Striking the Balance between Your Physicality and Your Spirituality

Man is a complex compound. He is made up of one part mind and one part matter. When the two parts are harmoniously joined, he sparkles like a diamond with the joy of life. But when the two parts conflict or are unbalanced, the result is a dismal lump of coal.
We tend to forget that we are not physical beings having a spiritual experience, but spiritual beings undergoing a physical experience. The spiritual being needs the human body to explore life to the fullest and to propagate life on earth. And the material body seeks the spirit to motivate it higher, beyond the baser instincts of animals.
A balance has to be struck between our physicality and our spirituality. There are many ways and aspects to this quest. In the following chapters, we will explore the techniques of Yoga, Qigong, Zen Buddhism and other forms of meditation to quell the mind and harmonies it with the body.
The search for three vital qualities that act as the cornerstones of our lives are also explored in The Three Pillars of Life. Spiritual nourishment is outlined in Feeding Your Soul and laughter, the best medicine is administered in yet another chapter.
Disturbing influences on the Phi-Psi balance are discussed and the role that money plays in our lives is also investigated. No discussion on body and spirit can be complete without evaluating healthy sexual relationships. Towards a Spiritual
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Sexuality ponders on Sex & the Spirit. And finally we close with a few reflections on the power of prayer.
Welcome to a journey of self exploration, where we travel at the interface of mind and matter!
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Chapter 2:
The Three Pillars of Life
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Summary
We may not realize their significance but this is what life stands on.
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The Three Pillars of Life
“We are not physical beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings undergoing a physical experience.”
Gurus and holy books have reminded us of this message since the beginning of civilization. We tend to focus on the needs of our bodies all the time. And when we feel empty and desperate, we turn towards spiritual fulfillment. You may be a fine, healthy young man or woman, but if your spirit is depressed, your body will soon begin to suffer.
In the words of the Buddha "The mind is everything. What you think you become."
To achieve a balanced mind and in turn to live a balanced physical existence, three qualities have to be in perfect equilibrium – Wisdom, Benevolence and Courage. A balance of these 3 qualities ensures that you achieve your goals in life with zest and discipline while also being compassionate to your fellow beings, guided by wisdom.
If you only have passion without wisdom and compassion, you may become a cruel and foolish person. Benevolence alone without willpower and wisdom will make you a useless romantic idealist. And wisdom alone without action and kindness will turn you into a reclusive hermit. Theosophy teaches that when these three virtues are kept in equilibrium, Man can become fully effective and happy in the world.
Just try it out. Make a list of your friends and tick away in 3 columns against their names. You will be able to see one or two of the above qualities missing in them. And you will find that he or she who has all the three virtues in balance is the best human being among them all.
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Similarly, the Kaballah teaches that Life has 3 Pillars – Judgment, Mercy and Compassion. When the opposing instincts of Judgment and Mercy are tempered by Compassion, a balance is struck in our spirituality and this in turn brings equilibrium to our physical world.
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Chapter 3:
What Disturbs the Balance?
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Summary
We don’t want these but we need them. These are the temptations that our physicality may crave for but our spirituality abhors.
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What Disturbs the Balance?
“Drugs are a waste of time. They destroy your memory and your self-respect and everything that goes along with your self esteem”
- Kurt Cobain, singer of grunge band Nirvana
The fact that the man who said this line succumbed to a drug overdose is a sobering thought. It reflects the deadly power that narcotics, alcohol, tobacco and other addictions have over their victim‟s mind.
The most important thing to remember in the quest for a physical-spiritual balance is that your body is a Temple in which your Mind is the High Priest. Allowing destructive forces like addictions and bad habits to occupy the temple is to weaken and finally kill the High Priest.
Some drugs induce an elevated state of altered consciousness. Unfortunately, the fantastic percep