Today: “If you are in conflict with people much stronger than you, it is better at first to let the matter drop” – I Ching

If you are in conflict with people much stronger than you, it is better at first to let the matter drop.  To persist, be aware of all the consequences.

Yesterday: Coming together in times of conflict will form strong bonds” – I Ching

Prior: To  go through conflict, meet your opponents half-way.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching

CONFLICT DEVELOPS when one feels himself to be in the right and runs into opposition. If one is not convinced of being in the right, opposition leads to craftiness or high-handed encroachment but not to open conflict.
If a man is entangled in a conflict, his only salvation lies in being so clear- headed and inwardly strong that he is always ready to come to terms by meeting the opponent halfway. To carry on the conflict to the bitter end has evil effects even when one is the right, because the enmity is then perpetuated. It is important to see the great man, that is, an impartial man whose authority is great enough to terminate the conflict amicably or assure a just decision. In times of strife, crossing the great water is to be avoided, that is, dangerous enterprises are not to be begun, because in order to be successful they require concerted unity of focus. Conflict within weakens the power to conquer danger without.

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.

The situation is really difficult. That which is strongest and that which is weakest are close together. The weak follows behind the strong and worries it. The strong, however, acquiesces and does not hurt the weak, because the contact is in good humor and harmless.
In terms of a human situation, one is handling wild, intractable people. In such a case one’s purpose will be achieved if one behaves with decorum. Pleasant manners succeed even with irritable people.

Meditation
Tao Te Ching

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Today: I Ching

Today: “What is the destiny of man?” – Yogi Bhajan

SSSYWa“What is the destiny of man? To project gracefully through existence. That is your destiny: You must project grace through your existence.” Yogi Bhajan

Sat Nam!
Ram Anand

 

Meditation

Today: “Coming together in times of conflict will form strong bonds” – I Ching

Yesterday: To  go through conflict, meet your opponents half-way.

which will overcome any obstacles.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching

CONFLICT DEVELOPS when one feels himself to be in the right and runs into opposition. If one is not convinced of being in the right, opposition leads to craftiness or high-handed encroachment but not to open conflict.
If a man is entangled in a conflict, his only salvation lies in being so clear- headed and inwardly strong that he is always ready to come to terms by meeting the opponent halfway. To carry on the conflict to the bitter end has evil effects even when one is the right, because the enmity is then perpetuated. It is important to see the great man, that is, an impartial man whose authority is great enough to terminate the conflict amicably or assure a just decision. In times of strife, crossing the great water is to be avoided, that is, dangerous enterprises are not to be begun, because in order to be successful they require concerted unity of focus. Conflict within weakens the power to conquer danger without.

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.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

Meditation
Tao Te Ching

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Today: I Ching

Today: “To go through conflict, meet your opponents half-way” – I Ching

To go through conflict, meet your opponents half-way, rather than clinging to your being right.  Success lies in everyone seeing something new.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching

CONFLICT DEVELOPS when one feels himself to be in the right and runs into opposition. If one is not convinced of being in the right, opposition leads to craftiness or high-handed encroachment but not to open conflict.
If a man is entangled in a conflict, his only salvation lies in being so clear- headed and inwardly strong that he is always ready to come to terms by meeting the opponent halfway. To carry on the conflict to the bitter end has evil effects even when one is the right, because the enmity is then perpetuated. It is important to see the great man, that is, an impartial man whose authority is great enough to terminate the conflict amicably or assure a just decision. In times of strife, crossing the great water is to be avoided, that is, dangerous enterprises are not to be begun, because in order to be successful they require concerted unity of focus. Conflict within weakens the power to conquer danger without.

Meditation
Tao Te Ching

Previous readings
Today: I Ching

Today: “Life has a message for everyone” – Yogi Bhajan

SSSYWa“Life has a message for everyone. Life provides an opportunity for everyone. Fortunate are those who avail themselves of it, unfortunate are those who miss it.” Yogi Bhajan

Sat Nam!
Ram Anand

 

Meditation

Today: “Forget the self as ego.  Become who you truly are. ” – I Ching

Forget the self as ego.  Become who you truly are.  Seek a discipline that takes you within the vastness of your true self and quiets the distractions of the ego.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching

Religious forces are needed to overcome the egotism that divides men. The common celebration of the great sacrificial feasts and sacred rites, which gave expression simultaneously to the interrelation and social articulation of the family and state, was the means employed by the great rulers to unite men. The sacred music and the splendor of the ceremonies aroused a strong tide of emotion that was shared by all hearts in unison, and that awakened a consciousness of the common origin of all creatures. In this way disunity was overcome and rigidity dissolved. A further means to the same end is co-operation in great general undertakings that set a high goal for the will of the people; in the common concentration on this goal, all barriers dissolve, just as, when a boat is crossing a great stream, all hands must unite in a joint task.
But only a man who is himself free of all selfish ulterior considerations, and who perseveres in justice and steadfastness, is capable of so dissolving the hardness of egotism.
Under certain circumstances, a man’s work may become so difficult that he can no longer think of himself. He must set aside all personal desires and disperse whatever the self gathers about it to serve as a barrier against others. Only on the basis of great renunciation can he obtain the strength for great achievements. By setting his goal in a great task outside himself, he can attain this standpoint.
We must go down to the very foundations of life. For any merely superficial ordering of life that leaves its deepest needs unsatisfied is as ineffectual as if no attempt at order had ever been made. Carelessness-by which the jug is broken-is also disastrous. If for instance the military defence of a state is carried to such excess that it provokes wars by which the power of the state is annihilated, this is a breaking of the jug.
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.

Meditation
Tao Te Ching

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Today: I Ching

Today: “When you ignore the truth, you will be ignored” – Yogi Bhajan

SSSYWaWhen you ignore the truth, you will be ignored; any person who can ignore the truth or true advice shall be truthfully ignored by the Supreme Existence, because truth is supreme.” Yogi Bhajan

Sat Nam!
Ram Anand

 

Meditation

Today: “And then we reach universal consciousness.” – Yogi Bhajan

SSSYWa“There is individual consciousness and from there, group consciousness and then we reach universal consciousness. The aim of the man is to reach universal consciousness.” Yogi Bhajan

Sat Nam!
Ram Anand

 

Meditation

Today: “Hold the connection with your inner source of knowing” – I Ching

Remain true to what you know.  Hold the connection with your inner source of knowing,  ignore the confusion and chaos of the outer world.  In this way, there is nothing that you cannot imagine and create.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching

Wind stirs water by penetrating it. Thus the superior man, when obliged to judge the mistakes of men, tries to penetrate their minds with understanding, in order to gain a sympathetic appreciation of the circumstances.
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.
To intensify the power of inner truth, a man must always turn to his superior, from whom he can receive enlightenment as the moon receives light from the sun. However, this requires a certain humility, like that of the moon when it is not yet quite full. At the moment when the moon becomes full and stands directly opposite the sun, it begins to wane. Just as on the one hand we must be humble and reverent when face to face with the source of enlightenment, so likewise must we on the other renounce factionalism among men. Only by pursuing one’s course like a horse that goes straight ahead without looking sidewise at its mate, can one retain the inner freedom that helps one onward.
The beginning of all things lies still in the beyond in the form of ideas that have yet to become real. But the Creative furthermore has power to lend form to these archetypes of ideas. This is indicated in the word success, and the process is represented by an image from nature: “The clouds pass and the rain does its work, and all individual beings flow into their forms.”3
Applied to the human world, these attributes show the great man the way to notable success: “Because he sees with great clarity causes and effects, he completes the six steps at the right time and mounts toward heaven on them at the right time, as though on six dragons.” The six steps are the six different positions given in the hexagram, which are represented later by the dragon symbol. Here it is shown that the way to success lies in apprehending and giving actuality to the way of the universe [Tao], which, as a law running through end and beginning, brings about all phenomena in time. Thus each step attained forthwith becomes a preparation for the next. Time is no longer a hindrance but the means of making actual what is potential.
The act of creation having found expression in the two attributes sublimity and success, the work of conservation is shown to be a continuous actualisation and differentiation of form.

Meditation
Tao Te Ching

Previous readings
Today: I Ching

Today: “We come on this earth to go” – Yogi Bhajan

SSSYWa“We come on this earth to go. We come in grace; therefore, we must go in grace. This is the highest power one has to achieve.” Yogi Bhajan

Sat Nam!
Ram Anand

 

Meditation

Use your great power through wisdom and perseverance

Use your great power through wisdom,  understanding and perseverance rather than from an outward show of force.  Quietly remove resistances and success and peace will be yours.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching

The hexagram points to a time when inner worth mounts with great force and comes to power.   That is truly great power which does not degenerate into mere force but remains inwardly united with the fundamental principles of right and of justice. When we understand this point – namely, that greatness and justice must be indissolubly united – we understand the true meaning of all that happens in heaven and on earth.
If a man goes on quietly and perseveringly working at the removal of resistances, success comes in the end. The obstructions give way and all occasion for remorse arising from excessive use of power disappears.
Such a man’s power does not show externally, yet it can move heavy loads, like a big cart whose real strength lies in its axle. The less that power is applied outwardly, the greater its effect.
This hexagram denotes a time in nature when heaven seems to be on earth. Heaven has placed itself beneath the earth, and so their powers unite in deep harmony. Then peace and blessing descend upon all living things.
In the world of man it is a time of social harmony; those in high places show favour to the lowly, and the lowly and inferior in their turn are well disposed toward the highly placed. There is an end to all feuds.

Meditation

Previous readings
Today: I Ching

Today: “Your deeds should be honorable” – Yogi Bhajan

SSSYWa“Your deeds should be honorable and they cannot be honorable if you do not have honorable intentions. It is the honorable intention that will bring the honorable act from you.” Yogi Bhajan

Sat Nam!
Ram Anand

 

Meditation

Today: Proceed wisely and do not make mistakes – I Ching

Proceed wisely and do not make mistakes.  Be flexible and meet of threats of danger with intuition.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching

Through repetition of danger we grow accustomed to it. Water sets the example for the right conduct under such circumstances. It flows on and on, and merely fills up all the places through which it flows; it does not shrink from any dangerous spot nor from any plunge, and nothing can make it lose its own essential nature. It remains true to itself under all conditions. Thus likewise, if one is sincere when confronted with difficulties, the heart can penetrate the meaning of the situation. And once we have gained inner mastery of a problem, it will come about naturally that the action we take will succeed. In danger all that counts is really carrying out all that has to be done- -thoroughness – and going forward, in order not to perish through tarrying in the danger.
Properly used, danger can have an important meaning as a protective measure. Thus heaven has its perilous height protecting it against every attempt at invasion, and earth has its mountains and bodies of water, separating countries by their dangers. Thus also rulers make use of danger to protect themselves against attacks from without and against turmoil within.

Meditation

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Today: I Ching

Today: One submits and contents himself with waiting. Energy accumulates for a vigorous advance later on. – I Ching

Retreat to a position out of the limelight.  Modesty and conscientious attention to your actions will further your intentions.
Previous days

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching

One submits and contents himself with waiting. In this way energy accumulates for a vigorous advance later on.
When a man has thus become calm, he may turn to the outside world. He no longer sees in it the struggle and tumult of individual beings, and therefore he has that true peace of mind which is needed for understanding the great laws of the universe and for acting in harmony with them. Whoever acts from these deep levels makes no mistakes.

Meditation

Previous readings
Today: I Ching

Today: “My sharing of this yoga is to teach humans the ultimate science of mankind” – Yogi Bhajan

SSSYWa“You must understand one thing: I have sacrificed what I could have achieved personally for one game only: to create teachers in the West. My sharing of this yoga is to teach humans the ultimate science of mankind. It is priceless. It is the concentrated essence of thousands of years of humanity. I am here to preserve it in your hearts so that it will be available later on when humanity will need it more badly than you or I can imagine.” Yogi Bhajan

Sat Nam!
Ram Anand

 

Meditation

Today: Retreat to a position out of the limelight – I Ching

Retreat to a position out of the limelight.  Modesty and conscientious attention to your actions will further your intentions.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching

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.
The situation is unequivocal. Inner detachment has become an established fact, and we are at liberty to depart. When one sees the way ahead thus clearly, free of all doubt, a cheerful mood sets in, and one chooses what is right without further thought. Such a clear path ahead always leads to the good.
Exceptional modesty and conscientiousness are sure to be rewarded with success; however, if a man is not to throw himself away, it is important that they should not become empty form and subservience but be combined always with a correct dignity in personal behaviour. We must understand the demands of the time in order to find the necessary offset for its deficiencies and damages. In any event we must not count on great success, since the requisite strength is lacking. In this lies the importance of the message that one should not strive after lofty things but hold to lowly things.

Meditation

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Today: I Ching