The Secret at the Bottom of the Deep Sea

One morning on a deserted shoreline, salty wind blew across the exposed coral ridges. A small, humble wooden boat drifted gently on the deep blue water. On the boat sat a dark-skinned man, weathered by the sun, his muscles hardened by years of hard labor, perfectly still. He was a farmer and fisherman on the African coast, where life revolved entirely around catching fish to feed his family.

He had no oxygen tank, no modern protective equipment, and no expensive diving suit. The only things he carried were a homemade spearfishing gun and a pair of old, worn goggles that helped him see through the murky water. Before diving in, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. His face relaxed, the wrinkles on his forehead seemed to melt away, replaced by absolute stillness. He was not rushed, not anxious—only fully focused on each breath.

"The mind must be calm first, then the body becomes light," he thought to himself, though no one heard these words. This was the secret he had distilled over a lifetime, from near-drownings and moments of intense tension while hunting prey.

Then he put on his goggles, gripped his spear gun firmly, and plunged into the water. A small splash sounded, and everything sank into silence. On the seabed, sunlight pierced through the water, casting shimmering golden streaks across the rocky reefs. He swam not with vigorous kicks that would waste oxygen, but glided gently, like a ghost. Time passed—one minute, two minutes... five minutes... seven minutes. For an ordinary person, holding one's breath for a single minute is already torture: the brain begins to lack oxygen, the heart races erratically, and panic surges. Yet he remained alert, his sharp eyes scanning for prey.

When he spotted a large fish hiding behind a coral reef, he narrowed his eyes, held his position, and waited for the right moment. Thwip! The spear shot out, the line pulled taut. He quickly retrieved his catch, then slowly rose to the surface. The moment his head broke through the water, he took a deep, invigorating breath and smiled with satisfaction.

The documentary filmmakers standing on the boat stared in wide-eyed amazement. They asked him, "How can you stay underwater for so long? What is your secret?"

Wiping his spear, he answered in a deep, warm voice: "I do not try to fight death or fear. I simply breathe. Breathing in, I bring in life. Breathing out, I let go of every worry. When my mind is completely still, my body no longer needs much oxygen. Stillness is the key."

This story goes beyond the ordinary laws of biology, which science says allow humans to hold their breath for only a few minutes before fainting or suffering brain damage. It demonstrates something wondrous: when the breath is governed by an awakened mind, it opens the door to extraordinary abilities, far beyond the physical limits of the human body.

The Meaning of the Story

The breath is not merely a process of exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide to sustain biological life; it is also a bridge between body and mind. When we know how to breathe with awareness, making the mind still and focused, we can unlock our own extraordinary potential and overcome limits that once seemed impossible. This is precisely the foundation of the practice of meditative concentration in Buddhism.

Compiled from a dharma talk by Venerable Thích Chân Quang