Difference between revisions of "Balance"

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==As a Metaphor for the Forces of Good and Evil in the World==
 
==As a Metaphor for the Forces of Good and Evil in the World==
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"The world at any moment expresses the condition and interaction of ... opposing forces. It is
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like a balance between opposites. Your role is to shift the balance in a positive direction. If you do not
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exert this influence, you will either be an unwitting accomplice or an actual proponent of the Forces of
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Dissonance."  <ref>''Relationships & Higher Purpose'', Chapter 8: The Problem of Evil & the Forces of Dissonance</ref>
  
 
"Any gift, however small, improves the condition of humanity. You cannot see this, of course, but it is true because it is an aggregate. It is like a scale. If evil and oppression are weighing down the scale completely on one side, you do not have something as great as that to counteract it, to balance the scale, to offset the overwhelming dominance of evil and circumstance, of ignorance, of oppression, of poverty and so forth.
 
"Any gift, however small, improves the condition of humanity. You cannot see this, of course, but it is true because it is an aggregate. It is like a scale. If evil and oppression are weighing down the scale completely on one side, you do not have something as great as that to counteract it, to balance the scale, to offset the overwhelming dominance of evil and circumstance, of ignorance, of oppression, of poverty and so forth.
 
When you add to the other part of the scale something small, it seems to have no effect. But when others add something small, sooner or later, in time, the scale is balanced, and beyond this it moves in favor of what is true and natural for human beings, which is to be united with others, which is to be creative, which is to be in service to their families and cultures in the world, to preserve the world, to take care of people, to be inspired and to have the glow of an inner life within themselves."<ref>[http://www.newmessage.org/new-message-impoverished-oppressed The New Message for the Impoverished and Oppressed (April 18, 2008])</ref>
 
When you add to the other part of the scale something small, it seems to have no effect. But when others add something small, sooner or later, in time, the scale is balanced, and beyond this it moves in favor of what is true and natural for human beings, which is to be united with others, which is to be creative, which is to be in service to their families and cultures in the world, to preserve the world, to take care of people, to be inspired and to have the glow of an inner life within themselves."<ref>[http://www.newmessage.org/new-message-impoverished-oppressed The New Message for the Impoverished and Oppressed (April 18, 2008])</ref>
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==References==
 
==References==
 
<references/>
 
<references/>
  
 
[[category:practice]]
 
[[category:practice]]

Revision as of 18:11, 8 February 2017

Balance.jpg

Directives

"Human beings need to become stronger mentally and more balanced and harmonious within themselves. This is not merely a preference. It cannot merely be some form of entertainment or a pastime or a hobby. It must become central in your priorities."[1]

"You must become a person who is consistent, balanced, functional, responsible and very capable." "[2]

"Start with your individual life by bringing greater harmony, balance, responsibility and accountability to it."[3]

The Four Pillars

"Following The Greater Community Way of Knowledge brings you to your true work, but it does so gradually, stage by stage. Likewise, it brings you to your true purpose, but it does so stage by stage. You see, having a greater purpose or greater work is not simply taking on more work responsibilities. It is having a larger understanding of what your work is and what it can do and then being able to bring into balance all the important components of your life—your health, your financial responsibilities, your primary relationships and your spiritual development. These are the Four Pillars of successful existence here."[4]

"When you develop your relationships, you will experience spiritual growth. If you develop your work in the world, you will have greater health. Advancement in any one area, as long as it is in keeping with your overall purpose and focus, benefits all of the others. Now, if you neglect your relationships because you want to make a lot of money, or if you neglect making an adequate amount of money because you are consumed with your relationships, this will produce instability, and your work will become misappropriated. We are talking about achieving a balance, a balance that Knowledge will promote, a balance that you will naturally and instinctively feel. When imbalance exists, you will feel that imbalance. You will feel the urge to do something about it, particularly when the opportunity is at hand."[4]

Mental Balance

"When the mind is not in harmony with itself, it experiences its own imbalance and the imbalances in its environment as well. Here it will produce imbalance and discord and respond to what it produces. This creates a vicious cycle in which the mind produces experiences and then responds to its own creations. Rarely is it aware of what it is producing."[1]

"The mind needs a certain amount of similarity. It can’t be dealing with new things all the time. It needs to rest on things that are familiar. At the same time, the mind needs new ideas and new stimulation. The mind needs to fall in line behind Knowledge. These things all have to be balanced together, and this will require skill and Wisdom on your part. If you ask the mind to have new experiences all the time, you will wear it out and it will not be able to function. It cannot integrate new information continuously and will end up going into revolt against you if you are too oppressive with it. So, there is a question of balance here. Knowledge provides this balance because Knowledge provides new information and stimulation and then long periods of stillness. During these periods of stillness, the mind is allowed time to integrate itself. Rethinking is allowed and encouraged. There is stimulation, and there is time for adjustment, rethinking and re-association."[5]

"if you become wise in your relationship with your mind and in working with your mind, you become a wise leader, a wise governor, so to speak. This means that you have compassion and respect for that which you govern. You try to take into account all aspects of that which you govern and serve everything to the greatest degree possible. This means that you must balance things constantly, that you cannot be too radical regarding one or two ideas while neglecting everything else. That is why following The Greater Community Way of Knowledge creates leadership, both internally and externally. It creates balance and Wisdom, a wise government internally and a wise government externally. That is why it is the path of resolution and the path of fulfillment."[5]

Integrating the Relationship with Oneself

"People want many things, but most of all they need the deeper experience, the true connection, for this meets the need of the soul and begins to re-establish true integrity and balance within yourself."[6]

"One discerns one’s nature by engaging in life in a very conscious and determined way. Here you find your natural attributes and you find ways to balance them with your overall nature. Here you learn and balance, learn and balance, learn and balance. Like walking across a great tightrope, you take a step and then balance. You take the next step and then balance. Learning The Way of Knowledge is like this too. It is not about running, and it is not about stopping. It is a step and then balance, a step and then balance. This is a good analogy for understanding the stages of learning in your life. You take a great stride forward, have new experiences, and then you must integrate it."[7]

"Do not repress what is occurring within you. Do not control what is occurring without. Simply maintain consistency, and all things will find a right balance and relationship to this." [8]

Work and Financial Providership

"You must determine what you know rather than what you want. If you can follow what you know, this will give you real insight and will balance your relationship with money. What you want here will always exceed your needs."[9]

"Many of the great inequities that you see now concerning people’s affluence will be balanced out because the resources will be diminished and the population will be greater. It will become increasingly inappropriate to have great personal wealth."[9]

"Having too much is as bad as having too little because you are out of balance and your relationship to life and the resources of life are not correct and require change."[9]

"Determine your real need for money. This will determine how much you must work in the world and what you must do to secure the resources that you need. If you ask for more than you need, you will work more than you need, and your life will be out of balance as a result. Sometimes you must make money for an important project, and you must work very hard for it for a period of time. But it is worth it. The question here is not whether it is hard or easy. It is whether it is correct."[9]

"Because your work requires so much from you, it cultivates you. It enhances you. It demands things of you. It places responsibilities on your shoulders. It provides balance, structure and the opportunity for greater meaning. If these are avoided or neglected, the results will truly be pathetic—anger, depression, chronic confusion, self-denial and self-abuse."[4]

As a Metaphor for the Forces of Good and Evil in the World

"The world at any moment expresses the condition and interaction of ... opposing forces. It is like a balance between opposites. Your role is to shift the balance in a positive direction. If you do not exert this influence, you will either be an unwitting accomplice or an actual proponent of the Forces of Dissonance." [10]

"Any gift, however small, improves the condition of humanity. You cannot see this, of course, but it is true because it is an aggregate. It is like a scale. If evil and oppression are weighing down the scale completely on one side, you do not have something as great as that to counteract it, to balance the scale, to offset the overwhelming dominance of evil and circumstance, of ignorance, of oppression, of poverty and so forth. When you add to the other part of the scale something small, it seems to have no effect. But when others add something small, sooner or later, in time, the scale is balanced, and beyond this it moves in favor of what is true and natural for human beings, which is to be united with others, which is to be creative, which is to be in service to their families and cultures in the world, to preserve the world, to take care of people, to be inspired and to have the glow of an inner life within themselves."[11]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Wisdom from the Greater Community Volume Two, Chapter 15: Responding to the Greater Community
  2. Wisdom from the Greater Community Volume Two, Chapter 20: Learning from Others
  3. Wisdom from the Greater Community Volume Two, Chapter 17: Visitors' Perceptions of Humanity
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Wisdom from the Greater Community Volume Two, Chapter 24: Work
  5. 5.0 5.1 Wisdom from the Greater Community Volume Two, Chapter 5: Working with the Mind
  6. God’s Power & Presence in the World (April 23, 2011)
  7. Wisdom from the Greater Community Volume Two, Chapter 11: Spiritual Practice
  8. Steps to Knowledge, Step 142: I will be consistent today
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Wisdom from the Greater Community Volume Two, Chapter 22: Money
  10. Relationships & Higher Purpose, Chapter 8: The Problem of Evil & the Forces of Dissonance
  11. The New Message for the Impoverished and Oppressed (April 18, 2008)