April 16, 2026
Principle 4. The Principle of Proportion. Third Week
Things Are Good When They Move Together Not In Isolation.
Last time: Proportion, Harmony, in a World out of whack.
This time: The Gift
This Week:
In the last two weeks, we have looked at the overall structure of this month’s principle, as well as how it might have applied in the past.
This week we will look at how I might apply it to the here and now.
Your Homework this Week:
Spend a few moments each day considering how the principle might (or might not) apply in your present situations (see suggestions below). Come up with at least once concrete example.
Spend a few moments each day considering how you might reformulate the principle of the month and why you’d give it that particular name.
Take a moment and try the “gift” described below.
Remember, it’s not the same to read or think about things as to do them.
An Observation or How the Hell do I do That?
If you glance at the principles it’s easy to agree or disagree with them, to see them as platitudes, or words of wisdom. But, if you actually try to apply them, things quickly get complicated, “what are the things that need to move together?”, “what does ‘move together’ even mean?”, “how can I measure or even recognize that lack of harmony, or balance?” And on, and on.
The same applies to specific proposals, like when we try to consider the principle in the past, present or future. On first read that seems straight forward. But, when I sit down and try to understand how this principle applies in my present situation that clarity often disappears. Sometimes, I think well that’s not the appropriate principle for my present situation, or maybe I don’t even get that far I simply find I don’t even try the proposed exploration.
There can be many reasons for that. I have found that a particular issue for me is that I don’t know how to proceed. And a solution appears when I apply a simple technique. Here’s one I will use this week. I don’t try to think about this in the abstract. Instead I divide up the ambits of my daily life. There’s my closest family, and then less immediate. There’s perhaps my coworkers (some I like, some a problem for me) and in that ambit of work perhaps also my bosses, and subordinates. Well, there’s the people I might know or recognize, or interact with at the dog park, and from my weekly game night, etc.Then I will consider (perhaps with pen and paper) the two or three ambits that impact me the most. And I’ll compare them. Do I do everything I’d like to in relationships to that group. Is there unfinished business. Might it be a richer set of relationships, a more satisfying environment if I gave it more attention. Or perhaps the reverse, am I somehow giving more of myself to this aspect of my life than I really want to.
I find, that specific focused work (often better if I scribble down my notes) a better place to start than vague, undefined “meditations” on my life.
General Considerations and Personal Reflections:
Here are some personal reflections. I offer them in the spirit of dialogue and exchange, and look forward to hearing your musings about, and experiences with, this principle.
These last weeks I had been concerned with my activities, and the people and events around me.
In previous meetings some have pointed to thinking, feeling, and action as three things that are well when they move together.
So, this week I’m going to focus on that more internal aspect, and try to explain to myself: what it means to have my thinking, feeling and actions move together?
This is of course a major theme in Silo’s teaching. When my thoughts, feelings and actions correspond, when they are coherent, when I am in agreement with myself, I register that as internal unity. When they head in different directions, when they are incoherent, when I am fighting with myself, I register that as contradiction.
Sometimes though I act before I’ve thought things through, or contrary to what I really want. Sometimes I feel things deeply but think something very different, or perhaps I simply don’t act paralyzed by fear or inhibition. Sometimes I think I should do one thing, but feel I should do something else, and end up doing something else entirely.
When these things movestogether, I feel well.
And that register of internal unity is our touchstone. It is the meaning and goal of the principles of valid action.
On May 7, 2005, at La Reja Park of Study and Reflection in Argentina Silo spoke of this and gave us a deceptively simple gift. I think you will find it very worthwhile to read it in full. But here is a part of it:
…In some moment of the day or night inhale a breath of air, and imagine that you carry this air to your heart. Then, ask with strength for yourself and for your loved ones. Ask with strength to move away from all that brings you contradiction; ask for your life to have unity. Don't take a lot of time with this brief prayer, this brief asking, because it is enough that you interrupt for one brief moment what is happening in your life for this contact with your interior to give clarity to your feelings and your ideas.
To move away from contradiction is the same as to overcome hatred, resentment, and the desire for revenge. To move away from contradiction is to cultivate the desire to reconcile with others and with oneself. To move away from contradiction is to forgive and to make amends twice-over for every wrong that you have inflicted on others.
This is the appropriate attitude to cultivate. Then, in the measure that time passes you will understand that what is most important is achieving a life of internal unity. This will bear fruit when what you think, feel, and do go in the same direction. Life grows thanks to its internal unity and it disintegrates because of contradiction. It happens, then, that what you do does not simply remain inside of you, but also reaches others…
The Game of Name It!
We can observe that the name of this principle is given as ‘the principle of proportion’. That is no doubt an important clue as to as to its application. We see that reflected in Silo’s comments about the principle being about acting proportionally in accord with our priorities. I’ve already proposed a reflection on a particular aspect of the principle emphasizing the balance between parts which I named the principle of harmony. Let me propose a different perspective on the principle.
I’ll call this the Principle of Teamwork. When we speak of things working together, we are not speaking of things being homogenous, or uniform. Rather it’s like the relation between members of a sport team, since I’m in Canada writing this let’s make this a hockey team. Each one has certain functions in the game, and the common objective is approached by how well they fill those functions. Whether that objective is winning the game, enjoying the best, most skillful play they can, or whatever.
Can you rephrase the principle? What would it say? What would you call that re-jigged principle?
Coming up:
Next week we’ll consider pending situations and explore how applying or ignoring this Principle of Proportion in the future might impact our lives and those around us.
Worth Repeating:
…May our lives grow surpassing pain and suffering. May our lives advance making the lives of others advance.
Silo, La Reja 2005
Note:
Peter J has agreed to host next week’s meeting. We hope you can join us.
These notes have been posted on Facebook and sent to our email list, and, on my website www.dzuckerbrot.com
