Today: “What is the value of old age?” – Yogi Bhajan

“What is the value of old age? Grace. Any old man who is graceful will be loved and respected. What is the value of childhood? Sharpness.” Yogi Bhajan

 

 

Meditation

Today: “There is nothing more that we can do to affect the situation” – from the I Ching

There is nothing more that we can do to affect the situation.  Only wait.  What has been set in motion must play out to completion.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent translations of the I Ching

#5, Line 6, #9

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.
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.
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.

Meditation

Tao Te Ching – Verse 73

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Today: I Ching

 

Today: “Asking for self-reliance and obtaining self-reliance is not only great…” – Yogi Bhajan

“Asking for self-reliance and obtaining self-reliance is not only great, it is the answer to every problem of life. No one is so small that he cannot be great.” Yogi Bhajan

 

 

Meditation

Today: “Rely on your modesty. You will radiate.” – from the I Ching

Rely on your modesty.  Perfecting this, you will radiate and have a profound impact on others. Then whatever you do will be successful.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent translations of the I Ching

#15, Line 2, #46

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.
Modesty that radiates.
This course brings good fortune.
To preserve his integrity, the Superior Person contents himself with small gains that eventually lead to great accomplishment.
Supreme Success.  Have no doubts.
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.

Meditation

Tao Te Ching – Verse 72

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Today: I Ching

 

Today: “the highest state of the yogic mind ” – Yogi Bhajan

“When the one-pointed, infinite beam of the mind starts sending the signal into the infinity and the infinity relates to the finite, the unit becomes united and this is called the highest state of the yogic mind.” Yogi Bhajan

 

 

Meditation

Today: “Nearing Completion.  Things will resolve in time of their own accord.” – from the I Ching

Nearing Completion.  Things will resolve in time of their own accord.  No need to rush it. Any undo influence will adversely affect the outcome.
Practice graceful restraint.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent translations of the I Ching

#64, Line 5, #9

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.
True to himself to the end, inner light radiates from him and warms others in the glow.
Good fortune.
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.

Meditation

Tao Te Ching – Verse 71

Previous readings
Today: I Ching

 

Today: “The difference between you and an animal is… ” – Yogi Bhajan

“The difference between you and an animal is that the animal has limited compassion and you can have unlimited compassion.” Yogi Bhajan

 

 

Meditation

Today: “Ignorance and apathy have lead to a profound state of corruption” – from the I Ching

Ignorance and apathy have lead to the profound state of corruption that we are experiencing.  There is no quick fix: celebrity, a pill or an app won’t save us.  Only coming together in common cause will lend each individual’s contribution to our salvation.  The effect will be overwhelming and relentless.  We will no longer feel alone.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent translations of the I Ching

#12, Line 6, #45

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.
The oppressive stagnation rots to the inevitable end that all such corruption must meet.  Its compost nourishes the seeds of great joy and fortune.
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.

Meditation

Tao Te Ching – Verse 69

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Today: I Ching

 

Today: “If man can awaken himself to the awareness that he is a man, then his destiny changes. ” – Yogi Bhajan

“If man can awaken himself to the awareness that he is a man, then his destiny changes. What you must know in your life is that you are positively a human being.” Yogi Bhajan

 

 

Meditation

Today: “Change your perception” – from the I Ching

Obstacles may be overcome by looking at them from a nw perspective.  Change your perception.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent translations of the I Ching

#39

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.
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.

Meditation

Tao Te Ching – Verse 69

Previous readings
Today: I Ching

 

Today: “Ignoring your soul is ignoring your Godhead” – Yogi Bhajan

“Ignoring your soul is ignoring your Godhead: as a rose has an aroma, so you have a soul; as a mirror has an image, so you have a soul. Ignoring your soul is ignoring your total capacity.” Yogi Bhajan

 

 

 

Meditation

Today: “Smooth the sharpness that keeps people apart from you” – from the I Ching

Allow yourself to be more approachable by smoothing the sharpness that keeps people apart from you.  You will enjoy awesome power and influence.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent translations of the I Ching

#41, 34, line 4

To be frugal and content is to possess immeasurable wealth within.
Nothing of value could be refused such a person.
A man’s faults often prevent even well-disposed people from coming closer to him. His faults are sometimes reinforced by the environment in which he lives. But if in humility he can bring himself to the point of giving them up, he frees his well-disposed friends from an inner pressure and causes them to approach the more quickly, and there is mutual joy.
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.

Meditation

Tao Te Ching – Verse 68

Previous readings
Today: I Ching

 

Today: “My job is to share with you knowledge” – Yogi Bhajan

“My job is to share with you knowledge. Your job is to practice, to experience the knowledge, so that it may become your knowledge.” Yogi Bhajan

 

 

 

Meditation

Today: “It is time for justice to have its due” – from the I Ching

It is time for justice to have its due.  Though there is danger of pushback or reprisal, it is important to move forward and ensure that the matter is complete.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent translations of the I Ching

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Meditation

Tao Te Ching – Verse 66

Previous readings
Today: I Ching

 

Today: “It doesn’t take time to open your heart” – Yogi Bhajan

“It doesn’t take time to open your heart and to feel the love in you. But when will you do it? That is what takes time.” Yogi Bhajan

 

 

 

Meditation