The waves can be therapeutic to gaze at, but each swell carries a message that can resonate with you.
At first, it was just a pleasant view; the kind that soothes your senses after a long day of travel or work.
But as the minutes stretched into hours, the sea began to speak, not in words, but in waves.
Its voice rose and fell with the tides, carrying a quiet wisdom that only a peaceful heart could hear.
I found myself drawn to the shoreline of My Khe Beach in Da Nang, Vietnam, recently, long after the tourists had packed up their beach towels and the fishermen had returned with their catch.
The sun hovered low above the horizon, casting golden ripples on the gentle but unpredictable tide.
There was a stillness in the air, broken only by the rhythmic breathing of the sea.
I sat on a comfortable seat at the lounge restaurant, which has specially designed seating for guests to relax and admire the constant four layers of waves.
From there, one enjoys an unobstructed view of the South China Sea, facing the vast expanse of blue, simply observing the rhythm of the waves, without expectation and without thought.
The first message the sea whispered was about temporality.
Each wave rose gracefully, formed its crest, and then dissolved back into the ocean; never the same again.
I watched this endless repetition and felt something within me shift.
The sea was reminding me that nothing in life remains static. Every joy, every sorrow, every triumph and disappointment has its moment before it recedes into memory.
Holding on only creates resistance; flowing with life’s tides brings peace. The ocean, in its vast rhythm, was teaching me to let go.
As I continued gazing, a sense of surrender began to take over. The water’s constant motion seemed to dissolve my thoughts.
My worries about work, responsibilities, and the passing of time drifted away with each retreating wave.
The horizon stretched endlessly, merging sea and sky in one seamless embrace. I felt small, yet deeply free.
The sea seemed to whisper, “You don’t need to control everything. You are part of a greater flow. Trust it.”
The waves, I realised, are like life itself, sometimes calm, sometimes turbulent, but always in motion.
When the tide is high, it teaches us courage; when it is low, it invites reflection. Both are necessary for balance.
There is a divine rhythm in this recede and flow, just as there is in our own existence.
The sea reminded me that even in the midst of uncertainty, life knows its way, much like the waves that always find their way back to shore.
There was also a reflective lesson in patience. Watching the waves is unlike watching a film or a clock; there’s no storyline, no climax, no conclusion.
It is simply being. The longer I sat, the quieter my mind became. Thoughts that once rushed like gushes slowed to a gentle stream.
In that stillness, I discovered how truly restorative it can be just to be present, to listen without needing to respond, to observe without needing to interpret.
As twilight deepened, I began to see how the sea mirrored human emotions.
At times it shimmered under the fading sunlight, soft and tender; at other moments it grew restless, crashing onto the shoreline with raw intensity.
Isn’t that what our inner world is like? Our minds shift between serenity and storm, clarity and confusion.
Yet beneath the surface of all emotions lies the same steady depth, a place untouched by turbulence.
The ocean’s vastness reminded me that peace isn’t the absence of waves; it’s the awareness that we are greater than them.
The sea also carried the message of renewal. Every wave that kissed the shore seemed to erase footprints, shells, and sandcastles, leaving behind a fresh canvas.
It was as though nature was softly saying, “You too can start again.”
No matter what the day has brought, the night brings rest, and the dawn brings another chance.
The ocean doesn’t cling to what was; it lives in perpetual flow and forgiveness.
As darkness descended, a silvery moon appeared above the horizon, casting a serene glow over the water.
The tide continued its ancient dance, indifferent to time. I understood how brief our human lives are compared to this endless sea, yet how deeply connected we are to it.
We, too, are made of the same elements: water, salt, breath, and spirit. The sea outside us is a reflection of the sea within.
Sitting there for hours, I felt as if I had attended a silent sermon, one without words but rich in truth.
The waves spoke of humility, patience, faith, and renewal. The breeze carried the fragrance of freedom.
The horizon reminded me of infinite possibilities that await when the mind is clear.
By the time I rose to leave, the night had deepened, and the beach was nearly empty.
Yet something within me felt complete, not with thoughts, but with peace.
I had come to the sea seeking rest, and instead, it gave me reflection.
The experience left a lingering calm, a reminder that whenever life feels overwhelming, one only needs to sit by the ocean and listen.
The sea has no scriptures, no lectures, and yet it preaches the most incredible truth of all: that everything passes, everything returns, and everything belongs.
Award-winning writer Dr T. Selva is the author of the bestsellers Vasthu Sastra Guide and Secrets of Happy Living. To get a copy, WhatsApp 019-2728464. He can be reached at drtselvas@gmail.com. Facebook: Vasthu Sastra