Balanced Life

From Grain to Mountain is naturally available in the home. For their house, they consider cleanliness enough rather than lavish decoration. When going out, they step outside as they are, without pretense. Their journeys are light and effortless, so much so that no one even notices when they leave or when they return. Such a person remains content, healthy, and free from tension. They work with energy during the day and sleep peacefully at night. The same principle applies to human relations: extremism often causes problems rather than solving them. Conflicts inevitably happen between people, yet many respond with harshness instead of moderation—answering brick with stone. But this does not fix anything; one extreme prompts another, multiplying problems instead of ending them. This pattern also appears in those who take every criticism too personally or judge others in extremes—forming friendships that are overly intense and enmities that are just as severe. Such individuals can never find peace. In contrast, those who overlook minor issues, make balanced judgments, and keep both friendships and hostilities within reasonable limits lead calm and stable lives. Their days pass smoothly, and their nights are peaceful. As Whittington observed: To dwell in paradise after death, one must first learn to dwell in paradise before death. All India Radio, New Delhi, 21 August 1981.