Tag: Sufi

Today: Deal with things as they are. Accept the challenges. Navigate the adversity. Do not react to obstacles. Be flexible. Slow and steady.” – from the I Ching

Deal with things as they are. Accept the challenges. Navigate the adversity. Do not react to obstacles. Be flexible. Slow and steady.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 28 – Know the male, yet keep to the female

Meditation: Meditation: LA093-790319 – Pranic Energy – the Earth Element Balanced by Ether

Meditation: NM132-940504-Pratyahar

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

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.


		above: K’un / The Receptive, Earth
		above: K’un / The Receptive, Earth


		below: Sun / The Gentle, Wind, Wood
		below: Sun / The Gentle, Wind, Wood

The lower trigram, Sun, represents wood, and the upper, K’un, means the earth. Linked with this is the idea that wood in the earth grows upward. In contrast to the meaning of Chin, PROGRESS (35), this pushing upward is associated with effort, just as a plant needs energy for pushing upward through the earth. That is why this hexagram, although it is connected with success, is associated with effort of the will. In PROGRESS the emphasis is on expansion; PUSHING UPWARD indicates rather a vertical ascent-direct rise from obscurity and lowliness to power and influence.THE JUDGEMENT

PUSHING UPWARD has supreme success.
One must see the great man.
Fear not.
Departure toward the south
Brings good fortune.

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.

THE IMAGE

Within the earth, wood grows:
The image of PUSHING UPWARD.
Thus the superior man of devoted character
Heaps up small things
In order to achieve something high and great.

Bamboo

Adapting itself to obstacles and bending around them, wood in the earth grows upward without haste and without rest. Thus too the superior man is devoted in character and never pauses in his progress.

Today: “There is no difference between you and me.” – Yogi Bhajan

“There is no difference between you and me. He is speaking and He is listening, and that is maya. If you understand this maya, you will understand this whole truth. He is speaking to me. He is listening to you, because He is the giver of the breath. He gives me breath to speak and he gives you breath to listen. If you understand this secret, you understand everything. In me, I have found only one reality—that I breathe in and I breathe out. And so anything that breathes in or out is reality. When I found this as a reality in everybody, I found myself in everybody and everybody in myself.”
Yogi Bhajan

Today: “Be careful what and whom you attract. Purify your intentions.” – from the I Ching

Be careful what and whom you attract. Purify your intentions.

Today: “When the means and the right people appear to assist your cause, take full advantage, lest you miss the opportunity completely.” – from the I Ching

Meditation: NM0380 – Ecstasy and Joy

Meditation: NM0390-20010320 – Provoke Your Higher Self

17 – Seventeen. Sui / Following

Thunder beneath the Lake’s surface.
The Superior Person allows himself plenty of sheltered rest and recuperation while awaiting a clear sign to follow.

Supreme success.
No mistakes if you keep to your course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Thunder from the Lake — the lulling, rhythmic roar of the faithful tide, eternally wearing away the stone of the shoreline, forever obedient to the phases of the moon.
The pull of the moon on the tide is the Following called for now.
As mighty as the tide is in its own right, it is ever the puppet of the invisible, irresistible gravity of the moon.
What cyclical forces pull you along?
Are you futilely attempting to resist a natural attraction?

Nine in the fourth place means:

Following for dishonorable reasons.
Pause for clarity and a return to integrity.
Once actions are sincere, you may move forward blamelessly.

Following creates success.
Perseverance brings misfortune.
To go one’s way with sincerity brings clarity.
How could there be blame in this?

‘Flattery’ – Juan Gris, 1908 – Pencil, color pencil and watercolor on paper

It often happens, when a man exerts a certain amount of influence, that he obtains a following by condescension toward inferiors. But the people who attach themselves to him are not honest in their intentions. They seek personal advantage and try to make themselves indispensable through flattery and subservience. If one becomes accustomed to such satellites and cannot do without them, it brings misfortune. Only when a man is completely free from his ego, and intent, by conviction, upon what is right and essential, does he acquire the clarity that enables him to see through such people, and become free of blame.

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.

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Today: “Humility in action is universal consciousness.” – Yogi Bhajan

“Humility in action is universal consciousness.”
Yogi Bhajan

Today: “When the means and the right people appear to assist your cause, take full advantage, lest you miss the opportunity completely.” – from the I Ching

When the means and the right people appear to assist your cause, take full advantage, lest you miss the opportunity completely.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 25 – There was something formless and perfect before the universe was born.

Meditation: LA721-920325: for the Intuitive Intellect

Meditation: Know the Psyche of the Other

8 – Eight. Pi / Bonding

Deep Waters on the face of the Earth:
Surface waters flow together.
The Superior Person recognizes the situation calls for joining together.
Thus he cultivates friendly relations with all.

Good fortune is possible.
Cast the coins again to discover if you have the qualities needed to lead such a group.
Then there will be no error.
Those uncertain will gradually join.
Those who join too late will meet with misfortune.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is a time of connection with another or others — not just an alliance, but a melding of parts into a new whole.
Such a connection may be too close, too intense for some.
Consult the oracle again to see if you have the qualities needed to strengthen and withstand such an intense synthesis.

Six at the top means:

Without a head, the union cannot hold together.
Misfortune.

He finds no head for holding together.
Misfortune.

The head is the beginning. If the beginning is not right, there is no hope of a right ending. If we have missed the right moment for union and go on hesitating to give complete and full devotion, we shall regret the error when it is too late.

42 – Forty-Two. I / Expansion

Whirlwinds and Thunder:
When the Superior Person encounters saintly behavior, he adopts it; when he encounters a fault within, he transforms it.

Progress in every endeavor.
You may cross to the far shore.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Get ready to ride a tide of accelerated growth toward self-actualization.
A joyful awareness of the best within you, coupled with an acceptance of your Shadow, will provide a greater repertoire, a much bolder vision, and new depth and clarity that will compel you to expand your horizons.

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Today: “Be enlightened that the other human being is you.” – Yogi Bhajan

“Be enlightened that the other human being is you. Understand through compassion that passion will make you misunderstand. Vibrate on the cosmos and the cosmos will clear your path. When fear and insecurity leave you, truth and spirit will be with you.”
Yogi Bhajan

Today: “Acting in the flow brings great power and rewards. Acting precipitously subverts your intentions.” – from the I Ching

Acting in the flow brings great power and rewards. Acting precipitously subverts your intentions.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 25 – There was something formless and perfect before the universe was born.

Meditation: NM371 – Enjoy the Creativity of God

M134 970325 Working on the Upper Chakras

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.

Six at the beginning [yin at bottom] means:

He pledges his love too hastily, and awaits her promise in return.
This stunts the natural growth of affection.

Seeking duration too hastily brings misfortune persistently.
Nothing that would further.

Lao Tzu

Whatever endures can be created only gradually by long-continued work and careful reflection. In the same sense Lao Tzu says:
“If we wish to compress something, we must first let it fully expand.”
He who demands too much at once is acting precipitately, and because he attempts too much, he ends by succeeding in nothing.

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.

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Today: “There are two kinds of protection, natural protection and individual protection.” – Yogi Bhajan

“There are two kinds of protection, natural protection and individual protection. Natural protection is when the God protects you and individual protection is by your own hands.”
Yogi Bhajan

Today: “Stuck. You might as well stay in place for now. Wait for a propitious time to advance.” – from the I Ching

Stuck. You might as well stay in place for now. Wait for a propitious time to advance.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 24 – He who stands on tiptoe doesn’t stand firm

Meditation: LA046 – 780614 – Hari Shabad Meditation – Use the Wind to Produce Trance and Dissolve Negativity

Meditation: NM0426 – 20011117 – Self Transformation

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.

Nine in the second place means:

The axles have been removed from your cart.
Good reason to remain in place for the moment.

The axletrees are taken from the wagon.

Here advance is checked just as in the third line of THE TAMING POWER OF THE SMALL (9). However, in the latter the restraining force is slight; thus a conflict arises between the propulsive and the restraining movement, as a result of which the spokes fall out of the wagon wheels, while here the restraining force is absolutely superior; hence no struggle takes place. One submits and removes the axletrees from the wagon – in other words, contents himself with waiting. In this way energy accumulates for a vigorous advance later on.

22 – Twenty-Two. Pi / Grace

Fire illuminates the base of the Mountain:
The Superior Person realizes he has not the wisdom to move the course of the world, except by attending to each day’s affairs as they come.

Success in small matters.
This is a good time to begin something.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

The emphasis now is on form, not function — on the sizzle and not the steak.
The environment around you is not one of depth, and you are appreciated now for your image, not your essence.
You perfectly fill a role, and no one is seeing the genuine you.
Still, you are being listened to and watched.
Use this influence to further your goals as much as possible.
Even if you don’t feel understood, you can perhaps connect with a few isolated hearts.
Relax and enjoy the attention.

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Today: “Hell and heaven are right here.” – Yogi Bhajan

“Hell and heaven are right here. In heaven, people live very still, they speak truth, and they are very compassionate. In hell, they jump around, they speculate, and they fluctuate; their words are never trustable because they don’t trust their own words.”
Yogi Bhajan

See Today: I Ching

Today: “Follow your heart rather than your compulsions. Commit to that, then develop the discipline to practice it.” – from the I Ching

Follow your heart rather than your compulsions. Commit to that, then develop the discipline to practice it.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 23 – Express yourself completely, then keep quiet

Meditation: NM327-990930 Know Your Heart

Meditation: NM142 19940615 – Bless the Planet Earth and Let the Heavens Descend in You

31 – Thirty-One Hsien / Attraction

The joyous Lake is cradled by the tranquil Mountain:
The Superior Person takes great satisfaction in encouraging others along their journey.
He draws them to him with his welcoming nature and genuine interest.

Supreme success.
This course leads to marriage.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

There is no greater natural law in the Cosmos than Attraction.
From the magnetic pull of an atom’s nucleus to the centrifugal force that spirals a galaxy, the face of the universe is shaped by Attraction.
On a human scale, it is Attraction that fuels procreation and furthers our species.
Yet it is also Attraction that spawns greed and covetousness, threatening our extinction.
Attraction is the underlying force of the situation in question.
You are refined or debased by the objects of your desire.
What gravitational pull are you now under?
Around what sphere of influence do you circle?
Can you use your own ability to attract?

Nine in the third place means:

Restless thighs signify impatience and a lack of restraint.
He has lost his center and is obsessed with another.
Humiliation.

The influence shows itself in the thighs.
Holds to that which follows it.
To continue is humiliating.

‘The Three Graces’ – Peter Paul Rubens c.1636-1638 Museo del Prado, Madrid Spain

Every mood of the heart influences us to movement. What the heart desires, the thighs run after without a moment’s hesitation; they hold to the heart, which they follow. In the life of man, however, acting on the spur of every caprice is wrong and if continued leads to humiliation. Three considerations suggest themselves here. First, a man should not run precipitately after all the persons whom he would like to influence, but must be able to hold back under certain circumstances. As little should he yield immediately to every whim of those in whose service he stands. Finally, where the moods of his own heart are concerned, he should never ignore the possibility of inhibition, for this is the basis of human freedom.

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:

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Today: “If the being has not realized that giving is giving by itself and its greatness is unlimited, he has not enjoyed the essential thing.” – Yogi Bhajan

“If the being has not realized that giving is giving by itself and its greatness is unlimited, he has not enjoyed the essential thing.”
Yogi Bhajan

Today: “In this year of the Dragon, take good care of yourself, family, friends, and all that is entrusted to your care.” – from the I Ching

In this year of the Dragon, take good care of yourself, family, friends, and all that is entrusted to your care.

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.

Meditation: LA088 790222 Egyptian Meditation

Meditation: LA741 – 921125 – Dance of Shiva

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?

Nine in the third place means:

Advance will meet with breathtaking obstacles.
Remaining will meet with criticism from family and friends.

Going leads to obstructions;
Hence he comes back.

Life in old China

While the preceding line shows the official compelled by duty to follow the way of danger, this line shows the man who must act as father of a family or as head of his kin. If he were to plunge recklessly into danger, it would be a useless act, because those entrusted to his care cannot get along by themselves. But if he withdraws and turns back to his own, they welcome him with great joy.

17 – Seventeen. Sui / Following

Thunder beneath the Lake’s surface.
The Superior Person allows himself plenty of sheltered rest and recuperation while awaiting a clear sign to follow.

Supreme success.
No mistakes if you keep to your course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

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Today: “In this world, we know that matter cannot be produced, cannot be destroyed.” – Yogi Bhajan

“In this world, we know that matter cannot be produced, cannot be destroyed. Somebody is rich, somebody is poor. Somebody is fat, somebody is thin. Somebody is tall, somebody is short. This world is nothing but a balance. Its very existence is based on balance. This planet and the entire existence on this planet cannot exist without this great balance. There is nothing you can add; there is nothing you can subtract from it.”
Yogi Bhajan

Today: “We are able and willing, personally and collectively, yet unnoticed. This is tragic. We must find ways to be useful.” – from the I Ching

We are able and willing, personally and collectively, yet unnoticed. This is tragic. We must find ways to be useful.

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

Meditation: The Negative Mind