Today: Keep your  values and standards. Do not settle for that which is inadequate for the situation.   – from the I Ching

Keep your  values and standards. Do not settle for that which is inadequate for the situation.

Meditation: NM0413 – Intuition and the Strength of Excellence

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading

Today: I Ching – Previous Previous Reading

See Related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 39 – In harmony with the Tao, the sky is clear and spacious

Tell The Magical Story of Mushkil Gusha  over a meal with friends today.

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.

Above we have Chên, the eldest son, and below, Tui, the youngest daughter. The man leads and the girl follows him in gladness. The picture is that of the entrance of the girl into her husband’s house. In all, there are four hexagrams depicting the relationship between husband and wife. Hsien, INFLUENCE, (31), describes the attraction that a young couple have for each other; Hêng, DURATION (32), portrays the permanent relationships of marriage; Chien, DEVELOPMENT (53), reflects the protracted, ceremonious procedures attending the arrangement of a proper marriage; finally, Kuei Mei, THE MARRYING MAIDEN, shows a young girl under the guidance of an older man who marries her.1

THE JUDGEMENT

THE MARRYING MAIDEN.
Undertakings bring misfortune.
Nothing that would further.

A girl who is taken into the family, but not as the chief wife, must behave with special caution and reserve. She must not take it upon herself to supplant the mistress of the house, for that would mean disorder and lead to untenable relationships.
The same is true of all voluntary relationships between human beings. While legally regulated relationships evince a fixed connection between duties and rights, relationships based on personal inclination depend in the long run entirely on tactful reserve.
Affection as the essential principle of relatedness is of the greatest importance in all relationships in the world. For the union of heaven and earth is the origin of the whole of nature. Among human beings likewise, spontaneous affection is the all-inclusive principle of union.

Thunder over lake

THE IMAGE

Thunder over the lake:
The image of THE MARRYING MAIDEN.
Thus the superior man
Understands the transitory
In the light of the eternity of the end.

Thunder stirs the water of the lake, which follows it in shimmering waves. This symbolises the girl who follows the man of her choice. But every relationship between individuals bears within it the danger that wrong turns may be taken, leading to endless misunderstandings and disagreements. Therefore it is necessary constantly to remain mindful of the end. If we permit ourselves to drift along, we come together and are parted again as the day may determine. If on the other hand a man fixes his mind on an end that endures, he will succeed in avoiding the reefs that confront the closer relationships of people.


1. In China, monogamy is formally the rule, and every man has but one official wife. This marriage, which is less the concern of the two participants than of their families, is contracted with strict observance of forms. But the husband retains the right also to indulge his more personal inclinations. Indeed, it is the most gracious duty of a good wife to be helpful to him in this respect. In this way the relationship that develops becomes a beautiful and open one, and the girl who enters the family at the husband’s wish subordinates herself modestly to the wife as a younger sister. Of course it is a most difficult and delicate matter, requiring tact on the part of all concerned. But under favorable circumstances this represents the solution of a problem for which European culture has failed to find an answer. Needless to say, the ideal set for woman in China is achieved no oftener than is the European ideal.

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

Today: “The relationship between the disciple and the guru is establishedat that stage when the disciple realizes the ecstasy of infinity.” – Yogi Bhajan

“The relationship between the disciple and the guru is established at that stage when the disciple realizes the ecstasy of infinity.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0380 – Ecstasy and Joy

See related posts

Today: Seize the moment.  Use the alignment of your momentum with circumstance to drop what is holding you back. – from the I Ching

Seize the moment.  Use the alignment of your momentum with circumstance to drop what is holding you back.

Meditation: LA589-890412-Golden Grain

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading

Today: I Ching – Previous Previous Reading

See Related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 38 – The Master doesn’t try to be powerful; thus he is truly powerful.

Tell The Magical Story of Mushkil Gusha  over a meal with friends today.

16 – Sixteen  Yü / Enthusiasm

Thunder comes resounding out of the Earth:
Similar thunder roars up from the masses when the Superior Person strikes a chord in their hearts.

Whip up enthusiasm, rally your forces, and move boldly forward.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

There is a rhythmic force, a world music, that lives deep in the Unconscious of each of us.
It’s a primitive drumbeat, a shaking rattle, a tribal chant that invokes the primal self to rise up and join the dance.
This is the enthusiasm that is generated now.
Not rhetorical persuasion, not a play on the emotions, but a charismatic, irresistible Call of the Wild.
Confucius said that the person who could comprehend this could ‘rule the world as though it were spinning in his hand.’
This is a time for instinct, not intellect — the Thunder from the Beneath.

Six in the third place means:

You wait for a compelling signal, yet ignore the knock at the gate.
Missed opportunity breeds regret.

Enthusiasm that looks upward creates remorse.
Hesitation brings remorse.

This line is the opposite of the preceding one: the latter bespeaks self-reliance, while here there is enthusiastic looking up to a leader. If a man hesitates too long, this also will bring remorse. The right moment for approach must be seized: only then will he do the right thing.

59 – Fifty-Nine  Huan / Dissolution

Wind carries the Mists aloft:
Sage rulers dedicated their lives to serving a Higher Power and built temples that still endure.

The King approaches his temple.
Success if you stay on course.
You may cross to the far shore.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Walls meant to protect have instead separated and isolated.
Your defenses have kept you apart from those whom you most need to touch.
Whatever the reason for discord between you, it is time to lay down your arms.
Dispel the inflexible demands and fears of the Mind so that you may reunite in the Heart.
If you have begrudged, forgive.
If you have torn down, repair.
If you have injured, heal.
If you have judged, pardon.
If you have grasped, let go.

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

Today: “Giving is a principal and it is an everlasting principle” – Yogi Bhajan

“Giving is a principal and it is an everlasting principle. Your Creator gave you life and that is why he is the great giver.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0390-20010320 – Provoke Your Higher Self

See related posts

Today: Avoid imposing too many restrictions on yourself or others.  Allow the creative to expand. – from the I Ching

Avoid imposing too many restrictions on yourself or others.  Allow the creative to expand.

Meditation: LA869 960410 – Expand the Arcline

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading

Today: I Ching – Previous Previous Reading

See Related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 37 – The Tao never does anything, yet through it all things are done

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.
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.

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

Today: “What is prayer? You create a vibratory effect which goes into the Infinite Creative around the psyche of you.” Yogi Bhajan

What is prayer? You create a vibratory effect which goes into the Infinite Creative around the psyche of you. The answer and energy come and then your job is done and your prayer has worked.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA869 960410 – Expand the Arcline

Related Posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said

Today: Accept the impasse that has been reached.  Wait for a favorable time to move. – from the I Ching

Accept the impasse that has been reached.  Wait for a favorable time to move.

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

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading

Today: I Ching – Previous Previous Reading

See Related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 36 – If you want to shrink something, you must first allow it to expand

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?

Six at the beginning [yin at bottom] means:

Advance will meet with opposition; Remaining in place will meet with praise.

Going leads to obstructions,
Coming meets with praise.

Bike-lane

When one encounters an obstruction, the important thing is to reflect on how best to deal with it. When threatened with danger, one should not strive blindly to go ahead, for this only leads to complications. The correct thing is, on the contrary, to retreat for the time being, not in order to give up the struggle but to await the right moment for action.
63 – Sixty-Three  Chi Chi / Aftermath

Boiling Water over open Flame, one might extinguish The other:
The Superior Person takes a 360 degree view of the situation and prepares for any contingency.

Success in small matters if you stay on course.
Early good fortune can end in disorder.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Victory at the expense of another is a merciless taskmaster.
The precarious balance here is reflected in the lines of the hexagram: each of the yin lines rests upon a strong yang line — a seemingly perfect arrangement.
But the scales will be tipped with the change of any one line.
And there WILL be change.
Tireless vigilance and an answer to every challenge — that is the uneasy Seat of Power occupied by the conqueror.

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

Today: “Have faith in your own self because you are a self” – Yogi Bhajan

“Have faith in your own self because you are a self. Nothing is beyond self, nothing was beyond the self, nothing shall be beyond the self, because you are a self in the beginning and a self in the end; therefore, once you realize the self you will be a realized self, then everything will realize you.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA877-19960604 – Self Realization

See related posts

Today: Purify your intentions.  Your charisma will carry your them far.  Use your influence well.  Use what you receive to serve. – from the I Ching

Purify your intentions.  Your charisma will carry your them far.  Use your influence well.  Use what you receive to serve.

Meditation: LA719 930303 – Magnetic Field – Sacred Space

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading

Today: I Ching – Previous Previous Reading

See Related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 35 – She who is centered in the Tao can go where she wishes, without danger.

61 – Sixty-One  Chung Fu / Inner Truth

The gentle Wind ripples the Lake’s surface:
The Superior Person finds common ground between points of contention, wearing away rigid perspectives that would lead to fatal error.

Pigs and fishes.
You may cross to the far shore.
Great fortune if you stay on course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

The subject of this hexagram discovers a key to Tranquility by first gaining insight into his own nature, then turning that vision outward.
By resolving inner conflicts and being at peace with himself, he learns to gain insight into others.
In effect, he enters another, sees with the other’s eyes, listens with the other’s ears, feels with the other’s heart.
He then returns to his own center, with new perspective and understanding.

Nine in the fifth place means:

Finding himself, his serene inner flame radiates warmth that draws others near.
He does not Do; he just Is.

He possesses truth, which links together.
No blame.

Napoleon

Napoleon

This describes the ruler who holds all elements together by the power of his personality. Only when the strength of his character is so ample that he can influence all who are subject to him, is he as he needs to be. The power of suggestion must emanate from the ruler. It will firmly knit together and unite all his adherents. Without this central force, all external unity is only deception and breaks down at the decisive moment.
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.

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

Today: “I see you all in only one way. I see divine everywhere. ” – Yogi Bhajan

“I see you all in only one way. I see divine everywhere. Now I have seen it, I cannot see anything else. If I am blind to the man-made rules and regulations, that is not my fault. I have lived under those rules and it was the grace and the glory of the Master who gave me sight; now I have that sight and I don’t want to lose it at any cost; I am more willing to lose this body, this vehicle, and leave it here, then to lose that sight which has taken me beyond time, beyond karmas.’” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: Drib Dhristi Lochina Karma

See related posts

Today: Wait for the right time to act.  Look for a clear signal to proceed.  Then all will go well.. – from the I Ching

Wait for the right time to act.  Look for a clear signal to proceed.  Then all will go well.

Meditation: NM374 – 20001128 – Patience and Intuition

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading

Today: I Ching – Previous Previous Reading

See Related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 34 – The great Tao flows everywhere

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.

Nine at the beginning [yang at bottom] means:
Not going out of the door and the courtyard
Is without blame.

Chinese courtyard

Chinese courtyard

Often a man who would like to undertake something finds himself confronted by insurmountable limitations. Then he must know where to stop. If he rightly understands this and does not go beyond the limits set for him, he accumulates an energy that enables him, when the proper time comes, to act with great force. Discretion is of prime importance in preparing the way for momentous things. Concerning this, Kongfu (Confucius) says:

Where disorder develops, words are the first steps. If the prince is not discreet, he loses his servant. If the servant is not discreet he loses his life. If germinating things are not handled with discretion, the perfecting of them is impeded. Therefore the superior man is careful to maintain silence and does not go forth.

29 – Twenty-Nine  K’an / Dangerously Deep

Water follows Water, spilling over any cliff, flowing past all obstacles, no matter the depth or distance, to the Sea.
The Superior Person learns flexibility from the mistakes he has made, and grows strong from the obstacles he has overcome, pressing on to show others the Way.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You are facing a crucial trial along your Journey.
The danger of this challenge is very real.
It is a test of your mettle.
If you can maintain your integrity and stay true to your convictions, you will overcome.
That’s not as easy as it seems when you are faced with the sacrifice of other things you’ve come to depend upon or hold dear.

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

Today: “In the house of the Lord, progress is slow, but there is no ultimate darkness” – Yogi Bhajan

“In the house of the Lord, progress is slow, but there is no ultimate darkness. You shall be answered if you will call Him.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: The Positive Mind

See related posts

Today:You know what you have to do.  Do not allow doubts or frivolous fancies to dilute your wisdom and disciipline. – from the I Ching

You know what you have to do.  Do not allow doubts or frivolous fancies to dilute your wisdom and disciipline.

Meditation: NM0383-20010213 – Culturing the Self

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading

Today: I Ching – Previous Previous Reading

See Related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 32 – The Tao can’t be perceived. Smaller than an electron, it contains uncountable galaxies.

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.

This hexagram indicates a situation in which the principle of darkness, after having been eliminated, furtively and unexpectedly obtrudes again from within and below. Of its own accord the female principle comes to meet the male. It is an unfavorable and dangerous situation, and we must understand and promptly prevent the possible consequences.
The hexagram is linked with the fifth month [June-July], because at the summer solstice the principle of darkness gradually becomes ascendant again.

THE JUDGEMENT

COMING TO MEET. The maiden is powerful.
One should not marry such a maiden.

The rise of the inferior element is pictured here in the image of a bold girl who lightly surrenders herself and thus seizes power. This would not be possible if the strong and light-giving element had not in turn come halfway. The inferior thing seems so harmless and inviting that a man delights in it; it looks so small and weak that he imagines he may dally with it and come to no harm.
The inferior man rises only because the superior man does not regard him as dangerous and so lends him power. If he were resisted from the first, he could never gain influence.
The time of COMING TO MEET is important in still another way. Although as a general rule the weak should not come to meet the strong, there are times when this has great significance. When heaven and earth come to meet each other, all creatures prosper; when a prince and his official come to meet each other, the world is put in order. It is necessary for elements predestined to be joined and mutually dependent to come to meet one another halfway. But the coming together must be free of dishonest ulterior motives, otherwise harm will result.

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

Today: “Humility in action is universal consciousness” – Yogi Bhajan

“Humility in action is universal consciousness.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0390-20010320 – Provoke Your Higher Self

See related posts

Today:It’s OK to step back, re-integrate yourself and assess your course of action.  There is no shame, only others’ temporary loss of your guidance. – from the I Ching

It’s OK to step back, re-integrate yourself and assess your course of action.  There is no shame, only others’ temporary loss of your guidance.

Meditation: NM0383-20010213 – Culturing the Self

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

Today: I Ching – Previous Reading

Today: I Ching – Previous Previous Reading

See Related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 32 – The Tao can’t be perceived. Smaller than an electron, it contains uncountable galaxies.

33 – Thirty-Three  Tun / Retreat

The tranquil Mountain towers overhead, yet remains this side of Heaven:
The Superior Person avoids the petty and superficial by keeping shallow men at a distance, not in anger but with dignity.

Such a retreat sweeps the path clear to Success.
Occupy yourself with minute detail.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Retreat in this instance is not a desperate flight in disarray, but a conscious choice to distance yourself from forces that would rob you of your peace.
It is not a surrender, but a regrouping.
Retreat from this conflict is actually an advance toward your own center.
You move toward balance, and thus a much stronger position.

Nine in the fourth place means:

The Superior Person sees retreat as an opportunity to strengthen his position, and makes it so.
The inferior person sees retreat as a defeat, and makes it so.

Voluntary retreat brings good fortune to the superior man
And downfall to the inferior man.

Retreat at New Bridge

‘Retreat at New Bridge’ – B. Spencer Newman

In retreating the superior man is intent on taking his departure willingly and in all friendliness. He easily adjusts his mind to retreat, because in retreating he does not have to do violence to his convictions. The only one who suffers is the inferior man from whom he retreats, who will degenerate when deprived of the guidance of the superior man.
53 – Fifty-Three  Chien / Gradual Progress

The gnarled Pine grows tenaciously off the Cliff face:
The Superior Person clings faithfully to dignity and integrity, thus elevating the Collective Spirit of Man in his own small way.
Development.
The maiden is given in marriage.
Good fortune if you stay on course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Adaptability mixed with integrity will bring a calm, steady progress.
Move from your center, always faithful to your principles, yet with the flexibility to weather any tempest.
Yours is not a meteoric rise to the top, but the solid, confident footing of one who has a clear vision of what can be, and who is willing to climb the distance to reach it.
The oracle foresees companionship along the way — a Divine comfort on any journey.

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

Today: “When there is a holy man and you touch his feet” – Yogi Bhajan

“When there is a holy man and you touch his feet, what can he do? What is left for him, except to say, “God bless you.” Right? If he has the habit of speaking the truth and if he says God bless you, then God has to bless you. What option has God?” Yogi Bhajan

 

Meditation:  LA958 A00413 Grace My Grace Is Me! 20000413

See related posts