Balance speaks of centering, of appreciation of the opposites in the universe, of deep awareness of the necessity for two sides of a thing that are equal or in correct proportions.
When the benevolent Nature manifested a vessel to which to give that receptacle was its opposite. Thus was established the law of opposites in the universe—a situation in which the existence or identity of a thing (or situation) depends on the co-existence of at least two conditions which are opposite to each other, yet dependent on each other and presupposing each other, within a field of tension. It’s a fancy way to say that we cannot know anything without first experiencing its opposite.
Consider light and dark. Light is eternal because the sun always shines. Darkness is experienced because the earth is an orb turning on its axis, and once a day each part of it experiences the opposite of light or darkness according to its aspect toward the sun. Light and darkness exist at the same time, sliding endlessly around the earth, defining the cycles of Nature.
Inside us opposites reign. Fear/courage, honest/liar, left/right, past/present, Democrat/Republican, religious/atheistic, male/female, love/hate and so on. We are inclined to navigate these internal conflicts by choosing one or the other, the choice determined by upbringing, environment, experience, and personality. The path forward is seeing and internalizing the accuracies or facts of each and merging them together to perform the balancing act of creating something new. It’s like walking—left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot—the only way we can progress. Hopping on one foot causes internal and societal strife. This new point of view is the one aimed at the purpose of creation.
When Nature is in balance, the viruses, bacteria and fungi that are part of the human biome remain in their place, quietly performing tasks that help keep our bodies flourishing and thriving. When the genome is in a state of imbalance, individual entities are unleashed and are able to cause harm. COVID-19 was able to connect itself to a human receptor where it could reproduce and now this tiny little piece of genetic material is governing our lives.
Balance is an active process, a persistent tweaking of the forces within, in order to flatten out the teeter-totter. The center, the pivotal point of the balance board, is where meaning is found. It is where the point of choice resides. It is the manifestation of intellectual and emotional maturity, the correct use of our human qualities.
Among people, the law of balance is properly expressed when each person receives according to his essential needs, his natural necessities. As individuals we have different innate qualities and needs, so what we take from the society is not based on equality. It is based on the practice of mutual guarantee in a society that is interested in maintaining the common good. It is called balance, and by learning to sustain it, we will have a better chance of managing life in a new world.