To achieve balance is the law of nature. Balance brings harmony and happiness, while imbalance begets discord and suffering. Be it ecological balance or the life-nature equilibrium, without continuous restoration of balance, there will be complete chaos.
The same principle applies to human life. Without balance between what is sensual and spiritual, ephemeral and eternal, law and love, logical and intuitive, mechanical and creative, hard skills and soft skills and self-interest and social interest, there can be no lasting peace, progress, harmony and happiness.
Both worldly pursuits and spiritual perseverance are of equal importance. They complement each other; neither can be sacrificed for the sake of the other. So it is best to achieve the best possible balance between the two. It can be reached when the spiritual side controls and takes care of our material fulfilment and not the other way around.
In the same spirit, when we work for fulfilment of social interest, our self-interest is taken care of but it does not apply the other way around. If we have developed in us sufficient soft skills like power of adjustment, peace, patience and perseverance, then, acquiring hard skills in any field can become quite easy. Similarly, a person experiencing super sensual joy in spiritual endeavours is unlikely to seek sensual pleasure outside.
Materialism is a good servant but bad master. It is the means to an end. Problems arise the moment we identify our self as gross body-mind. By identifying with the transient outer self, our mind and intellect get disconnected from the true eternal self and we get trapped in the consciousness of our worldly role, relationship, power, position and possessions. We get distracted by sense-centric cravings and desires that often enslave, confine and bind us to things and situations that deplete and debilitate us. Then we cry for relief, and crave to become aware of our true Self.
The moment we become aware of our true 'inner being' as soul, a sentient point of divine light between and behind the eyebrows, we begin to experience and enhance the soul’s innate qualities, powers and levels of purity, peace, poise, love, and happiness within.
With positive feelings and energies emanating from our soul-conscious state of being in silent self-introspection, contemplation and meditation with the Supreme Being, we get empowered to manage our worldly role, responsibility, relations, resources and daily routines in a balanced, effective way.
By adopting a balanced attitude and by respecting nature and all life on earth, we automatically earn love, cooperation, goodwill and blessings from fellow beings and also protection from nature. We get surrounded by these invisible blessings and positive vibes that lead us to experience bliss.
Such a state of bliss experienced from balanced-living becomes a regular reality, when we become one with truth-consciousness-bliss, that is, sat-chit-anand, in our inner world. We become constantly conscious of our true Self and of fellow beings, as eternal and innately pure, peaceful, loving and blissful souls.
The founder of the Brahma Kumaris taught seekers not to renounce hearth and home, nor worldly responsibilities to get spiritual salvation but to attain it by balancing material life with the spiritual, through regular practice of soul-consciousness, divine virtues and Raja Yoga meditation in loving remembrance of the Supreme Soul. (January 18 is World Peace & Meditation Day, the 50th spiritual ascension anniversary of Prajapita Brahma, founder, Brahma Kumaris).