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.

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.
If you want to become full,
let yourself be empty.
If you want to be reborn,
let yourself die.
If you want to be given everything,
give everything up.

Continue reading “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.”

Today: “Use all that you have to for the greatest good.  Channel your abundance to where it is needed.”- from the I Ching

Use all that you have to for the greatest good.  Channel your abundance to where it is needed.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

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 – Feel God Within You, The Kindness in You

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading – “Broaden your view. Include everything. Feel everything from the inside, merging with the outside.”

Today: I Ching – Previous previous reading – “Enjoy what has been accomplished by many small measures and its ensuing peace. Any further action may disrupt it.”

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Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
15 – Fifteen.  Ch’ien / Modesty

The Mountain does not overshadow the Plain surrounding it:
Such modest consideration in a Superior Person creates a channel through which excess flows to the needy.

Success if you carry things through.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

The Cosmos is moving toward equilibrium.
Extremes are being tempered, excess is beginning to shift toward the empty.
You can use these moderating influences to strike a balance in the world around you.
Remember, though, that this Leveling will not come about through an arrogant confiscation of excess, but through subtler persuasions.
Modesty and moderation are the keys.

yin
yin above: K’un / The Receptive, Earth
yin
yang
yin below: Kên / Keeping Still, Mountain
yin

 

This hexagram is made up of the trigrams Kên, Keeping Still, mountain, and K’un. The mountain is the youngest son of the Creative (1), the representative of heaven and earth. It dispenses the blessings of heaven, the clouds and rain that gather round its summit, and thereafter shines forth radiant with heavenly light. This shows what modesty is and how it functions in great and strong men. K’un, the earth, stands above. Lowliness is a quality of the earth: this is the very reason why it appears in this hexagram as exalted, by being placed above the mountain. This shows how modesty functions in lowly, simple people: they are lifted up by it.

THE JUDGEMENT

MODESTY creates success.
The superior man carries things through.

It is the law of heaven to make fullness empty and to make full what is modest; when the sun is at its zenith, it must, according to the law of heaven, turn toward its setting, and at its nadir it rises toward a new dawn. In obedience to the same law, the moon when it is full begins to wane, and when empty of light it waxes again. This heavenly law works itself out in the fates of men also. It is the law of earth to alter the full and to contribute to the modest. High mountains are worn down by the waters, and the valleys are filled up. It is the law of fate to undermine what is full and to prosper the modest. And men also hate fullness and love the modest.
The destinies of men are subject to immutable laws that must fulfil themselves. But man has it in his power to shape his fate, according as his behavior exposes him to the influence of benevolent or of destructive forces. When a man holds a high position and is nevertheless modest, he shines with the light of wisdom; if he is in a lowly position and is modest, he cannot be passed by. Thus the superior man can carry out his work to the end without boasting of what he has achieved.

 

THE IMAGE

Within the earth, a mountain:
The image of MODESTY.
Thus the superior man reduces that which is too much,
And augments that which is too little.
He weighs things and makes them equal.

The wealth of the earth in which a mountain is hidden is not visible to the eye, because the depths are offset by the height of the mountain. Thus high and low complement each other and the result is the plain. Here an effect that it took a long time to achieve, but that in the end seems easy of accomplishment and self-evident, is used as the image of modesty. The superior man does the same thing when he establishes order in the world; he equalises the extremes that are the source of social discontent and thereby creates just and equable conditions.1 2


1. This hexagram offers a number of parallels to the teachings of the Old and the New Testament, e.g., “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” [Matt. 23:12]; “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain” [Isa. 40: 4]; “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” [Jas. 4: 6]. The concept of the Last Judgment in the Parsee religion shows similar features. The Greek notion of the jealousy of the gods might be mentioned in connection with the third of the biblical passages here cited.

2. There are not many hexagrams in the Book of Changes in which all the lines have an exclusive favorable meaning, as in the hexagram of MODESTY. This shows how great a value Chinese wisdom places on this virtue.

Today: “ the mind is given to you, you are not given to the mind ” – Yogi Bhajan

“Just remember: the mind is given to you, you are not given to the mind.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: “Blow Your Mind”

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

Tao Te Ching – Verse 21

The Master keeps her mind
always at one with the Tao;
that is what gives her her radiance.

The Tao is ungraspable.
How can her mind be at one with it?
Because she doesn’t cling to ideas. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 21 – The Master keeps her mind always at one with the Tao; that is what gives her her radiance.”

Today: “Broaden your view. Include everything.  Feel everything from the inside, merging with the outside.”- from the I Ching

Broaden your view. Include everything.  Feel everything from the inside, merging with the outside.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

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

Meditation: Know the Psyche of the Other

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading – “Enjoy what has been accomplished by many small measures and its ensuing peace. Any further action may disrupt it.”

Today: I Ching – Previous previous reading – “If you live simply without social ambition and do your work to your satisfaction, you will be free to live as you will and unencumbered by social pressures.”

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Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
20 – Twenty.  Kuan / Contemplation

The gentle Wind roams the Earth:
The Superior Person expands his sphere of influence as he expands his awareness.
Deeply devoted to his pursuit of clarity and wisdom, he is unconscious of the inspiring, positive example he is setting for others to emulate.

You have cleansed yourself; now stand ready to make your humble, devout offering.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

The situation marks a rising to new heights.
As you climb for a better view of the panorama, you make yourself more conspicuous to those below.
This hexagram is also known as the Watchtower, because the shape formed by its lines resembles the ancient guardposts manned by Chinese soldiers.
These towers were placed on mountainsides to give a better vantage point.
To those below, the watchtowers served as landmarks to help them find their way.
The quality of your search for clarity in this situation serves as such a guidepost for others along the Way.

Six in the second place means:

Peeking from behind a screen may ensure your privacy, but it offers you only a partial view.

Contemplation through the crack of the door.
Furthering for the perseverance of a woman.

Curtains

Through the crack of the door one has a limited outlook; one looks outward from within. Contemplation is subjectively limited. One tends to relate everything to oneself and cannot put oneself in another’s place and understand his motives. This is appropriate for a good housewife. It is not necessary for her to be conversant with the affairs of the world. But for a man who must take active part in public life, such a narrow, egotistic way of contemplating things is of course harmful.

59 – Fifty-Nine.  Huan / Dissolution

Wind carries the Mists aloft:
Sage rulers dedicated their lives to serving a Higher Power and built temples that still endure.

The King approaches his temple.
Success if you stay on course.
You may cross to the far shore.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Walls meant to protect have instead separated and isolated.
Your defenses have kept you apart from those whom you most need to touch.
Whatever the reason for discord between you, it is time to lay down your arms.
Dispel the inflexible demands and fears of the Mind so that you may reunite in the Heart.
If you have begrudged, forgive.
If you have torn down, repair.
If you have injured, heal.
If you have judged, pardon.
If you have grasped, let go.

Today: “You all want to win the entire world. The world is meant to be won by you. ” – Yogi Bhajan

“You all want to win the entire world. The world is meant to be won by you. The cosmos is set up so that it is possible for an individual’s magnetic field and metal projection to imprint and prevail on the universal magnetic field. When you know this as an experience, integrity and innocence replace your intrigues.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM132-940504-Pratyahar

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

Tao Te Ching – Verse 20

Stop thinking, and end your problems.
What difference between yes and no?
What difference between success and failure?
Must you value what others value,
avoid what others avoid?
How ridiculous!
Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 20 – Stop thinking, and end your problems.”

Today: “Enjoy what has been accomplished by many small measures and its ensuing peace.  Any further action may disrupt it.”- from the I Ching

Enjoy what has been accomplished by many small measures and its ensuing peace.  Any further action may disrupt it.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

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

On the current state of democracy

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading – “If you live simply without social ambition and do your work to your satisfaction, you will be free to live as you will and unencumbered by social pressures.”

Today: I Ching – Previous previous reading – “Complacency and apathy are as dangerous as the would-be oppressors. Pay attention! The very structure of what you hold dear is at risk. The choice is between unbridled creativity and abject oppression.”

See related posts.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
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.

11 – Eleven.  T’ai / Peace

Heaven and Earth embrace, giving birth to Peace.
The Superior Person serves as midwife, presenting the newborn gift to the people.

The small depart; the great approach.
Success.
Good fortune.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

It doesn’t get any better than this.
Everything is in harmony, all obstacles are cleared from your Path, anything you could ask for is right at hand.
This is the Elysian Fields, the Garden of Eden.
The only thing wrong with Peace is that it, too, must change.
Whether you are in this state of harmony now or it is predicted for your future, recognize it as your greatest opportunity to build your resources against less harmonious times.

Today: “Train the mind by directing it to confront your unlimited soul” – Yogi Bhajan

“Train the mind by directing it to confront your unlimited soul. The mind will be elevated, and you will be elevated. That consistent projection and training is called a permanent state of bliss.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA041-780525- Control the Mind

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

Tao Te Ching – Verse 19

Throw away holiness and wisdom,
and people will be a hundred times happier.
Throw away morality and justice,
and people will do the right thing.
Throw away industry and profit,
and there won’t be any thieves.

If these three aren’t enough,
just stay at the center of the circle
and let all things take their course. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 19 – Throw away holiness and wisdom, and people will be a hundred times happier.”

Today: “If you live simply without social ambition and do your work to your satisfaction, you will be free to live as you will and unencumbered by social pressures.”- from the I Ching

If you live simply without social ambition and do your work to your satisfaction, you will be free to live as you will and unencumbered by social pressures.

The situation is one in which we are still not bound by any obligations of social intercourse. If our conduct is simple, we remain free of them. We can quietly follow our predilections as long as we are content and make not demands on people.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

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

Meditation: LA010 – 19780210 – Gobinda – Project to the Infinite

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading – “Complacency and apathy are as dangerous as the would-be oppressors. Pay attention! The very structure of what you hold dear is at risk. The choice is between unbridled creativity and abject oppression.”

Today: I Ching – Previous previous reading – “The darkness is decreasing. It will be necessary that sanity conquers chaos and wisdom accompanies action. In all ways, the dark forces will resist all change.”

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Share The Magical Story of Mushkil Gusha over a meal with friends today.

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.

Nine at the beginning [yang at bottom] means:

He treads the simple path of least resistance, making swift and blameless progress.

Simple conduct. Progress without blame.

Bal au moulin de la Galette - Montmartre

Bal au moulin de la Galette, Montmartre, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1876

The situation is one in which we are still not bound by any obligations of social intercourse. If our conduct is simple, we remain free of them. We can quietly follow our predilections as long as we are content and make not demands on people.
The meaning of the hexagram is not standstill but progress. A man finds himself in an altogether inferior position at the start. However, he has the inner strength that guarantees progress. If he can be content with simplicity, he can make progress without blame. When a man is dissatisfied with modest circumstances, he is restless and ambitious and tries to advance, not for the sake of accomplishing anything worth while, but merely in order to escape from lowliness and poverty by dint of his conduct. Once his purpose is achieved, he is certain to become arrogant and luxury-loving. Therefore blame attaches to his progress. On the other hand, a man who is good at his work is content to behave simply. He wishes to make progress in order to accomplish something. When he attains his goal, he does something worth while, an all is well.

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?

Today: “The soul is a slave to none” – Yogi Bhajan

“The soul is a slave to none. In fact, everything else is subject to the soul and connected through its projection. So if you call on that and dwell in that, it works where no logic, reason, or mental intrigue can.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA010 – 19780210 – Gobinda – Project to the Infinite

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

Tao Te Ching – Verse 18

When the great Tao is forgotten,
goodness and piety appear.
When the body’s intelligence declines,
cleverness and knowledge step forth.
When there is no peace in the family,
filial piety begins.
When the country falls into chaos,
patriotism is born.

(translation by Stephen Mitchell, 1995)
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The great Tao fades away
There is benevolence and justice
Intelligence comes forth
There is great deception

The six relations are not harmonious
There is filial piety and kind affection
The country is in confused chaos
There are loyal ministers

(translation by Derek Lin, 2006)
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There is no Code of Ethics,
And there never was.
There is no kindness; no morality.
There is no genius.
Loyal sons and dutiful workers
Are unreal.
Stop.

(translation by Jeremy M. Miller, 2013)
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from I Ching Online

 

Today: “Complacency and apathy are as dangerous as the would-be oppressors.  Pay attention!  The very structure of what you hold dear is at risk.  The choice is between  unbridled creativity and abject oppression.”- from the I Ching

Complacency and apathy are as dangerous as the would-be oppressors.  Pay attention!  The very structure of what you hold dear is at risk.  The choice is between  unbridled creativity and abject oppression.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

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

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading – “The darkness is decreasing. It will be necessary that sanity conquers chaos and wisdom accompanies action. In all ways, the dark forces will resist all change.”

Today: I Ching – Previous previous reading – “Choose carefully who will serve as your leader. They should have integrity and not be a tool of external forces.”

See related posts.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
44 – Forty-Four.  Kou / Compulsion

A playful Zephyr dances and delights beneath indulgent Heaven:
A Prince who shouts orders but will not walk among his people may as well try to command the four winds.

A strong, addictive temptation, much more dangerous than it seems.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You are ignoring a clear and present danger to your well-being.
If this threat emanated from a heavy-handed oppressor, you would see it coming.
But this danger comes to you in the form of a seduction, an amusement, a diversion, an indulgence that is eating away at the fiber of your secure little world.
You are too cocksure.
You underestimate the tribute this dalliance will demand.

Six at the beginning [yin at bottom] means:

Get control of yourself.
This temptation has you rooting like a hog.
Only self-discipline can steer you off this road to disaster.

It must be checked with a brake of bronze.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
If one lets it take its course, one experiences misfortune.
Even a lean pig has it in him to rage around.

Pig

‘Pig’ – J. Singer

If an inferior element has wormed its way in, it must be energetically checked at once. By consistently checking it, bad effects can be avoided. If it is allowed to take its course, misfortune is bound to result; the insignificance of that which creeps in should not be a temptation to underrate it. A pig that is still young and lean cannot rage around much, but after it has eaten its fill and become strong, its true nature comes out if it has not previously been curbed.
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: “You must develop the mind, through meditation” – Yogi Bhajan

“You must develop the mind, through meditation, to give you the positive of the negative and the negative of the positive so that by your own grace and consciousness you can find the neutral of it. In this way you can reach to the subtle, refined, and spiritual dimensions of your life and your relationships.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: The Neutral Mind

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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.

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.

Continue reading “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.”