Today: Give up your fantasies, desires and delusions. Develop a practice of self awareness, first to recognize them, then drop them.- from the I Ching

Give up your fantasies, desires and delusions. Develop a practice of self awareness, first to recognize them, then drop them.

A quote from Yogi Bhajan

Tao Te Ching – Verse 7 – The Tao is infinite, eternal.

Meditation: NM190-19951031-Connect Yourself to the Reality

Brooklyn May 2018 – Healing Intensive.

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4 – Four. Mêng / Inexperience

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

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

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

Six in the fourth place means:

You are so terrified of being wrong, you leave no room for learning what is right.

Entangled folly brings humiliation.

Erasmus

Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (1466-1536) – author of Encomium Moriae (In Praise of Folly)

For youthful folly it is the most hopeless thing to entangle itself in empty imaginings. The more obstinately it clings to such unreal fantasies, the more certainly will humiliation overtake it.
Often the teacher, when confronted with such entangled folly, has no other course but to leave the fool to himself for a time, not sparing him the humiliation that results. This is frequently the only means of rescue.
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?

 

Today:”Whatever your spirit of mind is, that is your breathing. If you can control your breathing you can directly control your mind.” Yogi Bhajan

“Whatever your spirit of mind is, that is your breathing. If you can control your breathing you can directly control your mind. A person who breathes only eight breaths a minute has a self control. He can guide his destiny. He can carve his own way. But the difficulty is, we forget. We don’t remember that the breath has got any importance to us.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: Breath to Conquer Time Space and Destiny

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Today:”May we all understand, in the breath of life we can be Infinite and with our fearlessness and character, we can achieve all the riches of the earth to share them with mankind.” Yogi Bhajan

“May we all understand, in the breath of life we can be Infinite and with our fearlessness and character, we can achieve all the riches of the earth to share them with mankind.” Yogi Bhajan

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

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Today: If something unexpected is bothering you and you did not cause it, to happen, allow it to pass on its own.- from the I Ching

If something unexpected is bothering you and you did not cause it, to happen, allow it to pass on its own.

A quote from Yogi Bhajan

Tao Te Ching – Verse 5 – The Tao doesn’t take sides; it gives birth to both good and evil.

Meditation: LA004 780109 Experience the Experience

Brooklyn May 2018 – Healing Intensive.

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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.

Nine in the fifth place means:

No medicine will treat this malady.
Its cause was external, it will pass of itself.

Use no medicine in an illness
Incurred through no fault of your own.
It will pass of itself.

Chinese medicine

Chinese medicine

An unexpected evil may come accidentally from without. If it does not originate in one’s own nature or have a foothold there, one should not resort to external means to eradicate it, but should quietly let nature take its course. Then improvement will come of itself.
24 – Twenty-Four. Fu / Return

Thunder regenerates deep within Earth’s womb:
Sage rulers recognized that the end of Earth’s seasonal cycle was also the starting point of a new year and a time for dormancy.
They closed the passes at the Solstice to enforce a rest from commerce and activity.
The ruler himself did not travel.

You have passed this way before but you are not regressing.
This is progress, for the cycle now repeats itself, and this time you are aware that it truly is a cycle.
The return of old familiars is welcome.
You can be as sure of this cycle as you are that seven days bring the start of a new week.
Use this dormancy phase to plan which direction you will grow.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You are about to experience a rebirth — about to be given another chance, a new lease on life.
You have persevered, gone the distance through an entire cycle — through the Spring of hope or new passion, through a Summer of growth and building, only to be sacrificed like the archetypal Harvest King at the Autumn reaping.
You lie dormant like seed beneath Winter snows now, healing and absorbing new energies in preparation for the new young Spring coming shortly to your life.

 

Today:Anyone who breathes consciously for two and one-half hours during the 24 hours, which is one-tenth of the day, automatically is given all knowledge, all consciousness, etc. etc.” Yogi Bhajan

“Anyone who breathes consciously for two and one-half hours during the 24 hours, which is one-tenth of the day, automatically is given all knowledge, all consciousness, etc. etc. Otherwise you will fight for pennies: ‘Who said what to whom? Why me? Why that? Why? If… But!’ “If you can command the breath of life and consciously breathe, you can be in command of your life and environments will relate to you as per your wish.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA544 – 870610 – Know and Experience the Unknown

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Today: Take a stand for what is right, regardless of its unpopularity.  The controversy overcome produces more value than the easy path.”- from the I Ching

Take a stand for what is right, regardless of its unpopularity.  The controversy overcome produces more value than the easy path.

A quote from Yogi Bhajan

Tao Te Ching – Verse 4 – The Tao is like a well: used but never used up.

Meditation: NM0380 – Ecstasy and Joy

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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.

Six in the third place means:

Biting into dried meat And striking something spoiled.
Uncomfortable, but no harm.

Bites on old dried meat
And strikes on something poisonous.
Slight humiliation. No blame.

Salted and dried meat

Salted and dried meat

Punishment is to be carried out by someone who lacks the power and authority to do so. Therefore the culprits do not submit. The matter at issue is an old one — as symbolized by salted game — and in dealing with it difficulties arise. This old meat is spoiled: by taking up the problem the punisher arouses poisonous hatred against himself, and in this way is put in a somewhat humiliating position. But since punishment was required by the time, he remains free of blame.

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: If you do not breathe consciously for eleven minutes a day, you lose 40% of the vitality of life.” Yogi Bhajan

“If you do not breathe consciously for eleven minutes a day, you lose 40% of the vitality of life. This 40% you cannot recapture by any medicine or any exercise. But if you do breathe consciously for 11 minutes and make it very long, deep, and slow breathing, that can do exactly what no miracle can do, because our life is based on the breath of life.” Yogi Bhajan

https://www.harinam.com/breath-to-conquer-time-space-and-destiny/

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Today: Peace.  Heaven and earth have united. Everything is in its proper place.”- from the I Ching

Peace.  Heaven and earth have united. Everything is in its proper place.

A quote from Yogi Bhajan

Tao Te Ching – Verse 81 – True words aren’t eloquent; eloquent words aren’t true.

Meditation: A Prayer for Peace

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11 – Eleven. T’ai / Peace

Heaven and Earth embrace, giving birth to Peace.
The Superior Person serves as midwife, presenting the newborn gift to the people.

The small depart; the great approach.
Success.
Good fortune.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

It doesn’t get any better than this.
Everything is in harmony, all obstacles are cleared from your Path, anything you could ask for is right at hand.
This is the Elysian Fields, the Garden of Eden.
The only thing wrong with Peace is that it, too, must change.
Whether you are in this state of harmony now or it is predicted for your future, recognize it as your greatest opportunity to build your resources against less harmonious times.

yin
yin above: K’un / The Receptive, Earth
yin
yang
yang below: Ch’ien / The Creative, Heaven
yang

 

The Receptive (2), which moves downward, stands above; the Creative (1), which moves upward, is below. Hence their influences meet and are in harmony, so that all living things bloom and prosper. This hexagram belongs to the first month (February-March), at which time the forces of nature prepare the new spring.

THE JUDGEMENT

PEACE. The small departs,
The great approaches.
Good fortune. Success.

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 favor 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.
The individual lines enter the hexagram from below and leave it again at the top. Here the small, weak, and evil elements are about to take their departure, while the great, strong, and good elements are moving up. This brings good fortune and success.

 

China Peace

THE IMAGE

Heaven and earth unite: the image of PEACE.
Thus the ruler
Divides and completes the course of heaven and earth;
He furthers and regulates the gifts of heaven and earth,
And so aids the people.

Heaven and earth are in contact and combine their influences, producing a time of universal flowering and prosperity. This stream of energy must be regulated by the ruler of men. It is done by a process of division. Thus men divide the uniform flow of time into the seasons, according to the succession of natural phenomena, and mark off infinite space by the points of the compass. In this way nature in its overwhelming profusion of phenomena is bounded and controlled. On the other hand, nature must be furthered in her productiveness. This is done by adjusting the products to the right time and the right place, which increases the natural yield. This controlling and furthering activity of man in his relation to nature is the work on nature that rewards him.

 

Today: Only conscious breathing, praanayam, gives you consciousness.” Yogi Bhajan

“Only conscious breathing, praanayam, gives you consciousness. You can breathe automatically. Breathing you can do unconsciously. Why do we do conscious breathing? Are we insane? No. Conscious breathing leaves you with consciousness. Conscious relationship with praana is the conscious relationship with (Divine) Consciousness.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA936 980609 Four Stroke Breath to Build Intuition

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Tao Te Ching – Verse 3 – The Master leads by emptying people’s minds and filling their cores

Tao Te Ching – Verse 3

If you overesteem great men,
people become powerless.
If you overvalue possessions,
people begin to steal.

The Master leads
by emptying people’s minds
and filling their cores,
by weakening their ambition
and toughening their resolve. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 3 – The Master leads by emptying people’s minds and filling their cores”

Today: Draw and the sources that sustain you in order to acquire and sustain great strength.  You will prevail.”- from the I Ching

Draw and the sources that sustain you in order to acquire and sustain great strength.  You will prevail.

A quote from Yogi Bhajan

Tao Te Ching – Verse 81 – True words aren’t eloquent; eloquent words aren’t true.

Meditation: LA692-781102 – Experience Tremendous Strength

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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.

Six in the fifth place means:

The tusks of a gelded boar.
Ominous-looking, but without purpose.

The tusk of a gelded boar.
Good fortune.

Boar

Boar

Here the restraining of the impetuous forward drive is achieved in an indirect way. A boar’s tusk is in itself dangerous, but if the boar’s nature is altered, the tusk is no longer a menace. Thus also where men are concerned, wild force should not be combated directly; instead, its roots should be eradicated.
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.

 

Today: Your mind stops automatically when you are doing a mechanical breath. Your mind cannot go anywhere. It comes right to the point and it says, ‘Yes, master’.” Yogi Bhajan

“Your mind stops automatically when you are doing a mechanical breath. Your mind cannot go anywhere. It comes right to the point and it says, ‘Yes, master’. Normally it says, ‘Hey, slave, do what I say’. But once you start rhythmic mechanical breathing, mind shall stop. And if you really do it well for a while every day, you will be shocked to find that the mind will not disobey you for any reason. “In yoga never breathe a breath of life automatically, always breathe mechanically. Thirty-one minutes of mechanical breathing can give you better health than you ever had before. It can give you strength beyond understanding. It can give you answers for every question, which you can’t even imagine. Because you live by the breath and you die by the breath. So you must enjoy the breath. And to develop intuition, you must have your breath, the basic elementary power of life, under your control.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation:  Breath of Fire

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Tao Te Ching – Verse 2 – When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad. Being and non-being create each other.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 2

When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good,
other things become bad.

Being and non-being create each other.
Difficult and easy support each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low depend on each other.
Before and after follow each other. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 2 – When people see some things as beautiful, other things become ugly. When people see some things as good, other things become bad. Being and non-being create each other.”

Today: Mindfully provide for your own nourishment.  Do not rely on opinions or beliefs of others as to what is good for you.”- from the I Ching

Mindfully provide for your own nourishment.  Do not rely on opinions or beliefs of others as to what is good for you.

A quote from Yogi Bhajan

Tao Te Ching – Verse 81 – True words aren’t eloquent; eloquent words aren’t true.

Meditation: NM345- Strengthen and enhance the radiant body

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27 – Twenty-Seven. I / Providing Nourishment

Beneath the immobile Mountain the arousing Thunder stirs:
The Superior Person preserves his freedom under oppressive conditions by watching what comes out of his mouth, as well as what goes in.

Endure and good fortune will come.
Nurture others in need, as if you were feeding yourself.
Take care not to provide sustenance for those who feed off others.
Stay as high as possible on the food chain.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You are a conduit in this instance, able to provide the sustenance needed by others.
Position yourself to nourish the truly needy and worthy.
Avoid situations where you might be coerced into supporting the parasites and vermin who deprive your true charges.
Your own nourishment is an issue here, too.
Remember Lao Tzu’s three Great Treasures:
Only the person possessed of Compassion, Modesty and Frugality can remain fit enough to stay free of desperation and keep control of the situation.

Six in the second place means:
Turning to the summit for nourishment,
Deviating from the path
To seek nourishment from the hill.
Continuing to do this brings misfortune.

The Night Café

‘Le café de nuit’ (The Night Café) – Vincent van Gogh, 1888 – Yale University Art Gallery

Normally a person either provides his own means of nourishment or is supported in a proper way by those whose duty and privilege it is to provide for him. If, owing to weakness of spirit, a man cannot support himself, a feeling of uneasiness comes over him; this is because in shirking the proper way of obtaining a living, he accepts support as a favor from those in higher place. This is unworthy, for he is deviating from his true nature. Kept up indefinitely, this course leads to misfortune.

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.

 

Today: “What is attractive in you is not you. It is your absolutely radiant body.” Yogi Bhajan

“What is attractive in you is not you. It is your absolutely radiant body. That is a shining armor around you for protection and attraction both. And (its strength) depends how deeply you consume praana and how many times during the day you try to breathe absolutely mechanically.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM345- Strengthen and enhance the radiant body

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Today: Take a step back from the chaos of your situation.  Seek guidance from wise people who know how to resolve emotional entanglement.  Cultivate a meditative mind.”- from the I Ching

Take a step back from the chaos of your situation.  Seek guidance from wise people who know how to resolve emotional entanglement.  Cultivate a meditative mind.

Yogi Bhajan has something to say about this.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 81 – True words aren’t eloquent; eloquent words aren’t true.

Meditation: NM132-940504-Pratyahar

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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 top means:

Advance will meet with disastrous difficulties.
What you seek is right at hand.
Ask guidance from someone you respect.

Going leads to obstructions,
Coming leads to great good fortune.
It furthers one to see the great man.

Doubting of Thomas

‘The Doubting of Thomas’ – Caravaggio

This refers to a man who has already left the world and its tumult behind him. When the time of obstructions arrives, it might seem that the simplest thing for him to do would be to turn his back upon the world and take refuge in the beyond. But this road is barred to him. He must not seek his own salvation and abandon the world to its adversity. Duty calls him back once more into the turmoil of life. Precisely because of his experience and inner freedom, he is able to create something both great and complete that brings good fortune. And it is favorable to see the great man in alliance with whom one can achieve the work of rescue.
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.