Life Flows On Within Us and Without Us

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Sa Wa Dee Krup,

While diving yesterday George Harrison's India-inspired 1967 lyrics were swimming in my head . . .
"When you've seen beyond yourself
then you may find
peace of mind is waiting there
And the time will come
when you see we're all one
and life flows on within you and without you"

What I find most beautifully alluring about coral reefs is that there is this other world, teeming with life, a billion dramas of existence - that does not revolve around us. Human existence is simply immediately irrelevant in this sphere. Sea cucumbers arched upward waving in the currents, cleaner wrasse writhing in and out of the gills of angels, anemone fish bedded in undulating tentacles, reef sharks prowling - an explosion of life on all scales, dancing their dance of life. The essence of what Siddhārtha Gautama taught, as I perceive it, 2500 years ago rests on 2 premises - the interconnectedness of all beings and the illusion (or delusion) of the self. Nothing inherently exists independently, material entities exist only in terms of their relationships to other entities. The California naturalists John Muir expressed it as, "When we try to pick out any single thing in the Universe, we find it hitched to everything else." Coral reef ecology is the expression of these relationships. Eastern philosophy teaches that the individual self is a mental construct and the source of our suffering - which is very different from much of the West, as I see it, that celebrates narcissism. Western cosmology is fundamentally different, it rests on the idea of the individual soul - with 2 dichotomous deities battling it out for its allegiance. Albert Einstein puts it rather bluntly, "I cannot conceive of a God who rewards and punishes his creatures, or has a will of the type of which we are conscious in ourselves. An individual who should survive his physical death is also beyond my comprehension, nor do I wish it otherwise; such notions are for the fears or absurd egoism of feeble souls."

Dive education progressing nicely. I have completed Advanced Open Water, Deep Dive, Night Dive, Emergency First Responder, Rescue Diver and am now assisting instructors. I'll be a Divemaster by September, certified to lead divers. The lifestyle is sabai jai, or peaceful, relaxed. Days pass and I never put on shoes, shirt, let alone a bleeping tie. The food is healthy, crisp, clean - fresh veggies, tropical fruit, fish, squid every meal. A wonderful, international commmunity with great tales of travel far and wide. The class I assisted yesterday was led by an Italian and consisted of on an Israeli, British couple, Scot and Australian. Trying hard to paint a more positive picture of US, especially Texas. Prempetive warfare under false pretenses doesn't sit well with most travelers. The Thais are humble, yet proud, so compassionate. Violent crime, even petty theft to a large degree, is absent on Koh Tao. This is the type of place where even the stray dogs are well-fed. Good karma.

I look forward to hearing from ya'll. Be well, Jarod

"The Next World Can Wait,
Do Good,
Whether there is a Next World or Not,
The Result will be Good."
Thai Poem

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Comments

[JoAnn]

Wonderful
Live is good! Thanks so much for the update. Can't wait to come visit....someday. The pics are great and I love the poem. Very beautiful. I am so honored to have friends like you two. Long live adventure! Obama'08 Peace

[COPELAND, DENISE]

WHEN I SUGGESTED YOU GO DIVE....
WOW... WHO WOULD HAVE GUESSED, FROM SCHOOL TEACHER TO THIS. I HAD NO IDEA YOU GUYS HAD LEFT. GLAD TO SEE YOUR PUTTING YOUR SCUBA LESSONS TO GOOD USE. STOP IN AND SAY HI IF YOUR EVER BACK IN C.C.