I’ve always been fascinated by waves. Growing up I went to the beach constantly and had the sun and swell as a constant companion. From my own experiences, waves are metaphors for life.
The waves keep coming and there’s no stopping them. They come during the day and all throughout the night. This is due to the moon’s gravitational pull which creates the waves motion. When I am swimming on the beach, the waves will keep coming. If I resist or block the waves I am in for a physically hard time. My very attempt to block what nature intended will leave me tired, probably swallowing a mouthful of water and sore.
The same thing could be said about the events in my life. Events happen constantly. Any attempt to block or resist the events which happen in my life leads to suffering. This includes dwelling in the past, thinking about how things should be instead of how things truly are and trying to change the inevitable. Like waves, the only way through is to go with the flow. There’s no point in resisting the waves but if I swim underneath the waves or swim with the incoming waves to the shore then I am with nature. Similarly with life events if I just accepted the events which came my way without resisting, then I would be with equanimity. The phrase “it is what is” comes to mind. I used to hate this phrase but there’s great wisdom to it.
Secondly, there is something soothing about the sounds of the ocean. The repeated crashing and building up of water sounds calm my soul. It’s completely indescribable. When I truly focus on the wave sounds, something about the repetition makes me forget about my life’s problems and suffering. Even if it’s just for a moment, there calmness and peace. The mind stops chattering for a moment. Everything is okay. In life, when this suddenly happens, say when I put my focus solely on the sights and sounds of life, the same thing happens. Say if I focus listening to a song or stop to watch children play in the playground. Even if just for a few seconds, my problems melt away and the mind stops chattering. Perhaps being in this state is the best way to live…