Month: December 2025

In your intentions and actions give attention to what can be expanded in the world to bring peace.  Forego what would distract you from your inner peace.  Purify your internal space then share it.

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

See Today: “You are true now, you were true then, and you shall ever be true—that is all you have to know, and you will be free.” – Yogi Bhajan

See previous reading: Today: “The choice is yours as to how you relate with the world.  Sooner or later, your good deeds will be recognized and your efforts will come to fruition.  There is no need to seek anything new.  Everything you need comes from  within you.  Keep up the good works.  Do not give up.” – from the I Ching

See previous previous reading:  Today: “Be vigilant with your success and rise to prominence.  Do not let fame and fortune go to your head.  Remember who you are and where you came from.  Remember who helped you and remained by your side.” – from the I Ching

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33 – Thirty-Three.  Tun / Retreat

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

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

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

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

Nine in the fifth place means: He makes a dignified retreat and retains control of the situation. Friendly retreat. Perseverance brings good fortune. ‘The Beginning of a Perfect Day’ – Thomas Kinkade

It is the business of the superior man to recognize in time that the moment for retreat has come. If the right moment is chosen, the retreat can be carried out within the forms of perfect friendliness, without the necessity of disagreeable discussions. Yet, for all the observance of amenities, absolute firmness of decision is necessary if one is not to be led astray by irrelevant considerations.

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.

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The choice is yours as to how you relate with the world.  Sooner or later, your good deeds will be recognized and your efforts will come to fruition.  There is no need to seek anything new.  Everything you need comes from  within you.  Keep up the good works.  Do not give up.

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

See Today: “Live as royal saints. Nobody shall walk over you, but nobody who needs you shall be deprived of your strength.” – Yogi Bhajan

See previous reading:  Today: “Be vigilant with your success and rise to prominence.  Do not let fame and fortune go to your head.  Remember who you are and where you came from.  Remember who helped you and remained by your side.” – from the I Ching

See previous previous reading: Today: “Give close attention to the natural development of your enterprise.  Pushing forward recklessly will lead to disaster.  Contemplating every move brings great success.” – from the I Ching

See Related posts

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A Gift from Hari Bhajan Kaur

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50 – Fifty.  Ting / The Caldron

Fire rises hot and bright from the Wood beneath the sacrificial caldron:
The Superior Person positions himself correctly within the flow of Cosmic forces.

Supreme Accomplishment.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Your needs are coming into harmony with the requirements of the Cosmos.
Blending brilliantly with the Dance of Life, you are becoming an actual element of Cosmic Law.
Your goals will now be realized because you no longer cut against the Cosmic grain; you are no longer swimming against the flow of the Tao.
You are acquiring an intuitive sense of what can and cannot be, and aligning your efforts accordingly.

Nine in the third place means: You cooked a perfect meal in a caldron you can’t lift from the fire. The feast is wasted. Once the storm of resentment has washed over you, good fortune will come again. The handle of the ting is altered. One is impeded in his way of life. The fat of the pheasant is not eaten. Once rain falls, remorse is spent. Good fortune comes in the end.

The handle is the means for lifting up the ting. If the handle is altered, the ting cannot be lifted up and used, and, sad to say, the delicious food in it, such as pheasant fat, cannot be eaten by anyone. This describes a man who, in a highly evolved civilisation, finds himself in a place where no one notices or recognizes him. This is a severe block to his effectiveness. All of his good qualities and gifts of mind thus needlessly go to waste. But if he will only see to it that he is possessed of something truly spiritual, the time is bound to come, sooner or later, when the difficulties will be resolved and all will go well. The fall of rain symbolizes here, as in other instances, release of tension.

54 – Fifty-Four.  Kuei Mei / A Loveless Marriage

The Thunderstorm inseminates the swelling Lake, then moves on where the Lake cannot follow:
The Superior Person views passing trials in the light of Eternal Truths.
Any action will prove unfortunate.
Nothing furthers.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is at best a Marriage of Convenience.
You have found yourself in desperate straits, a position of weakness, and you are tempted to pay dearly for a remedy.
A drowning man isn’t picky about who throws him a rope.
The rescue offered to you now is undesirable.
It may pull you out of this sticky situation, but it will cause even greater predicaments down the road.
Don’t obligate yourself in this way.
You are selling your future for a quick fix today.

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Be vigilant with your success and rise to prominence.  Do not let fame and fortune go to your head.  Remember who you are and where you came from.  Remember who helped you and remained by your side.

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

See Today: “The mind is not subject to time and place. The mind cannot be subject to time and place, but there is a relationship of mind and body.” – Yogi Bhajan

See previous reading: Today: “Give close attention to the natural development of your enterprise.  Pushing forward recklessly will lead to disaster.  Contemplating every move brings great success.” – from the I Ching

See previous previous reading:  Today: “If you have separated from your righteous path, you are lost.  Aligning with the wisdom of your ancestors will bring good fortune and prosperity.” – from the I Ching

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1 – One. Ch’ien / Creative Activity

Heaven above and Heaven below:
Heaven in constant motion.
With the strength of the dragon, the Superior Person steels himself for ceaseless activity.

Productive Activity.
Potent Influence.
Sublime Success if you keep to your course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

The time for action has come.
You now have the focus and the stamina necessary for accomplishing great tasks.

Nine in the third place means:
All day long the superior man is creatively active.
At nightfall his mind is still beset with cares.
Danger. No blame.

‘Nightfall Montmartre’ – Daniel Wall

A sphere of influence opens up for the great man. His fame begins to spread. The masses flock to him. His inner power is adequate to the increased outer activity.¹ There are all sorts of things to be done, and when others are at rest in the evening, plans and anxieties press in upon him. But danger lurks here at the place of transition from lowliness to the heights. Many a great man has been ruined because the masses flocked to him and swept him into their course. Ambition has destroyed his integrity. However, true greatness is not impaired by temptations. He who remains in touch with the time that is dawning, and with its demands, is prudent enough to avoid all pitfalls, and remains blameless.

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1. [The upper trigram is considered to be “outside,” the lower “inside”. This distinction underlies the constant juxtaposition of inner, mental states and external actions or events, of subjective and objective experiences. From this also arise the frequent comparisons between ability and position, form and content, outer adornment and inner worth.]

10 – Ten.  Lü / Worrying the Tiger

Heaven shines down on the Marsh which reflects it back imperfectly:
Though the Superior Man carefully discriminates between high and low, and acts in accord with the flow of the Tao, there are still situations where a risk must be taken.

You tread upon the tail of the tiger.
Not perceiving you as a threat, the startled tiger does not bite.
Success.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You have reached a perilous point in your journey.
This is a real gamble — not a maneuver, not a calculated risk.
The outcome is uncertain.
If it goes as you hope, you will gain — but if it turns against you it will cause serious injury, at least to your plans.
The best tack is extreme caution and a healthy respect for the danger involved.

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Forms of convention have been exploited beyond their usefulness.  Look inside yourself for truth in your relations with yourself, the world and all that exists.  Then form your own expression.

See Today: “A woman who is capable of giving birth must give birth to a saint, a hero, or a giver.” – Yogi Bhajan

See If you have separated from your righteous path, you are lost.  Aligning with the wisdom of your ancestors will bring good fortune and prosperity.

See previous reading:  Today: “If you have separated from your righteous path, you are lost.  Aligning with the wisdom of your ancestors will bring good fortune and prosperity.” – from the I Ching

See previous previous reading: Today: “Give close attention to the natural development of your enterprise.  Pushing forward recklessly will lead to disaster.  Contemplating every move brings great success.” – from the I Ching

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29 – Twenty-Nine.  K’an / Dangerously Deep

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

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

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

Six in the fourth place means: A simple meal of rice and wine, eaten from earthen bowls. This is correct. A jug of wine, a bowl of rice1 with it; Earthen vessels Simply handed in through the window. There is certainly no blame in this.

In times of danger ceremonious forms are dropped. What matters most is sincerity. Although as a rule it is customary for an official to present certain introductory gifts and recommendations before he is appointed, here everything is simplified to the utmost. The gifts are insignificant, there is no one to sponsor him, he introduces himself; yet all this need not be humiliating if only there is the honest intention of mutual help in danger. Still another idea is suggested. The window is the place through which light enters the room. If in difficult times we want to enlighten someone, we must begin with that which is in itself lucid and proceed quite simply from that point on.

40 – Forty.  Hsieh / Liberation

A Thunderous Cloudburst shatters the oppressive humidity:
The Superior Person knows the release in forgiveness, pardoning the faults of others and dealing gently with those who sin against him.

It pays to accept things as they are for now.
If there is nothing else to be gained, a return brings good fortune.
If there is something yet to be gained, act on it at once.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

The relief you experience here is not your own personal pardon, but the release of others from your rigid expectations.
Like a hot air balloon, you will rise to new heights as you cast the heavy sandbags of resentments and restrictions away from you.
Feel the lightness of being that results from forgiving others and accepting them as they are.
Free yourself of the endless vigil of policing the behavior of others.
See them for who they are, not what they can or can’t do for you.

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If you have separated from your righteous path, you are lost.  Aligning with the wisdom of your ancestors will bring good fortune and prosperity.

See Today: “The mind has to be focused in creativity to generate adaptability to total universe. That is what we mean by creative meditation.” – Yogi Bhajan

See If you have separated from your righteous path, you are lost.  Aligning with the wisdom of your ancestors will bring good fortune and prosperity.

See previous reading: Today: “Give close attention to the natural development of your enterprise.  Pushing forward recklessly will lead to disaster.  Contemplating every move brings great success.” – from the I Ching

See previous previous reading:  Today: “With your great creativity, try not to become too smug or ambitious.  It could be your downfall.” – from the I Ching

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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.

Six in the third place means:

Hemmed in by stone, with nothing to climb but thorns: a trap of his own making.
Struggling home, he cannot find his wife.
Misfortune.

A man permits himself to be oppressed by stone,
And leans on thorns and thistles.
He enters the house and does not see his wife.
Misfortune.

This shows a man who is restless and indecisive in times of adversity. At first he wants to push ahead, then he encounters obstructions that, it is true, mean oppression only when recklessly dealt with. He butts his head against a wall and in consequence feels himself oppressed by the wall. Then he leans on things that have in themselves no stability and that are merely a hazard for him who leans on them. Thereupon he turns back irresolutely and retires into his house, only to find, as a fresh disappointment, that his wife is not there. Kongfu (Confucius) says about this line:

If a man permits himself to be oppressed by something that ought not to oppress him, his name will certainly be disgraced. If he leans on things upon which one cannot lean, his life will certainly be endangered. For him who is in disgrace and danger, the hour of death draws near; how can he then still see his wife?

‘Baboon in thistles’ – Stichting AAP – Almere Holland 2011
photo Lex van den Bos

 

Hemmed in by stone, with nothing to climb but thorns: a trap of his own making.
Struggling home, he cannot find his wife.
Misfortune.

31 – Thirty-One.  Hsien / Attraction

The joyous Lake is cradled by the tranquil Mountain:
The Superior Person takes great satisfaction in encouraging others along their journey.
He draws them to him with his welcoming nature and genuine interest.

Supreme success.
This course leads to marriage.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

There is no greater natural law in the Cosmos than Attraction.
From the magnetic pull of an atom’s nucleus to the centripetal force that spirals a galaxy, the face of the universe is shaped by Attraction.
On a human scale, it is Attraction that fuels procreation and furthers our species.
Yet it is also Attraction that spawns greed and covetousness, threatening our extinction.
Attraction is the underlying force of the situation in question.
You are refined or debased by the objects of your desire.
What gravitational pull are you now under?
Around what sphere of influence do you circle?
Can you use your own ability to attract?

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Give close attention to the natural development of your enterprise.  Pushing forward recklessly will lead to disaster.  Contemplating every move brings great success.

See Today: “You are what you think. Your mental projection is the highest projection in existence in the human body.” – Yogi Bhajan

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

See previous reading:  Today: “With your great creativity, try not to become too smug or ambitious.  It could be your downfall.” – from the I Ching

See previous previous reading: “If you want to know the truth about anything and everything, you can find it within you.”

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“The main thing is to remain safe from the danger around us without panic.  Follow the path of least resistance toward safety in your affairs and you will be OK.” – Today’s Reading

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Meditation: LA088 790222 Egyptian Meditation

Meditation: Magic Mantra-19760426

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.

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.

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.

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