Growing up in the Shenandoah valley, sandwiched between the Blue Ridge and the Allegheny mountains, I was exposed to that southern mountain religion, which is somewhere between Baptist, Methodist and Brethren. When my father took a job with the Forest Service, however, we moved from the valley into the heart of the forest where my religion quickly turned to the church of nature. My parents both believed in some higher power, an energy of sorts, that resonates throughout nature. They believed, as I do now, that being spiritual is a much simpler state, and one that that can be tapped into with a certain patience. With such practice, we eventually we find ourselves with an inclination towards peace and tranquility. So with nature as my foundation I began to seek this energy, this peace, this way of being centered. It’s something that is taught in more of the eastern religions, and I still find inspiration in some of those teachings. Being spiritual to me is not something that has rules or laws. It’s about a connectedness. So, with this piece I was seeking to describe that connectedness, that centered being, the Buddha state.