We found a peaceful place this week as we ventured out exploring the area where we live. It was the White Sands Buddhist Center near Mims, Florida. While it is just another tract of land in a rural area, you can feel the peace the minute you step out of your car.
If you didn’t know the place was there, you could travel by missing it as you go past. As many times as we’ve been through that area, it wasn’t until recently that I heard about it.
It is the first time I have ever been to a Buddhist center, and today we had the unique opportunity of getting a guided tour. The guide helped explain some of the what it was about including the various bells, statutes, and trees.
Most of all it felt like a peaceful place. It was not only quiet but also landscaped so that everything felt like one flowing place.
As we sat there in the afternoon sun, we just took in the quietness and stillness. A few people were wandering about, but for the most part, it felt like we had the place all to ourselves.
On the way home, we rhetorically discussed this place. I asked how can we take the peace of this place back with us. Of course, we know this is not the only place where peace exists.
Some days in life when we go through challenging moments, or we are trying to heal, a peaceful place feels like a million miles away from us. In the midst of chaos in the world, it is difficult to remind ourselves that a peaceful place exists. We can see in this place, that peace is there.
Not everyone can travel to this Buddhist center, but other places can be just as peaceful. I found a quiet spot in Pipestem, West Virginia. Other places like parks, lakes, and nature preserves are all beautiful, peaceful places to go. Nature is a good caretaker of peace and stillness.
I’m sure you have someplace that helps you find calmness and peace in your life. Use it daily so that in the midst of chaos and difficult moments, you can recharge your batteries. You can find stillness for your soul and give yourself something you do need.
Finding a peaceful place is an excellent form of self-care, and the more challenging life is, the more we need this on a daily basis.
Sometimes if we stop and picture in our minds the peaceful places that we love, we can recall this feeling that brings us right back to it as if we are there.
A Peaceful Place
Visit the White Sands Buddhist Center website
White Sands Buddhist Center Facebook Page
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