3 Great Cultures Which Valued Moderation

Plato (c. 4^th century BC), the Greek philosopher, spoke about four key virtues in his book, the Republic.

Cardinal Virtues

Wisdom, courage, moderation and justice, as described by Plato, are now called the four cardinal virtues in the Western world. It is felt that moral character is built on these foundations, and Western civilization has been heavily influenced by these concepts.

Aristotle was a pupil of Plato, and he wrote extensively about virtue, feeling that human happiness depended heavily on its cultivation.

Moderation

This has become a four-letter word these days. You are supposed to go all out, to give it everything you’ve got.

Your job nowadays consumes your heart and soul. You are “on” 24/7, tied to your smartphones, your fax machines, your video links. There is no down time. Staring at the short wavelength blue light of your telephone and laptop monitors, you have difficulty switching off and falling asleep.

And that is a badge of honor: the ability to get by with very little sleep. Who has time for sleep? The market place demands efficiency, productivity, and profits.

Whom are we kidding?

Sleep deprived zombies are sickening themselves and killing themselves. Sleep is not just down time for the brain. It is a time for repair and restoration. We pay a very steep price for incurring a sleep deficit. You can read more about that at http://goo.gl/6HRiTj and at http://goo.gl/9tSw95.

Food

This is another area where moderation has fallen by the wayside. We are convinced that we can keep stuffing whatever we want, whenever we want, into our mouths in huge quantities, and that we will not gain weight. The results of our excess are obvious all over the world, as the planet earth groans under the weight of human beings, and we start developing chronic “lifestyle diseases” at an alarming rate.

Plato and moderation

“Moderation, which consists in an indifference in little things, and in a prudent and well-proportioned zeal about things of importance, can proceed from nothing but true knowledge, which has its foundation in self-acquaintance.”

“The man that makes everything that leads to happiness depends upon himself, and not upon other men, has adopted the very best plan for living happily. This is the man of moderation, the man of manly character and wisdom.”

Sophrosyne

When Pandora lifted the lid of her famous box, Sophrosyne escaped. She was a good spirit, the goddess of moderation, self-control, and restraint. She abandoned mankind and went to Olympos.

It appears that our problems with excess must have started then!

Temple of Apollo

This famous temple in Delphi, Greece, has an inscription, “Meden Agan,” or, “nothing in excess.”

Hesiod and Plautus

The Greek poet Hesiod (c. 700 BC) urged human beings to “observe due measure; moderation is best in all things.”

He had a kindred spirit in the Roman dramatist Plautus (c. 250-184 BC), who noted that “moderation in all things is the best policy.”

Taoism and moderation

Moderation is not a concept confined to the West. The Chinese philosophy of Taoism also addresses this virtue.

The Chinese term Tao means “way,” or “path,” or “principle.” It is an abstract concept deeply ingrained in Chinese culture. The basic virtues in Taoism are the so-called “Three Jewels” of moderation, compassion, and humility. The second jewel is also called “jian,” or moderation, restraint, economy.

Jian implies that your desires should be kept simple. However, it is also representative of perfect efficiency. In our current culture of exuberance and super-abundance, of large appetites and larger bodies, we tend to forget that simplicity is a virtue, and efficiency is often dependent on simplicity, not excess.

Virtue and the Indians

The value of virtue and character has been emphasized in the Indian epics, which predate the Greek civilization.

The Rigveda is one of the oldest books known to mankind, and marks the beginnings of a rich Indian tradition of philosophy, which was continued in the Upanishads and the Bhagawad Gita.

Moderation and the Gita

          Yuktahara-viharasya yuktacheshtasyakarmasu

          Yukta-svapnavabodhasya yogo bhavatidukha-ha  (Gita 6:17)

In this verse, Lord Krishna describes to his disciple, Arjuna, the yoga which can destroy all sorrow. He says that this yoga requires discipline and moderation in eating, sleeping, working, and living.

So what now?

Most ancient cultures recognized the crucial role of a life of moderation in the pursuit of happiness and satisfaction.

In fact, many of the ills of modern society can be traced to the philosophy of excess and extremism, and a societal shift away from the path of simplicity.

It behooves us to remember the wisdom and teachings of our ancestors regarding virtue and character.

Wish to read more?

We will continue to delve more into these issues in subsequent posts.

Stay tuned!

You can read more about the philosophy of the Gita in “How to Lead a Satisfying Life: 11 Universal Lessons from the Gita,” which is available at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W5TGM1U.