The Philosophy of the Sea

After another day of helping with the cargo yard of the church, a short day as there have been less ships these last couple of days, James wipes the sweat from his brow, then heading inside he hears a sermon going on in one of the side rooms. Approaching closer, hearing the words more clearly, it's not a sermon, but more a philosophical discussion or teaching moment. Curious James walks over to the small room, finding an empty seat and listens.
 
"So you see, in times of great stress, of great sorrow, or great hate, we should strive to be like the Sea." A Reborn Goliath was standing at the head of the room, all eyes on them as they spoke. Their magnificent beard, immaculately groomed, jostled with their speaking. Their voice carried easily and clearly across the room. "If you have not been out on the sea, take the time to do so, and you will learn truths hidden from nearly every other eye in the world. The sea is massive, far larger than any mortal in existence. We can all agree upon this." Many heads nodded in agreement at this obviously simple truth.
 
"And it can be said that our minds are like the sea. I can see confusion among some of you, but consider this. When you sleep, you dream. When someone tells a good story, you can see it even though you aren't there. You can remember favorite scents, the taste of favorite drink, maybe the first time you went fishing. All of those things are not as you are now, but are part of something far larger than you. But your mind can go there, be there, remember them." Less confusion and people are starting to follow along. "Even more, you can daydream, you can see things that are not there, imagine possibilities, both possible and impossible. You can tell yourself stories that feel as real as you being in this room, right here right now. Your mind can be just as massive as the sea." Everyone is nodding now, including James.
 
"Now consider this, you are on a ship, out at sea. Many sailor have called themselves Masters of the sea. Does this seem correct to you? If you are a Captain on a ship, are you master of all of the sea?" After a second most heads are shaking no. "Are you even the master of of the sea around you, maybe just to the distance of what your eyes can see? Or even closer, maybe just the few yards off the wake of your ship, maybe you consider yourself the master of that. After all, you have disturbed something, you've left a mark, you've changed the waters with your passage." A lot of heads nodding, agreeing that yes, they could be masters of that, but James isn't so sure.
 
"Tell me this then, when your ship has gone by and disturbed the waters, if you came back to that exact spot a week later, would there be any evidence of your disruption? How about a day later? An hour?" The reborn waits. "No, of course not. It will have faded away and been as if nothing had ever been there in the first place, as if no disturbance ever took place." Most faces look off, considering the words, a few facing this thought for the first time, a form of existential dread coming to their countenance. "So you see, you are not masters of the sea, merely beings upon it. The same is for everything else that touches the sea. Be they massive hurricanes, to a tiny pebble thrown in it, they are all the same to the sea. A temporary disturbance which quickly dissipates and is likely forgotten. So our minds should be the same. Something disturbs your mind, be it an insult, be it a loss, be it an embarrassment, or any other thing. Remember that your mind is not the ship on the sea, but the sea in it's entirety. Say you face a grave embarrassment, so you feel shame and wish to hide away from your act, from whatever or whomever witnessed it, or caused it. This is like a ship in a storm. Your mind is the storm, and you are the ship. You are letting yourself be tossed this way and that, wind ripping across the deck, sails tearing. You cry out "Oh Lucetius, save me from this storm", except can he save you from yourself? You have forgotten that your mind is the sea. It is not the storm, nor the ship in the storm. It is the sea, vast, and undisturbed by such trifles. You have forgotten that in the great sea of time, this moment will be forgotten. This great shame you are experiencing will not even be a ghost of a memory. So why should you be bothered by it?"
 
They pause speaking for a minute, letting the minds in the room mull over the words. The Reborn walks around the room, meeting peoples eyes as they speak again. "Someone has said an insult to you. So what? If you insult a wave as you stand on the shore, does the sea care? And if the sea does not care, was it ever actually insulted? If someone insults you, and you do not care, what has that person done? Nothing but harm to themselves. They have attempted to cut the sea in two with a butter knife. An act less than futile, and which only serves to show their own lack of character."
 
Every head in the room, and several who are standing outside nod in understanding. James feels that something has changed in here, some momentous shift has happened due to the words spoken by this wise Reborn to the gathered beings. An understanding starts to coeless for him as well, but he's not there yet.
 
"Take these words and think on them. I will be here for some time yet as the Wave-Master has chosen to bring me up from the depths to speak at length to any who would listen." The Reborn laughs, and the room joins them in the act. Many people walk up to the Reborn, shaking their hands and speaking to them. James quietly stands and walks out. There being something in the back of his mind, but he's not sure what yet.