I was extremely fortunate to grow up right on the ocean. Going down to the beach was always a refuge for me. The gentle lapping of the waves soothed and settled me. Looking out over the ocean helped put my problems into perspective, as they would suddenly seem insignificant compared to the infinite expansion of the ocean stretching out to the sky.

Maharishi often spoke about the ocean as an analogy for the mind. He compared the waves on the ocean to our thoughts, and the depths of the ocean to the silent transcendental level of our mind. The process of transcending is like a wave settling into the vastness of the sea.

Maharishi would refer to consciousness in its settled state as one unbounded ocean of consciousness in motion. The most settled state of our mind—pure consciousness—is not a flat, empty silence, but a dynamic field—always flowing within itself. It is teeming with energy and intelligence.

If you go to Florida for vacation to escape the grey, cold winter, as you dive into the ocean remember you could also be diving into the ocean of your own consciousness and come out refreshed and rejuvenated. Actually you don’t have to go to Florida—you can dive into your Self twice a day wherever you are, any time of the year.

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Here is a poem that I wrote when I took the photo above:

Tasting the sweet morning air
with a tint of salt steaming off the ocean,
I gaze out to the horizon to watch the rising sun.
Knowing I have absorbed the dawn’s rays,
and the ocean’s calm, I start this day anew
with gratitude that I caught
the beauty of this morn.

Related Reading:
– Consciousness: From Darkness to Light
– The Ocean—My Refuge
– The Spirituality of Surfing