Inter-religious running water at the garden of aromas in Nyons

"L'homme ne se nourrit pas des choses mais du sens des choses. Ainsi l'eau continue l'esprit et l'alimente"
"Human beings are not fed by things but by the meaning of things. In the same way water continues the work of the spirit and feeds it."
This is my not entirely successful translation of the inscription on the small fountain we came across in in the "jardin des arômes" in Nyons. "Ainsi" it seemed to me needed more than just a "thus" here but I'm still not sure how to get into English the idea of exprit being both spirit and mind. The French "continue" is also somehow more active - perhaps "impels the spirit forwards and feeds the mind" would have been a possible "transcreation". Sometimes the shortest phrases are the hardest.

I love gardens and it was an early morning treat to wander around this one on the banks of the river Eygues and look at the different aromatic and medicinal plants. I really liked the old lavender distiller that they've placed in the middle of the garden as well - you can see a photo of it by scrolling down here.
I took the photos because of the religious symbols of the side of the fountain which rather surprised me in a municipally funded garden in secular France. All gardens should have water in them somewhere, the secret gardens of our inner spirit need water too, which is what holiday and wandering around gardens, vineyards and markets is all about. Well that's my excuse anyway!