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Meditation, copyright 1999, Laura Perkins

The story is told that Gautama, an Indian prince, had been sheltered his whole life from anything which might distress him or bring him suffering. One day, as a young adult, he saw a very aged person. He been isolated from the old and the diseased his whole life, and so he wondered what was wrong with this frail being. From then on, he came to an understanding of the suffering associated with life and became a person of profound compassion.

Gautama journeyed near and far seeking an end to suffering for all beings. One day, he meditated beneath a tree. While he sat there in meditation, all forms of demons and fearsome things came to torment him, but he was unmoved by any of them. He simply sat there, very still, and in touch with his own divinity for many days. While sitting under the tree, he reached enlightenment and became a Buddha. Perhaps after he had banished all the demons a beautiful butterfly sensed the compassion in this enlightened soul and alighted to share in his meditation.

After this occurred, Gautama Buddha set out to teach the world the path to peace.

This is a story I heard long ago and I no longer remember the details of it. For instance, I am not sure what type of tree it really was. I'm not so sure that this sort of detail matters. What I like about this story is its reminder to stay centered, still, and calm in the face of all of life's troubles. Fear is an illusion which gets us nowhere. I hope that viewing this image will help you to approach life in a contemplative manner.