The Ocean’s Surf

At the edge of a small village lived Takeshi.

One windy day, his student Hiroshi came to him and said, “I feel that my soul is wild and stormy, unable to find rest—like the crashing surf of the ocean. How can I find peace?”

Takeshi smiled and said, “Come, let us go to the sea.”

So they walked together to the shore, where the waves pounded against the coast.

Takeshi pointed to the raging ocean and said,“Look, Hiroshi—this is like your soul: wild and restless, stirred by thoughts and emotions.”

Hiroshi nodded and replied, “But how can I find the calm that exists beneath the surface of the sea?”

Takeshi asked Hiroshi to sit closer and carefully observe the movement of the waves.

They both sat there in silence, watching the waves. After a while, Hiroshi suddenly realized that between the raging waves, there were always moments of calm.

Master Takeshi then explained, “Do you see it, Hiroshi? When you look closely at the wild sea, there is also stillness. It is the same with your soul. Between the agitated thoughts and emotions, there is always stillness as well. Learn to recognize these quiet moments and expand them. In this way, stillness can unfold—just like the rhythm of ebb and flow.”

Hiroshi understood the depth of the teaching and began to visit the sea almost daily to reflect upon it.