From the Anna K Tarot, Temperance; from the Meditation Cards, Benevolence:
Aristotle thought that the best way for humankind to achieve well-being was through cultivating moral virtues. He saw these virtues as the midpoint between an excess and a deficiency, which seems to be an apt description of Temperance. How easy it is to overdo what Westerners consider 'good,' such as overworking or over-analyzing, rather than resting in the sanity of the midpoint. The quote from Benevolence comes from the Japanese group Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai:
As a net is made up by a series of knots, so everything in this world is connected by a series of knots. If anyone thinks that the mesh of a net is an independent, isolated thing, he is mistaken. It is called a net because it is made up of a series of connected meshes, and each mesh has its place and responsibilities in relation to other meshes.
When we take care of our own well-being, we are being benevolent to others. When we assist others in need, we take care of ourselves. We are all a part of an intricate, delicately balanced system - everything leans on something else.
