Balance of Life

The world is flowing and evolving with each passing moment. Time drifts by as it has for millions of years. The cycle of life awakens with each sunrise and yields with the light of the moon. Nature is all around. Life is all around. The energy of the universe connects all living things as it strives maintain the perfect balance of life. This balance of life is present everywhere. In this balance we find the secret of living. Every passing moment carries the balance of living.

The world is a complicated place. Millions of years ago life began to evolve. Existence evolved and created the balance of life. All things create balance by pushing, yielding and interconnecting the life force. This life force is Ki, the universal energy that flows. Each living thing creates balance, and shows balance by its existence. Therefore, each living thing can be considered its own universe. We are all part of the same universal energy. No living thing is unconnected to this universal energy.

By separating from this connection, the balance of life is lost. How can one believe that all life is not interconnected? How can lives survive as separate entities? They simply cannot. In order to see the balance of life in the outside world, we must first turn our attention to the inside world. This inside world is what we call our “internal universe.” This internal universe relies on a balance that is key for the individual to develop. Without this internal balance, it is hard to see the balance of the even greater picture of life. The human universe is composed of the mind, body and spirit. It is a balance of these forces that must be cultivated.

With the evolution of life, came the evolution of martial arts. Within the study of martial arts, the balance of the human universe is maintained. It is within the study of martial arts that the physical, mental and spiritual aspects are addressed, studied and maintained. With the study to maintain the human universe, the outside world and the balance of life are maintained. This balance is the great benefit from a good martial arts education. This study is a way of life. It carries over into every moment of time. Without the lessons and guidance of martial art teachings, the balance is more often lost and unfocused. The human balance is lost, and therefore the balance of the universe may also be lost. It is important to remember that the human universe and the universe that surrounds us are interconnected.

If the interconnection is lost, then balance is lost. There are consequences for actions that affect all life. Actions of the individual affect all individuals. Actions of life forms affect all life. Actions of a country may affect all countries. Actions affect the whole universe. Actions have consequences. Therefore there must be accountability for these actions. If we are going to take action, there should be careful consideration and realization of what the consequences might involve. We cannot simply take action without the consideration of what the consequences may be. If we look around in society, we can see the importance of this thought. Look at crime in society. People kill other individuals, people kill their own children, and people often take what they want without the consideration of consequence.

Accountability. This is another facet of existence that is seems be failing in the world. Martial arts teach that we must be accountable. The balance of life teaches that we must be accountable. Mistakes are part of living and cannot be avoided. However, if we are accountable for these mistakes, then we can learn and develop from the mistakes. We can focus internally on our decisions, our actions, and ourselves and how they affect other people. We can learn to make conscious decisions and more intelligent decisions about life. Without accountability, there is a balance to life that is missing.