Personal Advancement

What do you think about when you think about peace?

Perhaps you’ve heard it before — it’s a story that’s made the rounds for a long time; the author’s name is apparently long-lost.

There once was a king who offered a prize to the artist who would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures. But there were only two he really liked, and he had to choose between them. One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for peaceful towering mountains all around it. Overhead was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.

The other picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare. Above was an angry sky, from which rain fell and in which lightning played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This
did not look peaceful at all.

But when the king looked closely, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry water, sat the mother bird on her nest - in perfect peace.

Which picture do you think won the prize? The king chose the second picture. Do you know why?

Because, explained the king, peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is the real meaning of peace.

The question, of course, becomes what does it mean to you?

Most people seem to spend their days thinking that peace is a place you arrive at.

The difference is that most people will never arrive there — life goes on, and if they think about things like this at all, they have some hazy view of a far future when things will be wonderful. They may spend their entire lives waiting to arrive, only to find out there is no such destination.

On the other hand, a few people will figure out that peace isn’t someplace you go, peace is something you do. As is happiness, contentment, and most other such things.

The only zen you find on the mountain is the zen you take up there with you…

What would it take for you to have the peace, happiness or contentment you want in your life today?

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Filed by  Chuck Lawson  under  Mindfulness