Month: October 2017

Today: You have power and momentum to accomplish great things – from the I Ching

You have power and momentum to accomplish great things.  See yesterday’s reading.
You are cautioned, however, to remain strictly committed to your path and employ the means you have been developing in coming to this point.  There is great power in this.  Do not be distracted by idle diversions or fantasies which would inevitably lead to a surrender to compulsions that arise from your lower nature.  Keep it high.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching
“
The joyous mood is infectious and therefore brings success. But joy must be based on steadfastness if it is not to degenerate into uncontrolled mirth. Truth and strength must dwell in the heart, while gentleness reveals itself in social intercourse. In this way one assumes the right attitude toward God and man and achieves something. Under certain conditions, intimidation without gentleness may achieve something momentarily, but not for all time. When, on the other hand, the hearts of men are won by friendliness, they are led to take all hardships upon themselves willingly, and if need be will not shun death itself, so great is the power of joy over men.
True joy must spring from within. But if one is empty within and wholly given over to the world, idle pleasures come streaming in from without. This is what many people welcome as diversion. Those who lack inner stability and therefore need amusement, will always find opportunity of indulgence. They attract external pleasures by the emptiness of their natures. Thus they lose themselves more and more, which of course has bad results.
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.

Meditation
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Today: I Ching

Today: “You always want to know what is true” Yogi Bhajan

“You always want to know what is true. It is your instinct. Truth is that which has no fear. Even a truth spoken in fear is a lie. When you mix fear with anything it becomes a non-reality.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

Continue reading “Today: “You always want to know what is true” Yogi Bhajan”

Today: “You always want to know what is true” Yogi Bhajan

“You always want to know what is true. It is your instinct. Truth is that which has no fear. Even a truth spoken in fear is a lie. When you mix fear with anything it becomes a non-reality.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

Continue reading “Today: “You always want to know what is true” Yogi Bhajan”

Today: You have momentum on your side – from the I Ching

Use the propitiousness of the time to embark on great tasks.  You have momentum on your side.  Find the right people to assist and with them push forward.  You will find a joyful camaraderie that cannot be denied nor stopped.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching
“
The hexagram as a whole points to a time of joyous, hopeful progress. Spring is approaching. Joy and forbearance bring high and low nearer together. Success is certain. But we must work with determination and perseverance to make full use of the propitiousness of the time. And one thing more: spring does not last forever. In the eighth month the aspects are reversed. Then only two strong, light lines are left; these do not advance but are in retreat. We must take heed of this change in good time. If we meet evil before it becomes reality- before it has even begun to stir-we can master it.
A prince, or anyone in a leading position, must have the wisdom to attract to himself people of ability who are expert in directing affairs. His wisdom consists both in selecting the right people and in allowing those chosen to have a free hand without interference from him. For only through such self-restraint will he find the experts needed to satisfy all of his requirements.
The joyous mood is infectious and therefore brings success. But joy must be based on steadfastness if it is not to degenerate into uncontrolled mirth. Truth and strength must dwell in the heart, while gentleness reveals itself in social intercourse. In this way one assumes the right attitude toward God and man and achieves something. Under certain conditions, intimidation without gentleness may achieve something momentarily, but not for all time. When, on the other hand, the hearts of men are won by friendliness, they are led to take all hardships upon themselves willingly, and if need be will not shun death itself, so great is the power of joy over men.

Meditation
Previous readings
Today: I Ching

Today: “When you mix anything in your life with fear” Yogi Bhajan

“When you mix anything in your life with fear, it becomes a non-reality. That is because fear itself is a non-reality. There is nothing foreign, nothing you are not part of, and nothing that is not for you to face.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

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Today: Every very last perpetrator of evil must be discredited – from the I Ching

Every very last perpetrator of evil must be discredited and banished.  The problem is that you cannot fight them on their terms and win  using the very instruments of evil that they employ to sustain their vile agenda.  Also, realize that the worst of the worst are still your brothers and sisters.  Living with them will go on even after the adversity has passed.  The wisest thing is to stick to your principles and be the example that they need in order to redeem themselves.  It is an arduous, lengthy process that will meet with vigorous opposition.  Just be prepared to weather the storm.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching
“
Even if only one inferior man is occupying a ruling position in a city, he is able to oppress superior men. Even a single passion still lurking in the heart has power to obscure reason. Passion and reason cannot exist side by side- therefore fight without quarter is necessary if the good is to prevail.
In a resolute struggle of the good against evil, there are, however, definite rules that must not be disregarded, if it is to succeed. First, resolution must be based on a union of strength and friendliness. Second, a compromise with evil is not possible; evil must under all circumstances be openly discredited. Nor must our own passions and shortcomings be glossed over. Third, the struggle must not be carried on directly by force. If evil is branded, it thinks of weapons, and if we do it the favour of fighting against it blow for blow, we lose in the end because thus we ourselves get entangled in hatred and passion. Therefore it is important to begin at home, to be on guard in our own persons against the faults we have branded. In this way, finding no opponent, the sharp edges of the weapons of evil become dulled. For the same reasons we should not combat our own faults directly. As long as we wrestle with them, they continue victorious. Finally, the best way to fight evil is to make energetic progress in the good.
Here we have a man in an ambiguous situation. While all others are engaged in a resolute fight against all that is inferior, he alone has a certain relationship with an inferior man. If he were to show strength outwardly and turn against this man before the time is ripe, he would only endanger the entire situation, because the inferior man would too quickly have recourse to countermeasures. The task of the superior man becomes extremely difficult here. He must be firmly resolved within himself and, while maintaining association with the inferior man, avoid any participation in his vileness. He will of course be misjudged. It will be thought that he belongs to the party of the inferior man. He will be lonely because no one will understand him. His relations with the inferior man will sully him in the eyes of the multitude, and they will turn against him, grumbling. But he can endure this lack of appreciation and makes no mistake, because he remains true to himself.
Times of adversity are the reverse of times of success, but they can lead to success if they befall the right man. When a strong man meets with adversity, he remains cheerful despite all danger, and this cheerfulness is the source of later successes; it is that stability which is stronger than fate. He who lets his spirit be broken by exhaustion certainly has no success. But if adversity only bends a man, it creates in him a power to react that is bound in time to manifest itself. No inferior man is capable of this. Only the great man brings about good fortune and remains blameless. It is true that for the time being outward influence is denied him, because his words have no effect. Therefore in times of adversity it is important to be strong within and sparing of words.

Meditation
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Today: I Ching

Today: “Every human being is by nature very honest” Yogi Bhajan

“Every human being is by nature very honest. All that dishonesty you see displayed is done out of fear. In your core reality and nature, there is no such thing as dishonesty. There is no such thing as lying. There are many things that have no fundamental existence or necessity.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

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Today: A very auspicious time – from the I Ching

A very auspicious time.  You may experience great success and acquire great wealth.  Use the beneficent influence descending from heaven, and all will go well.  Blessed by heaven, you can do anything. Still, remain modest.  With this kind of influence, peace will prevail.

 

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching
“
The two trigrams indicate that strength and clarity unite. Possession in great measure is determined by fate and accords with the time. How is it possible that the weak line has power to hold the strong lines fast and to possess them? It is done by virtue of unselfish modesty. The time is favorable – a time of strength within, clarity and culture without. Power is expressing itself in a graceful and controlled way. This brings supreme success and wealth.
In the fullness of possession and at the height of power, one remains modest and gives honour 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.
This hexagram denotes a time in nature when heaven seems to be on earth. Heaven has placed itself beneath the earth, and so their powers unite in deep harmony. Then peace and blessing descend upon all living things.
In the world of man it is a time of social harmony; those in high places show favour to the lowly, and the lowly and inferior in their turn are well disposed toward the highly placed. There is an end to all feuds.
Inside, at the centre, in the key position, is the light principle; the dark principle is outside. Thus the light has a powerful influence, while the dark is submissive. In this way each receives its due. When the good elements of society occupy a central position and are in control, the evil elements come under their influence and change for the better. When the spirit of heaven rules in man, his animal nature also comes under its influence and takes its appropriate place.

Meditation
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Today: I Ching

Today: When you recognize inner peace – from the I Ching

When you recognize inner peace, teach others its lesson.  Do not leave out anyone: adversaries, irritable people or those distant from you.  Recognize that as your duty.  Do not hesitate to visit unfavorable circumstances around you.  Do not be coopted by them.  Allow your beneficence to spread from your inner light, without calling any attention to it.  Then your blessings will prevail far and wide.

 

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching
“
This hexagram denotes a time in nature when heaven seems to be on earth. Heaven has placed itself beneath the earth, and so their powers unite in deep harmony. Then peace and blessing descend upon all living things.
In the world of man it is a time of social harmony; those in high places show favour to the lowly, and the lowly and inferior in their turn are well disposed toward the highly placed. There is an end to all feuds.
In times of prosperity it is important above all to possess enough greatness of soul to bear with imperfect people. For in the hands of a great master no material is unproductive; he can find use for everything. But this generosity is by no means laxity or weakness. It is during times of prosperity especially that we must always be ready to risk even dangerous undertakings, such as the crossing of a river, if they are necessary.
So too we must not neglect what is distant but must attend scrupulously to everything. Factionalism and the dominance of cliques are especially to be avoided. Even if people of like mind come forward together, they ought not to form a faction by holding together for mutual advantage; instead, each man should do his duty. These are four ways in which one can overcome the hidden danger of a gradual slackening that always lurks in any time of peace. And that is how one finds the middle way for action.
One must not unresistingly let himself be swept along by unfavourable circumstances, nor permit his steadfastness to be shaken. He can avoid this by maintaining his inner light, while remaining outwardly yielding and tractable. With this attitude he can overcome even the greatest adversities.
In some situations indeed a man must hide his light, in order to make his will prevail in spite of difficulties in his immediate environment. Perseverance must dwell in inmost consciousness and should not be discernible from without. Only thus is a man able to maintain his will in the face of difficulties.

Meditation
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Today: I Ching

Today: “As soon as you do a sadhana” Yogi Bhajan

“As soon as you do a sadhana you will automatically begin to live more righteously and sensitively.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

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Today: Do not be distracted  by the many opinions – from the I Ching

If you are blessed with the means to lead and be an example for others, so not be dissuaded by negative opinion or other resistances.  Do not be distracted  by the many opinions you hear.  Follow only the truth that you know that comes from within you and endure.

 

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching
“
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.
It often happens that plots and party intrigues, which have the darkening effect of an eclipse of the sun, come between a ruler intent on great achievement and the man who could effect great undertakings. Then, instead of the sun, we see the northern stars in the sky. The ruler is overshadowed by a party that has usurped power. If a man at such a time were to try to take energetic measures, he would encounter only mistrust and envy, which would prohibit all movement. The essential thing then is to hold inwardly to the power of truth, which in the end is so strong that it exerts an invisible influence on the ruler, so that all goes well.
Duration is a state whose movement is not worn down by hindrances. It is not a state of rest, for mere standstill is regression. Duration is rather the self- contained and therefore self-renewing movement of an organised, firmly integrated whole, taking place in accordance with immutable laws and beginning anew at every ending. The end is reached by an inward movement, by inhalation, systole, contraction, and this movement turns into a new beginning, in which the movement is directed outward, in exhalation, diastole, expansion.
Heavenly bodies exemplify duration. They move in their fixed orbits, and because of this their light-giving power endures. The seasons of the year follow a fixed law of change and transformation, hence can produce effects that endure.
So likewise the dedicated man embodies an enduring meaning in his way of life, and thereby the world is formed. In that which gives things their duration, we can come to understand the nature of all beings in heaven and on earth.

Meditation
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Today: I Ching

Today: “The mind is above time and space” Yogi Bhajan

“The mind is above time and space. It calculates the impact and consequence. That little act of sadhana will contain your mind and make your consciousness the ruler.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

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Today: find a way through – from the I Ching

If you are met with resistance and the time is difficult, find a way through.  Do not give up.  To attain success, give careful attention to what what has been neglected and needs further nourishment.

 

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching
“
TIMES OF GROWTH are beset with difficulties. They resemble a first birth. But these difficulties arise from the very profusion of all that is struggling to attain form. Everything is in motion: therefore if one perseveres there is a prospect of great success, in spite of the existing danger. When it is a man’s fate to undertake such new beginnings, everything is still unformed, dark. Hence he must hold back, because any premature move might bring disaster. Likewise, it is very important not to remain alone; in order to overcome the chaos he needs helpers. This is not to say, however, that he himself should look on passively at what is happening. He must lend his hand and participate with inspiration and guidance.
The difficulties at the beginning are too great for some persons. They get stuck and never find their way out; they fold their hands and give up the struggle. Such resignation is the saddest of all things. Therefore Kongfu (Kongzi, Confucius) says of this line:
“Bloody tears flow: one should not persist in this.”
In bestowing care and nourishment, it is important that the right people should be taken care of and that we should attend to our own nourishment in the right way. If we wish to know what anyone is like, we have only to observe on whom he bestows his care and what sides of his own nature he cultivates and nourishes. Nature nourishes all creatures. The great man fosters and takes care of superior men, in order to take care of all men through them.

Meditation
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Today: I Ching

Today: “Sadhana can bring your mind to recognize you” Yogi Bhajan

“Sadhana can bring your mind to recognize you and your reality.” Yogi Bhajan
(via Ram Anand)

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Today: keep your manners – from the I Ching

While dealing with difficult people, keep your manners. Hold to your commitment and resolve while being fully aware of the danger that arises.  Break down opposition into manageable parts that you can influence gradually with small effects.  A change in the whole comes from many small negotiations and compromises that benefit all parties.

 

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's translation of the I Ching
“
The situation is really difficult. That which is strongest and that which is weakest are close together. The weak follows behind the strong and worries it. The strong, however, acquiesces and does not hurt the weak, because the contact is in good humor and harmless.
In terms of a human situation, one is handling wild, intractable people. In such a case one’s purpose will be achieved if one behaves with decorum. Pleasant manners succeed even with irritable people.
One sees that one has to be resolute in conduct. But at the same time one must remain conscious of the danger connected with such resoluteness, especially if it is to be persevered in. Only awareness of the danger makes success possible.
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.

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Today: I Ching