Today: “Forcing the issue brings unintended consequences.  Rely instead on the natural flow of support you enjoy by your commitment, devotion and gratitude.” – from the I Ching

Forcing the issue brings unintended consequences.  Rely instead on the natural flow of support you enjoy by your commitment, devotion and gratitude.

Meditation: LA101 790419-Faith In Our Self And Our Own Discipline

A reading for the year 2021

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See Previous reading

See Previous previous reading

See related posts

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
62 – Sixty-Two  Hsiao Kuo / Lying Low

Thunder high on the Mountain, active passivity:
The Superior Person is unsurpassed in his ability to remain small.
In a time for humility, he is supremely modest.
In a time of mourning, he uplifts with somber reverence.
In a time of want, he is resourcefully frugal.

When a bird flies too high, its song is lost.
Rather than push upward now, it is best to remain below.
This will bring surprising good fortune, if you keep to your course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

There is no profit to striving here.
To be content with oneself is the greatest success imaginable.
The enlightened person has nothing to prove to himself or others, and thus may always operate from a position of sincerity, with no pretense or posturing.
His humility is guileless simplicity.
His mourning is selfless compassion.
His frugality is an unshakeable faith that he is but a conduit, letting what is needed flow through him to others, with no loss to himself.

Nine in the fourth place means:

No blame. He meets him without passing by.
Going brings danger. One must be on guard.
Do not act. Be constantly persevering.

Hardness of character is tempered by yielding position, so that no mistakes are made. The situation here calls for extreme caution; one must make no attempt of one’s own initiative to reach the desired end. And if one were to go on, endeavoring to force his way to the goal, he would be endangered. Therefore one must be on guard and not act but continue inwardly to persevere.

48 – Forty-Eight  Ching / The Well

Deep Waters Penetrated and drawn to the surface:
The Superior Person refreshes the people with constant encouragement to help one another.

Encampments, settlements, walled cities, whole empires may rise and fall, yet the Well at the center endures, never drying to dust, never overflowing.
It served those before and will serve those after.
Again and again you may draw from the Well, but if the bucket breaks or the rope is too short there will be misfortune.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

There is a Source common to us all.
Jung named it the Collective Unconscious.
Others hail it as God within.
Inside each of us are dreamlike symbols and archetypes, emotions and instincts that we share with every other human being.
When we feel a lonely separateness from others, it is not because this Well within has dried up, but because we have lost the means to reach its waters.
You need to reclaim the tools necessary to penetrate to the depths of your fellows.
Then the bonds you build will be as timeless and inexhaustible as the Well that nourishes them.

Today: “Our realization is through our own soul; the very realization of the self within the structured self is the greatest achievement.” Yogi Bhajan

“Our realization is through our own soul; the very realization of the self within the structured self is the greatest achievement.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: M043-19890623 See Your Soul Within Your Third Eye

See related posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said

Today: “Do not press forward.  Rather, retreat and gather the necessary strength.” – from the I Ching

Do not press forward.  Rather, retreat and gather the necessary strength.

Meditation:  LA588 890411 Silver Grain Meditation 

A reading for the year 2021

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See Previous reading

See Previous previous reading

See related posts

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
33 – Thirty-Three  Tun / Retreat

The tranquil Mountain towers overhead, yet remains this side of Heaven:
The Superior Person avoids the petty and superficial by keeping shallow men at a distance, not in anger but with dignity.

Such a retreat sweeps the path clear to Success.
Occupy yourself with minute detail.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Retreat in this instance is not a desperate flight in disarray, but a conscious choice to distance yourself from forces that would rob you of your peace.
It is not a surrender, but a regrouping.
Retreat from this conflict is actually an advance toward your own center.
You move toward balance, and thus a much stronger position.

The power of the dark is ascending. The light retreats to security, so that the dark cannot encroach upon it. This retreat is a matter not of man’s will but of natural law. Therefore in this case withdrawal is proper; it is the correct way to behave in order not to exhaust one’s forces.1
In the calendar this hexagram is linked with the sixth month (July-August), in which the forces of winter are already showing their influence.

THE JUDGEMENT

RETREAT. Success.
In what is small, perseverance furthers.

Conditions are such that the hostile forces favored by the time are advancing. In this case retreat is the right course, and it is through retreat that success is achieved. But success consists in being able to carry out retreat correctly. Retreat is not to be confused with flight. Flight means saving oneself under any circumstances, whereas retreat is a sign of strength. We must be careful not to miss the right moment while we’re in full possession of power and position. Then we shall be able to interpret the signs of the time before it is too late and to prepare for provisional retreat instead of being drawn into a desperate life-and-death struggle. Thus we do not simply abandon the field to the opponent; we make it difficult for him to advance by showing perseverance in single acts of resistance. In this way we prepare, while retreating, for the counter- movement. Understanding the laws of a constructive retreat of this sort is not easy. The meaning that lies hidden in such a time is important. 

THE IMAGE

Mountain under heaven: the image of RETREAT.
Thus the superior man keeps the inferior man at a distance,
Not angrily but with reserve.

The mountain rises up under heaven, but owing to its nature it finally comes to a stop. Heaven on the other hand retreats upward before it into the distance and remains out of reach. This symbolises the behavior of the superior man toward a climbing inferior; he retreats into his own thoughts as the inferior man comes forward. He does not hate him, for hatred is a form of subjective involvement by which we are bound to the hated object. The superior man shows strength (heaven) in that he brings the inferior man to a standstill (mountain) by his dignified reserve.


1. The idea expressed by this hexagram is similar to that in the saying of Jesus: “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil” (Matt.  5:39).

Today: “Flexibility is a law of life. In our common language we call it compassion.” Yogi Bhajan

“Flexibility is a law of life. In our common language we call it compassion.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0406 – Know the Best of You – Share the Best with Others

See related posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said

Today: “Realize that you need help.  Review what you have overlooked and reconsider whom you have cast aside.  New relationships will be golden and have a profound impact.” – from the I Ching

Realize that you need help.  Review what you have overlooked and reconsider whom you have cast aside.  New relationships will be golden and have a profound impact.

Meditation: The Positive Mind

A reading for the year 2021

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See Previous reading

See Previous previous reading

See related posts

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
3 – Three  Chun / Difficulty at the Beginning

Thunder from the Deep:
The Superior Person carefully weaves order out of confusion.

Supreme Success if you keep to your course.
Carefully consider the first move.
Seek help.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

New ventures always pack along their inherent chaos.
Though this is an annoyance at best, and can even imperil or downright doom an endeavor, it is also the friction needed to polish your project to jewel brilliance.
Learn from these early obstacles.

Six in the fourth place means:

Horse and wagon part.
Strive for union.
To go brings good fortune.
Everything acts to further.

We are in a situation in which it is our duty to act, but we lack sufficient power. However, an opportunity to make connections offers itself. It must be seized. Neither false pride nor false reserve should deter us. Bringing oneself to take the first step, even when it involves a certain degree of self-abnegation, is a sign of inner clarity. To accept help in a difficult situation is not a disgrace. If the right helper is found, all goes well.

51 – Fifty-One Chên / Thunder

Thunder echoes upon Thunder, commanding reverence for its father Heaven:
In awe of Heaven’s majestic power, the Superior Person looks within and sets his life in order.
Thunder mingles with startled screams of terror for a hundred miles around.
As the people nervously laugh at their own fright, the devout presents the sacrificial chalice with nary a drop of wine spilt.
Deliverance

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

A thunderbolt of Cosmic judgement crashes to earth.
For the common person, it’s just a momentary fright soon forgotten, its warning unfathomed and unheeded.
But to one who understands its significance, this thunder is a signal to repent.
Centering the Self, seeking balance, the enlightened person will respect and align himself with this Higher Power, while his fellows remain subject to the whims of every passing storm.

Today: “It is very important to realize that happiness lies within us.” Yogi Bhajan

“It is very important to realize that happiness lies within us. The amount of happiness that lies within us depends on how open, how positive, and how accurately righteous we are. This is the secret of happiness.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: The Positive Mind

See related posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said

Today: “When opportunity arises, take it. ” – from the I Ching

When opportunity arises, take it.

Meditation: LA673-19910205- Third Chakra

A reading for the year 2021

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See Previous reading

See Previous previous reading

See related posts

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
60 – Sixty  Chieh / Limitations

Waters difficult to keep within the Lake’s banks:
The Superior Person examines the nature of virtue and makes himself a standard that can be followed.

Self-discipline brings success; but restraints too binding bring self-defeat.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Cultivating the proper disciplines and the proper degree of discipline are the concerns of this hexagram.
By limiting options, you may give more attention to priorities.
One who is all over the map is no less lost than one without a map.
Avoid asceticism, however.
Deprivation is not wise discipline.
The key here is regulation, not restriction.

Nine in the second place means:

Not going out of the gate and the courtyard
Brings misfortune.

When the time for action has come, the moment must be quickly seized. Just as water first collects in a lake without flowing out, yet is certain to find an outlet when the lake is full, so it is in the life of man. It is a good thing to hesitate so long as the time for action has not come, but no longer. Once the obstacles to action have been removed, anxious hesitation is a mistake that is bound to bring disaster, because one misses one’s opportunity.

3 – Three  Chun / Difficulty at the Beginning

Thunder from the Deep:
The Superior Person carefully weaves order out of confusion.

Supreme Success if you keep to your course.
Carefully consider the first move.
Seek help.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

New ventures always pack along their inherent chaos.
Though this is an annoyance at best, and can even imperil or downright doom an endeavor, it is also the friction needed to polish your project to jewel brilliance.
Learn from these early obstacles.

Today: “Happiness comes from contentment.” Yogi Bhajan

“Happiness comes from contentment. If you make a survey of how many people are happy and unhappy, you will be surprised in this life sketch that what you feel as happiness, another man will see as sickness. So never judge anybody’s happiness by your standards.” Yogi Bhajan

Yogi Bhajan’s Seven Steps to Happiness

See related posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said

Today: “Be bold, courageous and creative.  With the greatest risk will come the greatest reward.” – from the I Ching

Be bold, courageous and creative.  With the greatest risk will come the greatest reward.

Meditation: NM091 – 19921110 – Self Emboldenment, Engagement, Vision

A reading for the year 2021

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See Previous reading

See Previous previous reading

See related posts

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
10 – Ten  Lü / Worrying the Tiger

Heaven shines down on the Marsh which reflects it back imperfectly:
Though the Superior Man carefully discriminates between high and low, and acts in accord with the flow of the Tao, there are still situations where a risk must be taken.

You tread upon the tail of the tiger.
Not perceiving you as a threat, the startled tiger does not bite.
Success.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You have reached a perilous point in your journey.
This is a real gamble — not a maneuver, not a calculated risk.
The outcome is uncertain.
If it goes as you hope, you will gain — but if it turns against you it will cause serious injury, at least to your plans.
The best tack is extreme caution and a healthy respect for the danger involved.

Six in the third place means:

A one-eyed man is able to see,
A lame man is able to tread.
He treads on the tail of the tiger.
The tiger bites the man.
Misfortune.
Thus does a warrior act on behalf of his great prince.

A one-eyed man can indeed see, but not enough for clear vision. A lame man can indeed tread, but not enough to make progress. If in spite of such defects a man considers himself strong and consequently exposes himself to danger, he is inviting disaster, for he is undertaking something beyond his strength. This reckless way of plunging ahead, regardless of the adequacy of one’s powers, can be justified only in the case of a warrior battling for his prince.

Today: “Awareness is the total sum of the individual’s acknowledgment of the universal existence around him.” Yogi Bhajan

“Awareness is the total sum of the individual’s acknowledgment of the universal existence around him. Anyone who is very much extended in that sphere will find a greater happiness in his relationship to the infinity around him.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: TCH20 02 960722 – Increase the Power of the Infinite Within

See related posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said

Today: “As an instrument of justice, remain true and neutral.  Recognize your responsibility to get it right.  Fix what is broken.  Rebuild.” – from the I Ching

As an instrument of justice, remain true and neutral.  Recognize your responsibility to get it right.  Fix what is broken.  Rebuild.

Meditation: M074 – 920423 – Balance the Pineal and Pituitary

A reading for the year 2021

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See Previous reading

See Previous previous reading

See related posts

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
21 – Twenty-One  Shih Ho / Biting Through

The merciless, searing judgement of Lightning fulfills the warning prophecies of distant Thunder.
Sage rulers preserved Justice by clearly defining the laws, and by delivering the penalties decreed.

Though unpleasant, it is best to let justice have its due.SITUATION ANALYSIS:

A terrible reckoning is due.
A wrong will be righted — and even if it has been you who has been wronged, you will tremble at the terrible power of Justice untempered by Mercy.
Pray for your oppressor, that his punishment will fit his crime.

Six in the fifth place means:

Bites on dried lean meat.
Receives yellow gold.
Perseveringly aware of danger.
No blame.

The case to be decided is indeed not easy but perfectly clear. Since we naturally incline to leniency, we must make every effort to be like yellow gold — that is, as true as gold and as impartial as yellow, the color of the middle [the mean]. It is only by remaining conscious of the dangers growing out of the responsibility we have assumed that we can avoid making mistakes.

13 – Thirteen  T’ung Jên / Social Mechanism

Heaven reflects the Flame of clarity:
The Superior Person analyzes the various levels and working parts of the social structure, and uses them to advantage.

Success if you keep to your course.
You may cross to the far shore.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is a matter of Positioning — not only yourself, but others as well.
There are niches to be filled, potentials to be realized, right livelihoods to be found.
You are not building a new organization, but shoring up an existing infrastructure.
It’s worth the effort, because it will provide union, community, and an ironclad alliance.

Today: “Any word that you speak exists. It is there. It is a vibration.” Yogi Bhajan

“Any word that you speak exists. It is there. It is a vibration. Word is a cause and an effect. Nobody can escape from word. Realizing that we can’t escape word is our basic duty.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA159 800318 NAAD KRIYA

See related posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said

Today: “Shocking and disturbing events will serve to embolden you as you move forward with your endeavors.” – from the I Ching

Shocking and disturbing events will serve to embolden you as you move forward with your endeavors.

Meditation: NM091 – 19921110 – Self Emboldenment, Engagement, Vision

A reading for the year 2021

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See Previous reading

See Previous previous reading

See related posts

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
51 – Fifty-One  Chên / Thunder

Thunder echoes upon Thunder, commanding reverence for its father Heaven:
In awe of Heaven’s majestic power, the Superior Person looks within and sets his life in order.
Thunder mingles with startled screams of terror for a hundred miles around.
As the people nervously laugh at their own fright, the devout presents the sacrificial chalice with nary a drop of wine spilt.
Deliverance

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

A thunderbolt of Cosmic judgement crashes to earth.
For the common person, it’s just a momentary fright soon forgotten, its warning unfathomed and unheeded.
But to one who understands its significance, this thunder is a signal to repent.
Centering the Self, seeking balance, the enlightened person will respect and align himself with this Higher Power, while his fellows remain subject to the whims of every passing storm.

Nine at the beginning [yang at bottom] means:

Shock comes – oh, oh!
Then follow laughing words – ha, ha!
Good fortune.

The fear and trembling engendered by shock come to an individual at first in such a way that he sees himself placed at a disadvantage as against others. But this is only transitory. When the ordeal is over, he experiences relief, and thus the very terror he had to endure at the outset brings good fortune in the long run.

16 – Sixteen  Yü / Enthusiasm

Thunder comes resounding out of the Earth:
Similar thunder roars up from the masses when the Superior Person strikes a chord in their hearts.

Whip up enthusiasm, rally your forces, and move boldly forward.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

There is a rhythmic force, a world music, that lives deep in the Unconscious of each of us.
It’s a primitive drumbeat, a shaking rattle, a tribal chant that invokes the primal self to rise up and join the dance.
This is the enthusiasm that is generated now.
Not rhetorical persuasion, not a play on the emotions, but a charismatic, irresistible Call of the Wild.
Confucius said that the person who could comprehend this could ‘rule the world as though it were spinning in his hand.’
This is a time for instinct, not intellect — the Thunder from the Beneath.

Today: “All you have to do in your whole life is to join with one word through which you can feel that your finite personality is joined with the infinite.” Yogi Bhajan

“All you have to do in your whole life is to join with one word through which you can feel that your finite personality is joined with the infinite. That is all you need. Learn it through any religion, any yoga master, through any swami, through a butcher, through anybody. Learn it. It is immaterial from whom; but learn it. This is why they say, “That mean, mean man whom nobody knows, when he meditates on the Nam, the four corners of the world will bow to him.”” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: Drib Dhristi Lochina Karma

See related posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said

Today: “Truth is the inner quality that grows from the infinite source.  Truth does not come from anyone’s words or anything from the outside of you.” – from the I Ching

Truth is the inner quality that grows from the infinite source.  Truth does not come from anyone’s words or anything from the outside of you.  Recognize the randomness of associations.  Apply what you know.

The source:
The wind blows over the lake and stirs the surface of the water. Thus visible effects of the invisible manifest themselves. The hexagram consists of firm lines above and below, while it is open in the centre. This indicates a heart free of prejudices and therefore open to truth.

With respect to external influences:
All association on the basis of common interests holds only up to a certain point. Where the community of interest ceases, the holding together ceases also, and the closest friendship often changes into hate. Only when the bond is based on what is right, on steadfastness, will it remain so firm that it triumphs over everything. 

Whom you meet:
One woman come in your life you become bright and beautiful, one woman comes in your life you become most stinky, stinking miserable. One man come in your life you think you are in the heavens, otherwise man comes you think you are in the sewage plant, cleaning it out, so it depends upon who met you where and why and why you met and where and what, it is geography.

Meditation: LA918 970908 Internal Effectiveness

A reading for the year 2021

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See Previous reading

See Previous previous reading

See related posts

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
61 – Sixty-One  Chung Fu / Inner Truth

The gentle Wind ripples the Lake’s surface:
The Superior Person finds common ground between points of contention, wearing away rigid perspectives that would lead to fatal error.

Pigs and fishes.
You may cross to the far shore.
Great fortune if you stay on course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

The subject of this hexagram discovers a key to Tranquility by first gaining insight into his own nature, then turning that vision outward.
By resolving inner conflicts and being at peace with himself, he learns to gain insight into others.
In effect, he enters another, sees with the other’s eyes, listens with the other’s ears, feels with the other’s heart.
He then returns to his own center, with new perspective and understanding.

The wind blows over the lake and stirs the surface of the water. Thus visible effects of the invisible manifest themselves. The hexagram consists of firm lines above and below, while it is open in the centre. This indicates a heart free of prejudices and therefore open to truth. On the other hand, each of the two trigrams has a firm line in the middle; this indicates the force of inner truth in the influences they present.
The attributes of the two trigrams are: above, gentleness, forbearance toward inferiors; below, joyousness in obeying superiors. Such conditions create the basis of a mutual confidence that makes achievements possible.
The character of fu (“truth”) is actually the picture of a bird’s foot over a fledgling. It suggests the idea of brooding. An egg is hollow. The light-giving power must work to quicken it from outside, but there must be a germ of life within, if life is to be awakened. Far- reaching speculations can be linked with these ideas.

THE JUDGEMENT

INNER TRUTH. Pigs and fishes.
Good fortune.
It furthers one to cross the great water.
Perseverance furthers.

Pigs and fishes are the least intelligent of all animals and therefore the most difficult to influence. The force of inner truth must grow great indeed before its influence can extend to such creatures. In dealing with persons as intractable and as difficult to influence as a pig or a fish, the whole secret of success depends on finding the right way of approach. One must first rid oneself of all prejudice and, so to speak, let the psyche of the other person act on one without restraint. Then one will establish contact with him, understand and gain power over him. When a door has thus been opened, the force of one’s personality will influence him. If in this way one finds no obstacles insurmountable, one can undertake even the most dangerous things, such as crossing the great water, and succeed.
But it is important to understand on what the force inner truth depends. This force is not identical with simple intimacy or a secret bond. Close ties may exist also among thieves; it is true that such a bond acts as a force but, since it is not invincible, it does not bring good fortune. All association on the basis of common interests holds only up to a certain point. Where the community of interest ceases, the holding together ceases also, and the closest friendship often changes into hate. Only when the bond is based on what is right, on steadfastness, will it remain so firm that it triumphs over everything.

THE IMAGE

Wind over lake: the image of INNER TRUTH.
Thus the superior man discusses criminal cases
In order to delay executions.

Wind stirs water by penetrating it. Thus the superior man, when obliged to judge the mistakes of men, tries to penetrate their minds with understanding, in order to gain a sympathetic appreciation of the circumstances. In ancient China, the entire administration of justice was guided by this principle. A deep understanding that knows how to pardon was considered the highest form of justice. This system was not without success, for its aim was to make so strong a moral impression that there was no reason to fear abuse of such mildness. For it sprang not from weakness but from a superior clarity.

Today: “Where is the guru? Everywhere.” Yogi Bhajan

“Where is the guru? Everywhere. When somebody speaks the truth to you, that is a guru. Forget about who is speaking. The true word, the true vibration, the true signal is the true guide.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA918 970908 Internal Effectiveness

“One woman come in your life you become bright and beautiful, one woman comes in your life you become most stinky, stinking miserable. One man come in your life you think you are in the heavens, otherwise man comes you think you are in the sewage plant, cleaning it out, so it depends upon who met you where and why and why you met and where and what, it is geography.” – LA918 970908

See related posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said