Far away,
Where the sky meets the earth,
There stood a mountain,
Wrapped in soft mist.
No one knew how old it was,
Older than the tallest tree,
Older than the slowest river.
The mountain did not shout or move fast,
It whispered secrets only the quiet could hear.
At its base,
In a small village,
Lived a young monk named Ananda.
He loved the mountain more than anything.
Every morning,
Before the sun woke the world,
Ananda would walk through the soft,
Cool grass and carefully listen,
Not to the loud sounds,
But to the whispers of the mountain wind.
Be still,
It seemed to say,
Be patient,
Be kind to your own heart.
And so,
Ananda learned to listen,
To the mountain,
To the wind,
And most of all,
To the quiet inside himself.
Ananda had a special teacher,
An old monk named Vimal.
Vimal told him,
The greatest gift is stillness.
When your mind is quiet,
Your heart is free.
Ananda practiced every day.
He sat beneath the biggest tree,
He breathed slowly,
He watched his thoughts come and go,
Like clouds.
Sometimes the clouds were dark and heavy,
Sometimes they were light and soft.
But Ananda learned not to hold them,
He let them pass.
One day,
A strong storm came.
The wind howled,
The trees bent low,
The village shook.
Ananda stayed calm,
He sat under the tree and breathed.
The storm was loud,
But inside him,
There was peace.
When the storm passed,
The sun returned,
The village was safe.
The villagers saw Ananda's calm face,
They felt comforted.
One afternoon,
A stranger came to the village.
He looked tired and worried,
He asked Ananda,
How do you find peace when the world is so busy and fast?
Ananda smiled,
He said,
Peace is not far away,
It lives inside you,
Like a quiet mountain.
Ananda took the stranger to the mountain,
They climbed slowly.
Ananda said,
Look at the mountain,
It does not rush,
It does not fight the wind or rain,
It stands strong and quiet.
The stranger looked and listened,
He felt his breath slow down.
Ananda said,
Your mind is like the mountain,
Sometimes the wind blows your thoughts,
But your true self is still and strong.
The stranger smiled,
He felt lighter.
Ananda said,
Remember,
You can return to your quiet mountain anytime,
Just breathe slowly,
Just be kind to yourself.
Then,
The sun set.
Ananda and the stranger walked down the mountain,
The village was peaceful again.
Now,
Dear listener,
Feel your breath,
Slow and soft.
Imagine your own quiet mountain inside you,
Steady and calm.
Let your body relax,
Let your mind be gentle.
You are safe,
You are peaceful,
You are loved.
Good night,
Sleep well.
