The Vast Ocean – A Meditation
Alicia K. Hanlen
Practitioner Emeritus
Taos Study Group – RGCSL
Inspired and excerpted from Mark Gilbert’s “Be Yourself”
Imagine in your mind’s eye a vast ocean with lots of little waves rising, peaking, and cresting above the ocean’s surface. The waves rise and fall. Imagine them rising and falling in slow motion. Now imagine that each of those waves is a human being, and that each wave, or human, can direct its attention outward (above the service of the ocean) or inward (below the surface). When a wave’s attention is focused above the surface, it sees each wave as separate and apart from itself. It notices their differences; it senses their competition. When a wave’s attention is focused below the surface, it sees each wave as rising from the same source — no differences; no need for competition.
Now visualize how each human (wave) is moving through different approaches and how their attention is focused. It starts with noticing all the different waves and their interactions with each other, and sees itself as victim to the whims of external forces. Still focusing outward, it sees the external force as one all-powerful God, but still feels a victim to this one God. In its changing and evolving awareness, it begins to sense that maybe there is no God “out there”, and starts becoming empowered by moving into a better understanding of how to use the external forces. At some point, the wave realizes that even its attention and awareness come from someplace else, and shifts its focus inward. The below-surface sense of connectedness begins to reduce the differences and competition. Continuing to evolve, the wave is at peace, moving its attention effortlessly both above and below the surface, recognizing the value of the outer experiences but no longer a victim to them.
The wave recognizes that it is connected to all the other waves at its source, and begins to realize that the affinity (the love) it feels for other waves was simply a force that moved its attention away from their differences and toward their similarities. The wave begins to live a life of purpose, serving itself, all the other waves, and the ocean itself.
From this expanded awareness and inner connectedness via pure consciousness, it taps into a sense of “no thing” and “no form”. Through all the different aspects of the vast ocean of life itself, it understands — it is all One.
Everywhere I look, I see other aspects of the Oneness. Namaste.