The Formula of Balance

Seek ye first the kingdom of God…
And all these things shall be added unto you.
_{Bible, Matthew 6:33}

We often hear our elders tell us, “Live a life that is well balanced.” What is balance? Simply defined, balance is to put something in a steady position so it does not fall. Many of us know how to balance objects in our daily routine, like balancing a glass of water while carrying it on a tray or balancing our body while riding a bicycle. Even if these sound simple, they might be difficult at first but slowly with practice they become easy to achieve.

A well-balanced life is quite subjective. We waste our lives distracted by the world and its objects. As life goes on and years pass by, we confuse our priorities as we get more and more consumed by the affairs of the world. Holistically, keeping a balance in life means to achieve worldly as well as spiritual goals.

Master has given us the spiritual formula of two-and-a-half hours of daily meditation. It awakens us to the reality of our being. But again, this is easier said than done. At every question-and-answer session we often hear disciples say the same thing to the Master, that we are not able to sit for the time which has been advised. The question is often the same, and so is the answer.

Let us take the example of a kite which is tied to a string and held firmly secure in our hand. Now if we untie this string slightly, it starts rising upwards a little. The more we loosen the string, the more upwards it will rise and fly. The soul acts in the same manner; the more meditation and focus we engage in, it slowly starts rising upwards to the Lord. Similarly, Master often says that we must learn to let go; the more we keep our thread tied down to the world, the more our soul will be trapped here. The soul is securely tied to the Lord; we need to allow it to slowly keep rising towards him by means of simran and bhajan.

The relationship of the disciple and the Master is the same as a child and its mother. A mother’s duty is to carry the child until he learns to walk. Then the child starts taking baby steps and learns to walk properly and grow. In the same manner, the disciple learns through practice to focus with the Master’s guidance. The more time the disciple dedicates to that practice, the more he strengthens his balance between the worldly and spiritual.

Attitude and positivity also play a big part in achieving a balance, as illustrated in this well-known story:

A businessman was on vacation relaxing and enjoying the mountain ranges when he noticed a farmer coming downhill with his cart. He complimented the farmer on his cart full of fresh vegetables and asked him how long it took him to harvest so much. “Not long,” the farmer replied. “Then why didn’t you stay out longer?” asked the tourist. “Because this is enough for me and my family,” explained the farmer. “So what do you do with the rest of your time?” asked the businessman. “I sleep late, plough for a while, play with my children, do my prayers and spend time with my wife. In the evening, I go into the village to visit friends, have a nice meal, and play music. I have a full life.” Hearing this the businessman was surprised. “I have an MBA and I can help you. You should spend more time on farming, then you can sell the extra produce, make more money and buy a bigger farm.” “And after that?” asked the farmer.

“With the extra money from the bigger farm, you can buy more farms and eventually hire more people to operate them. Instead of selling your produce to a middleman, you can start to negotiate directly with the supermarkets. After a while you would be able to open your own flagship store. Then you could leave this village for the city and eventually operate the whole enterprise.” “How long would that take?” asked the farmer.

“Twenty to twenty-five years.” “And after that?” “Well, my friend, that is when the fun starts. When the business gets really big, you can list your company in the stock exchange and make millions!”

“Wow, millions. What happens after that?” asked the farmer. “After that you will be able to retire in the countryside, sleep in every day, do some farming, play with your grandkids, meditate and spend time with your wife. In the evenings you will be able to go out for dinners and sing with your friends.” To this, the farmer replied, “That sounds just like my life right now!” And he walked away.

From the farmer’s story we realize that it is a person’s state of equilibrium and attitude to life that matters more than the amount of wealth and success they achieve. The Lord has gifted us with a human birth. No doubt, we should be grateful for this invaluable gift of life. Moreover, to achieve our goal of a balanced life, the Lord provides us with enough time in the day for attending to not only our personal duties and responsibilities but also what we owe to the Lord – our meditation.

To know that enough is enough is to have always enough.
_{Tao Te Ching, as quoted in Living Meditation}