Today: Use your intuition in choosing the way forward – from the I Ching

Use your powers of contemplation to discern the right path forward.  Don’t rely on others’ judgement or popular beliefs. Use your intuition in choosing what you will support and what you will oppose.  Be cautious with moving forward, as the time is fraught with pitfalls.  Take time to assess the situation so that any movement is supported by deep understanding.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching
“
Contemplation of the divine meaning underlying the workings of the universe gives to the man who is called upon to influence others the means of producing like effects. This requires that power of inner concentration which religious contemplation develops in great men strong in faith. It enables them to apprehend the mysterious and divine laws of life, and by means of profoundest inner concentration they give expression to these laws in their own persons. Thus a hidden spiritual power emanates from them, influencing and dominating others without their being aware of how it happens.
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 honoured and allowed to act independently, and should not be used as a tool.
Conditions are such that the hostile forces favored by the time are advancing. In this case retreat is the right course, and it is through retreat that success is achieved. But success consists in being able to carry out retreat correctly. Retreat is not to be confused with flight. Flight means saving oneself under any circumstances, whereas retreat is a sign of strength. We must be careful not to miss the right moment while we’re in full possession of power and position. Then we shall be able to interpret the signs of the time before it is too late and to prepare for provisional retreat instead of being drawn into a desperate life-and-death struggle. Thus we do not simply abandon the field to the opponent; we make it difficult for him to advance by showing perseverance in single acts of resistance. In this way we prepare, while retreating, for the counter- movement. Understanding the laws of a constructive retreat of this sort is not easy. The meaning that lies hidden in such a time is important.

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Today: “Creativity and love come from your sensitivity” Yogi Bhajan

“Creativity and love come from your sensitivity. A developed sensitivity in character gives you commitment. Commitment in turn gives you more sensitivity of character. They are interrelated. That is how this planet runs.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

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Today: Be in tune with the tendencies of the the time – from the I Ching

So much potential that can produce great abundance is held in check by petty usurpers of power.  Rather than meeting their struggle for dominance, it is more advantageous to allow the current part of the cycle to play out as the tide turns and moves the opposite way.  We cannot personally challenge the laws of nature with any great effect.  Rather, be in tune with the tendencies of the the time and use them to advantage.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching
“
It is not given to every mortal to bring about a time of outstanding greatness and abundance. Only a born ruler of men is able to do it, because his will is directed to what is great. Such a time of abundance is usually brief. Therefore a sage might well feel sad in view of the decline that must follow. But such sadness does not befit him. Only a man who is inwardly free of sorrow and care can lead in a time of abundance. He must be like the sun at midday, illuminating and gladdening everything under heaven.
It often happens that plots and party intrigues, which have the darkening effect of an eclipse of the sun, come between a ruler intent on great achievement and the man who could effect great undertakings. Then, instead of the sun, we see the northern stars in the sky. The ruler is overshadowed by a party that has usurped power. If a man at such a time were to try to take energetic measures, he would encounter only mistrust and envy, which would prohibit all movement. The essential thing then is to hold inwardly to the power of truth, which in the end is so strong that it exerts an invisible influence on the ruler, so that all goes well.
hunder rolls, and the wind blows; both are examples of extreme mobility and so are seemingly the very opposite of duration, but the laws governing their appearance and subsidence, their coming and going, endure. In the same way the independence of the superior man is not based on rigidity and immobility of character. He always keeps abreast of the time and changes with it. What endures is the unswerving directive, the inner law of his being, which determines all his actions.

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Today: “You are never separated from God” Yogi Bhajan

“You are never separated from God or your soul. You come to this planet not to seek anything. You come to recognize God and realize your soul.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

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Today: Shuniya.  Silence.  Stillness. – from the I Ching

Shuniya.  Silence.  Stillness.  Through contemplation our intentions can manifest graceful form and beauty.

 

 

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching
“
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.
Keeping the toes still means halting before one has even begun to move. The beginning is the time of few mistakes. At that time one is still in harmony with primal innocence. Not yet influenced by obscuring interests and desires, one sees things intuitively as they really are. A man who halts at the beginning, so long as he has not yet abandoned the truth, finds the right way. But persisting firmness is needed to keep one from drifting irresolutely.
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.
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.

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Today: Use friendly persuasion to exert influence – from the I Ching

Use friendly persuasion to exert influence.  Do not use force to change things.  Commitment and tireless devotion will yield penetrating and far reaching results.  Combined with inner truth  the effects of your message will be irresistible.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching
“
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.
It lies in the nature of a strong man to press forward. In so doing he encounters obstructions. Therefore he returns to the way suited to his situation, where he is free to advance or to retreat. In the nature of things this will bring good fortune, for it is wise and reasonable not to try to obtain anything by force.
Penetration produces gradual and inconspicuous effects. It should be effected not by an act of violation but by influence that never lapses. Results of this kind are less striking to the eye than those won by surprise attack, but they are more enduring and more complete. If one would produce such effects, one must have a clearly defined goal, for only when the penetrating influence works always in the same direction can the object be attained. Small strength can achieve its purpose only by subordinating itself to an eminent man who’s capable of creating order.
The penetrating quality of the wind depends on its ceaselessness. This is what makes it so powerful; time is its instrument. In the same way the ruler’s thought should penetrate the soul of the people. This too requires a lasting influence brought about by enlightenment and command. Only when the command has been assimilated by the people is action in accordance with it possible. Action without preparation of the ground only frightens and repels.

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Today: “The mind is your servant to master time and space” Yogi Bhajan

“The mind is your servant to master time and space and to always find a way to connect with the Infinite.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

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Today: Hold your inner truth in all relationships – from the I Ching

Hold your inner truth in all relationships.  Don’t let them pull you off of your center lest you forget who you are and lose your way.  Allow the truth to emanate from you and reach far and wide like the wind.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching
“
Pigs and fishes are the least intelligent of all animals and therefore the most difficult to influence. The force of inner truth must grow great indeed before its influence can extend to such creatures. In dealing with persons as intractable and as difficult to influence as a pig or a fish, the whole secret of success depends on finding the right way of approach. One must first rid oneself of all prejudice and, so to speak, let the psyche of the other person act on one without restraint. Then one will establish contact with him, understand and gain power over him. When a door has thus been opened, the force of one’s personality will influence him. If in this way one finds no obstacles insurmountable, one can undertake even the most dangerous things, such as crossing the great water, and succeed.
Here the source of a man’s strength lies not in himself but in his relation to other people. No matter how close to them he may be, if his centre of gravity depends on them, he is inevitably tossed to and fro between joy and sorrow. Rejoicing to high heaven, then sad to death – this is the fate of those who depend on an inner accord with other persons whom they love. Here we have only the statement of the law that this is so. Whether this condition is felt to be an affliction or the supreme happiness of love, is left to the subjective verdict of the person concerned.
The penetrating quality of the wind depends on its ceaselessness. This is what makes it so powerful; time is its instrument. In the same way the ruler’s thought should penetrate the soul of the people. This too requires a lasting influence brought about by enlightenment and command. Only when the command has been assimilated by the people is action in accordance with it possible. Action without preparation of the ground only frightens and repels.

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Today: “God said (to the soul), ‘Don’t worry. I have given you the mind” Yogi Bhajan

“God said (to the soul), ‘Don’t worry. I have given you the mind. It is faster than time and space. You can reach me no matter where you are. The mind will serve you three ways. When it is neutral it will recognize the truth. When it is positive it will tell you the right direction to go and what good can be done. When it is negative it will warn you and protect you from harm and badness.’” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

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Today: “There is no separation between you and God” Yogi Bhajan

“There is no separation between you and God. You are only now seeking to understand and experience your self as part of God with a sole proprietorship on the soul.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

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Today: It is important to hold together in union with kindred souls – from the I Ching

It is important to hold together in union with kindred souls.  It is also important to know who shares the values of the union or not.  Though kindness and respect for all is a given, there is no need for close association with whom you cannot share common goals.  Success is given to those who are modest and adaptable. Tolerate opposition and be devoted to the union.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching
“
WHAT IS required is that we unite with others, in order that all may complement and aid one another through holding together. But such holding together calls for a central figure around whom other persons may unite. To become a centre of influence holding people together is a grave matter and fraught with great responsibility. It requires greatness of spirit, consistency, and strength. Therefore let him who wishes to gather others about him ask himself whether he is equal to the undertaking, for anyone attempting the task without a real calling for it only makes confusion worse than if no union at all had taken place.
But when there is a real rallying point, those who at first are hesitant or uncertain gradually come in of their own accord. Late-comers must suffer the consequences, for in holding together the question of the right time is also important. Relationships are formed and firmly established according to definite inner laws. Common experiences strengthen these ties, and he who comes too late to share in these basic experiences must suffer for it if, as a straggler, he finds the door locked.
If a man has recognised the necessity for union and does not feel strong enough to function as the centre, it is his duty to become a member of some other organic fellowship.
We are often among people who do not belong to our own sphere. In that case we must beware of being drawn into false intimacy through force of habit. Needless to say, this would have evil consequences. Maintaining sociability without intimacy is the only right attitude toward such people, because otherwise we should not be free to enter into relationship with people of our own kind later on.
The pushing upward of the good elements encounters no obstruction and is therefore accompanied by great success. The pushing upward is made possible not by violence but by modesty and adaptability. Since the individual is borne along by the propitiousness of the time, he advances. He must go to see authoritative people. He need not be afraid to do this, because success is assured. But he must set to work, for activity (this is the meaning of “the south”) brings good fortune.

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Today: “We go temporarily blind and temporarily deaf” Yogi Bhajan

“We go temporarily blind and temporarily deaf. We become temporarily unintelligent. We cut ourselves off from our reality and our creativity and live in the non-reality of a dream world created with our fears. That is the whole problem. God never made you to suffer and never gave you the mind to create such tortures.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

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Today: Go to the wellspring of divine experience within you – from the I Ching

Go to the wellspring of divine experience within you and let it guide you.  Be mindful to keep refining your understanding of nature’s laws and honing the wisdom that your path provides.
The pressures of the current times demand that you penetrate the meaning of the wild chaotic forces at play and draw from your greatness within to understand and to find a way to navigate them.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching
“
However men may differ in disposition and in education, the foundations of human nature are the same in everyone. And every human being can draw in the course of his education from the inexhaustible wellspring of the divine in man’s nature. But here likewise two dangers threaten: a man may fail in his education to penetrate to the real roots of humanity and remain fixed in convention-a partial education of this sort is as bad as none- or he may suddenly collapse and neglect his self-development.
True, if a well is being lined with stone, it cannot be used while the work is going on. But the work is not in vain; the result is that the water stays clear. In life also there are times when a man must put himself in order. During such a time he can do nothing for others, but his work is nonetheless valuable, because by enhancing his powers and abilities through inner development, he can accomplish all the more later on.
The weight of the great is excessive. The load is too heavy for the strength of the supports. The ridge-pole on which the whole roof rests, sags to the breaking point, because its supporting ends are too weak for the load they bear. It is an exceptional time and situation; therefore extraordinary measures are demanded. It is necessary to find a way of transition as quickly as possible, and to take action. This promises success. For although the strong element is in excess, it is in the middle, that is, at the centre of gravity, so that a revolution is not to be feared. Nothing is to be achieved by forcible measures. The problem must be solved by gentle penetration to the meaning of the situation (as is suggested by the attribute of the inner trigram, Sun); then the change-over to other conditions will be successful. It demands real superiority; therefore the time when the great preponderates is a momentous time.

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Today: “When you become honest within your self” Yogi Bhajan

“When you become honest within your self and to your self, before your consciousness, there shall not and cannot be any fear.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

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Today: You have power and momentum to accomplish great things – from the I Ching

You have power and momentum to accomplish great things.  See yesterday’s reading.
You are cautioned, however, to remain strictly committed to your path and employ the means you have been developing in coming to this point.  There is great power in this.  Do not be distracted by idle diversions or fantasies which would inevitably lead to a surrender to compulsions that arise from your lower nature.  Keep it high.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching
“
The joyous mood is infectious and therefore brings success. But joy must be based on steadfastness if it is not to degenerate into uncontrolled mirth. Truth and strength must dwell in the heart, while gentleness reveals itself in social intercourse. In this way one assumes the right attitude toward God and man and achieves something. Under certain conditions, intimidation without gentleness may achieve something momentarily, but not for all time. When, on the other hand, the hearts of men are won by friendliness, they are led to take all hardships upon themselves willingly, and if need be will not shun death itself, so great is the power of joy over men.
True joy must spring from within. But if one is empty within and wholly given over to the world, idle pleasures come streaming in from without. This is what many people welcome as diversion. Those who lack inner stability and therefore need amusement, will always find opportunity of indulgence. They attract external pleasures by the emptiness of their natures. Thus they lose themselves more and more, which of course has bad results.
The rise of the inferior element is pictured here in the image of a bold girl who lightly surrenders herself and thus seizes power. This would not be possible if the strong and light-giving element had not in turn come halfway. The inferior thing seems so harmless and inviting that a man delights in it; it looks so small and weak that he imagines he may dally with it and come to no harm.
The inferior man rises only because the superior man does not regard him as dangerous and so lends him power. If he were resisted from the first, he could never gain influence.

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Today: “You always want to know what is true” Yogi Bhajan

“You always want to know what is true. It is your instinct. Truth is that which has no fear. Even a truth spoken in fear is a lie. When you mix fear with anything it becomes a non-reality.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

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