Let's Talk About The "Middle Path"

What would you picture in mind when talking about the “Middle Path”?

I picture a funny 3-pathed way in my stupid mind: not left not right but the middle one; that’s what I used to have in mind about the Middle Path.

The Middle Path – is it possible or not or just a deceptive trap…!?

Every Buddhist including me would be very much acquainted with the phrase “Middle Path”, because it’s one of very important Buddhist teachings.

We heard about this since we were young, absolutely agreed and accepted it, no doubt no question…that the middle path is the right the good and appropriate way human beings should consider choosing to walk along…
However, I just realized that in all those days, I never ever really understand what this phrase really means and I never took this teaching into my life at all… I just accepted it and put it right where it was…or right up there on the shrine.
At best about what I used to give it some thoughts were… it’s the mild, soft and peaceful way like all monks who try to keep on practicing and always seeking solitude & secluded environments in order to be able to follow their minds and suppress them whenever they’ve gone out of the path and things like these…
And sometimes, I used to think things like: this “Middle Path” is impossible, impractical; it’s a trap designated to prevent ones from doing anything at all… Middle path means stay where you are!

Or Middle path actually means a new way…so right now in whatever ways you walk, make sure that you are walking in the middle way, if not, you should try to change it into the right (middle) way … things like these…
Not until lately when this phrase came up into my mind once again, I got some new pictures when thinking about the Middle Path…

I just realized that this sophisticated teaching didn’t mean to force us to walk on any other given path but your own, except to make sure that you made a good balance so that you won’t fail while proceeding on your way…

Therefore Middle path is not a path or a special alternative way but a right and appropriate management or arrangement. Taking the Middle path means you must have abilities to adjust or make a good balance, and by making a good balance, it’s not a simply easy task at all… you know that!

One should have some real guts walking the Middle Path, you agree?
Oh! Buddha, you left us with such a hard task for our own selves.

But anyway, I have to accept now that Middle Path is possible and very practical and it’s a real trap designated to encourage everyone to practice more in real world of our lives and putting more & more of our brain at work…

The Middle Path needs real lots of guts in you! Really!

That’s my understanding about “the Middle Path”. What's yours?