Confusion is one of the many distinctive features of the mind.
It dwells in the finite realm of phenomenon wherein so-called knowledge or the lack of it, everything and its opposite, and the incessant intersecting lines of thought try their best to cohabit sanely.
Mirrors of the world
As a part of this mental babble, I venture an analogy between the mind and the sea, both of which involve many facets. And, judging by the meaning of the phrase ‘to be at sea’, a similar comparison has obviously already been made.
Beyond what the eye can ‘sea’
These wide stretches of salty water encircling land give the impression of being balanced, never-changing, firm and steadfast. Yet they are in constant motion and subject to change, not unlike the world we live in and the individual minds that perceive it.
The sayings ‘nothing is permanent but change’ and ‘no man ever steps twice in the same river’ (Heraclitus, c. 535 BC – 475 BC) are consistent with this continuous cycle of rise and fall.
In circles
Breaking down the mind would prove tricky, considering the tool used to do so would have to be the mind itself. Other than that, it is a vast, complex and bottomless pit of a topic that, at best, instills a form of half-baked wisdom in an unconvincing disguise.
Unknown territory
What interests me more and more is taking a break from the ramblings of the monkey mind and delving into the wilds of the unchartered.
And there is no better place to start than with the unfathomable immensity, the rawness and the force of an Element.
It is when the mind is overwhelmed and subsides into a state of disconcerting numbness that the heart is ignited.
Which brings me – quite literally – to the sea.
Row, row, row your boat…
Ruled by the tides, basking in blissful oblivion, it melts into the horizon, its heart beating in unison with the crystal moon.
The light plays, reflecting on the water and displaying shimmering shades of gold and blue.
Purling ripples are softly carried by the waves towards where sand and water meet. They come and go, bouncing up and down nonchalantly, and dissolve into curtains of foam that lick the shore.
All may be seemingly peaceful while a whole world vibrates beneath the surface.
Clash of the forces
Without so much as a warning the heavens crack wide open, lightning strikes, darkness rolls in, thunder crashes and splinters into shards of fire against a sheet of mist.
The sky bursts into a torrent of black rain, the winds roar and, by the look of things, the world could very well be coming to an end.
Needless to say this is the part where excitement reaches its climax! 🙂
But it is also where one gets thrown in at the deep end…
Where the road leads
The feeling of empowerment slowly subsides, fading into helplessness mingled with a sense of gratitude.
This is no comfort zone but the deepest of longings give grounds for a bit of crazy now and then. Besides, I would hate to stand in the way of my own self.
After all, a single long, dark and earth-shattering night could be all one needs to reach home, with it costing no less than a defeated mind in a broken body.
But then… there is no place like home, is there?