Water has been on my brain or should I say in my brain lately. I just completed a book called the Saltwater Buddha: A Surfer’s Quest To Find Zen On The Sea by Jaimal Yogis. This story is about a young man’s quest to learn to surf and also to explore meditation. The journey to the sea and the journey to the depths of the human experience cross paths here. If you like the ocean, surfing, meditation, and/or zen, you will find this book worth the quick read that it is.
"The Supreme good is like water, which nourishes all things without trying to". Lao-Tzu
"Whether you believe in God or not does not matter so much, whether you believe in Buddha or not does not matter so much. You must lead a good life." The Dalai Lama
These are two quotes from this book and they contain some of the lessons explored. The Great Chinese Sage Lao Tzu speaks of the effortless might of water, streams, rives, and oceans to touch us all in nurturing ways. Water as the blog below points out is essential to life and also part of what might be called the cosmic soup from which we all come. The power of the ocean and its surf can take us for a ride, or teach us lessons of life. I use to love to ride the waves as if I was being carried by magic to another world were effort produced only joy.
Some people have never seen the ocean nor watched the surf dance along the shores. It seems they have missed too much.
The Dalai Lama’s wisdom about our beliefs not being nearly as important as our actions is profound in its simplicity. How true his ideas seem to be. There are so many that state their allegiance to points of view and beliefs systems like religion and yet live in ways that seem in conflict from these values they proclaim. The true mark of a human being is the way they live their lives not what they claim to believe. Compassionate action with kindness and caring seem like right action in most situations. What actions feel right to you?
I hope you found the mix of thought and ideas inspiring. The Way, the Water, the Actions we take are all part of the dance we call life. What is your way, how do you flow, and what will you leave when you pass on? Enjoy what you have and act with love and joy and all will be a beautiful journey.