another way forward. Can we face life’s obstacles with the same quiet wisdom? Just as every stream is meant to reach the sea, our souls are drawn to their true home, the divine spiritual vibration of God – the Shabd.
In Spiritual Perspectives, Vol. III, Maharaj Charan Singh states: “If you swim against the waves, you will drown, but if you swim along with the waves, you will go easily to the shore.” As our time and energy are limited, we are encouraged to focus on the purpose of life: self-realization and God-realization. Meditation makes this possible by clearing the mind, steadying the heart, and helping us move with the current instead of against it. Thus, the nursery rhyme takes on new meaning for us. We are reminded to row gently, move happily, and remember that this life, with all its joys and challenges, is just a dream. We are truly fortunate to take the journey of life with the love of our Master shining within us, lighting our way.
So, shouldn’t we be the merriest of all?