Water. It's a vital necessity to every functioning organism on planet Earth. Animals use it to drink, plants use it to grow, and humans use it for everything from bathing to eating to spiritual rituals. There are biblical references to Noah and the Ark, the parting of the Red Sea, and how one man turned water to wine. The spiritual value of water to some people is worth life or death. In India, the government decided to build a dam that would hypothetically allow more water to be shipped to north India where severe drought was occurring. Once the dam was in place, it began to fill. While one side of the dam began to flood villages, the other side saw their water disappearing. The Narmada Dam was holding back water that was once used for cleaning, cooking, growing crops, and most importantly sacred, religious traditions. In the long run, the people of both the waterless area and the people of the flooded area were willing to stay in their areas and demand their historic rights to the water. The tribes along the Narmada River saw water as being so sacred they were willing to die for it, for their right to access it. Water is seen as being the holiest of elements in many cultures across the globe. Besides religious affiliation, water is next as the highest commodity, next to oil and gold. “Vodka” technically means “little water” a shortened version of the original “zhiznennia voda” or “water of life.” The Gaelic word for whiskey is “usquebaugh” also meaning “water of life.” The connection between water and life are found throughout all of mankind's cultures. Native American tribes use hot water to cleanse the soul. Creating a sauna, the people will sit in small, low to the ground tents, where they will sweat and drain themselves until they are forced to crawl out into the open air. Only then have they been purified and ready to communicate with Mother Nature. Water is needed for physical demands, but also meets the needs of many spiritual purposes. It is clear the relationship between any religion, water and life. It is easy to over look the importance of water but once that water is not available, the situation becomes apparent. BM
