Neither Too Much nor Too Little
Balance of mind comes neither to the one who eats too much nor to the one who fasts entirely, neither to the one who sleeps too much nor to the one who stays awake all night.
Do I push something to an extreme and mistake it for self-discipline?
📝Reflection
In this verse I meet the old teacher's middle way. Balance of mind comes neither from extreme austerity nor from indulgence, but only on the road of the fitting measure. Fasting shakes the mind as much as overeating, and staying up all night breaks the balance as much as oversleeping. Here lives Confucius' saying that going too far is as bad as falling short. When I want to drive something to a harsh extreme, I first ask whether it is discipline or simply another extreme.
🌱Apply It Today
If you are doing something at an extreme today — overeating or overstraining — step back and find the fitting middle.
This verse is read as universal humanistic wisdom, not religion — no faith is promoted, and the reflection is 100% original ONGO content.
