Today: “Whatever challenge presents itself, be yourself.  The self cannot be taken from you.” – from the I Ching

Whatever challenge presents itself, be yourself.  The self cannot be taken from you.  Do not be distracted by promises from external sources.

Meditation: LA950 A00214 20000214 Develop Self-Reliance

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Today: I Ching – Previous Readings

Personal I Ching readings

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
6 – Six  Sung / Conflict

The high Heavens over a yawning Deep chasm:
An expansive void where nothing can dwell.
Even though he sincerely knows he is right, the Superior Person anticipates opposition and carefully prepares for any incident.

Good fortune if your conflict results in compromise.
Misfortune if your conflict escalates to confrontation.
Seek advice.
Postpone your crossing to the far shore.  

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Conflict is a necessary part of life.
Tension upon the strings of a violin can make majestic music.
The critical mass of two hydrogen atoms trying to occupy the same space fuel the sun that nourishes our solar system.
Most conflicts you face in life are the result of your Path converging with another’s.
Your Path is not his, and one Path is not necessarily more right than the other.
Can you work together to remove the blockage?

Six in the third place means:

To nourish oneself on ancient virtue induces perseverance.
Danger. In the end, good fortune comes.
If by chance you are in the service of a king,
Seek not works.

This is a warning of the danger that goes with an expansive disposition. Only that which has been honestly acquired through merit remains a permanent possession. It can happen that such a possession may be contested, but since it is really one’s own, one cannot be robbed of it. Whatever a man possesses through the strength of his own nature cannot be lost. If one enters the service of a superior, one can avoid conflict only by not seeking works for the sake of prestige. It is enough if the work is done: let the honor go to the other.

44 – Forty-Four  Kou / Compulsion

A playful Zephyr dances and delights beneath indulgent Heaven:
A Prince who shouts orders but will not walk among his people may as well try to command the four winds.

A strong, addictive temptation, much more dangerous than it seems.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You are ignoring a clear and present danger to your well-being.
If this threat emanated from a heavy-handed oppressor, you would see it coming.
But this danger comes to you in the form of a seduction, an amusement, a diversion, an indulgence that is eating away at the fiber of your secure little world.
You are too cocksure.
You underestimate the tribute this dalliance will demand.

 


Today: “Angel is a transparent guidance ” – Yogi Bhajan

SSSYWa“Angel is a transparent guidance manufactured out of compassion in God-consciousness.” Yogi Bhajan

Sat Nam!
Ram Anand

 

Meditation: Listening to Angelic Whispers – from the Mind

Today: “Use your talents and skills for the good of all with few words and a good example.” – from the I Ching

Use your talents and skills for the good of all with few words and a good example.  There is no need to take credit for results.  Let what you set in motion play out.

Meditation: NM0365-20001024-On Communication II

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Thoughts on Keynsian Economics

Today: I Ching – Previous Readings

Personal I Ching readings

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
57 – Fifty-Seven  Sun / The Penetrating Wind

Wind follows upon wind, wandering the earth, penetrating gently but persistently:
The Superior Person expands his influence by reaffirming his decisions and carrying out his promises.

Small, persistent, focused effort brings success.
Seek advice from someone you respect.  

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Gentle persuasion is the key in this instance.
Though the words are soft, their speaker must be firm, calm and confident.
Gentle words are worthless if spoken with trepidation.
Wordless influence by example is also effective in this situation.
All persuasion should be almost unfelt, yet consistent and persistent.
Ask for feedback from someone you know to be an effective persuader.

Six in the fourth place means:

Remorse vanishes.
During the hunt
Three kinds of game are caught.

When a responsible position and accumulated experience lead one to combine innate modesty with energetic action, great success is assured. The three kinds of animals referred to served for offerings to the gods, for feasting guests, and for everyday consumption. When the catch answered all three purposes, the hunt was considered especially successful.

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.

 


 


Today: “Those who continue to live in the past always throw their future into the gutter” – Yogi Bhajan

SSSYWa“Those who continue to live in the past always throw their future into the gutter. Those who live to their word are honored in the court of the world, and those who do not are not honored.” Yogi Bhajan

Sat Nam!
Ram Anand

Meditation

Today: “Be grateful for God’s grace.” – from the I Ching

Be grateful for God’s grace.  Remember when you see someone less fortunate:  “There, but for the grace of God, go I”.

Musings on Grace and Gratitude

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Today: I Ching – Previous Readings

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

Six in the fifth place means:

The sovereign I gave his daughter in marriage.
The embroidered garments of the princess
Were not as gorgeous
As those of the serving maid.
The moon that is nearly full
Brings good fortune.

The sovereign I is T’ang the Completer. This ruler decreed that the imperial princesses should be subordinated to their husbands in the same manner as other women (cf. Hexagram 11, six in the fifth place). The emperor does not wait for a suitor to woo his daughter but gives her in marriage when he sees fit. Therefore it is in accord with custom for the girl’s family to take the initiative here.
We see here a girl of aristocratic birth who marries a man of modest circumstances and understands how to adapt herself with grace to the new situation. She is free of all vanity of outer adornment, and forgetting her rank in her marriage, takes a place below that of her husband, just as the moon, before it is quite full, does not directly face the sun.

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.


 


Today: “The mind is not subject to time and place” – Yogi Bhajan

SSSYWa“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. If you have the technical know-how and you use that technique, mind and body can become one. The moment you can bring mind and body into one, then there is only one alternative left. When mind and body become one, then universality and creativity of the self can be recognized. This is very important.” Yogi Bhajan

Sat Nam!
Ram Anand

Meditation: M0512-19890312 – For Mastery of Time and Space

Meditation: Breath to Conquer Time Space and Destiny

Some thoughts on my friend’s message before vision quest

Even our own utterances stimulate ourselves and each other to give attention to the flow of experience.  Nothing is random, everything is for us.  When we include everything, we love.

Our subconscious also exists within that flow to give attention to the “movie” that we are replaying in order to “work things out” and live a conscious life in love.

Physical work in devoted service, samu, karma yoga, or simply, “chopping wood and carrying water” puts us in touch with the subconscious where we can begin the process.

We can replace the movie with mantra in our conscious awareness to redirect our attention towards the infinite.  That’s Japa.  

We can learn to see within and behind the movie with daily meditation, sadhana.  The meditations we practice come from the tantric tradition of our lineage.

“Chop wood, carry water”  is a practice that creates a mini retreat that directs our attention to the flow of our subconscious, so we can hear it.  Our awareness exists as original mind far beneath the differentiation that our subconscious stimulates.  The subconscious is our personal predisposition  to translate our experience from the depths of our unconscious awareness in terms that we can relate with.  Giving attention (listening) to the silence within the sound of the subconscious can deconstruct its story and merge the experience with its origin, original mind.

Our life is our retreat.  Maybe we can see what’s behind it all.  Then what?

We share a common awareness with everything in the unconscious. Our subconscious stimulates a direction to our awareness in the flow.  When we give expression we don’t need to separate it from the source of that  expression.  We can learn to live without a translator.

Doing 120 days of sadhana is a form that directs our attention beneath the subconscious into the unconscious and guides our attention within that level of awareness.

Somebody interviewed a Tibetan monk who had just completed decades of meditation in self isolation.  When asked to comment on his experience, the monk responded “I witnessed all of my lifetimes from the very beginning to the end.  Commenting on that experience would only serve to mislead you.” 

Communicating verbally or in writing gives us a view and invites each other into our mind.  A literal translation could only mislead.  That is why we have to put some magic into what we say and what we write.  When I was young, reading the writings of the early Zen masters led me into their mind.

The rules are:  We are speaking, sharing experience now, today, tomorrow, whenever the words land and wherever the words land. That is the nature of the medium of consciousness.  We must make it count.

Here are some meditations on the subconscious and sharing:

Meditation: LA082-790123 Telescopic Infinity

Meditation: NM0365-20001024-On Communication II

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

Meditation: LA031 19780423 – Ad Nad Kriya – Gupt Gian Shakti the Secret Power of the Knowledge

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Meditation:  LA372 831212 Corruption and character

Today: “Breaking the barriers of the subconscious mind is the union of the unit consciousness with supreme consciousness” Yogi Bhajan

Lecture: LA907 970311 burn the subconscious “Life is Love”

Meditation: LA004 780109 Experience the Experience

Meditation: LA741 – 921125 – Dance of Shiva

Meditation: 881026 Removing Fear of the Future

Meditation: NM335 – A00111 Connect Up to Infinity

 

Today: “Operate behind the scenes.   Consolidate and communicate from a safe place.” – from the I Ching

Operate behind the scenes.  Consolidate and communicate from a safe place.

Meditation: LA031 19780423 – Ad Nad Kriya – Gupt Gian Shakti the Secret Power of the Knowledge

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Today: I Ching – Previous Readings

Personal I Ching readings

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

Six in the second place means:

He holds him fast with yellow oxhide.
No one can tear him loose.

Yellow is the color of the middle. It indicates that which is correct and in line with duty. Oxhide is strong and not to be torn.
While the superior men retreat and the inferior press after them, the inferior man represented here holds on so firmly and tightly to the superior men that the latter cannot shake him off. And because he is in quest of what is right and so strong in purpose, he reaches his goal.  Thus the line confirms what is said in the Judgement:
“In what is small” – here equivalent to “in the inferior man” – “perseverance furthers.”

57 – Fifty-Seven  Sun / The Penetrating Wind

Wind follows upon wind, wandering the earth, penetrating gently but persistently:
The Superior Person expands his influence by reaffirming his decisions and carrying out his promises.

Small, persistent, focused effort brings success.
Seek advice from someone you respect.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Gentle persuasion is the key in this instance.
Though the words are soft, their speaker must be firm, calm and confident.
Gentle words are worthless if spoken with trepidation.
Wordless influence by example is also effective in this situation.
All persuasion should be almost unfelt, yet consistent and persistent.
Ask for feedback from someone you know to be an effective persuader.


 


Today: “The living trinity is to know the truth, to practice the truth, and to sacrifice for the truth” – Yogi Bhajan

SSSYWa“The living trinity is to know the truth, to practice the truth, and to sacrifice for the truth; and if it means death, you are willing to die. We call it the trinity of attitude, and the word samadhi means attitude.” Yogi Bhajan

Sat Nam!
Ram Anand

lecture-by-yogi-bhajan-970930-reality-and-discipline/

Today: “Taking care of those who trust and look up to you during this difficult time will solidify the bonds that will be needed to overcome.” – from the I Ching

Taking care of those who trust and look up to you during this difficult time, rather than forging ahead recklessly, will solidify the bonds that will be needed to overcome.

Meditation: NM0416-20010911 – Oneness of Heart

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Today: I Ching – Previous Readings

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Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other 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?

Nine in the third place means:

Going leads to obstructions;
Hence he comes back.

This line shows the man who must act as father of a family or as head of his kin. If he were to plunge recklessly into danger, it would be a useless act, because those entrusted to his care cannot get along by themselves. But if he withdraws and turns back to his own, they welcome him with great joy.

8 – Eight Pi / Bonding

Deep Waters on the face of the Earth:
Surface waters flow together.
The Superior Person recognizes the situation calls for joining together.
Thus he cultivates friendly relations with all.

Good fortune is possible.
Cast the coins again to discover if you have the qualities needed to lead such a group.
Then there will be no error.
Those uncertain will gradually join.
Those who join too late will meet with misfortune.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is a time of connection with another or others — not just an alliance, but a melding of parts into a new whole.
Such a connection may be too close, too intense for some.
Consult the oracle again to see if you have the qualities needed to strengthen and withstand such an intense synthesis.


 


Today: “If the rhythm of the breath with the mantra…That is the secret.” – Yogi Bhajan

SSSYWa“If the rhythm of the breath with the mantra will not relate to the rhythm of the mind, the mantra will not work. That is the secret.” Yogi Bhajan

Sat Nam!
Ram Anand

Meditation: LA159 800318 NAAD KRIYA

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Today: “Focus on recovery.  Focus on doing things in a new way so that the current state of decay will not be repeated.” – from the I Ching

Focus on recovery.  Focus on doing things in a new way so that the current state of decay will not be repeated.

Meditation: NM0416-20010911 – Oneness of Heart

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Today: I Ching – Previous Readings

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Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
18 – Eighteen  Ku / Repairing the Damage

Winds sweep through the Mountain valley:
The Superior Person sweeps away corruption and stagnation by stirring up the people and strengthening their spirit.

Supreme success.
Before crossing to the far shore, consider the move for three days.
After crossing, devote three days of hard labor to damage control.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You are blessed with an opportunity to resuscitate that which others have abandoned as beyond repair.
This ruin wasn’t caused by evil intention, but by indifference to decay.
Just by addressing yourself to the problem, you exhibit a new awareness, a fresh perspective.
This is a time of recovery, renewal, regeneration.

The Chinese character Ku represents a bowl in whose contents worms are breeding. This means decay. It is come about because the gentle indifference in the lower trigram has come together with the rigid inertia of the upper, and the result is stagnation. Since this implies guilt, the conditions embody a demand for removal of the cause. Hence the meaning of the hexagram is not simply “what has been spoiled” but “work on what has been spoiled”.

THE JUDGEMENT

WORK ON WHAT HAS BEEN SPOILED
Has supreme success.
It furthers one to cross the great water.
Before the starting point, three days.
After the starting point, three days.

What has been spoiled through man’s fault can be made good again through man’s work. It is not immutable fate, as in the time of STANDSTILL, that has caused the state of corruption, but rather the abuse of human freedom. Work toward improving conditions promises well, because it accords the possibilities of the time. We must not recoil from work and danger- symbolised by crossing of the great water-but must take hold energetically. Success depends, however, on proper deliberation. This is expressed by the lines, “Before the starting point, three days. After the starting point, three days.”
We must first know the causes of corruption before we can do away with them; hence it is necessary to be cautious during the time before the start. Then we must see to it that the new way is safely entered on, so that a relapse may be avoided; therefore we must pay attention to the time after the start. Decisiveness and energy must take the place of inertia and indifference that have led to decay, in order that the ending may be followed by a new beginning.

THE IMAGE

The wind blows low on the mountain:
The image of DECAY.
Thus the superior man stirs up the people
And strengthens their spirit.

When the wind blows low on the mountain, it is thrown back and spoils the vegetation. This contains a challenge to improvement. It is the same with debasing attitudes and fashions; they corrupt human society. To do away with this corruption, the superior man must regenerate society. His methods likewise must be derived from the two trigrams, but in such a way that their effects unfold in orderly sequence. The superior man must first remove stagnation by stirring up public opinion, as the wind stirs up everything, and must strengthen and tranquillise the character of the people, as the mountain gives tranquillity and nourishment to all that grows in its vicinity.


 


Today: “Patience gives you the power to practice” – Yogi Bhajan

SSSYWa“Patience gives you the power to practice; practice gives you power that leads you to perfection.” Yogi Bhajan

Sat Nam!
Ram Anand

Lecture and Meditation: Patience Pays – LA-19831020

Today: “Keep up, go with the flow.  Do not resist what you are attracted to in your heart.” – from the I Ching

Keep up,  go with the flow.  Do not resist what you are attracted to in your heart.

Meditation: NM0416-20010911 – Oneness of Heart

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Today: I Ching – Previous Readings

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

The trigram Tui, the Joyous, whose attribute is gladness, is above; Chên, the Arousing, which has the attribute of movement, is below. Joy in movement induces following. The Joyous is the youngest daughter, while the Arousing is the eldest son. An older man defers to a young girl and shows her consideration. By this he moves her to follow him.

THE JUDGEMENT

FOLLOWING has supreme success.
Perseverance furthers. No blame.

In order to obtain a following one must first know how to adapt oneself. If a man would rule he must first learn to serve, for only in this way does he secure from those below him the joyous assent that is necessary if they are to follow him. If he has to obtain a following by force or cunning, by conspiracy or by creating factions, he invariably arouses resistance, which obstructs willing adherence. But even joyous movement can lead to evil consequences, hence the added stipulation, “Perseverance furthers” – that is, consistency in doing right – together with “No blame.” Just as we should not ask others to follow us unless this condition is fulfilled, so it is only under this condition that we can in turn follow others without coming to harm.
The thought of obtaining a following through adaptation to the demands of the time is a great and significant idea; this is why the appended judgement is so favorable.

Thunder in the middle of the lake:
The image of FOLLOWING.
Thus the superior man at nightfall
Goes indoors for rest and recuperation.

In the autumn electricity withdraws into the earth again and rests. Here it is the thunder in the middle of the lake that serves as the image – thunder in its winter rest, not thunder in motion. The idea of following in the sense of adaptation to the demands of the time grows out of this image. Thunder in the middle of the lake indicates times of darkness and rest. Similarly, a superior man, after being tirelessly active all day, allows himself rest and recuperation at night. No situation can become favorable till one is able to adapt to it and does not wear himself out with mistaken resistance.


 


Today: “Patience gives you the power to practice” – Yogi Bhajan

SSSYWa“Patience gives you the power to practice; practice gives you power that leads you to perfection.” Yogi Bhajan

Sat Nam!
Ram Anand

Meditation: NM374 – 20001128 – Patience and Intuition

Today: “The darkness is nearly complete.  Hold fast.” – from the I Ching

The darkness is nearly complete.  Hold fast.

Meditation: The Negative Mind

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Today: I Ching – Previous Readings

Personal I Ching readings

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

The dark lines are about to mount upward and overthrow the last firm, light line by exerting a disintegrating influence on it. The inferior, dark forces overcome what is superior and strong, not by direct means, but by undermining it gradually and imperceptibly, so that it finally collapses.
The lines of the hexagram present the image of a house, the top line being the roof, and because the roof is being shattered the house collapses. The hexagram belongs to the ninth month (October- November). The yin power pushes up ever more powerfully and is about to supplant the yang power altogether.

THE JUDGEMENT

SPLITTING APART. It does not further one
To go anywhere.

This pictures a time when inferior people are pushing forward and are about to crowd out the few remaining strong and superior men. Under these circumstances, which are due to the time, it is not favorable for the superior man to undertake anything.
The right behavior in such adverse times is to be deduced from the images and their attributes. The lower trigram stands for the earth, whose attributes are docility and devotion. The upper trigram stands for the mountain, whose attribute is stillness. This suggests that one should submit to the bad time and remain quiet. For it is a question not of man’s doing but of time conditions, which, according to the laws of heaven, show an alternation of increase and decrease, fullness and emptiness. It is impossible to counteract these conditions of the time. Hence it is not cowardice but wisdom to submit and avoid action.

THE IMAGE

The mountain rests on the earth:
The image of SPLITTING APART.
Thus those above can ensure their position
Only by giving generously to those below.

The mountain rests on the earth. When it is steep and narrow, lacking a broad base, it must topple over. Its position is strong only when it rises out of the earth broad and great, not proud and steep. So likewise those who rule rest on the broad foundation of the people. They too should be generous and benevolent, like the earth that carries all. Then they will make their position as secure as a mountain is in its tranquillity.