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In this meditative memoir-a compelling fusion of Barbarian Days and the journals of Thomas Merton-the author of Saltwater Buddha reflects on his "failing toward enlightenment," his continued search to find meaning and a greater understanding of the Divine in the world's oceans as well as everyday life. For Jaimal Yogis, the path to enlightenment is surfing. Between water and air, between control and surrender, between the tangible and intangible realities of life, the spiritual can be found. Born to a family of seekers, he left home at sixteen to surf in Hawaii and join a monastery-an adventure he chronicled in Saltwater Buddha. Now, in his early twenties, his heart is broken and he's lost his way. Hitting the road again, he lands in a monastery in Dharamsala, where he meets Sonam, a displaced Tibetan. To help his friend, Jaimal makes a cockamamie attempt to reunite him with his family in Tibet by way of America. Though he does not succeed, witnessing Sonam's indomitable spirit in the face of failure offers Jaimal a deeper understanding of faith. When the two friends part, he cannot fathom the unlikely circumstances that will reunite them. All Our Waves Are Water follows Jaimal's trek from the Himalayas to Indonesia; to a Franciscan Friary in New York City to the dusty streets of Jerusalem; and finally to San Francisco's Ocean Beach. Along his journey, Jaimal prays and surfs; mourning a lost love and seeking something that keeps eluding him, until he ultimately finds what he's been looking for-that the perfect ride may well be the one we are on right now. The poet Rumi wrote, "we are not a drop in the ocean. We are the ocean in a drop." All Our Waves Are Water is Jaimal's "attempt to understand the ocean in a drop, to find that one moon shining in the water everywhere"-to find the Divine that unites us all.… (more)
User reviews
I was fortunate to host an event a few years ago where Jaimal spoke about his book Saltwater Buddha, so I've actually met him. He's a kind, modest man, but extremely and tangibly wise, far beyond his years.
If you haven't read Saltwater Buddha, read that first, you are in
All Our Waves Are Water picks up where Saltwater Buddha left off. Jaimal is headed to Dharamsala, home of the Dalai Lama and the exiled Tibetan government, to find peace of mind. Instead, he finds the inimitable Sonam, one of the cheeriest fellows you'll meet, who becomes a friend & mentor to Jaimal. The book follows Jaimal as he travels around the world, surfing, being a journalist, and looking for peace of mind. As with Saltwater Buddha, it's filled with great stories, ecstatic experiences, heartbreak, and a good deal of wisdom.
All Our Waves frequently reminds me how much Zen Buddhism and Stoicism have in common. A quote:
"Buddha says that when a "run of the mill" person is shot with an arrow...they feel two pains, mental and physical". The person trained in mindfulness ...feels only the physical pain, and does not sorrow, grieve, lament... so he feels one pain: physical". This could easily have been said by Marcus Aurelius or, in his modern-day incarnation, Ryan Holiday.
All Our Waves will remind you how precious your time is here, and help you think about how to spend it. Money well spent.