There was once a king who offered a prize to the artist who could paint the best picture representing peace. Many artists tried. The king looked at all the pictures, but there were only two that he really liked, and he had to choose between them.
One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for the 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 second picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare.
Above the mountains was an angry sky from which rain fell - in which lightening played. Down – at the lower side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall.
This did not look peaceful at all.
But when the king looked more 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.... in the nest, the mother and the baby bird were sitting calmly – peacefully looking at each other.
Which picture won the prize?
The king chose the second picture.
"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."
One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror for the 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 second picture had mountains, too. But these were rugged and bare.
Above the mountains was an angry sky from which rain fell - in which lightening played. Down – at the lower side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall.
This did not look peaceful at all.
But when the king looked more 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.... in the nest, the mother and the baby bird were sitting calmly – peacefully looking at each other.
Which picture won the prize?
The king chose the second picture.
"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."
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