Tag Archives: The Brothers Karamazov

Balance

Living attuned to the undivided bodhipower of the Unborn Mind and Spirit is a matter of proper balance—of attuning oneself to the inner spiritual equilibrium that determines a healthy and well-managed lifestyle. The two previous posts focused on what it’s like when this vital equilibrium is absent—and that is imbalance. We know what it’s like when the material world runs headstrong into the natural world; we know what it’s like within ourselves when we focus too much on our head to the neglect of our heart…and vice versa—when the emotions run amok and completely submerge our rational thinking. One of the best exposes on this can be found in Colin Wilson’s classic work, The Outsider…in particular his chapter on Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov. Each brother represents one aspect of the human and spiritual dimension—for instance, Ivan represents the Intellect, while the younger brother, Alyosha, depicts the more emotive, religious temperament. Wilson’s work is a marvelous case study in the psychological, philosophical and spiritual dimensions of what constitutes the holistic development of man. read more

Posted in Spirituality, Zen | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment