It is a time of standstill and decay.

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.

This time demands a person of the highest integrity to lead us into the light: the [person] who is truly called to the task is favored by the conditions of the time, and all those of like mind will share in her blessing.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

Tao Te Ching – Verse 11 – We work with being, but non-being is what we use.

Meditation: Drib Dhristi Lochina Karma

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading – “Faced with conflict, engage if it can be resolved quickly either by compromise or having the overwhelming advantage of truth.”

Today: I Ching – Previous previous reading – “Though it may seem that everything opposes your endeavors, just ensure that you are on the right path and seek good company. You will triumph.”

See related posts.

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.

39 – Thirty-Nine. Chien / Obstacle

Ominous roiling in the Crater Lake atop the Volcano:
When meeting an impasse, the Superior Person turns his gaze within, and views the obstacle from a new perspective.

Offer your opponent nothing to resist.
Let a sage guide you in this.
Good fortune lies along this course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

The Obstacle lies in obstinance.
An insistence on only one way of proceeding has brought things to an impasse.
You may either continue banging your head with irresistible force against this immovable object, or you might step back and survey this situation from a fresh perspective.
Which is immobile here — the obstruction or your attitude?

Faced with conflict, engage if it can be resolved quickly either by compromise or having the overwhelming advantage of truth.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

Tao Te Ching – Verse 10 – Can you coax your mind from its wandering and keep to the original oneness?

Meditation: Drib Dhristi Lochina Karma

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading – “Though it may seem that everything opposes your endeavors, just ensure that you are on the right path and seek good company. You will triumph.”

Today: I Ching – Previous previous reading – “Rely on your experience, knowledge and wisdom as you venture into unknown territory. Witness all that lies before you with out preconception.”

See related posts.

6 – Six   Sung / Conflict

The high Heavens over a yawning Deep chasm:
An expansive void where nothing can dwell.
Even though he sincerely knows he is right, the Superior Person anticipates opposition and carefully prepares for any incident.

Good fortune if your conflict results in compromise.
Misfortune if your conflict escalates to confrontation.
Seek advice.
Postpone your crossing to the far shore.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Conflict is a necessary part of life.
Tension upon the strings of a violin can make majestic music.
The critical mass of two hydrogen atoms trying to occupy the same space fuel the sun that nourishes our solar system.
Most conflicts you face in life are the result of your Path converging with another’s.
Your Path is not his, and one Path is not necessarily more right than the other.
Can you work together to remove the blockage?

Six at the beginning [yin at bottom] means:

No quarrel will blossom, unless you let your pride fertilize this budding conflict.
Let the one who insults you expose himself for what he is.
Don’t fight this battle until you’ve already won it.

If one does not perpetuate the affair,
There is a little gossip.
In the end, good fortune comes.

‘Gossip’ – Norman Rockwell

WHILE A CONFLICT is in the incipient stage, the best thing to do is to drop the issue. Especially when the adversary is stronger, it is not advisable to risk pushing the conflict to a decision. It may come to a slight dispute, but in the end all goes well.

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.

Though it may seem that everything opposes your endeavors, just ensure that you are on the right path and seek good company.  You will triumph.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

Tao Te Ching – Verse 9 – Better to stop in time than to fill to the brim

Meditation:  TCH36-1-A00713 – Pain and Ecstasy – Triangle of Knowledge

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading – “Rely on your experience, knowledge and wisdom as you venture into unknown territory. Witness all that lies before you with out preconception.”

Today: I Ching – Previous previous reading – “You have everything at your disposal to help anyone in need.  Without any challenge or pressure you can be assured that your relations benefit from you as long as you are aware of danger and keep your humility.”  – from the I Ching

See related posts.

38 – Thirty-Eight.  K’uei / Estrangement

Fire distances itself from its nemesis, the Lake:
No matter how large or diverse the group, the Superior Person remains uniquely himself.

Small accomplishments are possible.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You are working at cross-purposes with another.
The distance between you is very wide.
The gap can be closed, however, with no compromise of your integrity.
You are not adversaries in this case — just two persons addressing individual needs.
Ask yourself: are these needs mutually exclusive?
Is there common ground here?
Must there be one winner and one loser?
Could you become partners in seeking a solution that would allow for two winners?

34 – Thirty-Four.  Ta Chuang / Awesome Power

Thunder fills the Heavens with its awful roar, not out of pride, but with integrity; if it did less, it would not be Thunder:
Because of his Great Power, the Superior Person takes pains not to overstep his position, so that he will not seem intimidating or threatening to the Established Order.

Opportunity will arise along this course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

The Awesome Power available in this hexagram stems from what the Taoists call your Te, a term not perfectly translated into English.
Roughly, it is your Integrity — not in the Western sense of honor — but more in the psychological definition of a full integration of Who You Are.
This Awesome Power is achieved only by fully embracing both the good and the bad, the strong and the weak, the masculine and the feminine — all polarities within you.
Such self-knowledge spawns a Mastery tempered with the humility necessary to rein in and harness this Awesome Power.

1. Cutting off of the hair and nose was a severe and degrading punishment.

Rely on your experience, knowledge and wisdom as you venture into unknown territory.  Witness all that lies before you with out preconception.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

Tao Te Ching – Verse 7 – The Tao is infinite, eternal.

Meditation: LA004 780109 Experience the Experience

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading – “You have everything at your disposal to help anyone in need. Without any challenge or pressure you can be assured that your relations benefit from you as long as you are aware of danger and keep your humility.”

See related posts.

26 – Twenty-Six.  Ta Ch’u / Recharging Power

Heaven’s motherlode waits within the Mountain:
The Superior Person mines deep into history’s wealth of wisdom and deeds, charging his character with timeless strength.

Persevere.
Drawing sustenance from these sources creates good fortune.
Then you may cross to the far shore.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

There are important precedents in this situation.
Others have trodden this Path before you, overcoming the same obstacles facing you now, and making crucial decisions at the same crossroads.
Study their journals, watch for their trail markings.
Gain inspiration and wisdom from the heroes and learn from the mistakes of those who chose a sidepath.
All were Seekers, explorers whose daring mapped a course you can follow.
The words and deeds of the finest can imbue you with the courage necessary to face what lies before you.

		above: Kên / Keeping Still, Mountain
		below: Ch’ien / The Creative,

Cloud in the crater of the volcano Caldera de Taburiente, La Palma – Canary Islands, May 2013 Mirador de Los Roques (La Cumbrecita) – photo Lex van den Bos

THE IMAGE Heaven within the mountain: The image of THE TAMING POWER OF THE GREAT. Thus the superior man acquaints himself with many sayings of antiquity And many deeds of the past, In order to strengthen his character thereby. Heaven within the mountain points to hidden treasures. In the words and deeds of the past there lies hidden a treasure that men may use to strengthen and elevate their own characters. The way to study the past is not to confine oneself to mere knowledge of history but, through application of this knowledge, to give actuality to the past.

You have everything at your disposal to help anyone in need.  Without any challenge or pressure you can be assured that your relations benefit from you as long as you are aware of danger and keep your humility.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

Tao Te Ching – Verse 6 – The Tao is called the Great Mother: empty yet inexhaustible, it gives birth to infinite worlds.

Meditation: NM345- Strengthen and enhance the radiant body

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading – “Persevere in what you are doing, yet remain mindful of the danger in every action.”

Today: I Ching – Previous Previous Reading – “Enhance your durability beyond strength. Apply yourself to a firm commitment to your aspirations and intentions. Be both firm and flexible as required.”

See related posts.

14 – Fourteen.  Ta Yu / Great Treasures

The Fire of clarity illuminates the Heavens to those below:
The Superior Person possesses great inner treasures — compassion, economy, and modesty.
These treasures allow the benevolent will of Heaven to flow through him outward to curb evil and to further good.

Supreme success.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You have become an instrument of Heaven’s will, offering a balance in the world around you.
It is not swashbuckling prowess or uncanny talent that qualifies you for this office, but your simplest gifts — your modesty, your compassion, your economy.
Because you can see clearly who most needs a miracle, Heaven’s bounty is being put at your disposal.

Nine at the beginning [yang at bottom] means:

No mistakes if you stay out of harm’s way.
Remain conscious of dangers and difficulties, and you will have no regrets.

No relationship with what is harmful;
There is no blame in this.
If one remains conscious of difficulty,
One remains without blame.

Great possession that is still in its beginnings and that has not yet been challenged brings no blame, since there has been no opportunity to make mistakes. Yet there are many difficulties to be overcome. It is only by remaining conscious of these difficulties that one can keep inwardly free of possible arrogance and wastefulness, and thus in principle overcome all cause for blame.

50 – Fifty   Ting / The Caldron

Fire rises hot and bright from the Wood beneath the sacrificial caldron:
The Superior Person positions himself correctly within the flow of Cosmic forces.

Supreme Accomplishment.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Your needs are coming into harmony with the requirements of the Cosmos.
Blending brilliantly with the Dance of Life, you are becoming an actual element of Cosmic Law.
Your goals will now be realized because you no longer cut against the Cosmic grain; you are no longer swimming against the flow of the Tao.
You are acquiring an intuitive sense of what can and cannot be, and aligning your efforts accordingly.

Persevere in what you are doing, yet remain mindful of the danger in every action.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

Tao Te Ching – Verse 5 – The Tao doesn’t take sides; it gives birth to both good and evil.

Meditation: 760422 – Balancing Projection with Intention

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading – “Enhance your durability beyond strength. Apply yourself to a firm commitment to your aspirations and intentions. Be both firm and flexible as required.”

Today: I Ching – Previous Previous Reading – “Seek to learn rather than presume to have all the answers. A teacher may be recognized at any time, any place.”

See related posts.

46 – Forty-Six.  Shêng / Upward Mobility

Beneath the Soil, the Seedling pushes upward toward the light:
To preserve his integrity, the Superior Person contents himself with small gains that eventually lead to great accomplishment.

Supreme Success.
Have no doubts.
Seek guidance from someone you respect.
A constant move toward greater clarity will bring reward.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You are progressing, rising inch-by-inch toward certain success.
What makes this assured is your refusal to tilt headlong toward your goal, slamming into obstacles and going mad with frustration.
You have a clear map before you of the steps necessary to reach your objective.
With faithful patience and a careful conservation of personal energy and resources, you will run this long, slow distance.

Six at the top means:  

Climbing onward and upward through dark of night is perilous, but your tenacity is admirable.
Good fortune if you avoid the slightest misstep.

Pushing upward in darkness.
It furthers one
To be unremittingly persevering.

He who pushes upward blindly deludes himself. He knows only advance, not retreat. But this means exhaustion. In such a case it is important to be constantly mindful that one must be conscientious and consistent and must remain so. Only thus does one become free of blind impulse, which is always harmful.

4 – Four.  Mêng / Inexperience

A fresh Spring at the foot of the Mountain:
The Superior Person refines his character by being thorough in every activity.
The Sage does not recruit students; the students seek him.
He asks nothing but a sincere desire to learn.
If the student doubts or challenges his authority, the Sage regretfully cuts his losses.

SITUA TI    ON ANALYSIS:

This is a time of interchange between a mentor and pupil.
Whether you are the teacher or the student, it is a time of companionship along a mutual path.
This hexagram also emphasizes the eternal, cyclical nature of the mentor/student relationship — a mentor is merely a more seasoned pupil, further along on the journey.
A pupil holds within himself the seed of a future Master.

Enhance your durability beyond strength.  Apply yourself to a firm commitment to your aspirations and intentions.  Be both firm and flexible as required.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

Tao Te Ching – Verse 4 – The Tao is like a well: used but never used up.

Yogi Bhajan’s Seven Steps to Happiness

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading – “Seek to learn rather than presume to have all the answers. A teacher may be recognized at any time, any place.”

Today: I Ching – Previous Previous Reading – “Look beyond your preferences. See beyond any tribal view. Include everything.”

See related posts.

32 – Thirty-Two.  Hêng / Durability

Arousing Thunder and penetrating Wind.
Close companions in any storm:
The Superior Person possesses a resiliency and durability that lets him remain firmly and faithfully on course.

Such constancy deserves success.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Endurance is the key to success in this situation.
However, durability is not synonymous with stone-like rigidity.
True resilience requires a flexibility that allows adaptation to any adverse condition, while still remaining true to the core.
Can you maintain your integrity under any circumstance?
Can you influence the situation without giving opposing forces anything to resist?
Then you will endure to reach your goal.

		above: Chên / The Arousing, Thunder
		below: Sun / The Gentle, Wind

 

The strong trigram Chên is above, the weak trigram Sun below. This hexagram is the inverse of the preceding one (31). In the latter we have influence, here we have union as an enduring condition. The two images are thunder and wind, which are likewise constantly paired phenomena. The lower trigram indicates gentleness within; the upper, movement without. In the sphere of social relationships, the hexagram represents the institution of marriage as the enduring union of the sexes. During courtship the young man subordinates himself to the girl, but in marriage, which is represented by the coming together of the eldest son and the eldest daughter, the husband is the directing and moving force outside, while the wife, inside, is gentle and submissive. THE JUDGEMENT DURATION. Success. No blame. Perseverance furthers. It furthers one to have somewhere to go. Duration is a state whose movement is not worn down by hindrances. It is not a state of rest, for mere standstill is regression. Duration is rather the self- contained and therefore self-renewing movement of an organised, firmly integrated whole, taking place in accordance with immutable laws and beginning anew at every ending. The end is reached by an inward movement, by inhalation, systole, contraction, and this movement turns into a new beginning, in which the movement is directed outward, in exhalation, diastole, expansion. Heavenly bodies exemplify duration. They move in their fixed orbits, and because of this their light-giving power endures. The seasons of the year follow a fixed law of change and transformation, hence can produce effects that endure. So likewise the dedicated man embodies an enduring meaning in his way of life, and thereby the world is formed. In that which gives things their duration, we can come to understand the nature of all beings in heaven and on earth.

Seek to learn rather than presume to have all the answers.  A teacher may be recognized at any time, any place.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

Tao Te Ching – Verse 3 – The Master leads by emptying people’s minds and filling their cores

The Teacher

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading – “Look beyond your preferences. See beyond any tribal view. Include everything.”

Today: I Ching – Previous Previous Reading – “Carefully discern peoples’ intentions before you join them in their ventures.”

See related posts.

4 – Four.  Mêng / Inexperience

A fresh Spring at the foot of the Mountain:
The Superior Person refines his character by being thorough in every activity.
The Sage does not recruit students; the students seek him.
He asks nothing but a sincere desire to learn.
If the student doubts or challenges his authority, the Sage regretfully cuts his losses.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is a time of interchange between a mentor and pupil.
Whether you are the teacher or the student, it is a time of companionship along a mutual path.
This hexagram also emphasizes the eternal, cyclical nature of the mentor/student relationship — a mentor is merely a more seasoned pupil, further along on the journey.
A pupil holds within himself the seed of a future Master.

		above: Kên / Keeping Still, Mountain
		below: K’an / The Abysmal, Water

 

IN THIS HEXAGRAM we are reminded of youth and folly1 in two different ways. The image of the upper trigram, Kên, is the mountain, that of the lower, K’an, is water; the spring rising at the foot of the mountain is the image of inexperienced youth. Keeping still (52) is the attribute of the upper trigram; that of the lower is the abyss (29), danger. Stopping in perplexity on the brink of a dangerous abyss is a symbol of the folly of youth. However, the two trigrams also show the way of overcoming the follies of youth. Water is something that of necessity flows on. When the spring gushes forth, it does not know at first where it will go. But its steady flow fills up the deep place blocking its progress, and success is attained. THE JUDGEMENT Youthful folly has success. It is not I who seek the young fool; The young fool seeks me. At the first oracle I inform him. If he asks two or three times, it is importunity. If he importunes, I give him no information. Perseverance furthers. IN THE TIME OF youth, folly is not an evil. One may succeed in spite of it, provided one finds an experienced teacher and has the right attitude toward him. This means, first of all, that the youth himself must be conscious of his lack of experience and must seek out the teacher. Without this modesty and this interest there is no guarantee that he has the necessary receptivity, which should express itself in respectful acceptance of the teacher. This is the reason why the teacher must wait to be sought out instead of offering himself. Only thus can the instruction take place at the right time and in the right way. A teacher’s answer to the question of a pupil ought to be clear and definite like that expected from an oracle; thereupon it ought to be accepted as a key for resolution of doubts and a basis for decision. If mistrustful or unintelligent questioning is kept up, it serves only to annoy the teacher. He does well to ignore it in silence, just as the oracle gives one answer only and refuses to be tempted by questions implying doubt. Given in addition a perseverance that never slackens until the points are mastered one by one, real success is sure to follow. Thus the hexagram counsels the teacher as well as the pupil.