Ah....Harmony

If there was absolute harmony in the world, we would live in a perfect, peaceful world.  There may be times when things appear to be in harmony, but overall everything isn't in order and balanced all the time.   The perfect paradise of utopia doesn't exist where all political, social, legal, and religious views operate harmoniously. The controversial Henry Miller writing between 1891 and 1980, wrote "The world is not to be put in order, the world is in order, incarnate.  It is for us to harmonize with this order."  To be in harmony means that the relationship between all the elements used in the compositions are in balance.  And the compositions needing to be harmonized could be anything, including ourselves.  Although harmony is a state of mind and what to strive for, that is not to say that we don't have moments of harmony when we are comfortable with whom we are, whole, happy to be alive, and at one with the world.  Our relationships are compatible and accommodating and we have the same goals of peace, love, joy, and tranquility.  If the goal of that which is bigger than us is to have all nations, all cultures, all religions, all people be in harmony and at peace then why are we in discord, why are we not in harmony?  How can we reconcile our differences?  These are the questions we ask ourselves, and unfortunately there are no magic answers.  Since to harmonize also means harmonize one's goal with one's ability to reconcile and adjust to, to alter, or regulate so as to achieve accuracy or conform to a standard, perhaps some day we can all be in agreement as to what moral standards, ethics, and values are and be in agreement with them, a Universal standard.  For now, the closest we can come to harmony is in nature where we can see the ebb and flow of the ocean, a gentle breeze blowing through the trees, the rhythmic beating our our hearts, the colors of a rainbow, the vast expanse of stars in the sky.  If we feel situations in our lives are less than harmonious, we can think beyond any situation we are concerned about and remember the harmony of the Universal design is unfolding, and it is good and bountiful.  Mahatma Gandhi, in his gentle, pacifist way, wrote about ideals for our world.  About harmony he said, "Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed.  Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.