“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
Tag: Tao Te Ching
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
See related posts.
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,
|
| 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
See related posts.
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
See related posts
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
Today: “It is a time of standstill and decay. This time demands a person of the highest integrity to lead us into the light”- from the I Ching
It is a time of standstill and decay.
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.
This time demands a person of the highest integrity to lead us into the light: the [person] who is truly called to the task is favored by the conditions of the time, and all those of like mind will share in her blessing.
See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today
Tao Te Ching – Verse 11 – We work with being, but non-being is what we use.
Meditation: Drib Dhristi Lochina Karma
See related posts.
12 – Twelve. P’i / Stagnation
Heaven and Earth move away from each other.
In the ensuing void, the small invade where the great have departed.
There is no common meeting ground, so the Superior Person must fall back on his inner worth and decline the rewards offered by the inferior invaders.
Difficult trials as you hold to your course.
SITUATION ANALYSIS:
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.
|
Nine in the fourth place means:
Ohm |
| The time of standstill is nearing the point of change into its opposite. Whoever wishes to restore order must feel himself called to the task and have the necessary authority. A man who sets himself up as capable of creating order according to his own judgement could make mistakes and end in failure. But the man who is truly called to the task is favored by the conditions of the time, and all those of like mind will share in his blessing. |
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?
Tao Te Ching – Verse 11 – We work with being, but non-being is what we use.
Tao Te Ching – Verse 11
We join spokes together in a wheel,
but it is the center hole
that makes the wagon move.
We shape clay into a pot,
but it is the emptiness inside
that holds whatever we want.
We hammer wood for a house,
but it is the inner space
that makes it livable.
We work with being,
but non-being is what we use.
(translation by Stephen Mitchell, 1995)
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Thirty spokes join in one hub
In its emptiness, there is the function of a vehicle
Mix clay to create a container
In its emptiness, there is the function of a container
Cut open doors and windows to create a room
In its emptiness, there is the function of a room
Therefore, that which exists is used to create benefit
That which is empty is used to create functionality
(translation by Derek Lin, 2006)
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It is the gaps that define.
That definition is perfect.
Ornate vessels hold water —
So it is Nothingness which has been defined, not the vessel.
The unwise have been tricked.
(translation by Jeremy M. Miller, 2013)
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from I Ching Online
Today: “Faced with conflict, engage if it can be resolved quickly either by compromise or having the overwhelming advantage of truth.”- from the I Ching
Faced with conflict, engage if it can be resolved quickly either by compromise or having the overwhelming advantage of truth.
See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today
Meditation: Drib Dhristi Lochina Karma
See related posts.
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?
Six at the beginning [yin at bottom] means:
No quarrel will blossom, unless you let your pride fertilize this budding conflict.
Let the one who insults you expose himself for what he is.
Don’t fight this battle until you’ve already won it.
If one does not perpetuate the affair,
There is a little gossip.
In the end, good fortune comes.
‘Gossip’ – Norman Rockwell
WHILE A CONFLICT is in the incipient stage, the best thing to do is to drop the issue. Especially when the adversary is stronger, it is not advisable to risk pushing the conflict to a decision. It may come to a slight dispute, but in the end all goes well.
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: “Problem is not whether you will live and how rich you can be” – Yogi Bhajan
“Problem is not whether you will live and how rich you can be. The problem is how much impact you have, how many legacies you leave, how much grace you show, and how much vastness you experience.” Yogi Bhajan
Tao Te Ching – Verse 10 – Can you coax your mind from its wandering and keep to the original oneness?
Tao Te Ching – Verse 10
Can you coax your mind from its wandering
and keep to the original oneness?
Can you let your body become
supple as a newborn child’s?
Can you cleanse your inner vision
until you see nothing but the light?
Can you love people and lead them
without imposing your will?
Can you deal with the most vital matters
by letting events take their course?
Can you step back from you own mind
and thus understand all things?
Giving birth and nourishing,
having without possessing,
acting with no expectations,
leading and not trying to control:
this is the supreme virtue.
(translation by Stephen Mitchell, 1995)
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In holding the soul and embracing oneness
Can one be steadfast, without straying?
In concentrating the energy and reaching relaxation
Can one be like an infant?
In cleaning away the worldly view
Can one be without imperfections?
In loving the people and ruling the nation
Can one be without manipulation?
In the heavenly gate’s opening and closing
Can one hold to the feminine principle?
In understanding clearly all directions
Can one be without intellectuality?
Bearing it, rearing it
Bearing without possession
Achieving without arrogance
Raising without domination
This is called the Mystic Virtue
(translation by Derek Lin, 2006)
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Be empty and know effulgent Zero.
Breathe softly and know Blissful Nothingness.
Stop looking, then see what was hidden.
Love in secret.
Watch without touching.
Rule All while resting in Zero.
(translation by Jeremy M. Miller, 2013)
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from I Ching Online
Today: “Though it may seem that everything opposes your endeavors, just ensure that you are on the right path and seek good company. You will triumph.”- from the I Ching
Though it may seem that everything opposes your endeavors, just ensure that you are on the right path and seek good company. You will triumph.
See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today
Tao Te Ching – Verse 9 – Better to stop in time than to fill to the brim
Meditation: TCH36-1-A00713 – Pain and Ecstasy – Triangle of Knowledge
See related posts.
38 – Thirty-Eight. K’uei / Estrangement
Fire distances itself from its nemesis, the Lake:
No matter how large or diverse the group, the Superior Person remains uniquely himself.
Small accomplishments are possible.
SITUATION ANALYSIS:
You are working at cross-purposes with another.
The distance between you is very wide.
The gap can be closed, however, with no compromise of your integrity.
You are not adversaries in this case — just two persons addressing individual needs.
Ask yourself: are these needs mutually exclusive?
Is there common ground here?
Must there be one winner and one loser?
Could you become partners in seeking a solution that would allow for two winners?
Six in the third place means:Bandits stop his oxen team and board his wagon. One sees the wagon dragged back,
Sphinx Giza |
| Often it seems to a man as though everything were conspiring against him. He sees himself checked and hindered in his progress, insulted and dishonored.1 However, he must not let himself be misled; despite this opposition, he must cleave to the man with whom he knows he belongs. Thus, notwithstanding the bad beginning, the matter will end well. |
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.
- Cutting off of the hair and nose was a severe and degrading punishment.
Today: “A relaxed mind is a creative mind and a creative mind is a relaxed mind” – Yogi Bhajan
“A relaxed mind is a creative mind and a creative mind is a relaxed mind and only a relaxed mind can become a one-pointed mind, and a one-pointed mind is the most wonderful mind; it is the most powerful, it can do anything.” Yogi Bhajan
Meditation: KWTC 980708 Our internal Fears and their exit
See related posts
Tao Te Ching – Verse 9 – Better to stop in time than to fill to the brim
Tao Te Ching – Verse 9
Better to stop in time than to fill to the brim.
Hone a blade to the sharpest point, and it will soon be blunt.
Fill your house with gold and jade, and no one can protect it.
Be prideful about wealth and position, and you bring disasters upon yourself. Retire when the work is done.
This is the way of heaven.
from the Tao Te Ching
Translation by Tolbert McCarroll Comments and layout by Thomas Knierim
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from I Ching Online