How to sustain the balance of life?

Excess brings less. The ancestral way of “the middle path” has never been so valid in these times of extremism at each level: political, religious, social…

When we are kids we need two small extra wheels to learn how to ride a bike, later when we are elder we need a stick. If one day we are injured we need a kickstand or a crutch. What for? In all cases these sustainers allow us to find our balance. Some people stand for this psychological dimensions.

Having a balance means to avoid extremes in general. Very often some people tend to give a steering wheel on the left then directly a steering wheel on the right affecting their stability and their safety. This is not the solution. The “middle path” is one of the wisest ways to allow sustainable harmony. But this equilibrium is something personal there is no miracle recipe.

Being balanced does not mean renouncing or not being passionate, not at all. We can be committed but with a certain detachment. In our all fields we should look for a measure like the good balance in between the personal and professional life. This could be compared to the tree of life:

Or like in a couple, the dependence is never good, the passion does not last. Most people are looking for compensation through their partner to fulfill a lack that’s why it creates tension, dependence, and fear as the other one stands for the sustainer what is dangerous. If you reached the inner harmony being single it seems to be one of the best ways to find someone and establish a balanced couple.

Being balanced means that your inner stability cannot be affected by outer events or phenomena: separation, death…

Many people think about balance as the final judgment. But in a certain way, maybe the current judgment or the current test is permanent: this is a continuous exam. It seems that we are here to learn and to experience. 

When we die the goal is to be satisfied with what we have been and what we learned and if so we can say about you: “he/she passed the way” instead of “he/she passed away” meaning thereby you succeeded in your own way.

The great Sufi Shams ed Tabrizi said wisely: ”Hell is in the here and now. So is heaven. Quit worrying about hell or dreaming about heaven, as they are both present inside this very moment. Every time we fall in love, we ascend to heaven. Every time we hate, envy or fight someone we tumble straight into the fires of hell.”

Getting is a good balance of life is operating through different aspects like the horizontal & vertical one which is the symbol of the cross. It means a good equilibrium with the horizontal dimension that’s to say the materiality the pleasure of our world: food, wellbeing (spa, massage), sport, leisure, fun… and vertical which is an alignment with the invisible world: the energies, the Higher Self, the Universal Soul… something transcendental. Both aspects are important as balanced wellbeing.

Leonard da Vinci said “Principles for the Development of a Complete Mind: Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Develop your senses- especially learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.”

As a learning concept, In SHAMBALI retreat we apply this balance of life in our teaching thanks to the triple triptych:

1. Good alignment with body-mind-soul in all our activities
2. Good balance with the Scientific / Artistic / Spiritual approach in all our disciplines
3. Good equilibrium with the T.I.P methodology: Theory / Intuition / Practice in all our concepts

Issa ~ AM