“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
Tag: Tao
Today: “Approach obstacles with the intention of letting go of your limitations and improving yourself rather than laying blame.” – from the I Ching
Approach obstacles with the intention of letting go of your limitations and improving yourself rather than laying blame.
See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day
Tao Te Ching – Verse 71 – Not-knowing is true knowledge. Presuming to know is a disease.
Meditation: LA907 – Kriya for Non-Reaction
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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?
above: K’an / The Abysmal, Water | ||
below: Kên / Keeping Still, Mountain | ||
The hexagram pictures a dangerous abyss lying before us and a steep, inaccessible mountain rising behind us. We are surrounded by obstacles; at the same time, since the mountain has the attribute of keeping still, there is implicit a hint as to how we can extricate ourselves. The hexagram represents obstructions that appear in the course of time but that can and should be overcome. Therefore all the instruction given is directed to overcoming them.
THE JUDGEMENT OBSTRUCTION. The southwest furthers. The southwest is the region of retreat, the northeast that of advance. Here an individual is confronted by obstacles that cannot be overcome directly. In such a situation it is wise to pause in view of the danger and to retreat. However, this is merely a preparation for overcoming the obstructions. One must join forces with friends of like mind and put himself under the leadership of a man equal to the situation: then one will succeed in removing the obstacles. This requires the will to persevere just when one apparently must do something that leads away from his goal. This unswerving inner purpose brings good fortune in the end. An obstruction that lasts only for a time is useful for self-development. This is the value of adversity. THE IMAGE Water on the mountain: |
Heaven Lake, Baekdu Mountain – a crater lake on the border separating China and North Korea |
Difficulties and obstructions throw a man back upon himself. While the inferior man seeks to put the blame on other persons, bewailing his fate, the superior man seeks the error within himself, and through this introspection the external obstacle becomes for him an occasion for inner enrichment and education. |
Today: “Water under the earth is a resource that gives life. Kindness, benevolence and generosity will attract the help you need to sustain your cause.” – from the I Ching
Water under the earth is a resource that sustains life. Kindness, benevolence and generosity will attract the help you need to sustain your cause.
See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day
Tao Te Ching – Verse 69 – Rather than make the first move it is better to wait and see.
Meditation: NM142 19940615 – Bless the Planet Earth and Let the Heavens Descend in You
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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?
above: K’un / The Receptive, Earth | ||
below: K’an / The Abysmal, Water | ||
THIS HEXAGRAM is made up of the trigrams K’an, water, and K’un, earth, and thus it symbolises the ground water stored up in the earth. In the same way military strength is stored up in the mass of the people – invisible in times of peace but always ready for use as a source of power. The attributes of the two trigrams are danger inside and obedience outside. This points to the nature of an army, which at the core is dangerous, while discipline and obedience must prevail outside. Of the individual lines, the one that controls the hexagram is the strong nine in the second place, to which the other lines, all yielding, are subordinate. This line indicates a commander, because it stands in the middle of one of the two trigrams. But since it is in the lower rather than the upper trigram, it represents not the ruler but the efficient general, who maintains obedience in the army by his authority.THE JUDGEMENT The army. The army needs perseverance Xian warriors AN ARMY is a mass that needs organization in order to become a fighting force. |
THE IMAGE In the middle of the earth is water: GROUND WATER is invisibly present within the earth. In the same way the military power of a people is invisibly present in the masses. When danger threatens, every peasant becomes a soldier; when the war ends, he goes back to his plow. He who is generous toward the people wins their love, and a people living under a mild rule becomes strong and powerful. Only a people economically strong can be important in military power. Such power must therefore be cultivated by improving the economic condition of the people and by humane government. Only when there is this invisible bond between government and people, so that the people are sheltered by their government as ground water is sheltered by the earth, is it possible to wage a victorious war. |
Today: “What is Truth? Your very existence is Truth.” – Yogi Bhajan
“What is Truth? Your very existence is Truth. Not to recognize your grace in existence and seeking things outside you is maya. Gurus say, Don’t have maya, don’t run after maya. For you, good food is a maya, a good house is a maya, good clothing is a maya, a good bed is a maya. Maya is not recognizing the Truth.“ Yogi Bhajan
Today: “Be guided by what your duty is in the moment.” – from the I Ching
All conflict will be resolved by knowing and acting from your true nature.
Whatever a man possesses through the strength of his own nature cannot be lost.
See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day
Tao Te Ching – Verse 69 – Rather than make the first move it is better to wait and see.
Meditation: LA101 790419-Faith In Our Self And Our Own Discipline
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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 in the third place means:
He stands on his integrity, no matter what ill winds may blast him.
Stand or fall, in the end he will remain exactly who he is.
To nourish oneself on ancient virtue induces perseverance.
Danger. In the end, good fortune comes.
If by chance you are in the service of a king,
Seek not works.
Medieval Tapestry – The King’s Court
This is a warning of the danger that goes with an expansive disposition. Only that which has been honestly acquired through merit remains a permanent possession. It can happen that such a possession may be contested, but since it is really one’s own, one cannot be robbed of it. Whatever a man possesses through the strength of his own nature cannot be lost. If one enters the service of a superior, one can avoid conflict only by not seeking works for the sake of prestige. It is enough if the work is done: let the honor go to the other.
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.
Today: “What is greatness? Greatness is when you have found that you are not great, but everything else is.” – Yogi Bhajan
“What is greatness? Greatness is when you have found that you are not great, but everything else is. When everything else is great and you have experienced that, then everything else holds you in its esteem.” Yogi Bhajan
Meditation: NM371 – Enjoy the Creativity of God
Tao Te Ching – Verse 31 – Weapons are the tools of violence; all decent men detest them.
This year: “You can rely on the strength from the momentum that has been established. Be vigilant of forces that would distract you from your intentions.” – from the I Ching
This year: You can rely on the strength from the momentum that has been established. Be vigilant of forces that would distract you from your intentions.
https://www.harinam.com/meditation-la057-780928-change-your-frequency/
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 third place means:
A good stallion with speed.
Discipline daily, study your goal, and advance is assured.
A good horse that follows others.
Awareness of danger,
With perseverance, furthers.
Practice chariot driving and armed defense daily.
It furthers one to have somewhere to go.
Scene from Ben Hur, the movie
The way opens; the hindrance has been cleared away. A man is in contact with a strong will acting in the same direction as his own, and goes forward like one good horse following another. But danger still threatens, and he must remain aware of it, or he will be robbed of his firmness. Thus he must acquire skill on the one hand in what will take him forward, and on the other in what will protect him against unforeseen attacks. It is good in such a pass to have a goal toward which to strive.
27 – Twenty-Seven. I / Providing Nourishment
Beneath the immobile Mountain the arousing Thunder stirs:
The Superior Person preserves his freedom under oppressive conditions by watching what comes out of his mouth, as well as what goes in.
Endure and good fortune will come.
Nurture others in need, as if you were feeding yourself.
Take care not to provide sustenance for those who feed off others.
Stay as high as possible on the food chain.
SITUATION ANALYSIS:
You are a conduit in this instance, able to provide the sustenance needed by others.
Position yourself to nourish the truly needy and worthy.
Avoid situations where you might be coerced into supporting the parasites and vermin who deprive your true charges.
Your own nourishment is an issue here, too.
Remember Lao Tzu’s three Great Treasures:
Only the person possessed of Compassion, Modesty and Frugality can remain fit enough to stay free of desperation and keep control of the situation.
Today: “Be guided by what your duty is in the moment.” – from the I Ching
Be guided by what your duty is in the moment.
See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day
Meditation: NM0383-20010213 – Culturing the Self
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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 in the fifth place means:To submit to insult is to invite injury. Giving duration to one’s character through perseverance.
|
A woman should follow a man her whole life long, but a man should at all times hold to what is his duty at the given moment. Should he persistently seek to conform to the woman, it would be a mistake for him. Accordingly it is altogether right for a woman to hold conservatively to tradition, but a man must always be flexible and adaptable and allow himself to be guided solely by what his duty requires of him at the moment. |
28 – Twenty-Eight. Ta Kuo / Critical Mass
The Flood rises above the tallest Tree:
Amidst a rising tide of human folly, the Superior Person retires to higher ground, renouncing his world without looking back.
Any direction is better than where you now stand.
SITUATION ANALYSIS:
Several high-priority concerns demand immediate attention.
All are crucial.
None will be denied.
Yet some demand the denial of others.
Like two atoms seeking to occupy the same space, these irresistible forces and immovable objects threaten to ignite a cataclysm that could irreversibly alter your world.
This is no time for fatal heroics.
You are at Ground Point Zero.
Remove yourself from this situation without delay.
Find sanctuary.
Later you may deal with these concerns on your own terms, from a position of strength.
Today: “If there is a purpose other than compassion in all relationships in your life, you will also find pain in that relationship.” – Yogi Bhajan
“If there is a purpose other than compassion in all relationships in your life, you will also find pain in that relationship.” Yogi Bhajan
Meditation: NM0414-20010905 – Correcting the Sensory System
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Today: “Be resilient and endure every challenging situation. Cultivate your inner qualities rather than resisting external forces. Your presence will bring more integrity to your relations.” – from the I Ching
Be resilient and endure every challenging situation. Cultivate your inner qualities rather than resisting external forces. Your presence will bring more integrity to your relations.
“Don’t go crazy” — Yogi Bhajan
See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day
Tao Te Ching – Verse 67 – Some say that my teaching is nonsense.
LA309-19820515-Last Resort Meditation
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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.
above: Chên / The Arousing, Thunder | ||
below: Sun / The Gentle, Wind | ||
The strong trigram Chên is above, the weak trigram Sun below. This hexagram is the inverse of the preceding one (31). In the latter we have influence, here we have union as an enduring condition. The two images are thunder and wind, which are likewise constantly paired phenomena. The lower trigram indicates gentleness within; the upper, movement without. In the sphere of social relationships, the hexagram represents the institution of marriage as the enduring union of the sexes. During courtship the young man subordinates himself to the girl, but in marriage, which is represented by the coming together of the eldest son and the eldest daughter, the husband is the directing and moving force outside, while the wife, inside, is gentle and submissive. THE JUDGEMENT DURATION. Success. No blame. Duration is a state whose movement is not worn down by hindrances. It is not a state of rest, for mere standstill is regression. Duration is rather the self- contained and therefore self-renewing movement of an organised, firmly integrated whole, taking place in accordance with immutable laws and beginning anew at every ending. The end is reached by an inward movement, by inhalation, systole, contraction, and this movement turns into a new beginning, in which the movement is directed outward, in exhalation, diastole, expansion. |
THE IMAGE Thunder and wind: the image of DURATION. Thunder 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. |
LA309-19820515-Last Resort Meditation
YOU WILL WIPE OUT A LOT OF NEGATIVITY
The center of the palate and that is where the central nerve 32° degree meridian: the Christ meridian, in the west we call it the Sat ka Buddha Bindu
Instructions
- Sit in Easy Pose with spine straight. Have the hands in the lap, palms up, right hand resting in left, thumb tips touching.
- Eyes are closed.
- Chant the Wahe Guru Wahe Jio mantra 8 times on one breath. Chant in a monotone: Wahe Guru, Wahe Guru, Wahe Guru, Wahe Jio.
- Breathe very deeply in order to complete the cycle, which will take approximately 45 seconds.
- Release the breath very slowly as you chant. If at first the breath doesn’t hold for the full 8 repetitions, stop, breathe, and begin again.
- Build up your capacity.
See lecture in Library of Teachings
See video in Library of Teachings
Today: “You are true now, you were true then, and you shall ever be true—that is all you have to know, and you will be free.” – Yogi Bhajan
“You are true now, you were true then, and you shall ever be true—that is all you have to know, and you will be free.” Yogi Bhajan
Meditation: NM0420-20011015 – The Power of Memories – Remember the Saint Within
Today: “Accept things as they happen without trying to change the external forces that control the flow of existence. Change yourself instead. You can write your own destiny.” – from the I Ching
Accept things as they happen without trying to change the external forces that control the flow of existence. Change yourself instead. You can write your own destiny.
See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day
Tao Te Ching – Verse 66 – If you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them.
Meditation: Breath to Conquer Time Space and Destiny
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54 – Fifty-Four. Kuei Mei / A Loveless Marriage
The Thunderstorm inseminates the swelling Lake, then moves on where the Lake cannot follow:
The Superior Person views passing trials in the light of Eternal Truths.
Any action will prove unfortunate.
Nothing furthers.
SITUATION ANALYSIS:
This is at best a Marriage of Convenience.
You have found yourself in desperate straits, a position of weakness, and you are tempted to pay dearly for a remedy.
A drowning man isn’t picky about who throws him a rope.
The rescue offered to you now is undesirable.
It may pull you out of this sticky situation, but it will cause even greater predicaments down the road.
Don’t obligate yourself in this way.
You are selling your future for a quick fix today.
Six in the fifth place means:The princess bride dresses humbly, out of respect for her commoner groom. The sovereign I gave his daughter in marriage.
Waxing gibbous moon |
The sovereign I is T’ang the Completer. This ruler decreed that the imperial princesses should be subordinated to their husbands in the same manner as other women (cf. Hexagram 11, six in the fifth place). The emperor does not wait for a suitor to woo his daughter but gives her in marriage when he sees fit. Therefore it is in accord with custom for the girl’s family to take the initiative here. We see here a girl of aristocratic birth who marries a man of modest circumstances and understands how to adapt herself with grace to the new situation. She is free of all vanity of outer adornment, and forgetting her rank in her marriage, takes a place below that of her husband, just as the moon, before it is quite full, does not directly face the sun. |
60 – Sixty. Chieh / Limitations
Waters difficult to keep within the Lake’s banks:
The Superior Person examines the nature of virtue and makes himself a standard that can be followed.
Self-discipline brings success; but restraints too binding bring self-defeat.
SITUATION ANALYSIS:
Cultivating the proper disciplines and the proper degree of discipline are the concerns of this hexagram.
By limiting options, you may give more attention to priorities.
One who is all over the map is no less lost than one without a map.
Avoid asceticism, however.
Deprivation is not wise discipline.
The key here is regulation, not restriction.
Today: “Leave behind petty vanities. Cultivate in yourself what really counts.” – from the I Ching
Leave behind petty vanities. Cultivate in yourself what really counts.
See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day
Meditation: NM0383-20010213 – Culturing the Self
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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.
Six in the second place means:Adorning the beard to the detriment of the chin. Lends grace to the beard on his chin.
|
The beard is not an independent thing; it moves only with the chin. The image therefore means that form is to be considered only as a result and attribute of content. The beard is a superfluous ornament. To devote care to it for its own sake, without regard for the inner content of which it is an ornament, would bespeak a certain vanity. |
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?
Today: “You have gathered all the wisdom and power you need. You can choose how to use them. Hello the world and repair the damage, or follow the path of a monastic.” – from the I Ching
You have gathered all the wisdom and power you need. You can choose how to use them. Hello the world and repair the damage, or follow the path of a monastic.
See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day
Tao Te Ching – Verse 64 – Prevent trouble before it arises. Put things in order before they exist.
Meditation: Meditate on Nothing to Find Prosperity – 19930421
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1 – One Ch’ien / Creative Activity
Heaven above and Heaven below:
Heaven in constant motion.
With the strength of the dragon, the Superior Person steels himself for ceaseless activity.
Productive Activity.
Potent Influence.
Sublime Success if you keep to your course.
SITUATION ANALYSIS:
The time for action has come.
You now have the focus and the stamina necessary for accomplishing great tasks.
The path before you is being cleared and reward lies ahead.
Nine in the fourth place means:The flying dragon hovers over the chasm from which he was born. Wavering flight over the depths.
Nils Holgersson |
A place of transition has been reached, and free choice can enter in. A twofold possibility is presented to the great man: he can soar to the heights and play an important part in the world, or he can withdraw into solitude and develop himself. He can go the way of the hero or that of the holy sage who seeks seclusion. There is no general law to say which of the two is the right way. Each one in this situation must make a free choice according to the inner law of his being. If the individual acts consistently and is true to himself, he will find the way that is appropriate for him. This way is right for him and without blame. |
18 – Eighteen. Ku / Repairing the Damage
Winds sweep through the Mountain valley:
The Superior Person sweeps away corruption and stagnation by stirring up the people and strengthening their spirit.
Supreme success.
Before crossing to the far shore, consider the move for three days.
After crossing, devote three days of hard labor to damage control.
SITUATION ANALYSIS:
You are blessed with an opportunity to resuscitate that which others have abandoned as beyond repair.
This ruin wasn’t caused by evil intention, but by indifference to decay.
Just by addressing yourself to the problem, you exhibit a new awareness, a fresh perspective.
This is a time of recovery, renewal, regeneration.
Today: “Commanding the mind is only the art of survival in a state of bliss.” – Yogi Bhajan
“Commanding the mind is only the art of survival in a state of bliss.” Yogi Bhajan
Meditation: LA041-780525- Control the Mind
Today: Tao Te Ching