At Home in the Great Expanse

While waiting for the fog to lift, I did a little more work on the new boat. The oarlocks were too tight so I loosened them. I talked with my neighbour Sam about what sort of drain to put in the cockpit so I could leave the boat outside more often. Then I didn't want to wait any longer. I thought I would just keep close to the land so I wouldn't get lost. But the farther I went, the more the fog lifted, until finally I was two or three miles out to sea in a glorious clearing. It gave me a very intense feeling. There are Buddhist teachings that call the mind the Great Expanse, and to help the student understand this, a teacher may call up the ocean as a reference point. A reference point, really, that is beyond reference points. Which is like coming home. And we all, when we have been away, know the happiness of coming home.

9 May 2018
Texas Jim
North Atlantic off Prospect, Nova Scotia
www.granitecoast.ca