The Spiritual Significance of Water
The Spiritual Significance of Water
“Water is the representation of wisdom, peace and purity.
AVATAR MEHER BABA during the Blue Bus Tours. (Meher Nazar Publications. Used with permission.)
“The spiritual meaning of water lies in its reflection of the human spirit and the interconnection of all creation.
“We are all aware of the necessity of water. From keeping us alive to quenching our thirst, to washing the dirt from our bodies and our food, not to mention its role in producing that food, our survival depends on water.
WOMAN CARRYING WATER at Marble Rocks in the Jabalpur district, India, in December 1938. Photographed by Hedi Mertens during Meher Baba’s Blue Bus Tours. (Meher Nazar Publications. Used with permission.)
“But what does such a valuable life force mean spiritually? Is there any spiritual essence or spiritual meaning of water?
“As a symbol of life, water represents divine generosity.
CREATOR OF LIFE-GIVING WATER — #69 of the 101 Names of God. Avatar Meher Baba. (Meher Nazar Publications. Used with permission.)
“Indeed, it’s a personification of healing and suffering, protection, and vulnerability, change and constancy, stillness and rage.
“Water in all its glory is considered a purifier of the soul. Of course, water is the basis of purification in multiple religions, and many cultures use water as a sacred practice to heal internal turmoil.
AVATAR MEHER BABA bathing a mast (a God-intoxicated soul) in Old Mandali Hall, Meherabad, India in June 1939, photographed by Faredoon Driver (Padri). (MSI Collection. Used with permission.)
“For instance, Hindu devotees take a holy dip in the River Ganges to purify the soul.
THE RIVER GANGES in Benares in 1939 during Meher Baba’s Blue Bus Tours, photographed by Mani S. Irani. (Meher Nazar Publications. Used with permission.)
“Similarly, Islam has a daily ritual of ablution (called “Wudhu”) to cleanse inside and outside the body before prayers.
AVATAR MEHER BABA washing His own feet at Meherabad, India, in 1958, photographed by Meelan. (Meher Nazar Publications. Used with permission.)
“In Christianity, the ritual of baptism through holy water symbolizes purity. Likewise, other cultures use water to cleanse the spirit and eliminate impurities from the soul.”
Sources
Gangaram Limbaji Pawar, Faredoon Driver (Padri), Pandurang Deshmukh (Pandoba), Nadirshaw Bharucha, and F.H. Dadachanji (Chanji), Combined Diary, as printed in Glow International: A Journal Devoted to Meher Baba, Winter 2022, pp. 9-10, published by Beloved Archives, Hamilton, NJ. ©Avatar Meher Baba Perpetual Public Charitable Trust. Used with permission.
Thank you to James Whedon for suggesting this passage for “The Divine Gift of Water” film and the event celebrating the new well and finding drinkable water at Meher Mount.