When we think of heroes, we think perhaps of those who have distinguished themselves with bravery in the military. Or we think of people with great athletic ability and prowess. Or we may even think of entertainers, great musicians or even actors or actresses. Generally, someone is a hero in our culture who has performed great deeds of daring and bravery or someone who has demonstrated great artistic or physical excellence. Yet there are cultures in which people are considered heroes who are able to demonstrate abilities of great peacefulness and calm; those who can sit for long periods of time in deep and unbroken concentration and meditation; those who can manifest tremendous inner clarity and spiritual insight. It's interesting, that whereas our culture places a premium on activity and feats of the body, there are other cultures which affirm the value of inner quietude and give great admiration to mental and spiritual acumen. Perhaps we can learn from these cultures to balance our notions of the heroic with more spiritual values.