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.
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."