To understand the attitude of the Ancient Egyptians we have to turn our modern perception of the world upside down.

Where we consider the world to be a thing to be controlled, they recognised that nature is beyond the slavery of man. Their Gods personified all aspects of the world around them, from the wild  desolate desert (Sekhmet, Seth) to the comfortable eternal presence of the Nile (Hapi, Isis).

Each of these deities had to be cared for and appeased, this was the role of the temple. If for instance the Nile failed to rise or some other aspect of life failed to function it would be taken as evidence of a lack of piety on behalf of the priest's and populance.

The reason for this zealous religious activity was ma'at, which can mean justice but more often is used in the context of balance. The concept of Ma'at was personified as a goddess wearing the feather of truth in her hair. But she was much more than just another deity.

Ma'at represented the ideal state of the world, with all things in balance. This did not only apply at state level, but in everyday life as well. It is no coincidence that  ma'at holds the scales of judgement in the Egyptian underworld.

To the ancient Egyptians evidence of Ma'at was all around them. They saw her in the play of opposites. Night and day, life and death, flood and harvest. This duality is reflected in many of the gods and goddess's eg Osiris/Seth. The ultimate aim of every Egyptian was to live again in the duat (the underworld was a reflection of this life, another example of duality)to do this they had to try to live their lives in balance.

Maybe that idea, to live in balance is the one thing we should take from our Egyptian ancestor's.