Life as a River

A Rosicrucian allegory about life an its purpose

By Luis Victoria
Translated from Spanish Original Version
La Vida como un Río

The river is born high atop the mountain… like a child who begins
his life with new eyes, childish, playful and innocent; seeing the
obstacles, the steep terrain, the falls and stones with curiosity and
without fear.

The river’s life force and its ally, the Gravity Force, impel it to
trench its way; an inevitable way that must be followed because
the force of its existence is greater than its doubts, is greater than
the stones encountered. Like our life in childhood and
adolescence, the stones on our way are inevitably thrown out the
current by the impetus of our existence; overwhelming by pure
force as the young river whose impetuous waters don’t know any
barriers. Terrain and gravity are favorable. Same as our youth,
energy, innocence and inexperience which don’t make us question
the way to follow mindless of the consequences. At this stage other
rivers and streams nourish our waters; our parents, teachers and
friends are unavoidably contributing with their experiences, their
virtues and even with their prejudices and limitations. While we
are young we don’t express total character or definition, we are
one of many more. Like the brook that doesn’t have a name.

The adult river finds less aggressive terrain; river bends where the
extensiveness and levelness of the ground allow its margins to
widen. This way we approach maturity in life, where we still have
the energy, the impetus and the strength but have become a little
wiser; like the river arriving at the savannah after crossing its way
through steep mountains. The force of the water diminishes but its
banks expand. Here we begin nourishing other rivers, brooks and
streams, creating and sustaining life around us.

While we came down the mountain, the impetus and force of our
waters didn’t allow us to maintain life along our banks. In this new
stage the waters stop its frenzy and around us trees, farms, towns
and cities bloom; boats sail; we become givers and keepers of life
manifesting our potential as much as in as out the river. Here we
have a name, a character, a definition; wide river, fast river, great
river. We acquire skill, utility and grow to be contributors; we
become navigable, or irrigate land, or pleasurable, or much more.
Here we witness the great rivers; those men greater than life itself
benefactors of many towns, of many farms, plants and animals;
true creators and givers of well-being. Also we see the scrawny
rivers, those of low water volume that stagnate and sometimes die
before arriving at the ocean. These are the men who didn’t give,
which lived for themselves, who didn’t mature, who didn’t
comprehend and remained caught in the sand and the mud.

At the end of our days the river arrives at the ocean. Some of us
scatter in numerous streams, debilitated by the delta of our
thoughts and life habits; ailing, mad and deranged. Others arrive
with all their strength and for many miles out to sea they remain
being river. We see its earthly tones, its fresh waters gradually
mixing with the blue and salty ocean. This way some men will go
through life; spreading health, life, love, inspiration and well-
being in their path and taking the strength of their character
beyond their existence. But eventually and regardless of the
strength the river joins the ocean, the waters will dilute. The fresh
waters will become salty and the salty ones will be enriched with
the freshness of the river. Like this we will enter Death thus losing
our definition, our name and identification; everything for what we
were known… and no longer we will be river… we will be ocean.

And there we will know the experience and the memory of many
rivers and in the end we will realize that we were many of one; one
with the Great Ocean.

But one good day the perpetual Sun will warm up the waters and
we’ll rise in the air like vapor -first. There the winds will carry us
to the mountain where life itself began and we’ll fall like drops of
rain to commence again; a new river, a new course, a new
opportunity of being a better river… of being a better ocean.