Today: “Keep still.  Allow the flow of thoughts bubbling up through the subconscious.  Watch without acting on them.” – from the I Ching

Keep still.  Allow the flow of thoughts bubbling up through the subconscious.  Watch without acting on them.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 28 – Know the male, yet keep to the female

Meditation: Contemplate in Shuniya from the Spine

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52 – Fifty-Two.  Kên / The Mountain

Above this Mountain’s summit another more majestic rises:
The Superior Person is mindful to keep his thoughts in the here and now.

Stilling the sensations of the Ego, he roams his courtyard without moving a muscle, unencumbered by the fears and desires of his fellows.
This is no mistake.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

There is a higher vantage point available to you, but it is obscured by the visible peak of personal ambition.
To climb to this higher plane, you must shake off the desires and fears of the conscious, visible world around you.
To make this journey you must quiet the Ego, empty your mind of past and future, and dwell totally in the moment at hand.
Thorough mindfulness of what is before you is the only tranquility.
Be. Here. Now.

yang
yin above: Kên / Keeping Still, Mountain
yin
yang
yin below: Kên / Keeping Still, Mountain
yin

 

The image of this hexagram is the mountain, the youngest son of heaven and earth. The male principle is at the top, because it strives upward by nature; the female principle is below, since the direction of its movement is downward. Thus there is rest because the movement has come to its normal end.
In its application to man, the hexagram turns upon the problem of achieving a quiet heart. It is very difficult to bring quiet to the heart. While Buddhism strives for rest through an ebbing away of all movement in nirvana, the Yi Jing holds that rest is merely a state of polarity that always posits movement as its complement. Possibly the words of the text embody directions for the practice of yoga.

THE JUDGEMENT

KEEPING STILL. Keeping his back still
So that he no longer feels his body.
He goes into his courtyard
And does not see his people.
No blame.

True quiet means keeping still when the time has come to keep still, and going forward when the time has come to go forward. In this way rest and movement are in agreement with the demands of the time, and thus there is light in life.
The hexagram signifies the end and the beginning of all movement. The back is named because in the back are located all the nerve fibres that mediate movement. If the movement of these spinal nerves is brought to a standstill, the ego, with its restlessness, disappears as it were. When a man has thus become calm, he may turn to the outside world. He no longer sees in it the struggle and tumult of individual beings, and therefore he has that true peace of mind which is needed for understanding the great laws of the universe and for acting in harmony with them. Whoever acts from these deep levels makes no mistakes.

 
 

Still Life with Chinese Lantern flowers

 

Still Life with Chinese Lantern flowers.
Colored lithograph, H.A. Dievenbach 1

THE IMAGE

Mountains standing close together:
The image of KEEPING STILL.
Thus the superior man
Does not permit his thoughts
To go beyond his situation.

Huang Shan

The heart thinks constantly. This cannot be changed, but the movements of the heart – that is, a man’s thoughts – should restrict themselves to the immediate situation. All thinking that goes beyond this only makes the heart sore.


1. Hendrikus Anthonius Dievenbach (1872 – 1946), was a Dutch artist.
In 1910 he settled in the village of Laren, North-Holland.
Henri Dievenbach was a traditional painter who was particularly inspired by his direct environment.
Apart from farmer’s interiors he made portaits of fellow-villagers. In his later life he painted especially beautiful still lifes and flower pieces, like this colored lithograph with Chinese Lanterns.

Today: “Finishing your task is simpler than you think.  Give up all fear and guilt and all will be resolved.” – from the I Ching

Finishing your task is simpler than you think.  Give up all fear and guilt and all will be resolved.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 26 – The heavy is the root of the light. The unmoved is the source of all movement.

Meditation: LA747 921231 Fear 6, to command yourself

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47 – Forty-Seven.  K’un / Exhaustion

A Dead Sea, its Waters spent eons ago, more deadly than the desert surrounding it:
The Superior Person will stake his life and fortune on what he deeply believes.

Triumph belongs to those who endure.
Trial and tribulation can hone exceptional character to a razor edge that slices deftly through every challenge.
Action prevails where words will fail.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is the realm of the Shaman.
You have exhausted every alternative, spent yourself completely, taxed body and mind beyond your former limits.
Survival and salvation lie beyond your reach now.
Only transcendence to a new existence — a higher plane of being — will see you through.
The Old You is just a dry husk.
You can’t return to it.
Metamorphosis is the only grace offered.
You can only return to your homeland as a New You.

Six at the top means:

He feels tightly bound by no more than a few vines of ivy.
If he firmly resolves to break free, he will find he was held back by only his own guilt and fear.

He is oppressed by creeping vines.
He moves uncertainly and says,
“Movement brings remorse.”
If one feels remorse over this and makes a start,
Good fortune comes.

English ivy

English ivy

A man is oppressed by bonds that can easily be broken. The distress is drawing to an end. But he is still irresolute; he is still influenced by the previous condition and fears that he may have cause for regret if he makes a move. But as soon as he grasps the situation, changes this mental attitude, and makes a firm decision, he masters the oppression.
64 – Sixty-Four.   Wei Chi / The End In Sight

Fire ascends above the Water:
The Superior Person examines the nature of things and keeps each in its proper place.

Too anxious the young fox gets his tail wet, just as he completes his crossing.
To attain success, be like the man and not like the fox.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Resist the rush to completion.
Anticipation of fulfillment may cause you to be careless before you have fully absorbed the lessons of the journey.
The endpoint of this Quest will only prove to be the threshold for another.
You are short steps from Mastery on this plane, yet you stride toward Ignorance of the challenges lying beyond.
Savor this accomplishment.
Fully Become.
Take full possession of your world before embarking to discover the next one.
That voyage begins soon enough, and you will reminisce about this one.
These are the Good Old Days.

Today: “A turning point is at hand.  Take advantage of the season without forcing anything.  Go with the flow.” – from the I Ching

A turning point is at hand.  Take advantage of the season without forcing anything.  Go with the flow.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 25 – There was something formless and perfect before the universe was born.

Meditation: KWTC7-19910705 – Self Hypnotic Trance – Self Bliss

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24 – Twenty-Four.  Fu / Return

Thunder regenerates deep within Earth’s womb:
Sage rulers recognized that the end of Earth’s seasonal cycle was also the starting point of a new year and a time for dormancy.
They closed the passes at the Solstice to enforce a rest from commerce and activity.
The ruler himself did not travel.

You have passed this way before but you are not regressing.
This is progress, for the cycle now repeats itself, and this time you are aware that it truly is a cycle.
The return of old familiars is welcome.
You can be as sure of this cycle as you are that seven days bring the start of a new week.
Use this dormancy phase to plan which direction you will grow.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You are about to experience a rebirth — about to be given another chance, a new lease on life.
You have persevered, gone the distance through an entire cycle — through the Spring of hope or new passion, through a Summer of growth and building, only to be sacrificed like the archetypal Harvest King at the Autumn reaping.
You lie dormant like seed beneath Winter snows now, healing and absorbing new energies in preparation for the new young Spring coming shortly to your life.

yin
yin above: K’un / The Receptive, Earth
yin
yin
yin below: Chên / The Arousing, Thunder
yang

 

The idea of a turning point arises from the fact that after the dark lines have pushed all of the light lines upward and out of the hexagram, another light line enters the hexagram from below. The time of darkness is past. The winter solstice brings the victory of light. This hexagram is linked with the eleventh month, the month of the solstice (December- January).

THE JUDGEMENT

RETURN. Success.
Going out and coming in without error.
Friends come without blame.
To and fro goes the way.
On the seventh day comes return.
It furthers one to have somewhere to go.

After a time of decay comes the turning point. The powerful light that has been banished returns. There is movement, but it is not brought about by force. The upper trigram Kun is characterised by devotion; thus the movement is natural, arising spontaneously. For this reason the transformation of the old becomes easy. The old is discarded and the new is introduced. Both measures accord with the time; therefore no harm results. Societies of people sharing the same views are formed. But since these groups come together in full public knowledge and are in harmony with the time, all selfish separatist tendencies are excluded, and no mistake is made. The idea of RETURN is based on the course of nature. The movement is cyclic, and the course completes itself. Therefore it is not necessary to hasten anything artificially. Everything comes of itself at the appointed time. This is the meaning of heaven and earth.
All movements are accomplished in six stages, and the seventh brings return. Thus the winter solstice, with which the decline of the year begins, comes in the seventh month after the summer solstice; so too sunrise comes in the seventh double hour after sunset. Therefore seven is the number of the young light, and it arises when six, the number of the great darkness, is increased by one. In this way the state of rest gives place to movement.

 

Earth in space

THE IMAGE

Thunder within the earth:
The image of THE TURNING POINT.
Thus the kings of antiquity closed the passes
At the time of solstice.
Merchants and strangers did not go about,
And the ruler
Did not travel through the provinces.

The winter solstice has always been celebrated in China as the resting time of the year – a custom that survives in the time of rest observed at the new year. In winter the life energy, symbolised by thunder, the Arousing, is still underground. Movement is just at its beginning; therefore it must be strengthened by rest so that it will not be dissipated by being used prematurely. This principle, i.e., of allowing energy that is renewing itself to be reinforced by rest, applies to all similar situations. The return of health after illness, the return of understanding after an estrangement: everything must be treated tenderly and with care at the beginning, so that the return may lead to a flowering.

Today: “You have accomplished what you could.  The time for toil has passed.  Be content with what has been achieved. To advance any further, before the appropriate time has come, would lead to misfortune.” – from the I Ching

You have accomplished what you could.  The time for toil has passed.  Be content with what has been achieved. To advance any further, before the appropriate time has come, would lead to misfortune.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 25 – There was something formless and perfect before the universe was born.

Meditation: NM0347-20000502-Guru Kriya

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9 – Nine.  Hsiao Ch’u / Gentle Restraint

Winds of change high in the Heavens:
Air currents carry the weather.
Dense clouds blow in from the West, but still no rain.
The Superior Person fine tunes the image he presents to the world.

Small successes.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

No matter what you do, the fruit of your labors never seems to ripen.
Your reward remains just out of reach.
Men have gone mad from such anticipation.
Don’t lose your balance lunging for the brass ring.
While the Fates continue to restrain you, go them one better and display a self-generated restraint and grace.
Look for the humor in the situation.

Nine at the top means:

The needed rain finally pours down, bringing a well-earned time of rest.
It is Nature’s time to enrich the crops, so leave it to her.
To work the fields in the rain and mud would only undo all good effort.
Do not seek more; the gibbous moon seeks to be full, but once full can do nothing but wane.

The rain comes, there is rest.
This is due to the lasting effect of character.
Perseverance brings the woman into danger.
The moon is nearly full.
If the superior man persists,
Misfortune comes.

Moon cloud

Success is at hand. The wind has driven up the rain. A fixed standpoint has been reached. This has come about through the cumulation of small effects produced by reverence for a superior character. But a success thus secured bit by bit calls for great caution. It would be a dangerous illusion for anyone to think he could presume upon it. The female principle, the weak element that has won the victory, should never persist in vaunting it – that would lead to danger. The dark power in the moon is strongest when the moon is almost full. When it is full and directly opposite the sun, its waning is inevitable. Under such circumstances one must be content with what has been achieved. To advance any further, before the appropriate time has come, would lead to misfortune.

5 – Five.  Hsü / Calculated Waiting

Deep Waters in the Heavens:
Thunderclouds approaching from the West, but no rain yet.
The Superior Person nourishes himself and remains of good cheer to condition himself for the moment of truth.

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

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You must now endure this Dangling — either a carrot before your nose, or a sword above your head.
This strange mix of apprehension and anticipation is a Purgatory.
There is nothing more you can do to affect the outcome.
You must now submit to the Fates.

Today: “Using your experience and wisdom to take care of what is required for the situation will bring great success with no remorse.” – from the I Ching

Using your experience and wisdom to take care of what is required for the situation will bring great success with no remorse.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 24 – He who stands on tiptoe doesn’t stand firm

Meditation: LA792 931214 – Experience and Ecstasy

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57 – Fifty-Seven. Sun / The Penetrating Wind

Wind follows upon wind, wandering the earth, penetrating gently but persistently:
The Superior Person expands his influence by reaffirming his decisions and carrying out his promises.

Small, persistent, focused effort brings success.
Seek advice from someone you respect.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Gentle persuasion is the key in this instance.
Though the words are soft, their speaker must be firm, calm and confident.
Gentle words are worthless if spoken with trepidation.
Wordless influence by example is also effective in this situation.
All persuasion should be almost unfelt, yet consistent and persistent.
Ask for feedback from someone you know to be an effective persuader.

Six in the fourth place means:
Remorse vanishes.
During the hunt
Three kinds of game are caught.

Pheasant Shooting

‘Pheasant Shooting’ – Julius Ceasar Ibbetson, 1790

When a responsible position and accumulated experience lead one to combine innate modesty with energetic action, great success is assured. The three kinds of animals referred to served for offerings to the gods, for feasting guests, and for everyday consumption. When the catch answered all three purposes, the hunt was considered especially successful.

‘The weary sportsman’
George Morland, 1790

1 – One   Ch’ien / Creative Activity

Heaven above and Heaven below:
Heaven in constant motion.
With the strength of the dragon, the Superior Person steels himself for ceaseless activity.

Productive Activity.
Potent Influence.
Sublime Success if you keep to your course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

The time for action has come.
You now have the focus and the stamina necessary for accomplishing great tasks.
The path before you is being cleared and reward lies ahead.

Today: “The waiting is over.  A breakthrough is realized.  The sincerity of your actions will help others and incur no blame.” – from the I Ching

The waiting is over.  A breakthrough is realized.  The sincerity of your actions will help others and incur no blame.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 22 – If you want to become whole, let yourself be partial. If you want to become straight, let yourself be crooked.

Meditation: NM142 19940615 – Bless the Planet Earth and Let the Heavens Descend in You

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43 – Forty-Three.  Kuai / Breakthrough

A Deluge from Heaven:
The Superior Person rains fortune upon those in need, then moves on with no thought of the good he does.

The issue must be raised before an impartial authority.
Be sincere and earnest, despite the danger.
Do not try to force the outcome, but seek support where needed.
Set a clear goal.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Your iron will must come to the forefront now.
It will take great personal determination to resolve the situation in question.
Your adversary would love to force you into an angry display.
That would legitimize his opposition to you.
Such a berserker rage would drag you down to his level.
You must resolutely take a public stand against what he represents, but refuse to engage him.
Without compromise, you show others the way to higher ground.

yin
yang above: K’an / The Abysmal, Water
yin
yang
yang below: Ch’ien / The Creative, Heaven
yang

 

ALL BEINGS have need of nourishment from above. But the gift of food comes in its own time, and for this one must wait. This hexagram shows the clouds in the heavens, giving rain to refresh all that grows and to provide mankind with food and drink. The rain will come in its own time. We cannot make it come; we have to wait for it. The idea of waiting is further suggested by the attributes of the two trigrams – strength within, danger in front.2Strength in the face of danger does not plunge ahead but bides its time, whereas weakness in the face of danger grows agitated and has not the patience to wait.

THE JUDGEMENT

WAITING. If you are sincere,
You have light and success.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
It furthers one to cross the great water.

WAITING is not mere empty hoping. It has the inner certainty of reaching the goal. Such certainty alone gives that light which leads to success. This leads to the perseverance that brings good fortune and bestows power to cross the great water. One is faced with a danger that has to be overcome. Weakness and impatience can do nothing. Only a strong man can stand up to his fate, for his inner security enables him to endure to the end. This strength shows itself in uncompromising truthfulness [with himself]. It is only when we have the courage to face things exactly as they are, without any sort of self- deception or illusion, that a light will develop out of events, by which the path to success may be recognized. This recognition must be followed by resolute and persevering action. For only the man who goes to meet his fate resolutely is equipped to deal with it adequately. Then he will be able to cross the great water – that is to say, he will be capable of making the necessary decision and of surmounting the danger.

South-China sea sky

South-China sea sky

THE IMAGE

Clouds rise up to heaven:
The image of [calculated] waiting.
Thus the superior man eats and drinks,
Is joyous and of good cheer.

WHEN CLOUDS rise in the sky, it is a sign that it will rain. There is nothing to do but to wait till after the rain falls. It is the same in life when destiny is at work. We should not worry and seek to shape the future by interfering in things before the time is ripe. We should quietly fortify the body with food and drink and the mind with gladness and good cheer. Fate comes when it will, and thus we’re ready.

2. [The upper trigram is considered to be in front of the lower.]

Today: “Gather allies for support through your attractive qualities.” – from the I Ching

Gather allies for support through your attractive qualities.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 21 – The Master keeps her mind always at one with the Tao; that is what gives her her radiance.

Meditation: NM0163 – 20010618 – Polish the Radiant Body

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8 – Eight. Pi / Bonding

Deep Waters on the face of the Earth:
Surface waters flow together.
The Superior Person recognizes the situation calls for joining together.
Thus he cultivates friendly relations with all.

Good fortune is possible.
Cast the coins again to discover if you have the qualities needed to lead such a group.
Then there will be no error.
Those uncertain will gradually join.
Those who join too late will meet with misfortune.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is a time of connection with another or others — not just an alliance, but a melding of parts into a new whole.
Such a connection may be too close, too intense for some.
Consult the oracle again to see if you have the qualities needed to strengthen and withstand such an intense synthesis.

Nine in the fifth place means:

The hunter surrounds the game on only three sides, allowing an avenue of escape.
In seeking allegiance with others, leave room for them to say ‘no’; this way, those choosing to join you will be sincere.

Manifestation of holding together.
In the hunt the king uses beaters on three sides only
And forgoes game that runs off in front.
The citizens need no warning.
Good fortune.

The Hunt

‘The Hunt’ – Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin – 1929

In the royal hunts of ancient China it was customary to drive up the game from three sides, but on the fourth the animals had a chance to run off. If they failed to do this they had to pass through a gate behind which the king stood ready to shoot. Only animals that entered here were shot; those that ran off in front were permitted to escape. This custom accorded with a kingly attitude; the royal hunter did not wish to turn the chase into a slaughter, but held that the kill should consist only of those animals which had so to speak voluntarily exposed themselves.
There is depicted here a ruler, or influential man, to whom people are attracted. Those who come to him he accepts, those who do not come are allowed to go their own way. He invited none, flatters none – all come of their own free will. In this way there develops a voluntary dependence among those who hold to him. They do not have to be constantly on their guard but may express their opinions openly. Police measures are not necessary, and they cleave to their ruler of their own volition. The same principle of freedom is valid for life in general. We should not woo favor from people. If a man cultivates within himself the purity and the strength that are necessary for one who is the centre of a fellowship, those who are meant for him come of their own accord.
52 – Fifty-Two. Kên / The Mountain

Above this Mountain’s summit another more majestic rises:
The Superior Person is mindful to keep his thoughts in the here and now.

Stilling the sensations of the Ego, he roams his courtyard without moving a muscle, unencumbered by the fears and desires of his fellows.
This is no mistake.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

There is a higher vantage point available to you, but it is obscured by the visible peak of personal ambition.
To climb to this higher plane, you must shake off the desires and fears of the conscious, visible world around you.
To make this journey you must quiet the Ego, empty your mind of past and future, and dwell totally in the moment at hand.
Thorough mindfulness of what is before you is the only tranquility.
Be. Here. Now.

Today: “Recognize when your circumstance is untenable.  The is no shame in a graceful retreat.” – from the I Ching

Recognize when your circumstance is untenable.  The is no shame in a graceful retreat.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 20 – Stop thinking, and end your problems.

Meditation:  LA015 780227 – To Bring Swift and Powerful Change

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7 – Seven.  Shih / Recruiting Allies

Deep Water beneath the Earth’s surface:
Untapped resources are available.
The Superior Person nourishes and instructs the people, building a loyal, disciplined following.
Good fortune.
No mistakes if you follow a course led by experience.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You must gain support from others.
Find a way to make others want to see your objectives met as badly as you want it.
How can they profit from the attainment of this goal?
Can you command confidence that you are just the person that can bring this plan to fruition?

Six in the fourth place means:

It is never a mistake to retreat to a stronger position.

The army retreats. No blame.

US army retreat

US army retreat

In the face of a superior enemy, with whom it would be hopeless to engage in battle, an orderly retreat is the only correct procedure, because it will save the army from defeat and disintegration. It is by no means a sign of courage or strength to insist upon engaging in a hopeless struggle regardless of circumstances.
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: “Be graceful. Let it shine.” – from the I Ching

Be graceful.  Let it shine.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 19 – Throw away holiness and wisdom, and people will be a hundred times happier.

Meditation:  LA19970407 – Experiencing the Original You

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22 – Twenty-Two.  Pi / Grace

Fire illuminates the base of the Mountain:
The Superior Person realizes he has not the wisdom to move the course of the world, except by attending to each day’s affairs as they come.

Success in small matters.
This is a good time to begin something.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

The emphasis now is on form, not function — on the sizzle and not the steak.
The environment around you is not one of depth, and you are appreciated now for your image, not your essence.
You perfectly fill a role, and no one is seeing the genuine you.
Still, you are being listened to and watched.
Use this influence to further your goals as much as possible.
Even if you don’t feel understood, you can perhaps connect with a few isolated hearts.
Relax and enjoy the attention.

yang
yin above: Kên / Keeping Still, Mountain
yin
yang
yin below: Li / The Clinging, Flame
yang

 

This hexagram shows a fire that breaks out of the secret depths of the earth and, blazing up, illuminates and beautifies the mountain, the heavenly heights. Grace-beauty of form-is necessary in any union if it is to be well ordered and pleasing rather than disordered and chaotic.

THE JUDGEMENT

GRACE has success.
In small matters
It is favorable to undertake something.

Grace brings success. However, it is not the essential or fundamental thing; it is only the ornament and must therefore be used sparingly and only in little things. In the lower trigram of fire a yielding line comes between two strong lines and makes them beautiful, but the strong lines are the essential content and the weak line is the beautifying form. In the upper trigram of the mountain, the strong line takes the lead, so that here again the strong element must be regarded as the decisive factor. In nature we see in the sky the strong light of the sun; the life of the world depends on it. But this strong, essential thing is changed and given pleasing variety by the moon and the stars. In human affairs, aesthetic form comes into being when traditions exist that, strong and abiding like mountains, are made pleasing by a lucid beauty. By contemplating the forms existing in the heavens we come to understand time and its changing demands. Through contemplation of the forms existing in human society it becomes possible to shape the world.1

Fire on the mountain

‘Fire On The Mountain’ – David Pantuso

THE IMAGE

Fire at the foot of the mountain:
The image of GRACE.
Thus does the superior man proceed
When clearing up current affairs.
But he dare not decide controversial issues in this way.

Mount Rainier Snow Sunrise

Mount Rainier Snow Sunrise – photo Ron Coscorrosa

The fire, whose light illuminates the mountain and makes it pleasing, does not shine far; in the same way, beautiful form suffices to brighten and to throw light upon matters of lesser moment, but important questions cannot be decided in this way. They require greater earnestness.


1. This hexagram shows tranquil beauty – clarity within, quiet without. This is the tranquillity of pure contemplation. When desire is silenced and the will comes to rest, the world-as-idea becomes manifest. In this aspect the world is beautiful and removed from the struggle for existence. This is the world of art. However, contemplation alone will not put the will to rest absolutely. It will awaken again, and then all the beauty of form will appear to have been only a brief moment of exaltation. Hence this is still not the true way of redemption. For this reason Confucius felt very uncomfortable when once, on consulting the oracle, he obtained the hexagram of GRACE.

Today: “A man of God should develop a reliance on truth, on self, on higher self, on wisdom, on spirit, on mind, on physical abilities and capacities.” Yogi Bhajan

“A man of God should develop a reliance on truth, on self, on higher self, on wisdom, on spirit, on mind, on physical abilities and capacities. And a man of God should develop and guide this reliance so that when he walks out and faces the world, he is wise.” Yogi Bhajan

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

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Today: “The matter at hand is hopelessly complex.  Use your intuition along with the intellect.” – from the I Ching

The matter at hand is hopelessly complex.  Use your intuition along with the intellect.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 18 – When the great Tao is forgotten, goodness and piety appear.

Meditation: LA721-920325: for the Intuitive Intellect

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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:

Biting into dried meat and striking the golden arrowhead.
Keeping to this perilous course will result in unexpected reward.

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

Dog chew stick

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.
25 – Twenty-Five.  Wu Wang / Remaining Blameless

Thunder rolls beneath Heaven, as is its nature and place:
Sage rulers aligned themselves with the changing seasons, nurturing and guiding their subjects to do the same.

Exceptional Progress if you are mindful to keep out of the way of the natural Flow.
It would be a fatal error to try to alter its course.
This is a time of Being, not Doing.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is thoroughly a matter of the heart.
If everything you attempt, no matter how carefully planned, ends in disarray, then examine your motives.
They are the cause of your predicament.
It isn’t that your motives aren’t pure — even the best intentions will fail under these circumstances.
What stymies you in this situation is that you have a motive at all.
Free yourself of all expectations, release any tenuous grip you may have, and roll with it.
This is totally out of your control.
There are higher powers and more elements affecting the outcome of this situation than you can imagine.
Get out of their way.

Meditation: NM038 – “To Have a Happy Body Increase Vitality, Release Pressure in Body, Balance Endocrines”

October 17, 1991

A. 8 minutes.  Right arm parallel to floor, 60° to side, elbow straight and palm up, flat.

Left hand pushes on heart.  Eyes focus on the tips of the mountains of your right hand and the tip of your nose; from nose to hand.  Balance position of both sides of your body.  Breathe long and deep.  Keep your silence.

B.  Switch arms. 3 minutes

C.  Now open both arms. 3 minutes

Put your tongue out and pant.

End  Inhale and exhale. Inhale, put your hands on your knees, fingers forward and push the spine up, up, and exhale.

D. With mouth open, loudly click your tongue, Tha, Tha, Tha… 7 minutes

  1. Inhale and grab your neck, fingers at back. Lock your neck and squeeze it (to count of 21) and push your tongue against your palate and squish it. Don’t move.  Don’t move and squish, squish and exhale.
  2. Inhale, hands on floor in front, push and hold it (to count of 16) … and exhale.

  3. Put hands in back of you and look at the sky, bringing chin up, up. Inhale

back, behaving like a coyote, balance yourself (to count of 15) … and exhale.

E. “Kill the Fly” 3 minutes

Arms wide, hands in line with face, palms open.  Bring palms forcefully toward each other at center but miss, so palms go past each other.  (The effect is that you missed smashing the fly).  Do it with passion, move your body.

End –  Inhale and exhale and relax.

Read the text from Yogi Bhajan's lecture

From Yogi Bhajan’s lecture:

So tonight we are working on pineal, the control center of the Pranic energy and the master of the nervous system. The seventh chakra. Let’s get ready according to the watch. It is just good time to do it and I don’t need you for any further clarification I need your cooperation and I don’t need your cooperation to be honest I need your honesty of indulgence. I am not a very miracle man that I promised you anything but all I know is step by step you will fix ourself into it. We’ll get the result and if you don’t you won’t. That’s what I said in the beginning it’s you, in the middle it’s you and in the end it’s you. It’s not going to be anybody else.

So sit straight and if you are sitting on chairs put your weight on both legs equal and make your spine straight which is abnormal requirement but we should do it and take your this left hand put it on your heart center and take your right hand like this and try to see it is flat and look at where your base of the finger is it’s called mounts of the hand. Concentrate on the mounts of the hand. There are mounts try to see if your elbow is straight if it is crooked it is crooked. I didn’t make it so and you let it go crooked and you let it go crooked. So now you are finding it crooked elbow it’s okay. You are not crooked your elbow is crooked. So even with that crooked elbow you don’t feel shy but try to stretch it if you can. If you can stretch your both elbows you will never get a heart attack.

I am quoting yoga Shastra. Your heart attacks is on the way when your elbow refuses to be straight. It’s a simple yogic test. It’s not medical and it is not valid either. Don’t believe anything what I say. No, no, my insurance is not going to cover it and I am not going to tell you. Everything which I say is a pure, pure lie and I don’t care a heck about it. I am very good and I love to lie and no legal situation no that I told somebody eat beets and I suffered in the court of Santa Fe for three years for suggesting somebody eat beets and sugar went to the head therefore she did whatever she did. So I am not into that game so whatever I say the statement is absolutely not truth or cannot be. Therefore please don’t trust it but somehow somewhere I have read that your, I have been advised by my insurance company to disclaim everything what I say, you know there is always a fight between the haves and have not and unfortunately I am the one who have so have-not’s are many so there is a problem.

So somewhere I have read that if your both elbows can be stretched you may get anything but an heart attack and if the elbows are like that you should consult your medical MD cardiovascular situation. When I had my heart trouble I read through my own notes and I said, “Wow.” First thing before my arteries got clogged up my both sides here start hurting and I was so busy doing things I didn’t care. You are looking at me have you not ever seen me. Look at the mounts of your hand.

You know I will do everything to distract you and it is a lie to. I will try to distract you, you should not distract yourself. That is spirituality that nothing can distract you. You don’t understand the meaning of spirituality. Spirituality is the soul the spirit. The sole purpose of life is that you are you and nobody can distract you. That’s it, period. Rest is just printing the books and making the money. Your right elbow and hand should be straight number one and painful as it is and it is painful. Big macho person and woman cannot handle it after a while and you are going to enter in a minute and a half into that painful era because your capillaries are clogged up and they are going to start hurting. That’s a simple rule.

It’s not that it’s causing because of the super phenomena therefore and you should look straight on the mounts and if you don’t have the mounts even then look. Simply you don’t have them. Somebody left me a note tonight I am supposed to teach, experience the inner vitality in you. They are experiencing honey thanks for the note. You are experiencing your inner vitality. Now stick to it. Now what is happening now?

Nothing is happening outside. You are hurting, you are miserable now I tell you what is happening and your breath is going to change but inside the brain neurons are asking red and white corpuscles to move in the area where the pain is. You are causing pain and you are telling your brain to create enough morphine to space you out and it’s not going to do it because you use that morphine so much through your hassling nature that it’s not enough. So you are Mister and Misses Ms miserable. That’s what it is. But God if you go through this hell you will see the door of the heaven in about two more minutes yeah that’s it. That’s right I mean you are on time what should I say? I have to do what this class is meant to be. Now start pressing your hand against your heart center as much hard you can. Get tighter little bit. Na, na, na pain is a pain let us create it too much of it. See where it goes in other words conquer your posture and conquer your pain.

Concentrate only on one time and one place that’s the mounts of your hand. Don’t look left, don’t look right, don’t look anywhere. Straight look on your mounts it will give you forty degree declined optical nerve vision. Those great yogis are not stupid man they knew all about God and the science of it. You have exact thirty seconds to go between when I said now twenty-five left, twenty second, fifteen, ten, five get ready change your hands now. No don’t, do it right with all the power at your command do it now that is the gain don’t lose it. You will lose the edge absolutely no nonsense. Just stick with it now and straight it over spine serum will start changing, gray matter is moving. Hurry up. Spine should not have any other than your total control and total strength to straighten it. Now straighten your hand doesn’t matter what? Pull it. Stick with it. Steady, steady and steady. We are doing a workshop, we mean business. If the hands have become shaky it doesn’t matter in a while they are going to stop shaking. Isn’t it surprising, it happens. Let the body work its way to you to protect you.

You are only in this pain gaining one thing inducing and asking your defense mechanism to come through. It’s a medical lie don’t you know that your body has the capacity of the automatic self-defense. Stick with you. Now isn’t something funny. Your arc line tells me that about twenty percent of you breathe shallow. Come on now, now is the vital point has come in. You have half a minute more to go. No, no, no twenty-five seconds it’s moving, moving, moving. Moving, moving, moving, moving, man just pray to God that this fifteen second you be real. Ten, five get ready now folks be dare eagle is landing both hands out open your mouth breathe in and out with a force of a cannon fire breathe in and breathe out. Get rid of the disease don’t look at me it is not my trouble I healed myself because of that. Come on you guys breathe out all the junk. We have a minute and a half only to do it. Breathe out, breathe out. Breathe out powerfully your thyroid and parathyroid will accumulate itself. You have exactly fifteen seconds left. Try if you have never tried come on. Ten seconds get ready, inhale deep.

Inhale, inhale, inhale hold synchronize your body, synchronize, tighten everything. Wherever you are keep the posture tighten every muscle relax. That’s how it works. Don’t look at my face it is not very holy it is for the self now talk che, che, che, che. You have about five minutes to talk. You have to talk hey spaced out folks. Come on start talking ta ta, ta ta, hurry up, mouth must, jaw must move. Move your jaw.

(Students talk with each other)

I will not like you not to move your mouth if you have nobody to talk to just move your jaws, that’s all like that. If you don’t want to talk to anybody don’t just move your jaws. Hey she did it. She was pretty good. Isn’t it fun? So you can do everything you want to. Don’t you think so? You have last minute but don’t stop your jaws. Move them, move them, move them. Okay hello all right this is an exercise which according to Kundalini yoga takes care of something which you have never learnt to take care of and that is called your senses and your sexual vitality. Now from the pineal we are coming to pituitary. It’s a very simple exercise but you will not like to do it that I know.

Well you know you do not know how to create semen you only know how to ejaculate it so you are half trained. I mean that’s the fact of life and I have not seen in school and college book here in United State all pornographic record and playboy channel that they tell you how to create semen they all tell you how to ejaculate it and you all know that if the tub is leaking downstairs it’s not going to overflow from the top and the gray matter doesn’t get the spine serum good enough of the quality you are going to go berserk. Simple rule is not something it’s a simple physics not even any chemistry about it. I mean that’s how poorly we are educated in our life.

See the complete lecture

Today: “Everything is upside down.  Do not act.  Do not draw attention to yourself.   Wait for more favorable circumstances.” – from the I Ching

Everything is upside down.  Do not act.  Do not draw attention to yourself.   Wait for more favorable circumstances.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 17 – When the Master governs, the people are hardly aware that he exists. Next best is a leader who is loved. Next, one who is feared. The worst is one who is despised.

Meditation: LA046 – 780614 – Hari Shabad Meditation – Use the Wind to Produce Trance and Dissolve Negativity

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12 – Twelve.  P’i / Stagnation

Heaven and Earth move away from each other.
In the ensuing void, the small invade where the great have departed.
There is no common meeting ground, so the Superior Person must fall back on his inner worth and decline the rewards offered by the inferior invaders.

Difficult trials as you hold to your course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

It is natural to assume that, if Earth above Heaven forms the hexagram for Peace and Paradise, then the opposite configuration, with Heaven over Earth would represent the antithesis of Paradise, Hell.
Not so.
This hexagram is actually the Dark side of Peace, its unsavory byproduct, Stagnation.
In a time when most of our wants are provided, there is little need for the heroes, the artists, the great thinkers and innovators.
As they recede into the shadows, Idleness, Apathy, and Lassitude come to the forefront.
Peace has become boring, bland, unchallenging — Stagnant.
Now our attention turns to the quick fix, the instant celebrity, the fad, the one-nighter, the current buzz.
There is no room for depth.
If you are a passionate soul, you must wait for a better time to find kindred spirits.
In these times, they are only curious legends, bas-relief, dead poets.

yang
yang above: Ch’ien / The Creative, Heaven
yang
yin
yin below: K’un / The Receptive, Earth
yin

 

This hexagram is the opposite of the preceding one (11). Heaven is above, drawing farther and farther away, while the earth below sinks farther into the depths. The creative powers are not in relation. It is a time of standstill and decline. This hexagram is linked with the seventh month (August – September), when the year has passed its zenith and autumnal decay is setting in.THE JUDGEMENT

STANDSTILL. Evil people do not further
The perseverance of the superior man.
The great departs; the small approaches.

Heaven and earth are out of communion and all things are benumbed. What is above has no relation to what is below, and on earth confusion and disorder prevail. The dark power is within, the light power is without. Weakness is within, harshness without. Within are the inferior, and without are the superior. The way of inferior people is in ascent; the way of superior people is on the decline. But the superior people do not allow themselves to be turned from their principles. If the possibility of exerting influence is closed to them, they nevertheless remain faithful to their principles and withdraw into seclusion.

Heaven and earth

THE IMAGE

Heaven and earth do not unite:
The image of STANDSTILL.
Thus the superior man falls back upon his inner worth
In order to escape the difficulties.
He does not permit himself to be honored with revenue.

When, owing to the influence of inferior men, mutual mistrust prevails in public life, fruitful activity is rendered impossible, because the fundamentals are wrong. Therefore the superior man knows what he must do under such circumstances; he does not allow himself to be tempted by dazzling offers to take part in public activities. This would only expose him to danger, since he cannot assent to the meanness of the others. He therefore hides his worth and withdraws into seclusion.

Today: “From the depths of hopeless circumstance, you must recognize the saving grace that appears which will save you from despair and an unwanted fate.” – from the I Ching

From the depths of hopeless circumstance, you must recognize the saving grace that appears which will save you from despair and an unwanted fate.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 16 – Empty your mind of all thoughts. Let your heart be at peace. Watch the turmoil of beings, but contemplate their return.

Meditation: LA544 – 870610 – Know and Experience the Unknown

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5 – Five.  Hsü / Calculated Waiting

Deep Waters in the Heavens:
Thunderclouds approaching from the West, but no rain yet.
The Superior Person nourishes himself and remains of good cheer to condition himself for the moment of truth.

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

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You must now endure this Dangling — either a carrot before your nose, or a sword above your head.
This strange mix of apprehension and anticipation is a Purgatory.
There is nothing more you can do to affect the outcome.
You must now submit to the Fates.

Six at the top means:

The showdown comes, with the opponents too evenly matched.
Just as all hopes of survival are dashed, three strangers appear.
They will tip the scales in favor of the contender who recognizes them for what they are.

One falls into the pit.
Three uninvited guests arrive.
Honor them, and in the end there will be good fortune.

Three Bogatyrs

Three Bogatyrs, or three knights: Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Aliosha Popovich – Victor Vasnetsov (1848-1926)

The waiting is over; the danger can no longer be averted. One falls into the pit and must yield to the inevitable. Everything seems to have been in vain. But precisely in this extremity things take an unforeseen turn. Without a move on one’s own part, there is outside intervention. At first one cannot be sure of its meaning: is it rescue or is it destruction? A person in this situation must keep his mind alert and not withdraw into himself with a sulky gesture of refusal, but must greet the new turn with respect. Thus he ultimately escapes the danger, and all goes well. Even happy turns of fortune often come in a form that at first seems strange to us.

9 – Nine.  Hsiao Ch’u / Gentle Restraint

Winds of change high in the Heavens:
Air currents carry the weather.
Dense clouds blow in from the West, but still no rain.
The Superior Person fine tunes the image he presents to the world.

Small successes.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

No matter what you do, the fruit of your labors never seems to ripen.
Your reward remains just out of reach.
Men have gone mad from such anticipation.
Don’t lose your balance lunging for the brass ring.
While the Fates continue to restrain you, go them one better and display a self-generated restraint and grace.
Look for the humor in the situation.

Today: “The elements are coming together that support your aspirations.  Small change is possible now.  Sweeping changes will have to wait for the conditions to mature and come to fruition.” – from the I Ching

The elements are coming together that support your aspirations.  Small change is possible now.  Sweeping changes will have to wait for the conditions to mature and come to fruition.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 15 – The ancient Masters were profound and subtle

Meditation: LA112 – 790528 For Support From the Elements

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9 – Nine.  Hsiao Ch’u / Gentle Restraint

Winds of change high in the Heavens:
Air currents carry the weather.
Dense clouds blow in from the West, but still no rain.
The Superior Person fine tunes the image he presents to the world.

Small successes.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

No matter what you do, the fruit of your labors never seems to ripen.
Your reward remains just out of reach.
Men have gone mad from such anticipation.
Don’t lose your balance lunging for the brass ring.
While the Fates continue to restrain you, go them one better and display a self-generated restraint and grace.
Look for the humor in the situation.

yang
yang above: Sun / The Gentle, Wind
yin
yang
yang below: Ch’ien / The Creative, Heaven
yang

THIS HEXAGRAM MEANS the force of the small – the power of the shadowy – that restrains, tames, impedes. A weak line in the fourth place, that of the minister, holds the five strong lines in check. In the Image it is the wind blowing across the sky. The wind restrains the clouds, the rising breath of the Creative (1), and makes them grow dense, but as yet is not strong enough to turn them to rain. The hexagram presents a configuration of circumstances in which a strong element is temporarily held in leash by a weak element. It is only through gentleness that this can have a successful outcome.

THE JUDGEMENT

THE TAMING POWER OF THE SMALL
Has success.
Dense clouds, no rain from our western region.

This image refers to the state of affairs in China at the time when King Wên, who came originally from the west, was in the east at the court of the reigning tyrant Chou Hsin. The moment for action on a large scale hadn’t yet arrived. King Wen could only keep the tyrant somewhat in check by friendly persuasion. Hence the image of many clouds, promising moisture and blessing to the land, although as yet no rain falls. The situation is not unfavorable; there is a prospect of ultimate success, but there are still obstacles in the way, and we can merely take preparatory measures. Only through the small means of friendly persuasion can we exert any influence. The time has not yet come for sweeping measures. However, we may be able, to a limited extent, to act as a restraining and subduing influence. To carry out our purpose we need firm determination within and gentleness and adaptability in external relations.

THE IMAGE

The wind drives across heaven:
The image of THE TAMING POWER OF THE SMALL.
Thus the superior man
Refines the outward aspect of his nature.

 

Clouds

The wind can indeed drive the clouds together in the sky; yet, being nothing but air, without solid body, it does not produce great or lasting effects. So also an individual, in times when he can produce no great effect in the outer world, can do nothing except refine the expression of his nature in small ways.

Today: “Act innocently without expectations.  Be true.   You will succeed with everything you so.” – from the I Ching

Act innocently without expectations.  Be true.   You will succeed with everything you so.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 14 – Look, and it can’t be seen. Listen, and it can’t be heard. Reach, and it can’t be grasped.

Meditation: 760422 – Balancing Projection with Intention

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25 – Twenty-Five.  Wu Wang / Remaining Blameless

Thunder rolls beneath Heaven, as is its nature and place:
Sage rulers aligned themselves with the changing seasons, nurturing and guiding their subjects to do the same.

Exceptional Progress if you are mindful to keep out of the way of the natural Flow.
It would be a fatal error to try to alter its course.
This is a time of Being, not Doing.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is thoroughly a matter of the heart.
If everything you attempt, no matter how carefully planned, ends in disarray, then examine your motives.
They are the cause of your predicament.
It isn’t that your motives aren’t pure — even the best intentions will fail under these circumstances.
What stymies you in this situation is that you have a motive at all.
Free yourself of all expectations, release any tenuous grip you may have, and roll with it.
This is totally out of your control.
There are higher powers and more elements affecting the outcome of this situation than you can imagine.
Get out of their way.

Six in the second place means:

Plow your field for a field well-plowed, not for possible harvests.
Clear the wasteland for land well-cleared, not for potential rich fields.

Such guileless enterprise can’t help but succeed.

If one does not count on the harvest while ploughing,
Nor on the use of the ground while clearing it,
It furthers one to undertake something.

Autumn Ploughing

‘Autumn Ploughing’ – E.R. Sturgeon (1920 – 1999)

We should do every task for its own sake as time and place demand and not with an eye to the result. Then each task turns out well, and anything we undertake succeeds.

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.