Today: “A Reading from the I Ching for the year 2023.”  – from the I Ching

Through years of strife, even family members are perceived as enemies.

A realization is coming where that perception begins to change.   The interconnectedness of all things begins to appear in the group consciousness, whereby all people will be perceived as brothers and sisters.

Here the isolation is due to misunderstanding; it is brought about not by outer circumstances but by inner conditions. A man misjudges his best friends, taking them to be as unclean as a dirty pig and as dangerous as a wagon full of devils. He adopts an attitude of defense. But in the end, realizing his mistake, he lays aside the bow, perceiving that the other is approaching with the best intentions for the purpose of close union. Thus the tension is relieved. The union resolves the tension, just as falling rain relieves the sultriness preceding a thunderstorm. All goes well, for just when opposition reaches its climax it changes over to its antithesis.

Meditation: LA051-780907 – Tune the Vagus Nerve to Cosmic Consciousness

See related posts

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
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 at the top means:

Isolated through opposition,
One sees one’s companion as a pig covered with dirt,
As a wagon full of devils.
First one draws a bow against him,
Then one lays the bow aside.
He is not a robber; he will woo at the right time.
As one goes, rain falls; then good fortune comes.

Rain Princess

‘Rain Princess’ – Leonid Afremov

Here the isolation is due to misunderstanding; it is brought about not by outer circumstances but by inner conditions. A man misjudges his best friends, taking them to be as unclean as a dirty pig and as dangerous as a wagon full of devils. He adopts an attitude of defense. But in the end, realizing his mistake, he lays aside the bow, perceiving that the other is approaching with the best intentions for the purpose of close union. Thus the tension is relieved. The union resolves the tension, just as falling rain relieves the sultriness preceding a thunderstorm. All goes well, for just when opposition reaches its climax it changes over to its antithesis.

51 – Fifty-One  Chên / Thunder

Thunder echoes upon Thunder, commanding reverence for its father Heaven:
In awe of Heaven’s majestic power, the Superior Person looks within and sets his life in order.
Thunder mingles with startled screams of terror for a hundred miles around.
As the people nervously laugh at their own fright, the devout presents the sacrificial chalice with nary a drop of wine spilt.
Deliverance

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

A thunderbolt of Cosmic judgement crashes to earth.
For the common person, it’s just a momentary fright soon forgotten, its warning unfathomed and unheeded.
But to one who understands its significance, this thunder is a signal to awaken.
Centering the Self, seeking balance, the enlightened person will respect and align himself with this Higher Power, while his fellows remain subject to the whims of every passing storm.

Today: “You are a chosen leader.  Step up to your calling, despite all the disruption and chaos that surrounds you.  Your legacy will emerge through your works.”  – from the I Ching

You are a chosen leader.  Step up to your calling, despite all the disruption and chaos that surrounds you.  Your legacy will emerge through your works.

Meditation: NM0163 – 20010618 – Polish the Radiant Body

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See Previous reading

See Previous previous reading

See related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 48 – In pursuit of knowledge, every day something is added. In the practice of the Tao, every day something is dropped.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
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.

Nine in the third place means:

The underbrush is of such abundance
That the small stars can be seen at noon.
He breaks his right arm. No blame.

Solar eclips 1999

Solar eclips 1999

The image is that of a progressive covering over of the sun. Here the eclipse reaches totality, therefore even the small stars can be seen at noon.
In the sphere of social relationships, this means that the prince is now so eclipsed that even the most insignificant persons can push themselves into the foreground. This makes it impossible for an able man, though he might be the right hand of the ruler, to undertake anything. It is as though his arm were broken, but he is not to blame for being thus hindered in action.

19 – Nineteen  Lin / Noble Calling

The rich, loamy Earth on the banks of the Marsh provides fertile soil for exceptional progress.
The Superior Person is inexhaustible in his willingness to teach, and without limit in his tolerance and support of others.

Supreme Success if you keep to your course.
But be aware that your time is limited; your power will wane, as Summer changes to Fall.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You are in a position to help another.
This is a temporary situation, because your power is cyclical, seasonal.
Knowing this, you must perform your good deed without hope of reward.
You are not furthering your own process, but another’s.
Though you may cherish this other, you will never possess.
Touch without grasping.
Take comfort in becoming a fond memory.
Nurture, then let go.

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

Related posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said

Today: “You are who you are.  You must let friends and adversaries remain themselves without opposition.”  – from the I Ching

You are who you are.  You must let friends and adversaries remain themselves without opposition.

Meditation: NM0415 – 20010910 – Karma & Dharma

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See Previous reading

See Previous previous reading

See related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 45 – True perfection seems imperfect, yet it is perfectly itself

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
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?

yang
yin above: Li / The Clinging, Flame
yang
yin
yang below: Tui / The Joyous, Lake
yang

 

This hexagram is composed of the trigram Li above, i.e., flame, which burns upward, and Tui below, i.e., the lake, which seeps downward. These two movements are in direct contrast. Furthermore, Li is the second daughter and Tui the youngest daughter, and although they live in the same house they belong to different men; hence their wills are not the same but are divergently directed.

THE JUDGEMENT

OPPOSITION. In small matters, good fortune.

When people live in opposition and estrangement they cannot carry out a great undertaking in common; their points of view diverge too widely. In such circumstances one should above all not proceed brusquely, for that would only increase the existing opposition; instead, one should limit oneself to producing gradual effects in small matters. Here success can still be expected, because the situation is such that the opposition does not preclude all agreement.
In general, opposition appears as an obstruction, but when it represents polarity within a comprehensive whole, it has also its useful and important functions. The oppositions of heaven and earth, spirit and nature, man and woman, when reconciled, bring about the creation and reproduction of life. In the world of visible things, the principle of opposites makes possible the differentiation by categories through which order is brought into the world.

THE IMAGE

Above, fire; below, the lake.
The image of OPPOSITION.
Thus amid all fellowship
The superior man retains his individuality.

 

Fire over lake

The two elements, fire and water, never mingle but even when in contact retain their own natures. So the cultured man is never led into baseness or vulgarity through intercourse or community of interests with persons of another sort; regardless of all commingling, he will always preserve his individuality.

Today: “A true seeker is one who will seek God in his heart.” – Yogi Bhajan

“What you are you are, and destiny is destiny. Make a dog emperor and still he will lick the grinding wheel.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0415 – 20010910 – Karma & Dharma

See related posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said

Today: “Avoid trivial pursuits and behavior.  Do not waste your time.  Be grateful.”  – from the I Ching

Avoid trivial pursuits and behavior.  Do not waste your time.  Be grateful.

Meditation: KWTC-870710-No One Complains About the Lord

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See Previous reading

See Previous previous reading

See related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 45 – True perfection seems imperfect, yet it is perfectly itself

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
56 – Fifty-Six  Lu / The Wanderer

Fire on the Mountain, catastrophic to man, a passing annoyance to the Mountain:
The Superior Person waits for wisdom and clarity before exacting Justice, then lets no protest sway him.

Find satisfaction in small gains.
To move constantly forward is good fortune to a Wanderer.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You are a stranger to this situation.
It is your attraction to the exotic that has led you here, but you will move on to a new vista when this one has lost its mystique.
Because much of this environment is foreign to you, you must exercise only the best judgement.
You don’t know the custom here, and it’s too easy to cross a line you don’t know is there.
Because you are the foreigner in this setting, you have no history to acquit you.
Watch, listen, study, contemplate, then step lightly but decisively on.

Six at the beginning [yin at bottom] means:

If the wanderer busies himself with trivial things,
He draws down misfortune upon himself.

Wanderer

‘The Wanderer’ by German artist George Seir, 1934

A wanderer should not demean himself or busy himself with inferior things he meets with along the way. The humbler and more defenseless his outward position, the more should he preserve his inner dignity. For a stranger is mistaken if he hopes to find a friendly reception through lending himself to jokes and buffoonery. The result will be only contempt and insulting treatment.

30 – Thirty  Li / Igniting

Fire sparks more Flames:
The Superior Person holds an inner Fire that ignites passion in every heart it touches, until all the world is enlightened and aflame.

With so searing a flame, success will not be denied you.
Take care to be as peaceful and nurturing as the cow in the meadow; you are strong enough to be gentle.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

A Promethean flame is delivering light and heat to the situation at hand.
This radiance will cause such an alchemical transformation of circumstances that the changes will seem magical, miraculous.
Yet they are only shifts of perspective and attitude that bring clarity.
The passions kindled by this fire must be harnessed and used judiciously, or they threaten to consume your hopes and dreams.

Meditation: NM422 A11020 Coordination of Body Mind by Spirit to Enter the Fall and the Winter Season

NM422 A11020 Coordination of Body Mind by Spirit GUIDED MEDITATION WITH THE MASTER  To Enter the Fall and the Winter Season  Yogi Bhajan, Ph.D. – October 20th, 2001

I have called you today, as these nine days are very auspicious. The moon is  crossing beneath the sun. It is a time to sharpen the mind. Why not to do it the  way of the century-old custom? It is not very difficult, and you will be very comfortable in the end.

NM0422 GUIDED MEDITATION WITH THE MASTER –

To Enter the Fall and the Winter Season  31 Minutes  (Sit straight in a cross-legged position. Bring your hands in front of your heart center, with the fingertips touching and the  palms spread.)  “Try to see how the energy moves. You will feel the reality of the body. Inhale deep and ride on the breath, in and out, long  and deep, as honestly as you can. Take your body—the inner being in this body, simply by meditative force. Do not try to  understand that you cannot do it. It is not difficult, but it is a great experience. Pull your mental body out of your body.  Just take it out. Just simply coordinate between you, your environments, your activities and your own preciousness.  Your mental body, when you command it, is very pure, very clear. And it is yours. It is not related to the physical activities,  although the mental body is with you. Things are corrupt only when you are in your physical body and your mental body  is not combined. So, do coordinate—you have that power, and take this out, out of your being. Time is with us, the wind  is behind us and virtuous we are.  It is a very special Saturday. Therefore the Saturn energy in the penetrating form of its being is passing through, irrespective  of any force or any effort. That is why I chose it. And we have a small time window only, that is why I am very quick and  not saying anything. So this breath has to be very long and down to the navel point. Deep in, and hold, and completely out.  The power we have is our virtue. Our virtue is extremely powerful. Our value is humongous. Value, we give! Virtues, we  experience! Our values are our values. The majority of the time we forget that we have values. But most of the time if we  practice these things, we remember our values. And once a person follows one’s own values, that is all divinity is all about.  So, keep the breath long, deep and evaluate yourself. Give yourself values. The first value you can give yourself is: I am  virtuous. I am beautiful. God created me in the best form. Thank God has given me health, happiness and wealth.  You know, you are a wonder of the world. Recognize the fact. Concentrate on these things.  Now comes the secret of the Shintoism, the Japanese faith. See that you are just a blade of grass, beautiful, green, and  you are covering your values. Start covering your values as a blade of grass, with an extreme sense of self-cooperation.  The tips of the fingers must meet so that circulation can coordinate the two parts of the body, and your valuable and  virtuous and wonderful body is right, at this time, under manual control, and your mental body is taken out.  The mental body is looking at your physical body as you are sitting. Practice this split. Once you can separate your mental  body and practice to separate it, as we keep on doing, there will be no problems—at the time of death you can split your  mental body and be free of karma. You will never have a rebirth again. That is guaranteed.  This is your reality. You have a physical body, you have a mental body and you have a body of bliss. When you separate  that, in-between you watch over this body. See how beautiful it is?  Your breath has to be very long and deep because your spiritual body, your physical body, your mental body and your being  are separate. You have never been taught this. You have never been told. You think you are one bundle. Feel the super and  extreme contentment. That will bring you prosperity. Ride on your breath and just feel supremely contented. That will give  you the prosperity that you are looking for. It’s no use living rich, it’s no use living poor, it’s no use being great if you cannot  demonstrate to yourself that you can separate your bodies as you can separate that strength. And you can not only  visualize, but experience it. In this experience, you are the Supreme.

Every religion goes round and round and round and talks one thing only—self-consciousness. Self-consciousness is just a  phrase to us. Let us consider what self-consciousness is: When we know we have a spiritual body, we have a mental body,  we have a physical body.  Your mental body and your radiant body—have you ever put them together? They are yours. Nobody will know it! But  you will be charged, and recharged with the energy. What is more beautiful on this Earth than you? What is more pure  and shining than you? What is more cool and calm and quiet than you? In the Eyes of God you are everything.  Take a long deep breath and ride on it. Fortune and misfortune are two wavelengths. By yourself it pulses—you can put  your body on any wavelength you need. In common man’s language we call it repetition.  The body’s membranes, the body’s re-adjustment and the body’s main nervous system are going to adjust now. You are  within that time. Please breathe long and deep and cure yourself forever. Heal! Take long deep breaths and ride on it, and  keep your mental body away. Only look at where the tips of the fingers meet.  Circulate your breath. Keep the mental body separate. Concentrate on the physical body, in the realm of personal  consciousness. You are beautiful, you are bountiful, you are blissful, you are virtuous, you have vigor, self-control. Apply  all that!  The central nerve in the navel point can be touched by a deep breath. A split mental body can give you a vast area of  coexistence. Your all five channels and tattvas are totally balanced at the moment. Your arc line is clear.  Can you believe the little bit that we have done? We suffer here, there, everywhere. What for? America needs peace, it  needs love. It needs tons of smiles. It needs us—we the people.  Our window is up at 12 o’clock. The rotation of the planet will change the energy and it will change everything. Now is  the time. Breathe long and deep. Get it when it is available. Bring in you the coziness. Colorful coziness. Split the light inside. Bring in the special Breath of Life. If you know how to concentrate, meditate and breathe, this is the time.”  To end  “Breathe in deep and hold it tight. Breathe out. Breathe in deep and hold it tight. Breathe out. Breathe in all the virtues of  God and breathe out peace for the world. Breathe in long and deep, hold it, love it, feel it, and then let it go. Now put all  the pressure on the fingertips. Inhale deep. Put a tight grip on the fingers. Let it go. Inhale deep. Make the fingers very tight.  Feel the purpose of life and prosperity. Let it go. Inhale deeply, exhale and relax.”  This time may come in this month next year. My idea was just to give you a re-charge. And this is a very special  time. The whole Eastern World is going to celebrate the Festival of Light. During the ten days of this festival people  will do nothing but breathe, meditate, eat the right food and show gratitude to young girls, the mothers of  innocence. When you see a young girl, you see the creative purity. Purity has many forms, but creative purity is  only the young girl. The source of humanity is that young girl, who will grow and one day have a family and children.  America is young all the time and does not care. There is no rule, no virtue, because we are not a very meditative  nation. But now we are learning a lesson. We got chili in our nose. Now we know we have to change. One day  you will come out and realize how virtuous you are, how valuable you are, how this precious time is given to you  so you can act on yourself so that you can turn from human into an angel. You are going to get kicked. That is a  fact you cannot avoid. Every moment you have to concentrate on your purity.  I asked a Japanese master, “What is Shinto?” He replied, “It is a personal religion.”“Can I know about it?” He picked  a blade of grass and said, “What do you see?” I was a little cleverer than he thought and I said, “God.” He asked,  “Where is it?” I said, “In this blade.”“You know Shinto. That’s it! Thank you.”  There is nothing more in teaching. This is all it is. If you cannot see God in all you cannot see God at all. When that  monk picked up a piece of grass and said, “What do you see?” a normal reply would have been, “A blade of grass.”  What is the most beautiful virtue man has? Matching intelligence! If you can match intelligence with another person  you are the most valuable, virtuous and wonderful person. Love is when you temporarily get along with a person.  Virtue is in matching intelligence–not values, where everybody differs. Match intelligence!

See PDF

 

Today: “Drop useless habits, yet do not fall into self denial.  Be disciplined and take care of yourself.”  – from the I Ching

Drop useless habits, yet do not fall into self denial.  Be disciplined and take care of yourself.

Meditation: NM249 971230 theorem of the Kundalini Yoga; control your micro & macro consciousness

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See Previous reading

See Previous previous reading

See related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 45 – True perfection seems imperfect, yet it is perfectly itself

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
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.

Six at the top means:

Self-discipline teetering toward self-destruction.
An empty martyrdom.
Turn back.

Galling limitation.
Perseverance brings misfortune.
Remorse disappears.

L'Ascète

“L’Ascète”, 1903 – Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)

If one is too severe in setting up restrictions, people will not endure them. The more consistent such severity, the worse it is, for in the long run a reaction is unavoidable. In the same way, the tormented body will rebel against excessive asceticism. On the other hand, although ruthless severity is not to be applied persistently and systematically, there may be times when it is the only means of safeguarding against guilt and remorse. In such situations ruthlessness toward oneself is the only means of saving one’s soul, which otherwise would succumb to irresolution and temptation.
41 – Forty-one  Sun / Decrease

The stoic Mountain drains its excess waters to the Lake below:
The Superior Person curbs his anger and sheds his desires.

To be frugal and content is to possess immeasurable wealth within.
Nothing of value could be refused such a person.
Make a portion of each meal a share of your offering.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is an occasion for downsizing to fighting trim.
Simplicity and economy are strong defenses against the slings and arrows of Outrageous Fortune.
Whether this is a time of want or a time of plenty, it is an auspicious time to shed a dependency.

Today: “Dear ones, never blame anyone or anything…Have patience, for patience pays.” – Yogi Bhajan

“Dear ones, never blame anyone or anything. Whatever happens, you must have asked for it, and you must have asked for it for a purpose. Have patience, for patience pays.” Yogi Bhajan

Lecture and Meditation: Patience Pays – LA-19831020

See related posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said

Today: “The more useful you are to the world, the wealthier you become.  Remember, you are here for everyone, not just yourself.”  – from the I Ching

The more useful you are to the world, the wealthier you become.  Remember, you are here for everyone, not just yourself.

Meditation: LA847-19950816-Unity-Your Magnetic Field of the Total Self Will Become One

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See Previous reading

See Previous previous reading

See related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 44 – Fame or integrity: which is more important?

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
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.

Six at the top means:

This well is dependable and available to all.
Supreme good fortune.

One draws from the well
Without hindrance.
It is dependable.
Supreme good fortune.

Swimming pool at sea

The well is there for all. No one is forbidden to take water from it. No matter how many come, all find what they need, for the well is dependable. It has a spring and never runs dry. Therefore it is a great blessing to the whole land. The same is true of the really great man, whose inner wealth is inexhaustible; the more that people draw from him, the greater his wealth becomes.

44 – Forty-Four  Kou / Compulsion

A playful Zephyr dances and delights beneath indulgent Heaven:
A Prince who shouts orders but will not walk among his people may as well try to command the four winds.

A strong, addictive temptation, much more dangerous than it seems.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You are ignoring a clear and present danger to your well-being.
If this threat emanated from a heavy-handed oppressor, you would see it coming.
But this danger comes to you in the form of a seduction, an amusement, a diversion, an indulgence that is eating away at the fiber of your secure little world.
You are too cocksure.
You underestimate the tribute this dalliance will demand.

Today: “A woman who is capable of giving birth must give birth to a saint, a hero, or a giver.” – Yogi Bhajan

“A woman who is capable of giving birth must give birth to a saint, a hero, or a giver.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0420-20011015 – The Power of Memories – Remember the Saint Within

See related posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said

Today: “You are blessed with everything you need to extend your good will among your neighbors. ”  – from the I Ching

You are blessed with everything you need to extend your good will among your neighbors.

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

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See Previous reading

See Previous previous reading

See related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 43 – The gentlest thing in the world overcomes the hardest thing in the world.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
14 – Fourteen  Ta Yu / Great Treasures 
The Fire of clarity illuminates the Heavens to those below:
The Superior Person possesses great inner treasures — compassion, economy, and modesty.
These treasures allow the benevolent will of Heaven to flow through him outward to curb evil and to further good.

Supreme success.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:
You have become an instrument of Heaven’s will, offering a balance in the world around you.
It is not swashbuckling prowess or uncanny talent that qualifies you for this office, but your simplest gifts — your modesty, your compassion, your economy.
Because you can see clearly who most needs a miracle, Heaven’s bounty is being put at your disposal.
Nine at the top means:

He is blessed by heaven.
Good fortune.
Nothing that does not further.

Stairway to Heaven

‘Stairway to Heaven’ – Jim Warren

In the fullness of possession and at the height of power, one remains modest and gives honor to the sage who stands outside the affairs of the world. By this means one puts oneself under the beneficent influence descending form heaven, and all goes well. Kongfu (Confucius) says of this line:

To bless means to help. Heaven helps the man who is devoted; men help the man who is true. He who walks in truth and is devoted in his thinking, and furthermore reveres the worthy, is blessed by heaven. He has good fortune, and there is nothing that would not further.

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.

Today: “God means total creativity, but the power of love is beyond that.” – Yogi Bhajan

“God means total creativity, but the power of love is beyond that. Why? Because all of creativity is the offering of love. Total existence is based on love.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA907 970311 burn the subconscious “Life is Love”

See related posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said

Today: Motivate the fool to develop a little discipline.  Show how it has benefitted and nourished you.   – from the I Ching

Motivate the fool to develop a little discipline.  Show how it has benefitted and nourished you.

Meditation: LA101 790419-Faith In Our Self And Our Own Discipline

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See Previous reading

See Previous previous reading

See related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 42 – The Tao gives birth to One

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
4 – Four  Mêng / Inexperience

A fresh Spring at the foot of the Mountain:
The Superior Person refines his character by being thorough in every activity.
The Sage does not recruit students; the students seek him.
He asks nothing but a sincere desire to learn.
If the student doubts or challenges his authority, the Sage regretfully cuts his losses.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is a time of interchange between a mentor and pupil.
Whether you are the teacher or the student, it is a time of companionship along a mutual path.
This hexagram also emphasizes the eternal, cyclical nature of the mentor/student relationship — a mentor is merely a more seasoned pupil, further along on the journey.
A pupil holds within himself the seed of a future Master.

Six at the beginning [yin at bottom] means:

A little discipline will make the fool sit up and take notice.
Afterwards, the matter should be dropped, or some will question which is the master and which the fool.

To make a fool develop
It furthers one to apply discipline.
The fetters should be removed.
To go on in this way brings humiliation.

 

The Goldfinch - Carel Fabritius

 

‘The Goldfinch’, 1654 – Carel Fabritius
Mauritshuis – The Hague – Holland

LAW IS the beginning of education. Youth in its inexperience is inclined at first to take everything carelessly and playfully. It must be shown the seriousness of life. A certain measure of taking oneself in hand, brought about by strict discipline, is a good thing. He who plays with life never amounts to anything. However, discipline should not degenerate into drill. Continuous drill has a humiliating effect and cripples a man’s powers.

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: You cannot control anything.  Work with the obstacles that confront you.  Find an opening and jump through. – from the I Ching

You cannot control anything.  Work with the obstacles that confront you.  Find an opening and jump through.

Meditation: Release obstacles in your path

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See Previous reading

See Previous previous reading

See related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 41 – When a superior man hears of the Tao, he immediately begins to embody it

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
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?

yin
yang above: K’an / The Abysmal, Water
yin
yang
yin below: Kên / Keeping Still, Mountain
yin

 

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 northeast does not further.
It furthers one to see the great man.
Perseverance brings good fortune.

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:
The image of OBSTRUCTION.
Thus the superior man turns his attention to himself
And molds his character.

 

Heaven Lake - Baekdu 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: “One who does not know how to live to his word does not know how to live.” – Yogi Bhajan

“One who does not know how to live to his word does not know how to live. And happiness will never come to him, because the word was with God, the word created this world. But if you will honor the word, you will be honored in this world.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0365-20001024-On Communication II

See related posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said