ahhhh, how nice it is to have taken a bit of time to meditate today
I would enjoy discussing balance today
Balance is a real key to understanding and going about our lives.
You have heard it advised to take the middle path. Not too much. Not too little. The middle path.
Thinking about it, you can recognize how the moderate approach works to keep your peace. And our practices, too, are designed to help us keep our peace.
Balance.
Consider time at work, time at play, time engaging in relationship, time alone, time resting, time full of activity. If any of these gets out of balance, we find ourselves moving from that zone where we are settled into our peace, our happiness.
Interestingly, when we are "trying" to stay balanced we can move into a dullness by removing our energy from being more engaged in our lives. This can take us away from our peaceful nature, too.
No, we want to be fully engaged. Dive into life with gusto. Have fun. Care. Love.
We read in scriptures from most traditions that it is important for us to dedicate our lives to spiritual pursuits and that the worldly affairs don't take us anywhere. There is a truth to this, but let's balance it some.
You may have heard of the term "Maya." This is usually spoken of as the trap of worldly delusion from which we must escape. There is truth in this that is very important to note and understand, and then follow the guidance we get to become free of that delusion.
But, Maya is not something bad. In fact, it a one of the greatest and most valuable gifts of being. Without the Maya we would not have any sense of individuality, nor would we be able to have relationships. There would be no sense of accomplishment, no play of life. That doesn't sound like fun, does it? And life is to be fun.
But when we are not recognizing the Maya as God's gift so that we have the entire play of life, we move out of balance. Then the Maya deludes us. We, instead of having individuality so that we can love and play, fall into separateness and lose the awareness of who we really are.
Remember: "Right now you are divine, endless bliss - and it is always right now!"
Those spiritual guides telling us to get free from the Maya are needed when we not aware of the Absolute of all, including ourselves. But once you are "free" of the Maya, then it becomes your wonderful vehicle for loving and playing and serving and rejoicing.
Balance.
We each have that inner Guide. When we look for the guidance it definitely will be there for us. We may need to still our minds, stop all of the inner chatter and move away from the fires of all that reasoning, so that we can actually listen to our inner Guide. Meditation and mantra japa are perfect aids to help us with this.
Scriptures say "Ask, and it will be given you; Seek, you and you will find; Knock, and the door will be opened unto you." Totally true. We need to ask with a real hunger and enthusiasm. Then we must be open to receive what comes for us. It is sad how often we look for something, it is then offered to us, and we are not ready to accept it at that moment. We should seek expecting it to show up, not worrying about how it will be or what form it may be in, or even when – but stay ready and expecting. There are times when a door is opened before us and we don't take advantage of that.
If it unfolds like this, rather than be discouraged or hardening your heart, start fresh, only ready this time to receive, to hear, to take the steps to get where you'd like to go.
Be patient. Be forgiving. Never quit. Expect. Have fun. Play. Love.
In some way each of us is here to be of service. Find out how you serve. Be that instrument in the hand of the Divine. Master Sivananda gave this terse instruction for life... "Serve. Love. Give. Purify. Meditate. Realize."
Balance.
Love always,
jayadeva