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.
Today: “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.”- from the I Ching
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.
See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today
Meditation: NM0337-Bujung Kriya – For Wisdom and Understanding
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Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
55 – Fifty-Five. Fêng / Abundance
Thunder and Lightning from the dark heart of the storm:
The Superior Person judges fairly, so that consequences are just.
The leader reaches his peak and doesn’t lament the descent before him.
Be like the noonday sun at its zenith.
This is success.
SITUATION ANALYSIS:
You are in a position of authority in this situation.
Archetypally, you are the New King, returned from your quest to claim your throne.
However, you are enlightened enough to realize that you are merely a part of a cycle, and that you must someday yield your throne to the new kid in town, the younger, faster gunslinger, the young turk, the next returning hero, the next New King.
Fretting about the inevitable descent is senseless.
For now you must play your role to the hilt and use this gift of power to govern your world as best you can.
You are the best person for the job.
That’s why you were chosen.
Give it your personal best.
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Nine in the fourth place means:
‘Polestar’ – Kallman Art Gallery |
| Here the darkness is already decreasing, therefore interrelated elements come together. Here too the complement must be found – the necessary wisdom to complement joy of action. Then everything will go well. The complementary factor postulated here is the reverse of the one in the first line. In the latter, wisdom is to be complemented by energy, while here energy is complemented by wisdom. |
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.
Today: “When you want to be successful and very convincing, just feel truth in your heart.” – Yogi Bhajan
“When you want to be successful and very convincing, just feel truth in your heart. Be sure. Be confident. Feel that truth in your heart, then speak that truth from the heart. Don’t try to run it around or manipulate it with your brain or head.” Yogi Bhajan
Meditation: NM327-990930 Know Your Heart
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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.
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.
Each separate being in the universe
returns to the common source.
Returning to the source is serenity.
Continue reading “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.”
Today: “Choose carefully who will serve as your leader. They should have integrity and not be a tool of external forces.”- from the I Ching
Choose carefully who will serve as your leader. They should have integrity and not be a tool of external forces.
See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today
Tao Te Ching – Verse 15 – The ancient Masters were profound and subtle
Meditation: LA935-980608- Connect the subconscious and intuition
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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 fourth place means: Observe the leader firsthand to decide the worthiness of the cause.
|
| This describes a man who understands the secrets by which a kingdom can be made to flourish. Such a man must be given an authoritative position, in which he can exert influence. He should be, so to speak, a guest – that is, he should be honored and allowed to act independently, and should not be used as a tool. |
45 – Forty-Five. Ts’ui / Gathering
The Lake rises by welcoming and receiving Earth’s waters:
The King approaches his temple.
It is wise to seek audience with him there.
Success follows this course.
Making an offering will seal your good fortune.
A goal will be realized now.
SITUATION ANALYSIS:
This is an important Convergence, and you must be part of it.
Look for the Center of this convergence.
Like waters running to the sea, like an astronomical convergence of planets revolving around the sun, you should let the gravity of this Center draw you near.
Others are also drawn to this Center, and among them you will find shared bonds and kindred spirits.
This tribal convergence will give you a clarity of purpose.
You will no longer be alone.
Today: “Love is a self-acknowledgment.” – Yogi Bhajan
“Love is a self-acknowledgment. When you love yourself, you feel so rich, that you can afford to love everybody.” Yogi Bhajan
Lecture: LA907 970311 burn the subconscious “Life is Love”
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Tao Te Ching – Verse 15 – The ancient Masters were profound and subtle
Tao Te Ching – Verse 15
The ancient Masters were profound and subtle.
Their wisdom was unfathomable.
There is no way to describe it;
all we can describe is their appearance.
Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 15 – The ancient Masters were profound and subtle”
Today: “You are treading on dangerous terrain. Ultimately, caution, commitment and perseverance will carry you to success. “- from the I Ching
You are treading on dangerous terrain. Ultimately, caution, commitment and perseverance will carry you to success.
See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today
See related posts.
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 in the fourth place means:
He treads on the tail of the tiger.
Caution and circumspection
Lead ultimately to good fortune.
He shows humble hesitation and breathless caution, yet still resolutely takes a necessary step on the tail of the tiger.
His modest manner saves him from the bite.
This text refers to a dangerous enterprise. The inner power to carry it through is there, but this inner power is combined with hesitating caution in one’s external attitude. This line contrasts with the preceding line, which is weak within but outwardly presses forward. Here one is sure of ultimate success, which consists in achieving one’s purpose, that is, in overcoming danger by going forward.
3 – Three. Chun / Difficulty at the Beginning
Thunder from the Deep:
The Superior Person carefully weaves order out of confusion.
Supreme Success if you keep to your course.
Carefully consider the first move.
Seek help.
SITUATION ANALYSIS:
New ventures always pack along their inherent chaos.
Though this is an annoyance at best, and can even imperil or downright doom an endeavor, it is also the friction needed to polish your project to jewel brilliance.
Learn from these early obstacles.
Today: “When the little me has recognized the big me and the little i has recognized the big I, oneness is achieved.” Yogi Bhajan
“When the little me has recognized the big me and the little i has recognized the big I, oneness is achieved. And when one knows that he is the one and one knows everything is one, then what is there to find? It is only when we think that I am and everything else is everything else that we have to find something.” Yogi Bhajan
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.
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.
Above, it isn’t bright.
Below, it isn’t dark.
Seamless, unnamable,
it returns to the realm of nothing.
Form that includes all forms,
image without an image,
subtle, beyond all conception.
Approach it and there is no beginning;
follow it and there is no end.
You can’t know it, but you can be it,
at ease in your own life.
Just realize where you come from:
this is the essence of wisdom.
(translation by Stephen Mitchell, 1995)
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Look at it, it cannot be seen
It is called colorless
Listen to it, it cannot be heard
It is called noiseless
Reach for it, it cannot be held
It is called formless
These three cannot be completely unraveled
So they are combined into one
Above it, not bright
Below it, not dark
Continuing endlessly, cannot be named
It returns back into nothingness
Thus it is called the form of the formless
The image of the imageless
This is called enigmatic
Confront it, its front cannot be seen
Follow it, its back cannot be seen
Wield the Tao of the ancients
To manage the existence of today
One can know the ancient beginning
It is called the Tao Axiom
(translation by Derek Lin, 2006)
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Sight and blindness are indistinguishable.
Thunder and silence are one.
Touch and ether are the same.
There is always light and dark.
Shape is illusion; form is Formless.
The future is the past.
The Beginning is the present.
Nothingness is the Zero called changeless.
(translation by Jeremy M. Miller, 2013)
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from I Ching Online
Today: “Take the path of least resistance as you project your intentions. Stop trying to enforce your will on everything.”- from the I Ching
Take the path of least resistance as you project your intentions. Stop trying to enforce your will on everything..
This will make things much easier.
See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today
Meditation: LA135-19791029 Resolve Inner Conflict
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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.
Nine in the fourth place means:Your legs are torn and bleeding as you push heedlessly through the thorns toward your target. There is no skin on his thighs,
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| Here a man is suffering from inner restlessness and cannot abide in his place. He would like to push forward under any circumstances, but encounters insuperable obstacles. Thus his situation entails an inner conflict. This is due to the obstinacy with which he seeks to enforce his will. If he would desist from this obstinacy, everything would go well. But this advice, like so much other good counsel, will be ignored. For obstinacy makes a man unable to hear, for all that he has ears. |
35 – Thirty-Five. Chin / Aspiration
The Sun shines down upon the Earth:
Constantly honing and refining his brilliance, the Superior Person is a Godsend to his people.
They repay his benevolence with a herd of horses, and he is granted audience three times in a single day.
Promotion.
SITUATION ANALYSIS:
This is a time of reward for good works.
Those you have helped want to show their gratitude.
Benefits come both from on high and from the humble you uplifted.
Accept all gifts graciously, though the reward may not be what you truly need or hoped for.
Some may bestow more than they can afford to give, but you must realize that they need to feel that they have repaid you.
Today: “The moment you open up to Infinity, you become Infinity” – Yogi Bhajan
“The moment you open up to Infinity, you become Infinity. You must enter the Aquarian Age with breadth, quickness, and openness and be noble, courageous, and selfless.” Yogi Bhajan
Meditation: TCH20 02 960722 – Increase the Power of the Infinite Within
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Tao Te Ching – Verse 13 – Success is as dangerous as failure. Hope is as hollow as fear.
Tao Te Ching – Verse 13
Success is as dangerous as failure.
Hope is as hollow as fear.
What does it mean that success is as dangerous as failure?
Whether you go up the ladder or down it,
your position is shaky.
When you stand with your two feet on the ground,
you will always keep your balance. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 13 – Success is as dangerous as failure. Hope is as hollow as fear.”
Today: “In this time we need experienced leadership to guide us in our struggles. We must leave the child behind and follow the adult in charge.”- from the I Ching
In this time we need experienced leadership to guide us in our struggles. Armed conflict, hatred, even animosity must be deleted from the playbook. Only a seasoned leader is capable of defusing sentiments of open conflict and molifying dissatisfaction and unrest among the masses. We must leave the child behind and follow the adult in charge.
See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today
Tao Te Ching – Verse 12 – He allows things to come and go. His heart is open as the sky.
Meditation: LA135-19791029 Resolve Inner Conflict
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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 fifth place means:The seasoned veteran is elevated to command, and none too soon. There is game in the field.
Wild boars |
| Game is in the field – it has left its usual haunts in the forest and is devastating the fields. This points to an enemy invasion. Energetic combat and punishment are here thoroughly justified, but they must not degenerate into a wild melee in which everyone fends for himself. Despite the greatest degree of perseverance and bravery, this would lead to misfortune. The army must be directed by an experienced leader. It is a matter of waging war, not of permitting the mob to slaughter all who fall into their hands; if they do, defeat will be the result, and despite all perseverance there is danger of misfortune. |
48 – Forty-Eight. Ching / The Well
Deep Waters Penetrated and drawn to the surface:
The Superior Person refreshes the people with constant encouragement to help one another.
Encampments, settlements, walled cities, whole empires may rise and fall, yet the Well at the center endures, never drying to dust, never overflowing.
It served those before and will serve those after.
Again and again you may draw from the Well, but if the bucket breaks or the rope is too short there will be misfortune.
SITUATION ANALYSIS:
There is a Source common to us all.
Jung named it the Collective Unconscious.
Others hail it as God within.
Inside each of us are dreamlike symbols and archetypes, emotions and instincts that we share with every other human being.
When we feel a lonely separateness from others, it is not because this Well within has dried up, but because we have lost the means to reach its waters.
You need to reclaim the tools necessary to penetrate to the depths of your fellows.
Then the bonds you build will be as timeless and inexhaustible as the Well that nourishes them.
Today: “The only thing that is communicated and is heard as it is at the same time is the truth” – Yogi Bhajan
“The only thing that is communicated and is heard as it is at the same time is the truth. That is a power of your mind. It can penetrate the subtlety and intention behind someone’s words and it can project and fill yours with a truth beyond any fear or need.” Yogi Bhajan
Meditation: LA031 19780423 – Ad Nad Kriya – Gupt Gian Shakti the Secret Power of the Knowledge
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Tao Te Ching – Verse 12 – He allows things to come and go. His heart is open as the sky.
Tao Te Ching – Verse 12
Colors blind the eye.
Sounds deafen the ear.
Flavors numb the taste.
Thoughts weaken the mind.
Desires wither the heart.
The Master observes the world
but trusts his inner vision.
He allows things to come and go.
His heart is open as the sky.
(translation by Stephen Mitchell, 1995)
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The five colors make one blind in the eyes
The five sounds make one deaf in the ears
The five flavors make one tasteless in the mouth
Racing and hunting make one wild in the heart
Goods that are difficult to acquire make one cause damage
Therefore the sages care for the stomach and not the eyes
That is why they discard the other and take this
(translation by Derek Lin, 2006)
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Colors blur sight.
Sounds blur hearing.
Tastes blur the Nectar.
Chasing drives Bliss away.
Lust blurs calm.
In the Nothingness of Zero is Unimaginable Peace.
(translation by Jeremy M. Miller, 2013)
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from I Ching Online