Carpe Diem Theme Week #1 episode 7: The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying Insight 6 balance isn't always necessary

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

Welcome at the last episode of our first Carpe Diem Theme Week in which we explored The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche. We discovered that life and dead belong to each other and that we can learn from dead how to be in our life. In this last episode we learn that balance isn't always necessary.

Introduction

This month our regular prompts are all about senses and in one of the first (regular) episodes of this month Hamish asked us to look at "equilibrium / balance" and I think this introduction I already have written, so I will quote myself here:

[...] "Balance ... it has not only to do with movement, but I think it also has to do with "inner balance". You have to be "in balance" mentally to stay focused on the things you have to do in your life. As I look at myself than I need "inner-balance" to do my work as an oncology nurse. I have very ill patients who need my care and attention and my love, so I can only give that to them if I am in balance myself.

To stay in balance myself I use to write. First novels and later I wrote more and more haiku to keep myself in balance. In my poetry I can find that balance through the scenes in my haiku, but also through being your host here at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai. I wonder ... what if I had not the opportunity to write or being your host? Then I think I would be less successful in my job as an oncology nurse.

in the light of dawn
sunflowers reach to the blue sky
praising their Creator

© Chèvrefeuille

A nice haiku in which I see "balance" in the strength of the Sunflowers reaching to the blue sky. As I "analyze" this than I associated on "light of dawn" to come to "sunflowers". And on "blue sky" to come to "Creator" in the third line. A nice "baransu"-haiku I would say." [...] (original post HERE)

Balance isn't always necessary.

Disappointment. It's one of the things which can bring us out of balance. Just like sadness and e.g. loss. The realization that we will not be here anymore about, say one hundred years, brings us out of balance. Questions like "How do my children and grandchildren survive as I am not there anymore?" or "What's next?" are crawling into my mind.

After reading and re-reading The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying we have learned one thing for sure: "Life isn't easy, but we have live it to the fullest". The book makes us think about all and everything. Out of balance? What does that mean? We loose our balance through all kinds of things. Things were we care about such like art and love. Losing our balance can be positive too. It makes us stronger, because we are searching for ways to regain our balance. Losing our balance and regaining it makes us human. We are flexible beings. We adapt ourselves constantly as we find ourselves in new, unexpected situations. Just through all those things we learn to develop balance.

As we discussed in one of the earlier posts for this first Theme Week, Rinpoche sees life as a bardo (a kind of transition station) and that's not a such bad idea in my opinion. It shows us that our consciousness has senses, lives in a world, observes, starts relationships, living life. Rinpoche says: "Life is to discover the goodness of life, an exercise to realize that life is good and that also means ... accepting dead as part of our life."

Look at yourself with compassion from the depth of your consciousness, your soul. It's a peaceful thought to know that our daily personality has a deeper Inner Self to whom we can listen always. Our Inner Self is our tower of strength. A lovely Inner Voice, that whispers: "Yes you are out of balance, but don't worry you will regain your balance. You need this difficult time to grow and become stronger and more balanced. So don't worry, don't be afraid, I am there, I am with you. I travel with you". Isn't that a reassured idea? Isn't that the reason to live your life to the fullest?

Seeking The Inner Self

My response

This Theme Week was awesome. It was (at least to me) an eye-opener to discover that life and dead belong together, that life and dead are siblings ...

I hope (know) that you all did enjoy it, but it wasn't easy to create these posts or write haiku about it. Haiku inspired on The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying ... it really wasn't easy, but we did it. Through the six Insights we have discovered ... learned a lot. And every lesson can inspire you to create the beauty of haiku ... thank you all for being here.

deep silence
the spring breeze whispers
"life is great"

© Chèvrefeuille

This last episode of our first Carpe Diem Theme Week is NOW OPEN for your submissions and will remain open until February 24th at noon (CET). I am looking forward to your responses and I hope you will be here again next month as we will have another wonderful Carpe Diem Theme Week.

Namaste