The Mountain Perspective

Mountains are sacred places.  In Greek mythology, Mount Olympus is the dwelling place of the gods.  In the Judeo-Christian tradition, Mount Sinai is the place where Moses encountered God and received his commandments.


The nature of mountains is elemental.  Earth (rocks), water (glaciers and streams), air (wind), and fire (lightning).  During the day, as the sun crosses the sky, the mountain sits.  Light, colors, shadows change moment to moment, and yet the mountain stays.  Clouds, fog, wind, rain, and snow may swirl around the massive peak; and when all is clear, there is the mountain.

On its surface, glaciers move, snow fields form and dissipate, boulders break loose from the freeze and thaw cycle.  At its base, streams and rivers flow.  And yet, through it all, the mountain is.

As we lead our lives, what is possible if we adopt the "mountain perspective"?  Can we embody the fortitude of the mountain in the face of everything that changes in our environment?  What is possible if we adopt the strength and stability of the mountain as the turbulence of our day-to-day existence attempts to push us this way and that?