*BALANCE - also see +*17, COMPLETE, MATURE, INTEGRATE, UNITY, CONNECTEDNESS
See the world, that's what it's for, for understanding, nothing more.(Don't You Feel Small; A Question of Balance by Moody Blues)
Why do we never get an answer
when we're knocking at the door,
with a 1,000 million questions
about hate and death and war?
Because when we stop to look around us
there is nothing that we need,
in a world of persecution
that's burning in its greed.
Why do we never get an answer
when we're knocking at the door,
because the truth is hard to swallow
that's what the war of love is for.
(Question; A Question of Balance by Moody Blues)
As the Great Spiritual Masters have said, meditation is the sublime communication with the source of love within. Unity is conscious understanding through direct experience which proves everything is interconnected with its synchronicities. This knowledge gives one the understanding that there is perfect order in the universe, and balance must be maintained or is forced upon us. (http://www.intentblog.com/archives/2007/05/towards_higher.html)
The cosmic dimensions of a risen Christ who is at the center of all that is. "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all things to myself." But balance must be maintained between the cosmic Christ and the historical Christ. (Zen, p54)
"Having and not having produce one another. Difficult and easy balance each other. Long and short complete one another. High and low rely on each other. Pitch and tone make harmony together. Beginning and ending follow each other." (Tao 2) Life is composed of complementary opposites: yin and yang. Tao transcends extremes, affirming the wisdom of wholeness.(Tao Peace, p31-2)
Peace results from the dynamic balance of opposites within and around us. Taoists teach moderation, realizing that one extreme invariably leads to the other. When something reaches a limit, then it reverses its direction; when the end is reached, the beginning begins. (Tao Peace, p125-6)
Holistic Christian Spirituality - "By Way of the Heart" by Wilkie Au
Balanced, complementary, and integrated values of:
1. Self-esteem and Self-denial - with self acceptance we can appreciate how God has created us and how worthwhile we are because He loves us.
2. Ministry and Leisure - both work and rest are needed.
3. Friendship and Generativity - note that in the intimacy of a good friend we can make the love of the Absolute to be personal.
4. Prayer (Seriousness?) and Humor - prayer is the heart reaching out to God, whereas humor is...
5. Community and Solitude - in solitude (being by ourselves) we learn to be our own person and have time to contenplate God
Revelation is not a substitute for deep meditation or for prayer. All three go together for balanced spiritual growth. (Divine Rev, p193)
There is a balance between the state of consecrated virginity (Corinthians) is deeply revered and honored and marriage (Ephesus) is a sacrament. (ReadingNT2, p45)
There are two parts to every person, ie. male and female, intellectual and emotional, protective and nurturing, right brain and left brain. Often here on earth we go through life being one way or the other, but we can learn to balance both parts. But when spirit is in balance, it is at its greatest strength. (Awakening, p129-130)
I think that God too has to balance things, ie. good and evil, material and spiritual, suffering and dignity (of free will). There is a balance also, where too much of good thing can end up being bad, ie. too much food. (Randy)
Most bishops at the council of Nicaea (325 AD) held a view midway between Jesus being human or divine. (Hist, p110)
Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food that I need, or I shall be full and deny You...or I shall be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:8-9)
People who are unhappiest are those who can't see things from many perspectives. (Elizabeth Yoffe)
The best way to a happy life is to wake up each morning and spend the first 10 minutes wrapping yourself in gratitude. Once you have properly cherished what you have, what you don't have or whatever challenges you must meet will suddenly fall into perspective. (Kay Winchester)
Good is always a balance between two opposite evils, the midpoint between excess and defect: temperance is a mean between austerity and indulgence, courage a mean between cowardice and foolishness, proper pride a mean between arrogance and abasement. (Mind, p67)
Instead of our growing knowledge of God humbling ourselves further and making us aware of our ignorance, it puffs us up. By holding our emotions in constant check, we begin to rely strickly on the intellect for our walk with Christ.
"Knowledge makes arrogance" (1 Cor 8:1). A life of solid faith starts with a clear understanding of biblical doctrine. Balance calls for both mind and heart. They need to be woven together carefully, slowly, and correctly like a God‑given tapesty. (Flying, p167)
Eve's name echos "even" and "evening" (Paradise Lost, p40). Evening is the balance point between day and night. (Randy)
Balance is needed between an optimist and a pessimist, which is a realist or maybe a pragmatist. Balance is needed for minories from being slaves to be "equal, but not privileged"; Balance between things not being "black and white", but shades of grey or color. Balance between left and right is the middle. Sexuality balanced between masculine and feminine is a new humanity (completeness?). Power balanced between physical and intellectual is love. (Randy)
Christianity is a balance between Materialism and Enlightenment:
Left Middle Right
Model: Paganism Christianity Buddism
Materialism Love Enlightenment
God: Immanent order Creator, transcending world, Opposite of world,
of the world but not remote totally other
World: All that exists Sacrament of God's glory; Delusion,
not complete unreality
Man: A piece of the Head of creation, Son of God; Alien, trapped
world fully defined in the Risen JC in the world
Evil: Whatever Refusal to trust Worldly desire
threatens what God is doing binding us to world order world
Salvation:To fit in and God's Kingdom, the future Escape
enjoy what's toward which creation strains
there
Good is always a BALANCE between two opposite evils... proper pride [self-esteem?] a mean between arrogance and abasement. (Passion, p67)
But the grace of God, offered to all who turn to it, restores the BALANCE of power, resurrects the reality of a choosing centre. (Paradise3, p139)
An example is the sun that has beams shining out evenly \ | /
in all directions, each of which may be an attribute. --|--
/ | \ ' (Randy)
Our shortcomings, failings, hangups, copouts make us unbalanced (Crucifix, p1)
Lutherans thought Catholics made the prospect of salvation too hard. Catholics thought Lutherans made the prospect of salvation too easy. (Lutheran Bishop H. George Anderson of Chicago, PS, Metro, 6/5/96)
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep (Rom 12:15)
balance -> completion -> wholeness
holiness -> healing -> reconciliation (Randy)
Facing reality is the first requiste for human balance and then being interested in life in a multitude of ways. (Crucifix, p110)
Some examples of balance are: both exercise and diet; railroad tracks or parallel bars denoting both human and divine interaction. (Randy)
Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that I need, or I shall be full and deny You...or I shall be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:8-9)
People who are unhappiest are those who can't see things from many perspectives. (Elizabeth Yoffe)
I wonder if God is balanced by His transcedence and His immanence. (Randy)
Gen 1 tells us about the goodness of creation (the world is neither to be avoided nor worshipped). (Common Sense, p15)
One theme of Christianity is to balance PASSION and PERSPECTIVE. (Common Sense, p183)
God is like a teeter-tater whereby oppossing forces BALANCE each other. The middle of a teeter-tater is the balance point between 2 oppossing extremens. (Randy)
Balancing love and knowledge (Awakening, p41)
Our way of life should follow a middle path, free from either extreme. We doo all kinds of spiritual practice without much spiritual development. Develop our spiritual qualities by first purify the coarser ones first. (Try to eliminate the grosser levels of disturbing emotions first. Practice that which is more effective. (Dalai Lama, p194-5)
God helps us make the appropriate adjustments while I achieved some balance in my life. The spiritual world and this one. They often conflicted. (Awakening, p21)
*UNBALANCED
Western civilization has become horribly one-sided and unbalanced. When the contemplative dimension existing in every man becomes starved, then people go berserk and do crazy things. (Zen, p19)