Moderation - The Journey and the Destination

" Out beyond the idea of right doing and wrongdoing there is a space I will meet you there " - Rumi.

"Moderation is the character of a Saint" - Lalaji

I think moderation is both the means and the goal, the journey and the destination. There should be a Moderation even in the liberating conditions.

1. Contentment - State of satisfaction while still giving our best.

2. Calmness - In acceptance peace, accept what is while use the will power to create the reality we want.

3. Compassion - Appreciate the goodness and forgive the mistakes.

4. Courage - Ability to trust fully yet stay detached.

In day-to-day life we should try to apply the principles of Moderation in the simple things.

1. We should practice the habit of "giving it sometime", this brings about self-control. All our senses can be brought into moderation, when we don't get over excited and give things sometime. Of course, this is not against enjoying life or having fun, but we should not be desperate or addicted to anything.  Addiction is extremism.  In the same way avoiding or running away from something is also another extremism.  We need to strike a balance between running for a thing or person and running away from a thing or person.

Living the moment is a good thing but it has be balanced by giving it some time. We need to start by overcoming the feelings of " I have to tell this thing right away", " I have to eat this right away", " I have to buy this right away ". Hold on give it sometime, Do not get addicted. At the same time overcome the resistance in not able to speak out or not allowing ourselves to enjoy.

2. Moderation is also about setting boundaries (Moderation between the self and the other).  We should not be very rigid; we should bend and adapt to changes at the same time we should not break. We should learn how much to give be it a material thing, physical help, emotional help, financial help, spiritual help, time, money. Sharing is caring. But at the same time, we should not allow ourselves to be exploited. Inability to set boundaries should be corrected. 

Similar way we should try to be self-adequate and help ourselves in all dimensions and seek help only when we really need. Inability to ask for help should be corrected. 

3. When an unlikely event happens, we first look at it from our perspective.  We need to be moderate and look at the same situation from the other person's perspective. There should be a moderation in our perception of things.

4.Even small weight carried (in the mind) for a long time becomes heavy. It does not matter that weight we carry is good or bad, we like it or not. In either case it creates heaviness. Moderation is going beyond the dualities.

Do not consume what is available, consume only what is necessary. This is discrimination. Discrimination is liberation. The degree to which our discriminative ability is developed, is the degree to which we will manifest moderation. 

The Whole and the Nothing are the same. Expanding towards infinity and contracting towards nothingness are the same. How? God is both infinite and nothing.  Not sometime this and sometime that but at the same time this and that. That is the perfectly balanced state of moderation. Moderation is both the whole and the nothing. Because in moderation we are considering everything as well as ignoring nothing. 

Moderation both the journey and the destination. It's a natural outcome of a liberated soul. We develop the discriminative ability (Clarity) through the other four C's (Contentment, calmness, compassion and courage). these qualities are not only for the way we treat others but also for our own selves. Many a times we stumble and fall on our journey. So, let's accept our weakness and calm down. Let's be compassionate towards ourselves by forgiving ourselves. Let's be courageous to get up from the fall and start walking all over again. 

Moderation is not a one step process that has a cut off saying it is done. It's a gradual process, life is a continuous assessment to both learn and apply. As and when we fail, we re-learn and re-apply what we learn and move on to learn more. There is no end to this process. We move towards perfect moderation through moderation, in moderation. Closer and closer to the perfectly balanced state - the source or God, the state of Maha pralaya or the total dissolution or the state which existed before creation. 

Meditation is passivity. In meditation awareness blooms. To act on awareness requires will power. Moderation in passivity and activity i.e., awareness and action are most essential.