Note 12 - The Need for Balance

Whatever a person possesses, that alone he can give nothing beyond it. The cloud has water, so it gives rain. The sun has heat, so it gives warmth and light. To expect anything else from them is meaningless.

But today, it feels as though the whole world has become a collection of specialists. Each gives only one thing—and nothing more. The cloud will give only rain. The sun will give only heat and light.

It is as if the entire meal being served is only salt.

Salt does enhance the taste of food, but if the plate contains nothing except salt, eating becomes impossible. Salt makes food delicious only when many other ingredients are present with it. Alone, it does not enrich the meal—it destroys it.

A child once came to me. He had failed his class. Yet in a few subjects, he had scored a perfect hundred out of a hundred, while in the remaining subjects he could not even secure the minimum passing marks.

I asked him, “Why did this happen?”

He replied, “I am not interested in the other subjects. I studied only the ones I liked. I wanted to do well in them because I want to become a doctor.”

Specialization is not wrong. In fact, it is necessary.

But specialization without balance becomes dangerous.

Just as salt alone cannot make a meal edible, expertise in one field cannot mature without support from other areas of understanding. True mastery in any subject grows only when it is nourished by broader awareness—of life, of society, of consequences.

A person who limits himself to a single narrow expertise often fails—not immediately, but eventually. He may succeed professionally, yet fail humanly.

There is another story. A patient went to a doctor. The doctor said, “First, take a cold-water bath at night. Then I will begin your treatment.”

The patient replied, “If I bathe in cold water at night, I will get pneumonia.”

The doctor answered confidently, “That is fine. I am a specialist in pneumonia.”

Expertise is valuable—but if people must harm themselves just to consult an expert, then such expertise serves no real purpose.

Any specialization that leads to the decline of individuals or the deterioration of society is not progress. If such knowledge did not exist, both society and individuals would remain healthier.

What we need is an education that uplifts the whole human being—one that develops intelligence along with sensitivity, skill along with responsibility. We need expertise that contributes to harmony and growth, not fear, violence, or destruction.

Only such balanced understanding can truly nourish society—just as a complete meal nourishes the body.