Today: “As your power and influence peak, use them in harmony with the established order.” – from the I Ching

As your power and influence peak, use them in harmony with the established order.

Meditation:  Meditation: NM091 – 19921110 – Self Emboldenment, Engagement, Vision

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day

See previous reading

See previous previous reading

See Today: Tao Te Ching

See related posts

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent translations of the I Ching
34 – Thirty-Four  Ta Chuang / Awesome Power

Thunder fills the Heavens with its awful roar, not out of pride, but with integrity; if it did less, it would not be Thunder:
Because of his Great Power, the Superior Person takes pains not to overstep his position, so that he will not seem intimidating or threatening to the Established Order.

Opportunity will arise along this course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

The Awesome Power available in this hexagram stems from what the Taoists call your Te, a term not perfectly translated into English.
Roughly, it is your Integrity — not in the Western sense of honor — but more in the psychological definition of a full integration of Who You Are.
This Awesome Power is achieved only by fully embracing both the good and the bad, the strong and the weak, the masculine and the feminine — all polarities within you.
Such self-knowledge spawns a Mastery tempered with the humility necessary to rein in and harness this Awesome Power.

The great lines, that is, the light, strong lines, are powerful. Four light lines have entered the hexagram from below and are about to ascend higher. The upper trigram is Chên, the Arousing; the lower is Ch’ien, the Creative. Ch’ien is strong, Chên produces movement. The union of movement and strength gives the meaning of THE POWER OF THE GREAT. The hexagram is linked with the second month (March-April).

THE JUDGEMENT

THE POWER OF THE GREAT. Perseverance furthers.

The hexagram points to a time when inner worth mounts with great force and comes to power. But its strength has already passed beyond the median line, hence there is danger that one may rely entirely on one’s own power and forget to ask what is right. There is danger too that, being intent on movement, we may not wait for the right time. Therefore the added statement that perseverance furthers. For that is truly great power which does not degenerate into mere force but remains inwardly united with the fundamental principles of right and of justice. When we understand this point – namely, that greatness and justice must be indissolubly united – we understand the true meaning of all that happens in heaven and on earth.

The Tao of Power:
Lao Tzu’s Classic Guide to Leadership, Influence, and Excellence [A new translation of the Tao Te Ching] by R.L. Wing

Thunder in heaven above:
The image of THE POWER OF THE GREAT.
Thus the superior man does not tread on paths
That do not accord with established order.

Thunder – electrical energy – mounts upward in the spring. The direction of this movement is in harmony with that of the movement of heaven. It is therefore a movement in accord with heaven, producing great power. However, true greatness depends on being in harmony with what is right. Therefore in times of great power the superior man avoids doing anything that is not in harmony with the established order.

Today: “A common soul frees itself from the earth attachment in seventeen days after death.” – Yogi Bhajan

“A common soul frees itself from the earth attachment in seventeen days after death.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA007-780117-Sadhana Yojina-To Infinity Upon Death

See Related posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said

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

Today: “Take seriously the consequential shifts happening now.  Contemplate them and take appropriate action.” – from the I Ching

Take seriously the consequential shifts happening now.  Contemplate them and take appropriate action.

Meditation:  Meditation:  LA015 780227 – To Bring Swift and Powerful Change

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day

See previous reading

See previous previous reading

See Today: Tao Te Ching

See related posts

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent translations of the I Ching
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.

Six in the third place means:

These deafening thunderclaps will roll on eastward.
If they shock you into action, though, their passing will have left a permanent change for the good.

Shock comes and makes one distraught.
If shock spurs to action
One remains free of misfortune.

 

Shocked tree

Shocked tree

There are three kinds of shock-the shock of heaven, which is thunder, the shock of fate, and, finally, the shock of the heart. The present hexagram refers less to inner shock than to the shock of fate. In such times of shock, presence of mind is all too easily lost: the individual overlooks all opportunities for action and mutely lets fate take its course. But if he allows the shocks of fate to induce movement within his mind, he will overcome these external blows with little effort.

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.

Today: “Concentrate on this mantra—Wha, I am the great spirit. It will bring fulfillment and good luck.” – Yogi Bhajan

“Concentrate on this mantra—Wha, I am the great spirit. It will bring fulfillment and good luck.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0380 – Ecstasy and Joy

See Related posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said

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

Today: “Hold to your path.  Do the work without fanfare.  Keep up.” – from the I Ching

Hold to your path.  Do the work without fanfare.  Keep up.

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

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day

See previous reading

See previous previous reading

See Today: Tao Te Ching

See related posts

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent translations of the I Ching
15 – Fifteen  Ch’ien / Modesty

The Mountain does not overshadow the Plain surrounding it:
Such modest consideration in a Superior Person creates a channel through which excess flows to the needy.

Success if you carry things through.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

The Cosmos is moving toward equilibrium.
Extremes are being tempered, excess is beginning to shift toward the empty.
You can use these moderating influences to strike a balance in the world around you.
Remember, though, that this Leveling will not come about through an arrogant confiscation of excess, but through subtler persuasions.
Modesty and moderation are the keys.

Six in the fourth place means:

Progressive modesty continues to gain.

Nothing that would not further modesty
In movement.

Girl Braiding Her Hair

‘Girl Braiding Her Hair’ (Suzanne Valadon) – Pierre Auguste Renoir

Everything has its proper measure. Even modesty in behavior can be carried too far. Here, however, it is appropriate, because the place between a worthy helper below and a kindly ruler above carries great responsibility. The confidence of the man in a superior place must not be abused nor the merits of the man in an inferior place concealed. There are officials who indeed do not strive for prominence; they hide behind the letter of the ordinances, decline all responsibility, accept pay without giving its equivalent in work, and bear empty titles. This is the opposite of what is meant here by modesty. In such a position, modesty is shown by interest in one’s work.

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.

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.

Today: “Nobody can speak the infinite truth until the plate of the mind is clear.” – Yogi Bhajan

“Nobody can speak the infinite truth until the plate of the mind is clear. And what we offer is technical know-how to rub the plate of the mind and make it shiny and clear.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation:  LA372 831212 Corruption and character

See Related posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said

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

Today: “Share your blessings.” – from the I Ching

Share your blessings.

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

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day

See previous reading

See previous previous reading

See Today: Tao Te Ching

See related posts

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent 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 in the third place means:

A Prince gives his treasures freely to those who can better use them.

A lesser man could not do this.

A prince offers it to the Son of Heaven.
A petty man cannot do this.

Lakshmi

Lakshmi – Goddess of Wealth

A magnanimous, liberal-minded man should not regard what he possesses as his exclusive personal property, but should place it at the disposal of the ruler or of the people at large. In so doing, he takes the right attitude toward his possession, which as private property can never endure. A petty man is incapable of this. He is harmed by great possessions, because instead of sacrificing them, he would keep them for himself.1

1. This offers the same dictum about possessions as that found in the words of the Bible: “Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it” [Luke 17:33].

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: “Who is powerful, God or you? When you do the japa, chanting repetitiously, then the result is tapa, the heat that burns the karma.” – Yogi Bhajan

“Who is powerful, God or you? When you do the japa, chanting repetitiously, then the result is tapa, the heat that burns the karma.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0415 – 20010910 – Karma & Dharma

See Related posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said

Tao Te Ching – Verse 40 – Return is the movement of the Tao. Yielding is the way of the Tao.

Today: “A righteous path may be strewn with difficulties as well as blessings.  Know where your commitments lie and find the discipline to meet them.” – from the I Ching

A righteous path may be strewn with difficulties as well as blessings.  Know where your commitments lie and find the discipline to meet them.

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

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day

See previous reading

See previous previous reading

See Today: Tao Te Ching

See related posts

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent 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?

Six in the second place means:

He stoically faces trial after trial, knowing his loyal labors will benefit another.

The King’s servant is beset by obstruction upon obstruction,
But it is not his own fault.

The Unmerciful Servant

‘The parable of The Unmerciful Servant’ (Matthew 18:28) – Harold Copping

Ordinarily it is best to go around an obstacle and try to overcome it along the line of least resistance. But there is one instance in which a man must go out to meet the trouble, even though difficulty piles upon difficulty: this is when the path of duty leads directly to it – in other words, when he cannot act of his own volition but is duty bound to go and seek out danger in the service of a higher cause. Then he may do it without compunction, because it is not through any fault of his that he is putting himself in this difficult situation.

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.

 

Today: “Why find God? Where is God? Is He on holiday? Whatever happened to Him?” – Yogi Bhajan

“Why find God? Where is God? Is He on holiday? Whatever happened to Him? If you realize that God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent, then you must forget finding Him. You have already found Him. He is in you and you are in Him. But if you have no real connection with Him in that way, then keep on searching and I can guarantee that you will never find Him.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0415 – 20010910 – Karma & Dharma

Here is an interesting story about finding God: “Silence” the Movie by Martin Scorsese

See Related posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said

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

Today: “You have the potential to be great as long as you live up to your highest self.” – from the I Ching

You have the potential to be great as long as you live up to your highest self.

Meditation:  Meditation: NM0390-20010320 – Provoke Your Higher Self

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day

See previous reading

See previous previous reading

See Today: Tao Te Ching

See related posts

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent translations of the I Ching
58 – Fifty-Eight  Tui / Empowering

The joyous Lake spans on and on to the horizon:
The Superior Person renews and expands his Spirit through heart-to-heart exchanges with others.

Success if you stay on course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is the sign of true companionship.
The principals in this situation exchange energy, ideas and feelings, constantly invigorating and encouraging each other to new heights of Spiritual achievement and Self-discovery.
This exchange is not for the glory of the Team, but for furthering the process of each individual’s ‘Te’, or pure potentiality.

Nine in the second place means:

Rejoice in his sincerity.
This good fortune will last into the future, if you don’t let the past resurface.

Sincere joyousness. Good fortune.
Remorse disappears.

Temptation of St. Anthony

‘The Temptation of St. Anthony’, 1946 – Salvador Dali
Musée Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels Belgium

We often find ourselves associating with inferior people in whose company we are tempted by pleasures that are inappropriate for the superior man. To participate in such pleasures would certainly bring remorse, for a superior man can find no real satisfaction in low pleasures. When, recognizing this, a man does not permit his will to swerve, so that he does not find such ways agreeable, not even dubious companions will venture to proffer any base pleasures, because he would not enjoy them. Thus every cause for regret is removed.

17 – Seventeen  Sui / Following

Thunder beneath the Lake’s surface.
The Superior Person allows himself plenty of sheltered rest and recuperation while awaiting a clear sign to follow.

Supreme success.
No mistakes if you keep to your course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Thunder from the Lake — the lulling, rhythmic roar of the faithful tide, eternally wearing away the stone of the shoreline, forever obedient to the phases of the moon.
The pull of the moon on the tide is the Following called for now.
As mighty as the tide is in its own right, it is ever the puppet of the invisible, irresistible gravity of the moon.
What cyclical forces pull you along?
Are you futilely attempting to resist a natural attraction?

 

Today: “The magnetic field on which the current of life runs computes thought waves and it is connected with the Supreme Computer; this is known as destiny.” – Yogi Bhajan

“The magnetic field on which the current of life runs computes thought waves and it is connected with the Supreme Computer; this is known as destiny.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: Breath to Conquer Time Space and Destiny

What else Yogi Bhajan said

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

Today: “Drop the prejudiced veneer of your perception that blinds you to the solution for any standoff in a polarized situation.” – from the I Ching

Drop the prejudiced veneer of your perception that blinds you to the solution for any standoff in a polarized situation.

Meditation:  Meditation: LA021-780319 – You Will Feel Totally Conscious

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day

See previous reading

See previous previous reading

See Today: Tao Te Ching

See related posts

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent 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?

Six in the fifth place means:

A kindred spirit cuts through the barriers that separate you.
Can you cross the small distance remaining?

Remorse disappears.
The companion bites his way through the wrappings.
If one goes to him,
How could it be a mistake?

Columbian ground squirrel

Columbian ground squirrel

Coming upon a sincere man, one fails to recognize him at first because of the general estrangement. However, he bites his way through the wrappings that are causing the separation. When such a companion thus reveals himself in his true character, it is one’s duty to go to meet him and to work with him.

25 – Twenty-Five  Wu Wang / Remaining Blameless

Thunder rolls beneath Heaven, as is its nature and place:
Sage rulers aligned themselves with the changing seasons, nurturing and guiding their subjects to do the same.

Exceptional Progress if you are mindful to keep out of the way of the natural Flow.
It would be a fatal error to try to alter its course.
This is a time of Being, not Doing.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is thoroughly a matter of the heart.
If everything you attempt, no matter how carefully planned, ends in disarray, then examine your motives.
They are the cause of your predicament.
It isn’t that your motives aren’t pure — even the best intentions will fail under these circumstances.
What stymies you in this situation is that you have a motive at all.
Free yourself of all expectations, release any tenuous grip you may have, and roll with it.
This is totally out of your control.
There are higher powers and more elements affecting the outcome of this situation than you can imagine.
Get out of their way.

Today: “A person who cannot discuss his higher self with his lower self and his lower self with his higher self has a great subconscious problem.” – Yogi Bhajan

“A person who cannot discuss his higher self with his lower self and his lower self with his higher self has a great subconscious problem.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA935-980608- Connect the subconscious and intuition

See Meditation: LA935-980608- Connect the subconscious and intuition

What else Yogi Bhajan said

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

Today: “Speak clearly and deliberately.  Avoid any misunderstanding of your projection. Offer people a clear starting point for contemplation.” – from the I Ching

Speakclearly and deliberately.  Avoid any misunderstanding of your projection.  Offer people a clear starting point for contemplation.

Meditation:  Meditation: NM0365-20001024-On Communication II

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day

See previous reading

See previous previous reading

See Today: Tao Te Ching

See related posts

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's and subsequent translations of the I Ching
52 – Fifty-Two  Kên / The Mountain

Above this Mountain’s summit another more majestic rises:
The Superior Person is mindful to keep his thoughts in the here and now.

Stilling the sensations of the Ego, he roams his courtyard without moving a muscle, unencumbered by the fears and desires of his fellows.
This is no mistake.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

There is a higher vantage point available to you, but it is obscured by the visible peak of personal ambition.
To climb to this higher plane, you must shake off the desires and fears of the conscious, visible world around you.
To make this journey you must quiet the Ego, empty your mind of past and future, and dwell totally in the moment at hand.
Thorough mindfulness of what is before you is the only tranquility.
Be. Here. Now.

Six in the fifth place means:

Keeping his jaw relaxed, what words he speaks carry order and deliberation.
Conflict dissolves.

Keeping his jaws still.
The words have order.
Remorse disappears.

Ramana Maharshi

Ramana Maharshi – the sage of Arunachala
Tiruchuzli 1879 – Tiruvannamalai 1950

A man in a dangerous situation, especially when he is not adequate to it, is inclined to be very free with talk and presumptuous jokes. But injudicious speech easily leads to situations that subsequently give much cause for regret. However, if a man is reserved in speech, his words take ever more definite form, and every occasion for regret vanishes.

20 – Twenty  Kuan / Contemplation

The gentle Wind roams the Earth:
The Superior Person expands his sphere of influence as he expands his awareness.
Deeply devoted to his pursuit of clarity and wisdom, he is unconscious of the inspiring, positive example he is setting for others to emulate.

You have cleansed yourself; now stand ready to make your humble, devout offering.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

The situation marks a rising to new heights.
As you climb for a better view of the panorama, you make yourself more conspicuous to those below.
This hexagram is also known as the Watchtower, because the shape formed by its lines resembles the ancient guardposts manned by Chinese soldiers.
These towers were placed on mountainsides to give a better vantage point.
To those below, the watchtowers served as landmarks to help them find their way.
The quality of your search for clarity in this situation serves as such a guidepost for others along the Way.

 

Today: “The law of changes has to be understood. Everybody has to change, everybody changes in the consciousness.” – Yogi Bhajan

“The law of changes has to be understood. Everybody has to change, everybody changes in the consciousness. When the student changes he needs more and the teacher should give him more, and when the teacher finds he cannot give him more he should direct him to somewhere else where he can get more. Some teachers are leeches, they stick to their students.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA057 780928 Change your frequency

See related posts

What else Yogi Bhajan said

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