I Am the Father of the Wind, the Offspring of the Waters
I Am the Father of the Wind, the Offspring of the Waters
(Paradoxes of the Inner Self)
The Riddle of Identity
When Rishi Vamadeva declared, “I am the father of the wind, the offspring of the waters,” he spoke not in riddles but in revelations. At first glance, the statement is paradoxical, even impossible. How can one be both parent and child? How can one precede the wind yet be born of the waters?
But paradox is the doorway to truth. Vamadeva’s realization is not about logic; it is about the infinite nature of Self — a nature that simultaneously births, and is birthed by, existence.
Breaking the Chains of Linear Thought
Ordinary thinking follows straight lines: first cause, then effect; first parent, then child; first source, then creation. But the Self is not bound by such straight lines. It is circular, self-originating, endless.
By calling himself the father of the wind, Vamadeva recognized the creative power of consciousness — the breath of existence arises from the Self. By naming himself the offspring of the waters, he acknowledged the humility of participation — even the Self is cradled by the cosmic flow.
He was both — the origin and the participant, the seed and the sprout, the silence before sound and the echo after it.
The Courage to Hold Paradox
Spiritual growth often falters because we try to resolve paradox instead of embodying it. We want the Self to be either this or that. But Vamadeva invites us to live as both. To awaken is to stop fighting the contradictions and to recognize that they are the fingerprints of the infinite.
You are strong and fragile. You are ancient and new. You are creator and creature. The ego panics at this tension, but the Self sings through it.
Water and Wind as Symbols
Water is fluidity — the womb of life, the flow of time, the capacity to adapt and nourish. To be “offspring of the waters” is to recognize that existence gives you birth moment by moment, that you are carried by forces larger than yourself.
Wind is movement, breath, prāṇa — the restless energy that animates life. To be “father of the wind” is to recognize that the spark of awareness in you commands breath, gives direction, and empowers motion.
Together, wind and water symbolize the endless dance of giving and receiving, leading and surrendering, creating and dissolving.
The Incomparable Perspective: Beyond Hierarchy
Everywhere in human life, we build hierarchies — parent above child, cause above effect, god above devotee. Vamadeva’s paradox shatters that order. He shows that the Self is not bound by rank or sequence. It is both source and stream. It is not above or below, but permeating.
The inner Self is not something “higher” to ascend to, nor something “lower” to ground into. It is the field in which both hierarchy and reversal dissolve.
Why This Matters Today
In our modern lives, we are crushed by the demand to define ourselves — leader or follower, giver or taker, teacher or student. We long for clarity in labels. But Vamadeva reminds us that clarity is not always neatness. True clarity embraces paradox.
You can be powerful without domination. You can be humble without erasure. You can be a creator without needing ownership, and a child without being dependent.
🌿 Practical Toolkit: Living the Paradox
1. Daily Paradox Mantra Each morning, whisper: “I am both source and seeker. I am both infinite and incomplete.” Carry this dual awareness through your day.
2. The Water Ritual (Adaptability Practice) While drinking water, pause and affirm: “I am nourished by existence. I am the offspring of the waters.” Feel gratitude for being carried by life.
3. The Wind Ritual (Empowerment Practice) Stand in fresh air, take a deep breath, and affirm: “I am the father of the wind. I give breath to life through awareness.” Exhale with authority.
4. Holding Contradictions (Conflict Practice) When faced with a tough decision, don’t rush to either/or. Write down both sides and allow them to co-exist. Remind yourself: paradox is not confusion; it is wholeness.
5. Weekly Paradox Meditation Spend 10 minutes once a week meditating on a personal paradox — strength/weakness, joy/sorrow, silence/speech. Sit with both. Breathe until they feel less like opposites and more like siblings of the same truth.
Closing Reflection
Rishi Vamadeva’s words were not meant to puzzle but to free. In claiming to be both father of the wind and offspring of the waters, he invited us into the spaciousness where paradox becomes revelation.
You, too, are not bound to one definition. You are a tide, a breath, a source, a child. To live awakened is to stop choosing sides — and to let the paradox be the pulse of your Self.