Water
Suijin, Water Deity Day
Water covers the largest amount of surface on the planet earth. It seems to us to be very plentiful, yet in many parts of the world and in the USA there are droughts.
I once saw an image that depicted the amount of water on the planet in relation to the total size of the earth. If all the water was gathered into a single drop, compared to the total earth the drop of water is about the size of one of the western states in the US (I can’t remember which state it was placed on). Water covers a large part of the surface of the earth but compared to solid earth it is rather small.
Water is a necessity for life as we understand it, perhaps for any life, though I am not an expert on the matter. Water nourishes our bodies, it helps our plants grow, and it allows us to clean things.
“These sons of yours are innumerable. They have practiced the Way to Buddhahood for a long time. They have supernatural powers and the power of wisdom. They have studied the Way of Bodhisattvas well. They are not defiled by worldliness just as the lotus-flower is not defiled by water.”
We come from the water, that is we are mostly water, but we also come from the earth. When water and dirt are mixed together it forms mud, but when we practice Buddhism manifest the virtues of the lotus flower; that is we rise up and manifest the beauty of enlightenment.
“Wash dirt and dust off himself, wear a new and undefiled robe, clean himself within and without, sit on the seat of the Dharma peacefully, and then expound the Dharma in answer to questions.”
In Nichiren Buddhism, as well as in many Buddhist practices there are ceremonies for purification using water. In Nichiren Shu we use ice cold water and pour buckets of water upon ourselves to wash away our impurities.
We do not engage in the practice as an austerity or as a punishment but as a ritual for purifying ourselves. It is done with joy and gratitude for the cleansing qualities of water, just as the Dharma cleanses our lives of impurities.
Today as you go through your activities drink a glass of water and savor it as a gift of life for all of its qualities and thank Suijin (sui is the character for water, jin is the character for deity)
