Today: Prioritize and address what is most important now.  Project from a position of strength and certainty. – from the I Ching

Prioritize and address what is most important now.  Project from a position of strength and certainty.

Meditation: 760422 – Balancing Projection with Intention

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See previous reading

See previous previous reading

See related posts

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

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
28 – Twenty-Eight  Ta Kuo / Critical Mass

The Flood rises above the tallest Tree:
Amidst a rising tide of human folly, the Superior Person retires to higher ground, renouncing his world without looking back.

Any direction is better than where you now stand.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Several high-priority concerns demand immediate attention.
All are crucial.
None will be denied.
Yet some demand the denial of others.
Like two atoms seeking to occupy the same space, these irresistible forces and immovable objects threaten to ignite a cataclysm that could irreversibly alter your world.
This is no time for fatal heroics.
You are at Ground Point Zero.
Remove yourself from this situation without delay.
Find sanctuary.
Later you may deal with these concerns on your own terms, from a position of strength.

This hexagram consists of four strong lines inside and two weak lines outside. When the strong are outside and the weak inside, all is well and there is nothing out of balance, nothing extraordinary in the situation. Here, however, the opposite is the case. The hexagram represents a beam that is thick and heavy in the middle but too weak at the ends. This is a condition that cannot last; it must be changed, must pass, or misfortune will result.

THE JUDGEMENT

PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT.
The ridgepole sags to the breaking point.
It furthers one to have somewhere to go.
Success.

The weight of the great is excessive. The load is too heavy for the strength of the supports. The ridge-pole on which the whole roof rests, sags to the breaking point, because its supporting ends are too weak for the load they bear. It is an exceptional time and situation; therefore extraordinary measures are demanded. It is necessary to find a way of transition as quickly as possible, and to take action. This promises success. For although the strong element is in excess, it is in the middle, that is, at the centre of gravity, so that a revolution is not to be feared. Nothing is to be achieved by forcible measures. The problem must be solved by gentle penetration to the meaning of the situation (as is suggested by the attribute of the inner trigram, Sun); then the change-over to other conditions will be successful. It demands real superiority; therefore the time when the great preponderates is a momentous time.

Under water trees

‘Under water trees’ – photo Andrew Poison

THE IMAGE

The lake rises above the trees:
The image of PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT.
Thus the superior man, when he stands alone,
Is unconcerned,
And if he has to renounce the world,
He is undaunted.

Extraordinary times when the great preponderates are like floodtimes when the lake rises over the treetops. But such conditions are temporary. The two trigrams indicate the attitude proper to such exceptional times: the symbol of the trigram Sun is the tree, which stands firm even though it stands alone, and the attribute of Tui is joyousness, which remains undaunted even if it must renounce the world.

Today: “It is very difficult for people to admit they are wrong” – Yogi Bhajan

“It is very difficult for people to admit they are wrong, because once you admit you are wrong, then you have a chance that you will be right. And it’s not as though I can be your judge, and judge you right or wrong. You know you are right or wrong.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: The Negative Mind

See related posts

Today: Remain cheerful in the face of adversity.  Remake yourself.  Reform your destiny. – from the I Ching

Remain cheerful in the face of adversity.  Remake yourself.  Reform your destiny.

Meditation: LA057 780928 Change your frequency

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See previous reading

See previous previous reading

See related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 33 – Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
47 – Forty-Seven  K’un / Exhaustion

A Dead Sea, its Waters spent eons ago, more deadly than the desert surrounding it:
The Superior Person will stake his life and fortune on what he deeply believes.

Triumph belongs to those who endure.
Trial and tribulation can hone exceptional character to a razor edge that slices deftly through every challenge.
Action prevails where words will fail.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is the realm of the Shaman.
You have exhausted every alternative, spent yourself completely, taxed body and mind beyond your former limits.
Survival and salvation lie beyond your reach now.
Only transcendence to a new existence — a higher plane of being — will see you through.
The Old You is just a dry husk.
You can’t return to it.
Metamorphosis is the only grace offered.
You can only return to your homeland as a New You.

The lake is above, water below; the lake is empty, dried up.1
Exhaustion is expressed in yet another way: at the top, a dark line is holding down two light lines; below, a light line is hemmed in between two dark ones. The upper trigram belongs to the principle of darkness, the lower to the principle of light. Thus everywhere superior men are oppressed and held in restraint by inferior men.

THE JUDGEMENT

OPPRESSION. Success. Perseverance.
The great man brings about good fortune.
No blame.
When one has something to say,
It is not believed.

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.

 

Dry lake

THE IMAGE

There is no water in the lake:
The image of EXHAUSTION.
Thus the superior man stakes his life
On following his will.

When the water has flowed out below, the lake must dry up and become exhausted. That is fate. This symbolises an adverse fate in human life. In such times there is nothing a man can do but acquiesce in his fate and remain true to himself. This concerns the deepest stratum of his being, for this alone is superior to all external fate.


1. [Literally, “exhausted”.]

Today: “Infinity cannot be measured. Reverence cannot be explained, because reverence is Infinity” – Yogi Bhajan

“Infinity cannot be measured. Reverence cannot be explained, because reverence is Infinity. Reverence has such a power that it becomes Infinity, and for you to become Infinity, you have to have self-reverence, not reference.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: Magic Mantra-19760426

See related posts

Today: You can accomplish anything you set your mind to.  Success is assured. – from the I Ching

You can accomplish anything you set your mind to.  Success is assured.

Meditation: The Positive Mind

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See previous reading

See previous previous reading

See related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 30 – Whoever relies on the Tao in governing men doesn’t try to force issues or defeat enemies by force of arms

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

Six in the second place means:

Glowing yellow warmth as if from the sun.
Supreme good fortune.

Yellow light. Supreme good fortune.

Sun

Midday has come; the sun shines with a yellow light. Yellow is the color of measure and mean. Yellow light is therefore a symbol of the highest culture and art, whose consummate harmony consists in holding to the mean.
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.

Today: “So all your headings of life are by reference, not by reverence. You don’t project that you are born to be.” – Yogi Bhajan

“So all your headings of life are by reference, not by reverence. You don’t project that you are born to be. You are born, and you are divine, and you are you. You don’t have to become a human. You are human. Being a human is better than being an angel, and better than a sage, and better than any power of God that there is. You are human, therefore, you are in the image of God. You want to look like your own image, therefore, you are stupid. You are not being like the one who made you. Do you understand?” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0415 – 20010910 – Karma & Dharma

See related posts

Today: You have the capacity to ward off and neutralize external threats.  Study the marital arts, e.g.,  Aikido. – from the I Ching

You have the capacity to ward off and neutralize external threats.  Study the marital arts, e.g.,  Aikido.

Meditation: NM0336 – For Inner Strength

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See previous reading

See previous previous reading

See related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 30 – Whoever relies on the Tao in governing men doesn’t try to force issues or defeat enemies by force of arms

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
26 – Twenty-Six  Ta Ch’u / Recharging Power

Heaven’s motherlode waits within the Mountain:
The Superior Person mines deep into history’s wealth of wisdom and deeds, charging his character with timeless strength.

Persevere.
Drawing sustenance from these sources creates good fortune.
Then you may cross to the far shore.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

There are important precedents in this situation.
Others have trodden this Path before you, overcoming the same obstacles facing you now, and making crucial decisions at the same crossroads.
Study their journals, watch for their trail markings.
Gain inspiration and wisdom from the heroes and learn from the mistakes of those who chose a sidepath.
All were Seekers, explorers whose daring mapped a course you can follow.
The words and deeds of the finest can imbue you with the courage necessary to face what lies before you.

Nine in the third place means:

A good stallion with speed.
Discipline daily, study your goal, and advance is assured.

A good horse that follows others.
Awareness of danger,
With perseverance, furthers.
Practice chariot driving and armed defense daily.
It furthers one to have somewhere to go.

 

Scene form Ben Hur

Scene form Ben Hur, the movie

The way opens; the hindrance has been cleared away. A man is in contact with a strong will acting in the same direction as his own, and goes forward like one good horse following another. But danger still threatens, and he must remain aware of it, or he will be robbed of his firmness. Thus he must acquire skill on the one hand in what will take him forward, and on the other in what will protect him against unforeseen attacks. It is good in such a pass to have a goal toward which to strive.

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: “If you have all the life, all the wealth, all the ecstasy, everything, if you have not found your Master, you have lost it.” – Yogi Bhajan

“If you have all the life, all the wealth, all the ecstasy, everything, if you have not found your Master, you have lost it. We are not asking you to find the Master. BE the Master. That’s your chance. You are a Hu-Man-Being—you are Light Now.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM371 – Enjoy the Creativity of God

See related posts

Today: Look before you leap.   Do not rush into anything.  Study, wait and allow  natural developments to unfold which will make your endeavor a success.” – from the I Ching

Look before you leap.   Do not rush into anything.  Study, wait and allow  natural developments to unfold which will make your endeavor a success.

Meditation: LA589-890412-Golden Grain

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See previous reading

See previous previous reading

See related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 30 – Whoever relies on the Tao in governing men doesn’t try to force issues or defeat enemies by force of arms

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

Nine in the third place means:

The wild geese nest in the open prairie.
The male leaves to forage; he will not return.
The brooding female will not hatch her young.
Predators close in.

The wild goose gradually draws near the plateau.
The man goes forth and does not return.
The woman carries a child but does not bring it forth.
Misfortune.
It furthers one to fight off robbers.

 

Goose

The high plateau is dry and unsuitable for the wild goose. If it goes there, it has lost its way and gone too far. This is contrary to the law of development.
It is the same in human life. If we do not let things develop quietly but plunge of our own choice too rashly into a struggle, misfortune results. A man jeopardises his own life, and his family perishes thereby. However, this is not at all necessary; it is only the result of transgressing the law of natural development. If one does not willfully provoke a conflict, but confines himself to vigorously maintaining his own position and to warding off unjustified attacks, all goes well.

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.

Today: “Earth is a hotel—for some it is a five star hotel, for some just a shack.” – Yogi Bhajan

“Earth is a hotel—for some it is a five star hotel, for some just a shack. But when you are tired, sleep is good. When you are hungry, food is good, and when you know you are a Master, you are good. What type of Teachers do you want to be? Commercial? Write a billboard, and say, “I am your Teacher?” First learn the meaning of a Spiritual Teacher. A Spiritual Teacher is the spirit of the Infinite Lord.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: M136-970930 – Work on Shashara, Balance Earth and Heavens

See related posts

Today: Separation may result from misunderstanding or deceit.  Once it is cleared up, you can choose with whom to associate.” – from the I Ching

Separation may result from misunderstanding or deceit.  Once it is cleared up, you can choose with whom to associate.

Meditation: Know the Psyche of the Other

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See previous reading

See previous previous reading

See related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 29 – Do you want to improve the world? I don’t think it can be done.

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

Nine in the fifth place means:

The wild geese draw near the summit.
For three years the female has borne no young; now nothing will stop her.
Deliverance.

The wild goose gradually draws near the summit.
For three years the woman has no child.
In the end nothing can hinder her.
Good fortune.

Geese

The summit is a high place. In a high position one easily becomes isolated. One is misjudged by the very person on whom one is dependent – the woman by her husband, the official by his superior. This is the work of deceitful persons who have wormed their way in. The result is that relationships remain sterile, and nothing is accomplished. But in the course of further development, such misunderstandings are cleared away, and reconciliation is achieved after all.

The wild geese draw near the summit.
For three years the female has borne no young; now nothing will stop her.
Deliverance.

23 – Twenty-Three  Po / Splitting Apart

The weight of the Mountain presses down upon a weak foundation of Earth:
The Superior Person will use this time of oppression to attend to the needs of those less fortunate.

Any action would be ill-timed.
Stand fast.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is a situation easily mistaken for Stagnation (Hexagram 12) or Revolution (Hexagram 49).
It just depends on which side you’re on.
During a time of Stagnation, human worms invade to feed on the decay.
During a time of Revolution, oppression is being overthrown.
But in this situation, oppressors are violently seizing power.
Pay special heed when you receive this hexagram, because the oracle is often warning you of a situation of which you are totally unaware.
You are about to be blindsided.

Today: “So, if you come for study, remember, don’t try to become a great master or a great teacher—become a royal being.” – Yogi Bhajan

“So, if you come for study, remember, don’t try to become a great master or a great teacher—become a royal being. Just become a royal being, and then you’ll become a real being. If your personality, your identity, and your mental self do not represent royalty, you will never know the reality.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0413 – Intuition and the Strength of Excellence

See related posts

Today: Take victories in stride just as defeats.  Realize that you are in it for the long haul.” – from the I Ching

Take victories in stride just as defeats.  Realize that you are in it for the long haul.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today

See previous reading

See previous previous reading

See related posts

Tao Te Ching – Verse 28 – Know the male, yet keep to the female

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
64 – Sixty-Four  Wei Chi / The End In Sight

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

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

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

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

Nine at the top means:

Too much wine at the victory feast can remove all cause for celebration.
Be a good winner.

There is drinking of wine
In genuine confidence. No blame.
But if one wets his head,
He loses it, in truth.

 

The Wedding Feast at Cana

 

‘The Wedding Feast at Cana’
Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, 1819
Kunsthalle, Hamburg

Before completion, at the dawning of the new time, friends foregather in an atmosphere of mutual trust, and the time of waiting is passed in conviviality. Since the new era is hard on the threshold, there is no blame in this. But one must be careful in all this to keep within proper bounds. If in his exuberance a man gets drunk, he forfeits the favorableness of the situation through his intemperance.
9 – Nine  Hsiao Ch’u / Gentle Restraint

Winds of change high in the Heavens:
Air currents carry the weather.
Dense clouds blow in from the West, but still no rain.
The Superior Person fine tunes the image he presents to the world.

Small successes.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

No matter what you do, the fruit of your labors never seems to ripen.
Your reward remains just out of reach.
Men have gone mad from such anticipation.
Don’t lose your balance lunging for the brass ring.
While the Fates continue to restrain you, go them one better and display a self-generated restraint and grace.
Look for the humor in the situation.

Today: “If you have the power to listen, you’ll become the whole universe and the entire Heavens.” – Yogi Bhajan

“If you have the power to listen, you’ll become the whole universe and the entire Heavens. Do you not feel the joy of that completion? Just listening, just developing a power to listen? Those who have listened to their teacher, their Master, they became the Masters.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA010 – 19780210 – Gobinda – Project to the Infinite

Today: When all seems hopeless and confused, recognize what your intuition is telling you. – from the I Ching

When all seems hopeless and confused, recognize what your intuition is telling you.

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 24 – He who stands on tiptoe doesn’t stand firm

5 – Five  Hsü / Calculated Waiting

Deep Waters in the Heavens:
Thunderclouds approaching from the West, but no rain yet.
The Superior Person nourishes himself and remains of good cheer to condition himself for the moment of truth.

Great Success if you sincerely keep to your course.
You may cross to the far shore.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You must now endure this Dangling — either a carrot before your nose, or a sword above your head.
This strange mix of apprehension and anticipation is a Purgatory.
There is nothing more you can do to affect the outcome.
You must now submit to the Fates.

Six at the top means:

The showdown comes, with the opponents too evenly matched.
Just as all hopes of survival are dashed, three strangers appear.
They will tip the scales in favor of the contender who recognizes them for what they are.

One falls into the pit.
Three uninvited guests arrive.
Honor them, and in the end there will be good fortune.

 

Three Bogatyrs

Three Bogatyrs, or three knights: Ilya Muromets, Dobrynya Nikitich and Aliosha Popovich – Victor Vasnetsov (1848-1926)

The waiting is over; the danger can no longer be averted. One falls into the pit and must yield to the inevitable. Everything seems to have been in vain. But precisely in this extremity things take an unforeseen turn. Without a move on one’s own part, there is outside intervention. At first one cannot be sure of its meaning: is it rescue or is it destruction? A person in this situation must keep his mind alert and not withdraw into himself with a sulky gesture of refusal, but must greet the new turn with respect. Thus he ultimately escapes the danger, and all goes well. Even happy turns of fortune often come in a form that at first seems strange to us.

9 – Nine  Hsiao Ch’u / Gentle Restraint

Winds of change high in the Heavens:
Air currents carry the weather.
Dense clouds blow in from the West, but still no rain.
The Superior Person fine tunes the image he presents to the world.

Small successes.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

No matter what you do, the fruit of your labors never seems to ripen.
Your reward remains just out of reach.
Men have gone mad from such anticipation.
Don’t lose your balance lunging for the brass ring.
While the Fates continue to restrain you, go them one better and display a self-generated restraint and grace.
Look for the humor in the situation.

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

Today: “You are Teachers. You have to learn something which you will teach. What you have to teach is, “To be, to be.” – Yogi Bhajan

“You are Teachers. You have to learn something which you will teach. What you have to teach is, “To be, to be.” You cannot live and practice, “To be, not to be.” Your mood and mind are your servants; they are not your masters. If you want to be a teacher, you have to be a master. Then mood and mind are your servants, and you and your being serve the spirit. If your spirit is here in a common sense for all, then you only see soul.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA877-19960604 – Self Realization

See related posts