Not Too Loose, Not Too Tight, 'Just Right'- Tuning the Mind

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After a life in the lap of royal luxury, the day of reckoning arrived. Prince Siddhārtha, left his home, his family and the security of his palace to become an ascetic in the forest. He hardly ate or slept. One day he fell into a partial swoon. In that semi-conscious state, he heard an interesting conversation.

A novice was asking his teacher, "Master, how am I to tune my viņā (an Indian musical instrument, here symbolising the human personality)?" The teacher replied, "Son, tune not the viņa too tight the strings would break. And don't string them too loose, for then they would not create music".

With this new insight, Siddhartha rose, revived himself with a meal and sat refreshed under the bodhi tree to meditate with new resolve. And thus the Buddha was born.

This 'Golden Mean', which has since become one of the pillars of the Buddhist way of life, had made all the difference.

Every effect must have a cause. It naturally follows that the world we experience must also have a cause. There are various causes for the various objects, phenomena, circumstances and experiences of the world. For example, a seed gives rise to a tree, condensation causes rain, unfulfilled desires cause frustration and anger and so on. There may be one or many causes for a phenomenon. For example, India won a cricket match because of good fielding, good bowling and indifferent batting by its opponents. But what is the ultimate Cause the Cause of all causes the cause of the entire world and not just a small part or event of it? Both science and religion seek this ultimate Cause.