Today: “Preserve yourself. That is an art. It is an art to preserve yourself.” Yogi Bhajan

“Preserve yourself. That is an art. It is an art to preserve yourself. It is an art to selflessly serve somebody. It is an art to give your total everlasting friendship. It is an art to understand all activity so caused by you in good faith, because you are a living being. It is an art of gratitude. The attitude of gratitude is the highest living experience in a human life. I don’t care whether you believe in Jesus or not, whether you believe in God or not, whether you believe in Buddha or not. This is not my problem, it is your problem. But be grateful for every moment, for you must remember this moment will never come back.” Yogi Bhajan

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

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Today: “There is a flow of upward mobility.  Catch this wave.” – from the I Ching

There is a flow of upward mobility.  Catch this wave.

Meditation: Meditate on Nothing to Find Prosperity – 19930421

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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.

The idea of increase is expressed in the fact that the strong lowest line of the upper trigram has sunk down and taken its place under the lower trigram. This conception also expresses the fundamental idea on which the Yi Jing is based. To rule truly is to serve.
A sacrifice of the higher element that produces an increase of the lower is called an out-and-out increase: it indicates the spirit that alone has power to help the world.

THE JUDGEMENT

INCREASE. It furthers one
To undertake something.
It furthers one to cross the great water.

Sacrifice on the part of those above for the increase of those below fills the people with a sense of joy and gratitude that is extremely valuable for the flowering of the commonwealth. When people are thus devoted to their leaders, undertakings are possible, and even difficult and dangerous enterprises will succeed. Therefore in such times of progress and successful development it is necessary to work and make the best use of the time. This time resembles that of the marriage of heaven and earth, when the earth partakes of the creative power of heaven, forming and bringing forth living beings. The time of INCREASE does not endure, therefore it must be utilised while it lasts.

 

 

Baruch Spinoza 1

Amsterdam, November 24th 1632 – The Hague, February 21st 1677

THE IMAGE

Wind and thunder: the image of INCREASE.
Thus the superior man:
If he sees good, he imitates it;
If he has faults, he rids himself of them.

While observing how thunder and wind increase and strengthen each other, a man can note the way to self-increase and self-improvement. When he discovers good in others, he should imitate it and thus make everything on earth his own. If he perceives something bad in himself, let him rid himself of it. In this way he becomes free of evil. This ethical change represents the most important increase of personality.


1. Baruch Spinoza, born ‘Benedito de Espinosa’ (Portuguese), November 24th 1632 – February 21st 1677, later Benedict de Spinoza, was a Dutch philosopher of Sephardi Portuguese origin.
The breadth and importance of Spinoza’s work was not fully realized until many years after his death.
By laying the groundwork for the 18th century Enlightenment and modern biblical criticism, including modern conceptions of the self and the universe, he came to be considered one of the great rationalists of 17th century philosophy.
His magnum opus, the posthumous ‘Ethics’, in which he opposed Descartes’ mind–body dualism, has earned him recognition as one of Western philosophy’s most important thinkers.
In the Ethics, “Spinoza wrote the last indisputable Latin masterpiece, and one in which the refined conceptions of medieval philosophy are finally turned against themselves and destroyed entirely.” Hegel said, “You are either a Spinozist or not a philosopher at all.”

Spinoza was raised in the Portuguese Jewish community in Amsterdam.
He developed highly controversial ideas regarding the authenticity of the Hebrew Bible and the nature of the Divine.
The Jewish religious authorities issued a cherem against him, effectively excluding him from Jewish society at age 23.
His books were also later put on the Catholic Church’s Index of Forbidden Books.

Spinoza lived an outwardly simple life as a lens grinder (on this page a lens magnifies his potrait with a mouse-over), turning down rewards and honors throughout his life, including prestigious teaching positions.

Spinoza died at the age of 44 allegedly of a lung illness, perhaps tuberculosis or silicosis exacerbated by fine glass dust inhaled while grinding optical lenses.
Spinoza is buried in the churchyard of the Christian ‘Nieuwe Kerk’ in The Hague.

Today: “Meditation on breath is a meditation on life.” Yogi Bhajan

“Meditation on breath is a meditation on life. It is very simple. This sound in you is an infinite sound and so long as this sound of inhale and exhale continues, you are alive. They call it Anhat, ultimate mantra. If you don’t chant this mantra, you cannot chant any others either. You have to chant this mantra in every religion before every God. Any moment that you cannot chant this mantra, you cannot exist. Do it gracefully, rhythmically, and musically. It is known as pranayam, and it is very essential.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: Breath to Conquer Time Space and Destiny

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Today: “Look for assistance where it is already available and willing, regardless of habit or norms.” – from the I Ching

Look for assistance where it is already available and willing, regardless of habit or norms.

Meditation: 760422 – Balancing Projection with Intention

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62 – Sixty-Two  Hsiao Kuo / Lying Low

Thunder high on the Mountain, active passivity:
The Superior Person is unsurpassed in his ability to remain small.
In a time for humility, he is supremely modest.
In a time of mourning, he uplifts with somber reverence.
In a time of want, he is resourcefully frugal.

When a bird flies too high, its song is lost.
Rather than push upward now, it is best to remain below.
This will bring surprising good fortune, if you keep to your course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

There is no profit to striving here.
To be content with oneself is the greatest success imaginable.
The enlightened person has nothing to prove to himself or others, and thus may always operate from a position of sincerity, with no pretense or posturing.
His humility is guileless simplicity.
His mourning is selfless compassion.
His frugality is an unshakeable faith that he is but a conduit, letting what is needed flow through him to others, with no loss to himself.

Six in the second place means:

She invokes the spirit of her ancestor, but is visited by her ancestress.
He heads straight for the Prince but is intercepted by the Minister.
It is best.

She passes by her ancestor
And meets her ancestress.
He does not reach his prince
And meets the official.
No blame.

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34 – Thirty-Four  Ta Chuang / Awesome Power

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Today: “When you lose your elevation and have no habit to listen to your consciousness” – Yogi Bhajan

“When you lose your elevation and have no habit to listen to your consciousness, then it seems like you have no choice. You do not understand it because your mind is doing this to you. Your mind is not supposed to do anything to you. Your mind is supposed to do things for you. Now you are caught in the game of mind and ego. Between the two you can be stretched until nothing is left.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA935-980608- Connect the subconscious and intuition

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Today: “As  you press forward, be very clear about the risks and what you are sacrificing. ” – from the I Ching

As  you press forward, be very clear about the risks and what you are sacrificing.

Meditation: LA714-19920219

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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.

Six at the top means:

One must go through the water.
It goes over one’s head.
Misfortune. No blame.

Here is a situation in which the unusual has reached a climax. One is courageous and wishes to accomplish one’s task, no matter what happens. This leads into danger. The water rises over one’s head. This is the misfortune. But one incurs no blame in giving up one’s life that the good and the right may prevail. There are things that are more important than life.

6 – Six  Sung / Conflict

Fording the flooded stream, he disappears beneath the rushing waters and never resurfaces.
Misfortune through no fault of his own.

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?

Today: “If you get into the stage of ecstasy, the Wha state, you can overcome anything” Yogi Bhajan

“If you get into the stage of ecstasy, the Wha state, you can overcome anything; all handicaps and problems in your life shall stand covered and you will have a bridge. You have to build this bridge. Nobody can build the bridge for you and that bridge is to train your mind. When as a human being I know the being of the being, time is here and now and tomorrow I shall be all right.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0380 – Ecstasy and Joy

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Today: “Too much misunderstanding prevents us from seeing eye to eye, even within the family.  Casual encounters, however, can serve to remind us of the basic affinity that we share.” – from the I Ching

Too much misunderstanding prevents us from seeing eye to eye, even within the family.  Casual encounters, however, can serve to remind us of the basic affinity that we share.

No one can control anyone but himself.  Allow people to live their own karma.

Meditation: M043-19890623 See Your Soul Within Your Third Eye

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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?

Nine in the second place means:

He meets his lord in a narrow alleyway.
Though he gets in the way, no harm is done.

One meets his lord in a narrow street.
No blame.

As a result of misunderstandings, it has become impossible for people who by nature belong together to meet in the correct way. This being so, an accidental meeting under informal circumstances may serve the purpose, provided there is an inner affinity between them.

21 – Twenty-One  Shih Ho / Biting Through

The merciless, searing judgement of Lightning fulfills the warning prophecies of distant Thunder.
Sage rulers preserved Justice by clearly defining the laws, and by delivering the penalties decreed.

Though unpleasant, it is best to let justice have its due.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

A terrible reckoning is due.
A wrong will be righted — and even if it has been you who has been wronged, you will tremble at the terrible power of Justice untempered by Mercy.
Pray for your oppressor, that his punishment will fit his crime.

Today: “Start thinking right and you will become right.” Yogi Bhajan

“Start thinking right and you will become right. And that thinking about how much right I am or how much wrong decides how near or far you are from God. If you feel you are wrong, you also feel you are away from God. If you feel right, then you also feel very near to God. There is no distance between you and God; it is your thinking that puts you at a distance.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA041-780525- Control the Mind

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Today: “The state of affairs is inching toward justice.  Watch how every action you produce adds to or detracts from the flow.” – from the I Ching

The state of affairs is inching toward justice.  Watch how every action you produce adds to or detracts from the flow.

Meditation: M043-19890623 See Your Soul Within Your Third Eye

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57 – Fifty-Seven  Sun / The Penetrating Wind

Wind follows upon wind, wandering the earth, penetrating gently but persistently:
The Superior Person expands his influence by reaffirming his decisions and carrying out his promises.

Small, persistent, focused effort brings success.
Seek advice from someone you respect.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Gentle persuasion is the key in this instance.
Though the words are soft, their speaker must be firm, calm and confident.
Gentle words are worthless if spoken with trepidation.
Wordless influence by example is also effective in this situation.
All persuasion should be almost unfelt, yet consistent and persistent.
Ask for feedback from someone you know to be an effective persuader.

Six in the fourth place means:

Self-doubt vanishes and determination grows.
Three forms of game will be taken in this hunt.

Remorse vanishes.
During the hunt
Three kinds of game are caught.

‘Pheasant Shooting’ – Julius Ceasar Ibbetson, 1790

When a responsible position and accumulated experience lead one to combine innate modesty with energetic action, great success is assured. The three kinds of animals referred to served for offerings to the gods, for feasting guests, and for everyday consumption. When the catch answered all three purposes, the hunt was considered especially successful.

64 – Sixty-Four  Wei Chi / The End In Sight

Fire ascends above the Water:
The Superior Person examines the nature of things and keeps each in its proper place.

Too anxious the young fox gets his tail wet, just as he completes his crossing.
To attain success, be like the man and not like the fox.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Resist the rush to completion.
Anticipation of fulfillment may cause you to be careless before you have fully absorbed the lessons of the journey.
The endpoint of this Quest will only prove to be the threshold for another.
You are short steps from Mastery on this plane, yet you stride toward Ignorance of the challenges lying beyond.
Savor this accomplishment.
Fully Become.
Take full possession of your world before embarking to discover the next one.
That voyage begins soon enough, and you will reminisce about this one.
These are the Good Old Days.

Today: “In any relationship, when there is any desire or exploitation involved, this relationship is known as living at someone…” Yogi Bhajan

“In any relationship, when there is any desire or exploitation involved, this relationship is known as living at someone. Living with people is when you join forces with people to inspire other people toward happiness. Living for people is when you are willing to sacrifice your material, mental, and energetic spiritual strength to raise and elevate another man. These are the three types of relationships. The third type which makes you live for other people makes you immortal, the second type of relationship makes you happy, the first kind of relationship makes you miserable. And this pattern of behavior decides our destiny.” Yogi Bhajan

Lecture: The meaning of love

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Today: “Enjoy and be grateful for your good fortune.” – from the I Ching

Enjoy and be grateful for your good fortune.

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

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55 – Fifty-Five  Fêng / Abundance

Thunder and Lightning from the dark heart of the storm:
The Superior Person judges fairly, so that consequences are just.

The leader reaches his peak and doesn’t lament the descent before him.
Be like the noonday sun at its zenith.
This is success.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You are in a position of authority in this situation.
Archetypally, you are the New King, returned from your quest to claim your throne.
However, you are enlightened enough to realize that you are merely a part of a cycle, and that you must someday yield your throne to the new kid in town, the younger, faster gunslinger, the young turk, the next returning hero, the next New King.
Fretting about the inevitable descent is senseless.
For now you must play your role to the hilt and use this gift of power to govern your world as best you can.
You are the best person for the job.
That’s why you were chosen.
Give it your personal best.

Chên is movement; Li is flame, whose attribute is clarity. Clarity within, movement without-this produces greatness and abundance. The hexagram pictures a period of advanced civilisation. However, the fact that development has reached a peak suggests that this extraordinary condition of abundance cannot be maintained permanently.

THE JUDGEMENT

ABUNDANCE has success.
The king attains abundance.
Be not sad.
Be like the sun at midday.

It is not given to every mortal to bring about a time of outstanding greatness and abundance. Only a born ruler of men is able to do it, because his will is directed to what is great. Such a time of abundance is usually brief. Therefore a sage might well feel sad in view of the decline that must follow. But such sadness does not befit him. Only a man who is inwardly free of sorrow and care can lead in a time of abundance. He must be like the sun at midday, illuminating and gladdening everything under heaven.

THE IMAGE

 

Both thunder and lightning come:
The image of ABUNDANCE.
Thus the superior man decides lawsuits
And carries out punishments.

This hexagram has a certain connection with Shih Ho, BITING THROUGH (21), in which thunder and lightning similarly appear together, but in the reverse order. In BITING THROUGH, laws are laid down; here they are applied and enforced. Clarity [Li] within makes it possible to investigate the facts exactly, and shock [Chên] without ensures a strict and precise carrying out of punishments.

Today: “God is a slave to people of compassion.” Yogi Bhajan

“If there is a power to believe, to serve the people with compassion, whatever you were, whatever you are, you are holiest of the holy, if you have achieved a state of consciousness where you have compassion. God is a slave to people of compassion.”
Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM327-990930 Know Your Heart

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Today: “In order to fix the current larger situation it is not necessary to jump into the fray in a visible way.  Strive to gather a complete understanding and project that in your life.” – from the I Ching

In order to fix the current larger situation it is not necessary to jump into the fray in a visible way.  Strive to gather a complete understanding and project that in your life.

Meditation: LA831-950320 – Be Intuitive

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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.

Nine at the top means:

Refusing to serve the conquerors of nations, he sets out to conquer hearts.

He does not serve kings and princes,
Sets himself higher goals.

Entry of Napoleon into Berlin, October 27, 1806 – Charles Meynier, 1810

Not every man has an obligation to mingle in the affairs of the world. There are some who are developed to such a degree that they are justified in letting the world go its own way and in refusing to enter public life with a view to reforming it. But this does not imply a right to remain idle or to sit back and merely criticise. Such withdrawal is justified only when we strive to realize in ourselves the higher aims of mankind. For although the sage remains distant from the turmoil of daily life, he creates incomparable human values for the future.1

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.

1. Goethe’s attitude after the Napoleonic wars is an example of this in European history.

Today: “Sacrifice is the beginning of every love; we all know about it, but we do not practice it.” Yogi Bhajan

“Sacrifice is the beginning of every love; we all know about it, but we do not practice it. To subject yourself is to receive the object, but how many can subject themselves?” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation:  NM0426 – 20011117 – Self Transformation

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Today: “Rather than pursuing anything, allow everything to come to you.” – from the I Ching

Rather than pursuing anything, allow everything to come to you.

Meditation: LA779 – 19930916 – Kriya to Create a Miracle for Yourself

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2 – Two  K’un / Receptive Force

Earth above and Earth below:
The Earth contains and sustains.
In this situation, the Superior Person should not take the initiative; he should follow the initiative of another.
He should seek receptive allies in the southwest; he should break ties with immovable allies in the northeast.

Responsive devotion.
Receptive influence.
Sublime Success if you keep to your course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is a time for dealing with reality as it is, not as you would have it be.
If you realize that in this situation you are the receptor, not the transmitter of the stimulus, you will find yourself reaching goals that seemed unattainable under your own steam.
If you persist in futile efforts to be the Shaper rather than the Shaped, you will completely miss this unique opportunity.

Six in the fifth place means:

A yellow robe.
Supreme good fortune.

A yellow lower garment brings supreme good fortune.

Fresco painting of Flora, or Primavera, found in the luxurious resort of Stabiae in the Bay of Naples

Yellow is the color of the earth and of the middle; it is the symbol of that which is reliable and genuine. The lower garment is inconspicuously decorated – the symbol of aristocratic reserve. When anyone is called upon to work in a prominent but not independent position, true success depends on the utmost discretion. A man’s genuineness and refinement should not reveal themselves directly; they should express themselves only indirectly as an effect from within.

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.