BALANCE
One of the most important themes of spiritual knowledge is balance. Related ideas are justice, equilibrium, and a reconciliation of opposites. Very often this theme means a balance of opposites, or dualities, or polarities, or a balance between 2 inter-rhythmic forces: such as inspiration and expression; or inhalation and exhalation. Other examples of balances are: ego and eco, inner and outer, active receptive, ascending descending, acceptance and judgment.
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Let is consider the balance of opposites. When two opposite forces exist, it is possible to balance these. This could also be called a reconciliation of opposites. Another meaning might be a balance of dualities. In some systems the primary way to deal with opposites or duality is to eliminate one of them. They believe that unity is achieved by eliminated one side of the duality. For example, the materialists try to eliminate or discount spiritual theories and values; while the fanatical spiritualists try to eliminate or discount material theories and values. Yet the spiritual masters of balance taught that opposites/dualities can be accepted and work together as a unity. When these opposites/dualities are accepted and reconciled in oneself, there is peace in oneself. As well, the true metaphysics explains dualities and shows their intrinsic and necessary relation.
This will be a brief introduction and more elaboration will be elsewhere. The first great duality is spirit and matter. To explain this fully would be a book in itself. So most briefly, spirit is the consciousness and intelligence side of reality, while matter is the manifest side of reality. Spirit is Potential actively becoming. Matter is spirit actualized. Spirit is like the Mind of God and matter is like the body of God. So we could also speak of a dualism between mind and body, or mental and physical. Such elaborations and relationships could go on and on, but the important point here is that both sides have an equal value in reality. It isn’t that one is more important or superior than the other. Yet many spiritual teachings have falsely portrayed the material side or body as less significant. Practically speaking, if you think of the body as most important then it is time to especially value the spiritual side, but if you think the spiritual side is more important then it is time to especially value the body and material world. Again, we’re looking for a balance. Metaphysically, both the spiritual and material worlds are intrinsically related and necessary to one another. Each has its significant function in the overall scheme of Existence.
Another important duality to balance is inner and outer. Again, both are equally significant. Our inner life is just as important as our outer life. Our inner life is the sum of our mental, emotional and intuitive experiences, which may not necessarily be recognized or understood by others. Through the subjective inner life we also have a capacity to experience God and communicate with higher beings. Yet the outer life is important as well, which includes how we behave, create and interact with the world. The outer is the manifesting side of life and what directly affects the world around. The inner life also affects the world but indirectly and more subtly. The inner side of our self makes vibrations which go outward affecting others, and our inner also obviously affects our outer reality. So both inner and outer need balance, and we should be avoid putting emphasis on one while neglecting the other.
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Balance freedom and order
This is an important balance both in society and within oneself. Order makes for a practical context and a beautiful life. Yet order can become rigid and binding, and thus hinder new discoveries and creativity. Freedom is always a freedom from some kind of order, pattern, or fixed structure. Freedom is the key to new creativity and new progress. Yet order can be a structure that supports freedom. So a balance is needed. This balance could be called justice, because justice means balanced fairness. If we look at civil or criminal law, we see that all arguments and contentions are, essentially, between order and freedom. Laws are instruments of order, and those who break laws are arguments for freedom. Additionally, in society there are contentions between the possible freedom of businesses and the overall societal needs of ordered well-being. In ourselves, we are continually creating order and routine in our lives, while freedom is continually trying to make exception to this.
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The true way is balancing controlled restrained conduct with expressive spontaneity. Traditionally, these are opposing ideals, like rivalry families. One group proclaims the grand ideal of controlled restrained emotions, and they are certainly right that we each need to practice this; for someone who cannot control and restrain their emotions or conduct will be someone who is controlled by their emotions, or this will be someone who is out of control. Yet the mistake made by those of this persuasion is to believe that the opposite nature of spontaneity is to always be avoided or restrained. The right way to see this, though, is that we need to have the ability of restraint, which can only be acquired by intentional practice; but we don’t have to always practice restraint. For sometimes it is good to let go of restraint, especially if we have been apt to idealize and practice restraint. The ability and practice of restraint is therefore important, but not a continuous exercise of it.
For we also need to develop an ability of spontaneous expression, and practice this as well, because this quality is vital in both creative expression and social intercourse. But a mistake made by those who fanatically adhere to the ideal of spontaneity is to believe that any exercise of restraint or control is bad. Once again, balance is the ultimate path. So we need to practice both modes of being. Sometimes one is more appropriate for a situation than the other. Eventually, by practicing both modes, a balance is found which becomes the virtue of creative expressive beauty.
Artists of all kinds know that both spontaneity and restraint are needed in some balance, in order for quality art to be made. This balance of spontaneity and restraint is also important in social contexts. Personal restraint is a means of politeness and manners in a social context. Spontaneity without any restraint can turn into an oppressive expression by a dominating spontaneity, like the one who yells the loudest at a party. Yet restraint without any personal spontaneity can become dull and uncreative, like performing the same old ritual again and again. So some form of balance is most ideal.
Also important to note is that peace comes about when one is in balance. When there is dis-balance, one is in stress and lacks peace. So a feeling of peace and balance go together.
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Note also that nature is always seeking balance. But because there is no absolute determinism from on high about every single event in nature, the balance of nature is constantly wobbling, producing some degrees of imbalance. We might also see this as imperfections in the world. So imbalances and imperfections are always arising, while simultaneously there is a general field of influence within nature towards balance and towards a greater perfection. Balance may not be always present, but there is always an invisible movement towards balance.
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Balance
Balance is the key ideal Principle in both aesthetics and ethics. Remember that every phenomena and every action is somewhere between opposite extremes. Take art for example. Any use of color is somewhere between opposite extremes . I won’t go into this, because if one thinks about it enough, one knows what I mean. All art is this way. The artist has to use or apply materials in some way, and this chosen way will be somewhere between two extremes. The most obvious extremes are absolute light and absolute dark. Yet everything we see in this world is somewhere between these extremes. No one ever sees absolute light, nor absolute dark. Temperature is another obvious example. All things are between complete cold and complete hot. Think of nature. What we find in nature is a balance, somewhere between possible extremes.
So what do we find as beautiful and harmonious? Something in between possible extremes. We call something beautiful when it exhibits a very fine and enjoyable balance. Granted, different people may disagree on where exactly the right balance is for beauty; but the principle still remains true that balance is what everyone is looking for. A right balance. Think of food. How much salt and pepper, how much spice, to make the best tasting dish? Everyone will agree that a balance of these ingredients is the ideal; though of course people may differ as to how much of this or that to make the right balance.
Ethics is also about balance, a balance between possible extremes. This principle is less obvious for ethics, and many people throughout history have held very extreme views about ethical behavior or about what is right action. Let us consider two possible extremes in personal qualities, one being determination and the other being patience. How would one of these in extreme look without the other as balance? Patience without any determination? Just waiting patiently all of the time for life to get better, but never having any determination to get things done oneself? Very lopsided and pathetic. Or, how about determination without patience? Always working with fierce determination and will power, but without any patience about things not happening as fast as one would hope for? Very frustrating way of living. Or consider the qualities of courage and caution. Each is a good quality, but one without the other as balance turns out not so good. Extreme courage without any caution will eventually lead to danger. Extreme caution without any courage will eventually lead to cowardness and passivity.
Let us consider extremes in ethical systems. Let us consider the philosophy of self-sacrifice as in extreme Christian asceticism and sainthood, compared to self-enjoyment as in Hellenistic hedonism. Related to this is a comparison between self-effacement in the religious mystic and self-glorification in the humanist. In history we do see examples of extremism. It is not possible to classify such extremism as a poor ethic on logical grounds, so all that can be done is to make suggestions of truth in this regard. The suggestion is that the ideal Ethic is a balance between these possible extremes. Self-sacrifice is a virtue, but it becomes a kind of neurosis if held as a final value in itself, without any balance of self-enjoyment. Everyone psychologically needs enjoyment and also deserves it. So a life without enjoyment is a sad and an unfulfilled life. God wants people to enjoy life; that’s why it’s here. Yet, the self-enjoyment guru should not deny the complementing value of self-sacrifice. For to make a sacrifice of oneself for the good of others is a supreme act. And in doing so, one may be temporarily sacrificing one’s own immediate enjoyment.
It is very important to not judge the value of any quality by the values of another quality. Think about this. Self-enjoyment will think that self-sacrifice is alright, but only if there is continuous enjoyment in it. Self-sacrifice will think that self-enjoyment is alright, but only if this is an accidental byproduct of the sacrifice. Self-glorification will think that self-effacement is alright, but only if this hopefully leads to greater self-glorification. And self-effacement will think that self-glorification is alright, but only if it happens to be a byproduct of self-effacement. These are all thoughts of a confused ego wanting to uphold the grand value of one quality, while the other quality is devalued. Mostly it is all about pride.
But what we are suggesting here is a true balance of such qualities. In this balance, there will be an accepted value of self-sacrifice and self-enjoyment, and that of self-effacement and self-glorification. Let us all have self-enjoyment, for enjoyment is divine. Enjoyment is truly spiritual; let no religious dogmatism condition you otherwise. Yet, let us all make self-sacrifice, for this sacrifice is divinely necessary, and many religions have exemplar persons who have manifested this advanced quality. Let us all have self-glorification, because every self is beautifully divine. May the human be glorified; for we are in the image of God. But may we also realize self-effacement, because we are very little in relation to the Great One. And finally, let us find some kind of balance with these possible qualities; whereby each can be accepted and valued, while none are rejected or suppressed. May we find a balance and become a whole person. This is the new ethic, and it begins with oneself.
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Balance between extremes
The ideal path, to always keep in mind, is balance between the extremes. This is the ethic of life. We know in ourselves, if self-observing and honest, what are our extremes. We all have possible extremes. Too much passion can turn into anger. Too little passion can become apathy. One can get too loud, or too soft. One can become too involved with mere worldly affairs and ignore an inner life, or one can become too obsessed with the inner life while ignoring worldly affairs. This would be a great study to show the hundreds of possible extremes for human beings, but our purpose here is to merely show a few examples so to help one understand the meaning of extremes and the possible balance between. The balance between, though, is not so easily described, and this is because our language does well describing extremes, while balance is often an elusive description. What exactly IS balance is not so easily described, except by illustrating the extremes it intends to balance.
So we can say that the ideal ethic is always a balance between extremes. Yet an exact description of this will always be elusive. We could objectively say that the ideal balance is between this and that. For example, say that the ideal balance for eating is between one and two pounds of food per day; while any less or any more is extreme. Yet the problem is that this may not be the middle recipe for everyone, since some people are quite big and so need more food, while others need less food since they are quite small. The big point here is that the prescribed formula for our ethic of balance is somewhat relative, depending on each person. For a person new to meditation, maybe two hours a day is extreme; but for someone else two hours is quite modest compared to their present habit of 10 hours a day. The point is that what exactly is a right balance depends on the person and also on the circumstances. In other words, the ethic of balance is relative upon the subject in question. With people then, each person’s best balance between extremes might be somewhat different from others. This creates a major problem for those who hope to objectify such an ethic. Practically speaking, each person cannot really objectively judge anyone else; since one only really knows about what is a good balance for oneself only. Each person might be somewhat different, in terms of their needs and possible extremes. So any hope of objective judgment, or that I know for sure what balance is right for you, becomes elusive and impossible to know. You might tell me that you feel out of balance, and then maybe I could help you find your own right balance; but I cannot merely impose my own personal understanding of balance upon you, which is really what many people do even though they think they are being objective. The objectivity of knowing this balance, as far as everyone, now has become suspect. And this suspicion is good. The danger is making too easy a judgment about what others should do or be like. Though, like any good therapist, we still need to help others find their own unique balance. I can discover my own balance [between extremes], but my knowledge of others right balance is limited (and often colored by my own unique sense of balance) .
However, in group and social realities, we do have to agree on some set of loose standards of what is acceptable and permissible, according to the needs of the greater whole. So in social circumstances, each person needs to fit in to some degree; which again means not going into an excessivity or over-extreme. In social contexts, this ethic of balance takes on another level from the mere personal question of what is best for me. The social ethical question is what is best for the group. And here too, we find the ethic of balance, though where this exactly is will
Depend of the unique group or society in question. Thus, each society or each culture or each religion will have its own perspective on balance between extremes. And the person must take this into consideration. The extremes for each person, and what is the balance, will then depend on what the society considers is extreme. So this becomes a consideration for each person.
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balance in criticism
Yet we can still love at the same time.
Just because I am critical of an individual activity, decision, or a social policy; does not necessarily mean that I am being non-loving. One can love all people, even murderers; yet still disagree with their decisions and actions, and be critical of their behavior. To be loving, we do not have to always politely accept the person’s behavior or their viewpoints. The loving person does not have to say that everyone’s viewpoint is equally true or good. The idea that everyone is equally beautiful or that everyone’s beliefs are equally true is simply idiotic. I don’t feel bad about saying that, because criticism is good. Pointing out faults and wrongs is good. It could hurt some feelings, it could cause defensive reactions, and it could cause people to dislike me; but I place more value on truth and honesty, than on trying to have everyone like me or helping everyone feel alright about everything they do. There has been confusion, in some people, about what love is. It is not, necessarily, making everyone feel good about themselves. It does not mean that all criticism should be avoided. There are people and businesses too that should be criticized for what they are doing. And to not do so, because of not wanting to make them feel bad, is an evasion of justice and truth. People can do bad things, so they should be criticized. If the bad is not criticized or negatively judged, then it might continue longer than it ever should. Some say that God should be the only judge, but they forget that we are the instruments of God. If we are critical, in an effective way, we actually help evolve the other person, or we help evolve society. But like many transitions, the next step may not be comfortable, so it may not be comfortable for someone to hear negative judgments, yet it may be helpful.
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Libra as a Theme of Balance
Libra is the Balancing Aspect of Our Reality, and it involves the balancing of complementing virtues, which could also be called balancing complements.
“Balancing complements”, (or “complementing virtues”) are not, necessarily, exact opposites. For example, good and bad, justice and injustice, harmony and chaos are opposites, but they are not balancing complements. What distinguishes balancing complements is that both qualities, in combination, create a synthesis that is greater than each quality alone. And in fact, one quality without the other, or one quality in extreme dominance over the other, creates an imbalance in a person or society.
The following are examples of balancing complements.
So let us briefly mediate on these.
Imagine each quality as powers on either side of you.
Feel and consider being a balance of these.
Love and Intelligence
Feeling and Thinking
Heart and Mind
Mercy and Justice
Spiritual and Material
Inner and Outer
Realization and Expression
Here are some qualities of self, worthy of balance.
activity and receptivity
strength and gentleness
assertiveness and yielding
decisiveness and flexibility
intentional will and relaxed acceptance
planned service and spontaneous service
determination and patience
self-needs and group-needs
masculine and feminine
(whatever is meant by those words)
There are also complex balances within the overall cosmic geometry;
for example, between the 12 archetypal zodiac forces.
To be a Whole Human Being is to be a balance of all these.
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Libra balance:
Material and spiritual
Outer and inner
Discernment and acceptance
One of the needed balances is between love-acceptance and wisdom-discernment.
Accept with love and compassion what is and has been.
(what has been done and whatever we have already done, whether it be highly praiseworthy or questionable)
Yet use discernment to choose what is best for this moment and the future.
On the Theme of balance ; balancing virtues; complementing balances
-- see file on Libra
It is easy to think of stupidities in the masses; it is easy to criticize “the average person” as unawakened or as an unevolved ego. It is easy to do this, because “they”, the masses, the average, humanity in general, do seem to fit the bill as relatively stupid, egoistic, and unevolved. Of course, there is a great importance in critical analysis and in being truthfully realistic about the world situation. However, this needs to be balanced with heart and compassion. We have this critical thinking intelligence, but we need to balance this with heart and compassion.
Those with an integral and holistic intelligence have to coexist with those who have yet developed this. Those with sensitivity have to live with those without it. We are all in this one big world, and there are all sorts of consciousness levels here. But this is really quite natural. For in any developing family, there are the kids who are just growing up – so of course they don’t have the larger views nor the larger encompassing love. So of course there are plenty of childish egos in the world. Too bad that so many have adult bodies.
Yet, we need to balance our critical thinking with something to do with love. Firstly because all that critical thinking, and talking about the deficiencies in most people, will never really change the world. It may be part of the solution, but it’s not all the solution. So the question to ask is this: How can I (or we) help to evolve the consciousness of other people worldwide and help transform this whole world? Would we do this with just criticism or pointing out the stupidities? This is one aspect, but obviously something is missing. One kind of help is to point out what actually IS intelligent – which means to share the teaching of wisdom – and hope they get it. Each is along a unique path of timing. But there is still something else missing. Just observe in your own life how effective it is to merely tell someone (child OR adult) the intelligent solution or wisdom teaching. You see, we are not just dealing with mind; we have to also deal with something else.
But let us consider the question of how transformation of humanity, or of anyone, is possible. The Light of Intelligence is of course important. May the Light descend on all humanity. We need to use our mind. But we also need to use our heart.
We cannot solve any problem of humanity until we first connect with humanity. And we have to connect with both mind and heart. So we need this heart part of the work. We need to connect with humanity with love. And our love is the transforming catalyst. It is the secret ingredient for the alchemical transformation. So, in order to help evolve this world and humanity, we need to give out love, which means that we really need to love.
So the question I have is this (which is a question for everyone here, but also for myself):
Besides the intellectual critique we might have regarding humanity in general, what is the degree of love we have for them?
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Notes to Humanity
Question the balance of oneself, the balance between self-interests and generosity.
Love is more powerful than reason. Let love be the Guide. Let love prevail. Let us all love. Love is that to which I surrender. And love is the very key to knowing God.
First to show here is the final edited version of my Libra study, (the colored parts were taken out of the flow, so it will have to be decided whether to include them back in (and where they ought to go; unless I decide to go back to the original version (with the original organization) with everything included.
Then below this I put the original version. .. p.7
Libra
A key Idea of Libra is “I choose the way that leads between the two great lines of force”. This is the way of balance, a balance between complementing virtues. So instead of following extremes, the Libra way is to find the middle path between, which is the way of balance.
We each have a natural sensitivity to balance, a ‘sense of balance,’ though this is often undeveloped. Being at-ease and in peace in the centeredness of oneself allows one to be sensitive to balance and imbalance. We need to be at peace in our center, in order to sensitively notice the difference between balance and dis-balance. Imagine being a lofty bird, free floating through the air, and balanced by two complementing wings. Our wings move and balance one another, while the very central part of our being feels to be in perfect repose Our wings need to be in balance, which means that any extreme one-sidedness in oneself will result in an inharmonious and jagged flight of life. Balance brings harmony, which brings peace, which then brings the possibility for further spiritual progress.
Sometimes we lose our balance, or we get out of balance. And we notice this. We feel it. This is a time to re-discover our centeredness, so that we can re-establish our balance. This is a time to become centered and at peace in oneself. Realize that peace is truly the natural state of our deepest essence of being. So if one feels out of balance, or a lost balance, the first step to solve this is to take a deep breath and relax into the peaceful centeredness of oneself, with love and self-acceptance.
But at times, we also need to examine and evaluate oneself. This is the spiritual work of honest self-examination, which balances our self-acceptance. Self-evaluation is to honestly see in oneself what is useful or not-useful, and admit to having some faults or negative patterns. In our self-examination we may see what holds us back from being the ALL of our true self. As well, one may need to confront one’s repetitious patterns and self-complacency. So this is a self-reflective work – a combination of self examination and evaluation – which needs to be unerringly honest – yet also balanced by love and compassion. Another important virtue is self-challenge. This is the quality of working to improve oneself – like challenging oneself to be a better person, or challenging oneself to make positive action in the world.
Libra is the cosmic urge for measuring value. It’s symbol is often depicted as scales, which were used in olden times for measuring the weight and value of things. When we measure the value or non-value of characteristics in ourselves, or of behaviors and actions, we are involved with self-evaluation. This is a very difficult task. It is far more easier to evaluate and judge others or groups, than it is to evaluate oneself. Yet, Libra gives us a capacity to measure and evaluate ourselves. Libra gives us the motivation to observe ourselves and evaluate what is helpfully good and what is unhelpfully negative in our personality patterns.
True value can be measured by how much good one is giving to the world. This is the measure of value. Whatever good one gives out to the world, or is shared with the world, is value. So this can be the measuring standard in our self-evaluation. The good we give to the world can be on many levels: material, emotional, mental, and spiritual. For example, we can give kindness and joy, we can give positive thoughts and helpful insights, and we can radiate a higher vibration of spiritual being to transform and expand the consciousness of others.
Sensitivity also helps us to be in balance. Our sensitivity to others, and to energies, helps us make needed self-adjustments for the good of everyone. For example, being sensitive to the feelings of others will help us adjust our behavior in a way that is more caring and less self-serving. More sensitivity and caring is certainly needed in the world at this time. Additionally, in this natural ecology of earth, our increased eco-sensitivity will help balance our human self-serving desires with the needs of other kingdoms on earth.
There is also a saying about Libra that it is “the light that moves to rest.”
Torkom Saraydarian writes, “Equilibrium is a condition to push the Spark forward. Equilibrium is not a goal but a means to perpetuate the motion toward the goal.”
Spirit is continually in movement, continually unfolding and evolving. And yet, simultaneously, it is moving towards rest. This means that Spirit, or Life, is continually moving towards equilibrium, balance and peace. But it never actually comes to a final rest, for that would be the end of the evolutionary Spirit. It is said that Life is continually evolving towards greater and greater levels of perfection. Also realize that there are ever-greater levels of harmony and balance. There are ever-new possibilities of synthesis and unity.
Thus, equilibrium is just a temporary place from which to move forward in evolution. True equilibrium is ever-progressing, rather than a final balanced state to perpetually remain in. By analogy, equilibrium is like a relaxed and balanced standing, but in order to progress forward one leg has to take off in a direction, which takes us out of the previous balance. So the state of balanced equilibrium serves as a platform for the next step forward, yet this forward movement may actually take us out of our present equilibrium. And then we will need to make self-adjustments, in order to reach the next level of balance.
So, an important part of this work of balance is self-adjustment. If we are like a scale, we need to continually self-adjust ourselves. In other words, we need to make continuing adjustments in ourselves, as part of the self-balancing work. This is a very difficult challenge, because the self tendency, the self-inertia, is to remain the same as always, to remain comfortable in our automatic, ritualistic patterns. To change and create a new balance requires strong decision and will. Progressive balance requires continuous sensitivity, self-honesty, and self-adjustments.
Libra is the Balancing Aspect of Our Reality, and it involves the balancing of complementing virtues, which could also be called balancing complements.
“Balancing complements”, (or “complementing virtues”) are not, necessarily, exact opposites. For example, good and bad, justice and injustice, harmony and chaos are opposites, but they are not balancing complements. What distinguishes balancing complements is that both qualities, in combination, create a synthesis that is greater than each quality alone. And in fact, one quality without the other, or one quality in extreme dominance over the other, creates an imbalance in a person or society.
The following are examples of balancing complements.
So let us briefly mediate on these.
Imagine each quality as powers on either side of you.
Feel and consider being a balance of these.
Love and Intelligence
Feeling and Thinking
Heart and Mind
Mercy and Justice
Spiritual and Material
Inner and Outer
Realization and Expression
Here are some qualities of self, worthy of balance.
activity and receptivity
strength and gentleness
assertiveness and yielding
decisiveness and flexibility
intentional will and relaxed acceptance
planned service and spontaneous service
determination and patience
self-needs and group-needs
masculine and feminine
(whatever is meant by those words)
There are also complex balances within the overall cosmic geometry;
for example, between the 12 archetypal zodiac forces.
To be a Whole Human Being is to be a balance of all these.
A reflection time – think of a quality of yourself that is very well developed.…. Pause. Now consider… what is the balancing complement of this..???
The goal of self-observation is to see oneself objectively and without excuses, and yet also without self-condemnation or beating up on oneself. For it is possible to honestly see one’s faults and weaknesses, without being harmfully self-critical, but rather have this understanding with self-compassion. We must observe ourselves and treat ourselves with as much objectivity and love, as we do in relation to others. The tendency in most people is to critically observe and judge others, while ignoring and denying any faults or imbalances in oneself. One is quick to measure and judge others, while oneself escapes with fine excuses and justifications. Yet, what we see in others and react to in others is, quite often, a simplified reflection of ourself.
So, there is a usefulness in evaluation, in recognizing the difference between positive and negative behaviors, and in making a discerning judgment between what is good rather than bad; but this should be focused on oneself before focusing on others. This self-discerning, self-critical focus is very difficult, since it goes counter to the self-ego – which will throw a covering veil over any possible self-fault or mistake, and invent all kinds of excuses and self-righteous reasons for everything it does. One of our most difficult decisions is whether we are willing to objectively and honestly see our self and to be somewhat self-evaluative; or in contrast, remain in sleep about oneself, in self ignorance and in self-denial. Yet, if we are self-discerning or self-critical, we need to balance this with self-compassion and love; since our next step in spiritual growth will not unfold if we are merely beating up on our selves and crushing our self dignity. Thus, self-evaluation and self-love is itself is a needed balance.
Sometimes the self-ego has built a large balloon of self-importance, pride and vanity. At some point this balloon needs to burst, because it is a false illusional self-belief. Some people go into depression when this balloon bursts; but every illusionary balloon needs to burst sometime. Burst it yourself with love; then it won’t be burst unexpectedly. Of course though, these are subtle ideas. For there is a subtle difference between self-importance and self-dignity; also a difference between self-pride and being proud of one’s achievements.
And there is a subtle difference between ego-power and self-power. You need self-power; just as you need self-dignity and self-esteem. But ego-power has qualities of self-deception and manipulation of others. Self-power is necessary to objectively observe and to make changes by will. We all need self-power; otherwise we are weak agents in life and also susceptible to being mentally and emotionally manipulated by others. Self-power is also related to self-dignity and also to self-freedom. But ego-power is different. It is self-deception, and also related to self excuses. Self-ego is also the illusionary bubble of self-pride, and it also attempts to manipulate others into serving its own particular goals.
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Libra also refers to the Natural Law of Balance. This is a Real Natural Principle in the Universe, as much as Gravity. This Law of Balance compensates the Law of Freedom. The Law of Freedom allows anything and anyone to veer off into any direction and cause various amounts of harm; yet freedom can also lead to new ideas and synthesis. Each life has only a limited capacity for freedom, but freedom does give people an opportunity for creativity, which can lead either to evolution or to regression. Yet besides the impulses of Freedom, there are also the Forces of Balance – which bring us back from the ridiculous or the fanatical to a complementing opposite that will bring balance.
Forces of Balance can come from anywhere around us, from nature, from circumstances, or most likely from other people. Forces of Balance can be subtle and easy, or else they can be more harsh and challenging. The difference between easy balance and harsh balance mostly depends on our own attitude about Balance. If we accept balance, then it comes easy, but if we resist balance, then it comes as more difficult to us and harder at us. Difficult forces of balance are usually known as karma, though karma can be nice as well as harsh. The Law of Balance is part of the Law of Karma, because whatever we vibrate outward or whatever action we make will be a cause that produces an effect, and this effect will bounce back to oneself in a potentially balancing way. The Law of Karma is basically that whatever we think or act will bounce back to us at some time. Positive thoughts and actions will bounce back positive energies, while negative thoughts and actions bounce back negative energies. This is karma in a nutshell. Karma is also known as Justice. So, whatever is bouncing back will be a balancing force in our lives. The positive energies coming to us will balance us in subtle ways, while negative energies coming to us will be balancing in a more harsh manner.
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NOW here is the original --- (I will color the parts that are not included in the final version – so that they COULD be re-included)
Libra
the sense of balance and justice.
ever-evolving levels of balance and synthesis -- which is when opposite/complements merge into a newly made unity.
“The light that moves to rest”
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Very often we find ourselves out of balance. Perhaps, we hardly ever really feel in balance. So we need to know how to come back to a state of balance. One way to come into balance is to come into peace in oneself. But peace is not some special state of accomplishment. It will not be found by the same kind of will that one might use to get ahead in the world. Instead, the state of peace in oneself is found by relaxing and allowing the mind to settle in the heart, and realize that peace is really the natural state of our deepest essence of being.
So we discover peace in our self through effortlessness, and yet it also requires intention. One has to intend, or decide, to be in peace. But the way to get to this peace is by effortlessness, or by relaxing into what is already the essence of our self. This way to peace is itself an example of balancing the energies of yin and yang; in other words, we need intentional decision to get there and even a kind of concentrated meditation, yet this must be balanced with effortlessness and relaxed surrender. Of course, the Tao of yin and yang is a classic spiritual teaching of balance. Yin is relaxation, effortlessness, and surrender. While yang is intention, willfulness, and work. The secrets of meditation and peace are found in these balanced qualities.
Peace in oneself is to be relaxed and accepting in oneself, to be at-ease in oneself. Also, it is to be centered in the very core essence of oneself, … to be centered in the real truth of oneself, the foundational repose of one’s natural being. Then, from this centeredness of peace are the wings of balance.
Imagine being a lofty bird, free floating through the air, and balanced by two complementing wings. Our wings need to be in balance, which means that any extreme one-sidedness in oneself will result in an inharmonious and jagged flight of life. Balance brings harmony, which brings peace, which then brings the possibility for further spiritual progress.
In addition, being at-ease and in peace in the centeredness of oneself allows one to be sensitive to balance. Imagine being at the center of a fulcrum or a balanced scale. Here, one is sensitive to balance and to what is imbalanced. We each have a natural sensitivity to balance, though this natural sense of balance is often undeveloped.
Related to self-peace is self-acceptance, which means to accept myself for who I am at this time, accepting and loving myself unconditionally and without judgment. This is also healing to myself. Self-accepting love is a pathway to self-peace. So this is an important quality to have. But at some time it may be useful to evaluate oneself; that is, to honestly see in oneself what is useful or not-useful, and admit to having some faults or negative patterns. Honest self-examination and self-confrontation are valuable at times - confronting what holds us back from being the all of our true self. As well, one is examining and confronting one’s repetitious patterns and self-complacency. So this is a self-reflective work – a combination of self-observing, self-confessing, and self-evaluation – which needs to be unerringly honest – yet also balanced by love and compassion. Thus, self-acceptance and self-evaluation are balancing qualities – each balancing the other.
Another balancing quality to self-acceptance is self-challenge. This is the quality of working to improve oneself – like challenging oneself to be a better person, or challenging oneself to make action in the world that is beyond one’s usual state of relaxed comfort. So to balance self-acceptance we need self-evaluation and self-challenge, and in any kind of self-evaluation and self-work we need the balancing qualities of self-acceptance, love, and compassion. Also, to balance self-challenging work in the world we need relaxation.
accepting with love the world and oneself as it-is, yet not merely accepting that everything is just perfectly right and not merely being in complacent conformity with what is.
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An important part of this Libran work of balance is self-adjustment. If we are like a scale, we need to continually self-adjust ourselves. In other words, we need to make continuing adjustments in ourselves, as part of the self-balancing work. This requires first ray will, a will to make changes and also sacrifices. This is a very difficult challenge, because the self tendency, the self-inertia, is to remain the same as always, to remain comfortable in our automatic, ritualistic pattern. To change and create a new balance requires strong decision and will. This is why Libra is not simply about finding a comfortable chair in which to find instant peace and balance. Progressive balance requires continuous sensitivity, self-honesty, and self-adjustments.
Sensitivity helps us to be in balance. Our sensitivity to others, and to energies, helps us adjust to what is needed and to make needed self-adjustments for the good of everyone. For example, being sensitive to the feelings of others will help us adjust our behavior in a way that is more caring and less self-serving. This is certainly needed in the world at this time…. more sensitivity and caring, and less self-serving actions and less apathy. Additionally, in this natural ecology of earth, our increased eco-sensitivity will help balance our human self-serving desires with the needs of other kingdoms on earth.
Torkom writes, “Equilibrium is a condition to push the Spark forward. Equilibrium is not a goal but a means to perpetuate the motion toward the goal.” One might think that achieving self-balance, equilibrium, and peace is the final goal. But equilibrium is just a temporary place from which to move forward in evolution. True equilibrium is ever-progressing, rather than a final balanced state to perpetually remain in. By analogy, equilibrium is like a relaxed and balanced standing, but in order to progress forward one leg has to take off in a direction, which takes us out of the previous balance. So the state of balanced equilibrium serves as a platform for the next step forward, yet this forward movement may actually take one out of equilibrium.
Therefore, spiritual balance is a continual work, a continual path; so that what is self-balance is continually changing and progressing. We need to continually work at making balance in our being and in our lives, to keep up with the evolutionary motion of Spirit – in ourselves and in the world. If we idealize or try to hold on to our present equilibrium, this state can become a crystallized pattern, which is then a stuck place, whereby the Spark of evolution cannot move forward. In order to go forward, we sometimes need to move beyond our usual comfort zone.
Libra is the cosmic urge for measuring value. It’s symbol is often depicted as scales, which were used in olden times for measuring the weight and value of things. When we measure the value or non-value of characteristics in ourselves, or of behaviors and actions, we are involved with self-evaluation. This is a very difficult task. It is far more easier to evaluate and judge others or groups, than it is to evaluate oneself. Yet, Libra gives us a capacity to measure and evaluate ourselves. Libra gives us the motivation to observe ourselves and evaluate what is helpfully good and what is unhelpfully bad in our personality patterns.
True value can be measured by how much good one is giving to the world. This is the measure of value. Whatever good one gives out to the world, or is shared with the world, is value. So this can be the measuring weight in our self-evaluation. The good we give to the world can be on many levels: material, emotional, mental, and spiritual. For example, we can give kindness and joy, we can give positive thoughts and helpful insights, and we can radiate a higher vibration of spiritual being to transform and expand the consciousness of others.
Another measurement of value is how much evolutionary importance something has, or how helpful something is to spiritual evolution. So these are two significant criteria for the measuring of value. Self observation and study are necessary in the task of self-evaluation, to reveal our desires and our character patterns, which we must then consider whether these are helpful to our evolution or not, and also consider what is giving to the world, or not.
Also, we might see what is overemphasized in our character, while also noticing what is lacking; which will reveal certain imbalances us. This understanding of particular imbalances in our personality, including deficiencies and eccentricities, will be useful in our needed self-work. An initiate is someone who intentionally initiates work upon themselves, such as self-challenges, habit detachments, and any other self-efforts that will improve one’s character and evolutionary progress.
The goal of self-observation is to see oneself objectively and without excuses, and yet also without self-condemnation or beating up on oneself. For it is possible to honestly see one’s faults and weaknesses, without being harmfully self-critical, but rather have this understanding with self-compassion. We must observe ourselves and treat ourselves with as much objectivity and love, as we do in relation to others. The tendency in most people is to critically observe and judge others, while ignoring and denying any faults or imbalances in oneself. One is quick to measure and judge others, while oneself escapes with fine excuses and justifications. Yet, what we see in others and react to in others is, quite often, a simple reflection of ourself.
So, there is a usefulness in evaluation, in recognizing the difference between positive and negative behaviors, and in making a discerning judgment between what is good rather than bad; but this should be focused on oneself before focusing on others. This self-discerning, self-critical focus is very difficult, since it goes counter to the self-ego – which will throw a covering veil over any possible self-fault or mistake, and invent all kinds of excuses and self-righteous reasons for everything it does. One of our most difficult decisions is whether we are willing to objectively and honestly see our self and to be somewhat self-evaluative; or in contrast, remain in sleep about oneself, in self ignorance and in self-denial. Yet, if we are self-discerning or self-critical, we need to balance this with self-compassion and love; since our next step in spiritual growth will not unfold if we are merely beating up on our selves and crushing our self dignity. Thus, self-evaluation and self-love is itself is a needed balance.
Sometimes the self-ego has built a large balloon of self-importance, pride and vanity. At some point this balloon needs to burst, because it is a false illusional self-belief. Some people go into depression when this balloon bursts; but every illusionary balloon needs to burst sometime. Burst it yourself with love; then it won’t be burst unexpectedly. Of course though, these are subtle ideas. For there is a subtle difference between self-importance and self-dignity; also a difference between self-pride and being proud of one’s achievements. And there is a subtle difference between ego-power and self-power. You need self-power; just as you need self-dignity and self-esteem. But ego-power has qualities of self-deception and other-manipulation. Self-power is necessary to objectively observe and to make changes by will. We all need self-power; otherwise we are weak agents in life and also susceptible to being mentally and emotionally manipulated by others. Self-power is also related to self-dignity and also to self-freedom. But ego-power is different. It is self-deception, and also related to self excuses. Self-ego is also the illusionary bubble of self-pride, and it also attempts to manipulate others into serving its own particular goals.
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Libra also refers to the Natural Law of Balance. This is a Real Natural Principle in the Universe, as much as Gravity. This Law of Balance compensates the Law of Freedom. The Law of Freedom allows anything and anyone to veer off into any direction and cause various amounts of harm; yet freedom can also lead to new ideas and synthesis. Each life has only a limited capacity for freedom, but freedom does give people an opportunity for creativity, which can lead either to evolution or to regression. Yet besides the impulses of Freedom, there are also the Forces of Balance – which bring us back from the ridiculous or the fanatical to a complementing opposite that will bring balance.
Forces of Balance can come from anywhere around us, from nature, from circumstances, or most likely from other people. Forces of Balance can be subtle and easy, or else they can be more harsh and challenging. The difference between easy balance and harsh balance mostly depends on our own attitude about Balance. If we accept balance, then it comes easy, but if we resist balance, then it comes as more difficult to us and harder at us. Difficult forces of balance are usually known as karma, though karma can be nice as well as harsh. The Law of Balance is part of the Law of Karma, because whatever we vibrate outward or whatever action we make will be a cause that produces an effect, and this effect will bounce back to oneself in a potentially balancing way. The Law of Karma is basically that whatever we think or act will bounce back to us at some time. Positive thoughts and actions will bounce back positive energies, while negative thoughts and actions bounce back negative energies. This is karma in a nutshell. Karma is also known as Justice. So, whatever is bouncing back will be a balancing force in our lives. The positive energies coming to us will balance us in subtle ways, while negative energies coming to us will be balancing in a more harsh manner.
NOTES
Our natural, inner, soul sense of self-balance.
To achieve balance it helps to find our own sense of balance, We can find this knowingness in our real heart, our honest heart, finding what is real in oneself.
Need to learn from others, humbly, and allow others to put a “checks and balance” on us.
Also balance achieved by sacrificing one’s eccentric personality for the good of a greater purpose or greater teaching.
Confront oneself about eccentric behavior that is not really helpful towards spiritual purpose.
Beware of extremes . vices are the result of over dominating qualities – without enough balancing qualities.
How to help people expand their consciousness on the most basic level.
A reflection time – let your mind naturally know a quality of oneself that is very well developed and strong. …. Pause.. now consider what is the complementing opposite of this.. what is the quality that is balancing for this ???
“I choose between the two lines of force”
(Balance between two lines of force)
What are these lines of force?
Any significant, archetypal, polar-complementing opposites could be a valid answer.
The polar forces are such as:
Mercy and Justice
Love and Wisdom
Heart and Mind
Also, there is a needed balance between the forces of
involution and evolution,
or between the forces of
material and spiritual.
Between incoming and outgoing energies
As well, there are needed balances between
self-needs and group-needs
activity and receptivity
assertiveness and yielding
decisiveness and flexibility
determination and patience
courage and caution
intentional will and relaxed acceptance
goal-focused and serving spontaneously whatever the moment presents.
Also, balance between:
Spirit and matter
inspiration and expression
idealism and practicality
or between masculine and feminine
(whatever is meant by those words)
There are also complex balances within the overall cosmic geometry;
for example, between the 12 archetypal zodiac forces.
To be a Whole Human Being is to be a balance of all these.
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