Stay balanced is another (today) word of what Buddhists call ‘the middle way.’
When we say the middle way, people might often do not understand what it means. Especially, people who were growing up in a none-Buddhist culture.
How to walk the middle path?
How can we tell what and where the middle is?
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But if we call it another name as ‘balance.’
This is easier for you to understand.
Because we speak often about work-life balance.
The principle is similar.
That means when you do things, whatever it is.
That should be not too much, nor too little.
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When you want to do good things, for example offering people some help.
That is really a good thing.
But when you do that too much, you might start to feel drained.
But when you do, help out too little, you will feel guilty of not feeling helpful…
After reading that, what do you think the balance means?
Just try to find yourself the answer out of this context.
If you understand it, then other situations will be easier every time to find the balancing point for yourself.
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Right, I said for yourself.
That also means your and my balance are not equal.
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Nature teaches us every day.
Whether in the biology term, we have homeostasis.
That is the state of maintaining a balance of the biological system in plants, animals, and humans.
The imbalance condition will ultimately lead to a disease or unhealthy condition.
It is the same in our minds.
Whenever we have an imbalance of emotions, it definitely leads to something.
That could be extremely good or bad.
But again when things are too much even the good thing, could turn bad.
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Take another example.
When you want to be a good person who seriously follows Buddhist principles.
You have been practice a few years, now you gain confidence in your goodness and strength in the consciousness of doing things.
You gain the ability to recognize things quickly: what is appropriate, what is not. What the consequence of doing one thing now that affects the future.
You now have a superpower to design your faith.
That is truly a good thing.
At some point, you start to notice the decision that people around you have made (or they are going to make). You recognize the consequence fastly before them.
You now want to get involved within their life. For the only reason that you want to help them. With the intention of being kind. Because you know all the way and you gain the superpower of design the future.
You start reaching out, offering people help.
People might appreciate your help.
Some might not. They might even refuse to take your advice.
Now that you may start feeling something in yourself.
It starts with tiny,
then small,
then bigger as time goes by.
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It tells you that ‘believe me, I know what will happen. I know the consequence. I know the future if you do this, that will happen.’
The ‘believe me’ is one form of the ego.
If you go around and tell people to ‘believe me’.
Even your attention is good. But that is out of the ‘balance’.
Because that is the form of attachment.
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In that situation, you are now attached to ‘goodness’.
Attachment in any form is never a good quality (in the Buddhist-base principle) even attaches with the ‘goodness’ itself.
Because that can create the ego after.
It happens in your subconsciousness when you start to attach to it.
Your mind then jumps around trying to recognize the small actions that lead to a bad consequence. And then you start to feel irritated to see people do bad decisions.
You ignore that you are now also do a bad decision in your mind as well. That is a judgment to others of their badness. And create the ego of ‘being good’.
That is a form of ‘imbalance’.
If you want to do good or be good. Then be good but do not attach to it.
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How to tell if you are attached to goodness: it is when you get disturbed or feel irritated see people make poor decisions.
Whenever you notice that feeling. You should get back to yourself. Start to clear up in your mind.
Ask yourself “am I attached to the good?”
And meditate on it. Until that feeling of attachment is gone.
You should do this ‘mind check up’ task regularly.
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Improve yourself, never others.
Offer help, when others are in need.
To offer helps in Buddhist culture never do with force.
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If you want to understand the Dhamma, Buddhist philosophy, or any philosophy in the world.
The best to understand it is to understand nature.
Nature always has the answer to everything.
That is how we gain enlightenment.
‘Study nature’
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With peace and love,
Your Second.