Cats like eating fishes but cats could never get into the water to catch them. Fishes like eating earthworms but fishes could never get out of the water onto the soil. Through the history of the earth, there might be someone who questioned this, but, whoever did challenge this?
No one, as no one is stronger than the universe. Humans, as well as all creatures, live in the systems defined by the universe.
The universe has a law: everything in life is affected by energy which is always intending to auto-balance the world in a subtle unique way. Balance is one of the most important laws of the universe. From the beginning to the end in “Tao Te Ching”, Lao Tse was talking about this as an essential of “Tao”. It is everywhere in our daily life. For example:
A person who drinks milk every day, no matter how expensive and how high quality the milk he drinks, will never have a body stronger than the workers who send him milk every day. The same reason: a person who delivers milk every day, no matter how hard he works; his income will never be better than a customer who drinks expensive and high-quality milk at home every day because of his delivery of the milk. This is the magic in the law of balance.
- The richer material the world creates, the more IQ is degenerated;
- The more advanced the technology is, the more empty the human hearts and spirits are;
- The richer nutrition of food human is fed, the weaker the person’s physiological function become;
- The more developed the social tools, the more mental distances are between people;
- The more developed the public entertainment, the more people are losing their minds and hearts;
- The easier people get knowledge at their fingertips, the less ability they develop to think independently;
- The more concentrated the wealth, the more poverty and mental illness.
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Another manifestation of the law of balance is that when one certain aspect of a thing is insufficient, the aspect corresponding to it will inevitably appear redundant.
- When a person has insufficient knowledge and intelligence, s/he will worry too much and feel insecure.
- When a person has insufficient wisdom, s/he will be doubtful about things s/he never seen, or heard, or experienced, and naturally, s/he will miss many major opportunities and people in his/her life.
- When a person’s thinking pattern is not wide and high enough, what s/he sees seems to be more unfair. Over time, it causes inner extremes, full of resentment, dissatisfaction, complain, and lament.
Suffering is a basic characteristic of life. The total amount of hardship that each person has for a lifetime is constant. It neither disappears out of thin air nor arises for no reason. Therefore, the more you choose to avoid it now, the more you have to sacrifice a greater price to deal with it in the future.
To balance it back from worries, doubts, and dissatisfactions, pay work from the corresponding aspects: improve knowledge, intelligence, and increase the length, height, width, and density of our life. The world is a balance. Every time you own something, you have to pay for it. Correspondingly, every time you lose or pay or give something, you will regain it in another unseen or unexpected way. The world creates business as a platform for accumulating blessings; careers as a platform for uplifting people; wealth as a tool for benefiting others.
What if one’s moral quality – kindness is much higher than the wealth? S/he cannot refuse to receive more fortune, blessings, happiness, and wealth from heaven.
What if one owns much more wealth than kindness? S/he cannot stop losing or disasters to happen. This is what our ancients called “Moral quality does not match” – the biggest taboo of life.
When this happens, self-introspection can help to reflect if you get more from the outside than from the inside, and how to fill up the gap.
“We must do good rather than evil, on however humble a scale.” A person’s evils are a long term accumulation of small bad. And kindness is the most powerful long-last softest feeling in human nature. No matter when, where, how, we should forever insist on being kind, and uphold the noble personality.
Because: intelligence is a gift, but kindness is a choice. With a balanced moral and material world, we will embrace peace and joy.
Helen, Thank you. I love the way you have illustrated ancient principles and applied them to everyday understanding. Beautiful piece.
Thank you so much, Helen, for this article on the importance of balance and how nature and the Universe will do everything to bring things back into balance. Your essay reminds me of the chapter in Michael Singer’s book, The Untethered Soul, in which he discusses finding your way to the middle rather than living in the extremes. Cultivating inner qualities of kindness, compassion, curiosity, and love can benefit our souls, our hearts. The work remains to be done from the inside out. Living a fulfilled life from deep in the soul continues to profound and liberating. May all people find their sweet spot of dynamic equilibrium inside of themselves. Human beings were not designed for the extremes, but the middle way, the way of the Tao.
Helen, years ago I realized this ‘thing’ about ‘balance’ in all things in life. I am so with you on the fact that the more tech, the more materialism we become further away from who we really are and what we really need. I’m not against technology. In fact I love it, but, I’m aware we need to hang on to our human qualities.
“No matter when, where, how, we should forever insist on being kind, and uphold the noble personality.”
Love that.
Hi, Laurie, I love technology too! In fact very much! I always think technology should do good and benefit all human beings. Thank you for your mindful words. 🙂