What positive events have taken place in your life over the past year?
The text explores the essential balance between positive and negative forces in life, asserting that these opposites are crucial for dynamism and growth. Through examples from physics, nature, and mythology, it illustrates how struggles between opposing forces reveal deeper truths, emphasizing that embracing both aspects leads to a richer, more fulfilling existence.
In basic Physics, students are taught about the properties of magnets. There are two poles of a bar magnet. They are the North and South Poles. The same poles repel while opposite poles attract each other. Students often make a model to show this property interestingly. The model used a magnetic needle and a bar magnet. A circular cardboard with a picture of Goddess Sita facing the South pole of the needle would affixed vertically onto it. Similarly, an addorsed picture of Ram and Ravana was pasted vertically on the bar magnet, keeping the picture of Ram facing the North Pole. When the picture of Ravana was placed, Sita would turn her back, but when the flip side of the picture was placed, Sita would turn her face towards Ram. This interesting tendency is ubiquitous and seen everywhere.
Opposite plays a crucial role in moving the world order. The forces balance each other. In this process they start moving. This movement gives dynamism to life and cause vibrancy. The opposite forces are seen in every walks of life. Current electricity flows and completes circuit only when it meets negative pole, like that of the magnet, discussed in earlier paragraph. It is the negativity which gives realization of positivity.
It is the darkness which gives us the realization about light. The light is relevant only when there is darkness. Nature is a perfect balance of opposite forces. The moving earth provides equal amounts of light and darkness. This is to balance and break the monotony. The bio-clock is set appropriately.
The earth, which revolves on its axis, is tilted. It revolves around the sun while revolving on its axis. Why so much of revolutions? One ask. Scientific reasons apart, it gives seasons, day and night besides variations in temperature on the earth’s surface and in oceans. This all adds dynamism to the mechanism. The temperature variations in oceans and seas are the cause of the movements of water currents. Gulf Streams are an apt example. They keep marine life active and practical.
On terra firma, life is the outcome of strife between two opposite forces. It is virtually a strife, a continuous struggle for existence. The ardent wish for life causes eating and being eaten in the living world. Every organism depends on the other in one way or another for its survival and existence. This struggle makes an organism fit to live and adapt to a given circumstance.
The argument put forth is to illustrate the point that only positive is not enough. Negative has an equal and opposite force which can’t be overlooked. Both forces are equally important.
Our holy scriptures are brimming with such instances. We have been listening to the stories of demons, devils, demigods and gods who personify the evil and good forces. The strife between the two is everlasting and will go on ad nauseam. The strife not only strengthens but gives an insight for survival, making an organism fittest, not fit.
The mythological churning of the sea has given many things, including a horse, an elephant, deadly poison, Goddess Laxmi, Kalpvriksha, et cetera, but it gave Elixir as well. A potion which rejuvenates and gives a long and healthy life to the extent of immortality. The story tells a lot of things, but the central thing or the moral is that the labour and the strife do not go to waste. It finally results in an Elixir, metaphorically good and quality life. One important aspect of the story is that mutually opposite forces and materials were used in the churning process. A huge serpent (Naag Vaasuki) was used as the rope, a hillock (Mandrachal Parvat) was used as churn staff and churning was performed by the two opposite forces of devils and demigods. This underscores that opposite forces when acting in tandem, can cause wonders.
The cosmos is primarily revolving around the two forces. The revolution of planets, asteroids and meteorites is the outcome of it. The gravitational pull, centripetal and centrifugal forces are balancing and counterbalancing forces which give stability. Had there been no two forces, life would not have been possible, at least the way we are accustomed to.
In terms of human beings, this is true to the core. Humans often imagine the best. Being at the apex of the biological world and endowed with a highly developed brain, human beings want the best, ignoring the basic principle of Nature. It is impossible to have positivity always. It has to be balanced with negativity. Instead of dogmatically believing one thing or the other, we must entertain our ideas with some measures of doubt. Bertrand Russel has said, “Dogmatism is the greatest of mental obstacles to human happiness.”
Humans have categorised every good thing as positive and ugly and unpalatable things as negative. One can’t expect a mature approach from a person not aware of difficulties and impediments. The challenges are negative, but fighting and coming out victorious is the best thing that comes out of it. The sweetness of success is realized only thereafter.
Happiness is the state everyone wants to have. It is an abstract thing which is subjective. It depends on external factors that include individual approaches as well. One can feel happy in a given situation or circumstance, but some others not. So, ignoring the convolution of positivity and negativity, experiencing and enjoying whatever one has is the better choice. Maxim Gorkey, the famous Russian writer, says that people follow happiness blindfolded ignoring petty moments of joy and happiness. People stay sad and complaining; demanding fortune with God while praying. Why not enjoy our current as it is? What do my readers feel about it? Doesn’t living in the now and feeling happy gives bliss and a positive feeling?
Thinking about the past makes us nostalgic. Nostalgia is good as it allows us to peep into the past and analyse the current by comparing the two. It also gives a sweet-sour experience. Yet, thinking about the past gives nothing more than it. Life is a mixed bag of experiences. We learn, evolve and progress. It is the sum of life. It is not about having an account of what we gained or lost; it is not about counting positive and negative moments as well. Humans have been considered as the Supreme creation of the Almighty. Our sagacious primogenitors have repeatedly said about it and the religious scriptures have many illustrations about it.
Optimism is a good trait. Nevertheless, over-optimism leads to dumbness. As has been discussed above, a pinch of doubt is necessary. As a pinch of salt makes food tasty, so is the doubt. Historical accounts are full of illustrations that overconfidence leads to doom. Expecting positivity and counting it would be futile. Positivity and optimism are good with a pinch of negativity and pessimism. It needs to be balanced.
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