The Meaning of Peace

The Meaning of Peace

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 were 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 lightening played. Down the side of the mountain tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all. But when the King looked, 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 ........... 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." 
                                                                                        - courtesy of Katherine Rowland

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Commentary by Nicole Becker:

Ojas Yoga Center is dedicated as a Place of Peace. Nestled in an unsuspecting place on the second floor of a busy shopping center, our beautiful, clean, quiet and sacred sanctuary awaits all who seek a place to rest into themselves. There is no other studio like it in the east bay... it is an unpretentious temple of calm; an unmarked and no-dogma church of kindness.

The majority of yoga studios are just like the outside world: noisy, busy and superficial. Most yoga classes encourage ego while paying lip service to the soul. Most people care only for a cheap and efficient workout in pursuit of the vanishing goal-post of control over the body.

Ojas Yoga Center is a rare gem and welcome respite for holistic people who value a meticulous container for the inner journey and who crave depth and integrity in all aspects of their lives from their movement practice to their relationships. Our teachers and staff are dedicated to supporting your personal path to deep wellness. 




reprinted from http://kubik.org/lighter/peace.htm