What Does a Balanced Life Mean?

Suggested by: RLC

Over the centuries, Mankind has developed many theories for ways to better understand themselves and others. I will use Ayurveda Medicine as an example. Part of this old system of health care is the concepts of the five elements from which come three doshas or life-energies-Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Individuals are then classified as Vata, Pitta, or Kapha based on the way they live or respond to life situations. In the same way there have been other theories that attempt to classify individuals in one way or another.

I believe that all theories, attempting to categorize individuals into personality types, come from the observation of the unbalanced way individuals may live and respond to life situations. Yes, each of us may tend to live according to a particular personality type, but it is not the ideal except during small slices of time. We may even take a test to find out our personality type and feel proud that we express certain qualities that define that personality type; such as Idealist-conscientious, sensitive, vigilant, and dramatic; Traditionalist-leisurely, serious, self-sacrificing, and devoted; Rationalist-aggressive, idiosyncratic, inventive, and solitary; Hedonist-self-confident, adventurous, mercurial, and artistic. How many of us would not consider all of the before mentioned characteristics of the personality types as desirable?

I do become concerned when we focus too much on what is considered masculine (such as intellectual) and feminine (such as belief or faith) qualities, and view our approach to living as one or the other. The reason for my concern is described below.

The Yin-Yang Principle (www.bibleseek.com/onyinyang.htm) holds that all objects or phenomena in the universe can be understood as limitless pairs of essential opposites. We experience the apparent validity of this principle daily. An important aspect of this principle is that all opposites must maintain a balance. If one becomes excessive, it will consume the other creating problems corresponding to the excess or lack. When we consider the seven aspects of an individual (www.bibleseek.com/individual.pdf), we see that each living individual has a masculine and feminine side of their being with each side functioning on all three time levels. It is these two sides (with three aspects each) that GOD joined together spiritually to create the Soul (individual). The purpose of this union is to promote spiritual growth for service in the body of Christ. This spiritual growth can only occur if both sides of the union do the part for which they were created in the way they were created to do it. If it was possible to take only the intellectual approach to resolving life problems, the feminine side would not grow; and we would become less intuitive when the need arises. If it was possible to take only the belief or faith approach to resolving life problems, then spiritual growth would not occur because we would only be expressing what we already are. Why is this?

The belief approach is basically an intuitive approach, which implies that whatever is required to solve the life problem already resides with in your heart. To change our heart it is necessary for our feminine side to go through the masculine side because that side deals with the external reality-the temporary physical reality. The physical reality is where all things are tested to see if they actually work before the living qualities they are become a part of what is in our heart. This is how we learn. The masculine side intellectually manipulates the outer manifestation until the feminine side feels the created relationship meets the original need. We have then learned the "what" and "way" of meeting that need whenever it occurs again. Since the "what" is in the temporary physical reality, its knowing resides in the masculine side as intellectual understanding; and the "way" of its creation resides in the feminine side as a loved relationship to be expressed as faith for the same life situations.

When similar or more complicated situations occur that have not been previously experienced through understanding, the masculine and feminine sides work in the same way except the feminine side expresses a belief instead of faith. This belief gives the masculine side a possible way to satisfy the need based on past experience-the intuitive process. After the relationship is formed in the outer manifestation, the feminine side then tells the masculine side whether or not the relationship satisfies the need. If not, the search for the correct "way" continues with the feminine side providing the way it may be done and the masculine side providing what must be done. If the need is satisfied, then that "what" and "way" becomes a part of the "what" and "way" of the Soul--resulting in spiritual growth.

The above explanation briefly outlines the functioning of the masculine and feminine sides of our heart when the feminine side desires correct purposes. What happens when the feminine side desires incorrect purposes? The basic functioning between the two sides is the same; except now the masculine side should not allow the forming of relationships known to be incorrect-i.e. GOD's Law (see onsin.htm). In the Garden of Eden Allegory, this concept is taught by showing that Eve (Life) was tempted and desired something forbidden (ate), gave her need to Adam (Intellect), and then Adam (as described above) formed the incorrect relationship (ate) what was forbidden. This resulted in sin (knowingly experiencing evil), which results in evil growing in the heart as a loved relationship. Only Eve could be tempted (only Eve has feelings), but Adam should recognize the act the temptation required as wrong and not allow it to be experienced.

The third possibility is experiencing evil innocently. Our masculine side does not know better and allows the feminine side's desires to be experienced producing evil in the heart. This evil then creates life problems and limits spiritual growth until the feminine side begins to desire a better way, and the spiritual growth process begins as described above.

Since the masculine side deals with the temporary outer manifestation, the intellectual part of us (Adam) will return to the dust from which it came when the spiritual part of us leaves this body. Obviously, if the masculine side's spirit was correct (truly seeking GOD's Purpose), then that part of the masculine side will be accepted by GOD; and our Soul will be maintained eternally.

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