When you hear Buddhists proclaim “the Middle Way,” you may suppose that they mean simply practicing moderation in all things. Colloquially, this trope suggests a lackadaisical way of living: avoiding conflict, taking the easy way out, following the path of least resistance. But from a Zen perspective, Buddhism’s Middle Way prescribes an aggressively proactive embrace of life as it actually is, warts and all. It means striking a balance between the competing forces that pull us in every direction, much like gravity. Immersed in gravity, we resist gravity, like a juggling tightrope walker on a high wire keeping all the balls in the air at the same time.
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From The Razorblade of Zen by Taiun Michael Elliston, Schiffer Publishing, February 2023. Reprinted with permission.