Today: “Now we have to understand…how we can tune our mind to Infinity. ” – Yogi Bhajan

“Now we have to understand, clearly and consciously, how we can tune our mind to Infinity. You should have started learning this when you were one day old. Now one day plus all the days you have lived, that is your handicap. It is that handicap which we have to overcome. And there is a mantra which gives us a secret power. Today I’ll tell you the secret of chanting the Ong mantra. There is a pre-condition to the mantra, because sometime you may just get into your ego and chant Ong and not come back. Whenever you chant it, you must meditate first on the primal sound “Saa-Taa-Naa-Maa” and then do it. So let me record that warning and then we are free, we can do it.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA051-780907 – Tune the Vagus Nerve to Cosmic Consciousness

What else Yogi Bhajan said

”Q: Is this the moment when everything changes? A:We must be completely resolved and persevering in breaking and disciplining the devil’s forces.” – a reading from the I Ching

Q: Is this the moment when everything changes?
A:  We must be completely resolved and persevering in breaking and disciplining the devil’s forces.  It is no easy task.  With modesty and adaptability rather than hatred and violence, which are the devil’s tools, we will advance toward certain success.  “Now is the time to lay the foundations of power and mastery for the future”.

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

#64, line 4, #46

The conditions are difficult. The task is great and full of responsibility. It is nothing less than that of leading the world out of confusion back to order. But it is a task that promises success, because there is a goal that can unite the forces now tending in different directions. At first, however, one must move warily, like an old fox walking over ice. The caution of a fox walking over ice is proverbial in China. His ears are constantly alert to the cracking of the ice, as he carefully and circumspectly searches out the safest spots. A young fox who as yet has not acquired this caution goes ahead boldly, and it may happen that he falls in and gets his tail wet when he is almost across the water. Then of course his effort has been all in vain. Accordingly, in times “before completion,” deliberation and caution are the prerequisites of success.
Now it is the time of struggle. The transition must be completed. We must make ourselves strong in resolution; this brings good fortune. All misgivings that might arise in such grave times of struggle must be silenced. It is a question of a fierce battle to break and to discipline the Devil’s Country, the forces of decadence. But the struggle also has its reward. Now is the time to lay the foundations of power and mastery for the future.
The pushing upward of the good elements encounters no obstruction and is therefore accompanied by great success. The pushing upward is made possible not by violence but by modesty and adaptability. Since the individual is borne along by the propitiousness of the time, he advances. He must go to see authoritative people. He need not be afraid to do this, because success is assured. But he must set to work, for activity (this is the meaning of “the south”) brings good fortune.

Meditation: TCH20 02 960722 – Increase the Power of the Infinite Within

 

Today:”Expand from within.  The universe is with you.  With clarity, see the big picture. ” – From the I Ching

Expand from within.  The universe is with you.  With clarity, see the big picture.

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

#42, line 1, #20

Get ready to ride a tide of accelerated growth toward self-actualization.
A joyful awareness of the best within you, coupled with an acceptance of your Shadow, will provide a greater repertoire, a much bolder vision, and new depth and clarity that will compel you to expand your horizons.
The forces of the cosmos are cycling in your favor.  This is an ideal time for great progress and expansion in every endeavor.
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.

Meditation: TCH20 02 960722 – Increase the Power of the Infinite Within
Personal I Ching readings
Tao Te Ching – Verse 21
Previous readings
Today: I Ching

 

Today: “You have come here to be teachers. You should understand something about life. Life is not what you think.” – Yogi Bhajan

“You have come here to be teachers. You should understand something about life. Life is not what you think. Life is not what you want. Life is not in surrender. Life is not in revolt. Life is not in disobedience. Life is not in obedience. Life is in life, which must be accepted, must be lived, must be recognized, must be organized. It must be mutual in essence. There are three stages. If there is a truth, it will be universal and mutual to all. If it is an ego, it will be mutual only to a few. If it is a neurosis, then it will be mutual only to you.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: TCH20 02 960722 – Increase the Power of the Infinite Within

What else Yogi Bhajan said

Today:”Give up your preconceived agendas and align your intentions with the original mind” – From the I Ching

Give up your preconceived agendas and align your intentions with the original mind.  You will be guided by the movement of the cosmos.  You will be in the company of others inspired to do the same.  Everyone will be served.

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

#25, line 6, #17

Man has received from heaven a nature innately good, to guide him in all his movements. By devotion to this divine spirit within himself, he attains an unsullied innocence that leads him to do right with instinctive sureness and without any ulterior thought of reward and personal advantage. This instinctive certainty brings about supreme success and “furthers through perseverance”. However, not everything instinctive is nature in this higher sense of the word, but only that which is right and in accord with the will of heaven. Without this quality of rightness, an unreflecting, instinctive way of acting brings only misfortune. Confucius says about this:
“He who departs from innocence, what does he come to? Heaven’s will and blessing do not go with his deeds.”
When, in a given situation, the time is not ripe for further progress, the best thing to do is to wait quietly, without ulterior designs. If one acts thoughtlessly and tries to push ahead in opposition to fate, success will not be achieved.
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.

Meditation: LA822 – Healing the Physical
Personal I Ching readings
Tao Te Ching – Verse 21
Previous readings
Today: I Ching

 

Today: “We are not fools when we tell you, “Get up in the morning and have a cold shower.” – Yogi Bhajan

“We are not fools when we tell you, “Get up in the morning and have a cold shower.” All we want is the blood to circulate through the capillaries, and there’s no way to open the capillaries but to take a cold shower. There’s no other way. In the West it is called “hydrotherapy.” In the East it’s called “ishnaan.” It’s a most beautiful thing. When you take a cold shower, the blood from inside hits the outside to cover the attack. In that fast movement, it opens the capillaries. When the capillaries are open, they feed your glands, and when a glandular system is well-fed, it secretes. The chemistry of your blood becomes perfect. That gives you a capacity to act, think, know; and it gives you grit, stamina. What is so bad about that?” Yogi Bhajan

See lecture on cold showers

Meditation: M136-970930 – Reality and discipline

What else Yogi Bhajan said

Today:”Unite people rather than divide them.  Educate and lead.” – From the I Ching

Unite people rather than divide them.  Educate and lead.

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

#8

WHAT IS required is that we unite with others, in order that all may complement and aid one another through holding together. But such holding together calls for a central figure around whom other persons may unite. To become a centre of influence holding people together is a grave matter and fraught with great responsibility. It requires greatness of spirit, consistency, and strength. Therefore let him who wishes to gather others about him ask himself whether he is equal to the undertaking, for anyone attempting the task without a real calling for it only makes confusion worse than if no union at all had taken place.
But when there is a real rallying point, those who at first are hesitant or uncertain gradually come in of their own accord. Late-comers must suffer the consequences, for in holding together the question of the right time is also important. Relationships are formed and firmly established according to definite inner laws. Common experiences strengthen these ties, and he who comes too late to share in these basic experiences must suffer for it if, as a straggler, he finds the door locked.
If a man has recognized the necessity for union and does not feel strong enough to function as the centre, it is his duty to become a member of some other organic fellowship.

Meditation: LA822 – Healing the Physical
Personal I Ching readings
Tao Te Ching – Verse 20
Previous readings
Today: I Ching

 

Today: “Once you surrender, the karma surrenders with it; and once the karma surrenders with it, you are free.” – Yogi Bhajan

“Once you surrender, the karma surrenders with it; and once the karma surrenders with it, you are free. Then you can adopt Dharma. The moment you are in Dharma, and Dharma is your priority, you will never be subject to karma—you are free, you are liberated, you are fine. You are yourself. And then you enjoy yourself. You say what you feel, you do what you feel, you are an elevated self. It’s very fine, it’s very neat.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0415 – 20010910 – Karma & Dharma

What else Yogi Bhajan said

Today:”As you are in the Cosmic flow, your goals will be realized.” – From the I Ching

As you are in the Cosmic flow, your goals will be realized.  The first thing is to purge the dark, unsavory elements that have persisted in your environment and thwarted your intentions.  Your self mastery will lead to great accomplishments by you and those who align with you.  You will have a strong influence over others with your excellence.  Exercise your awesome power.

See Nov 1,  Oct 31

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

#50, line 1, #34

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.
Tip over the caldron and get rid of its stagnant contents once and for all.
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.

Yogi Bhajan’s Seven Steps to Happiness
Meditation: The Positive Mind
Personal I Ching readings
Tao Te Ching – Verse 17
Previous readings
Today: I Ching

 

“The Old Man and the Gun” – movie recommendation and review

This is a story of the “gentleman bank robber”,  Forrest Tucker who did his holdups in the early 1980’s.  Robert Redford plays Tucker.

In this story, Forrest Tucker leads a life well-lived.  He was charming and charismatic.  Many of his victims who were interviewed reported that they really liked him.  It seems no one held his profession against him or judged him for it, personally.  If anything, some expressed envy at Tucker’s contentment and love of his work.

I mention this movie precisely because of this.  I like him too.  I was moved at his profound satisfaction with his work and his kind, charming demeanor.

One could say that any bank robber is a flawed human being.  There is, perhaps, a dark side within him.  One could say that he kept it up, against all odds for a good outcome, out of some sort of addiction.  Perhaps the thrill.

The character himself expressed his motive as “just living”.    No separation between himself and what he is doing, the life he is living.  He expressed deep gratitude for the joy and pleasure that he experienced “just living”.

Taking a leap, I would take away two things from this story.

  1.  Forrest Tucker’s example is a prescription for living.  Of course, many things could go wrong.  He was on the wrong side of the law and what most of us consider to be proper behavior.  In this story, he leads a charmed life.  Robbing, getting caught, going to prison, escaping and doing it again.  Nothing really bad seemed to happen to him or his victims.  What he experienced seemed to be simple joy.
  2. I would go further out on a limb to suggest that the story was also autobiographical (of Robert Redford), who is expressing his gratitude for his life well-lived, motivated by doing what he was best at and what he loved the most.  If so, this takes the statement “I can’t believe they pay me to do this” to a new level.  If true, maybe he is suggesting that he got away as a thief would, with something for nothing.

 

 

Today:”Do what you can with what you are good at.  Leave the rest to competent allies. ” – From the I Ching

The signs are there for ultimate success.  Do what you can with what you are good at.  Leave the rest to allies who are competent.  Then, let the situation evolve to completion.

See Oct 31

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

#19, line 5, #5

The hexagram as a whole points to a time of joyous, hopeful progress. Spring is approaching. Joy and forbearance bring high and low nearer together. Success is certain. But we must work with determination and perseverance to make full use of the propitiousness of the time.
A prince, or anyone in a leading position, must have the wisdom to attract to himself people of ability who are expert in directing affairs. His wisdom consists both in selecting the right people and in allowing those chosen to have a free hand without interference from him. For only through such self-restraint will he find the experts needed to satisfy all of his requirements.
WAITING is not mere empty hoping. It has the inner certainty of reaching the goal. Such certainty alone gives that light which leads to success. This leads to the perseverance that brings good fortune and bestows power to cross the great water. One is faced with a danger that has to be overcome. Weakness and impatience can do nothing. Only a strong man can stand up to his fate, for his inner security enables him to endure to the end. This strength shows itself in uncompromising truthfulness [with himself]. It is only when we have the courage to face things exactly as they are, without any sort of self- deception or illusion, that a light will develop out of events, by which the path to success may be recognized. This recognition must be followed by resolute and persevering action. For only the man who goes to meet his fate resolutely is equipped to deal with it adequately. Then he will be able to cross the great water – that is to say, he will be capable of making the necessary decision and of surmounting the danger.

Yogi Bhajan’s Seven Steps to Happiness
Meditation: The Positive Mind
Personal I Ching readings
Tao Te Ching – Verse 17
Previous readings
Today: I Ching

 

Today: “Some people waste their entire life showing off that they are somebody.” – Yogi Bhajan

“Some people waste their entire life showing off that they are somebody. Some people waste their entire life rebelling. Some people are egomaniac neurotics; they will build themselves into a millionaire, and then destroy it. What a drama! What is this? Have you seen some people? With all that God has given to them, they are very ungrateful. They will plead poor, they will plead miserable.” Yogi Bhajan

Yogi Bhajan’s Seven Steps to Happiness

See my movie review of “The Old Man And the Gun”

Today:”The signs are there for ultimate success. ” – From the I Ching

The signs are there for ultimate success.  It is hard won.  With its approach, push only as far as is necessary.  Return to a regular order of life as soon as possible.

See Oct 30Oct 29, Oct 28

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

#19, line 4, #40

The hexagram as a whole points to a time of joyous, hopeful progress. Spring is approaching. Joy and forbearance bring high and low nearer together. Success is certain. But we must work with determination and perseverance to make full use of the propitiousness of the time.
Successful or not, a sincere approach is the only course. Approach with determination, yet tolerance.
This refers to a time in which tensions and complications begin to be eased. At such times we ought to make our way back to ordinary conditions as soon as possible; this is the meaning of “the south-west.” These periods of sudden change have great importance. Just as rain relieves atmospheric tension, making all the buds burst open, so a time of deliverance from burdensome pressure has a liberating and stimulating effect on life. One thing is important, however: in such times we must not overdo our triumph. The point is not to push on farther than is necessary. Returning to the regular order of life as soon as deliverance is achieved brings good fortune. If there are any residual matters that ought to be attended to, it should be done as quickly as possible, so that a clean sweep is made and no retardations occur.

Meditation: The Positive Mind
Personal I Ching readings
Tao Te Ching – Verse 17
Previous readings
Today: I Ching

 

Today: “If you do not have the purpose of your life, all purposes of life will not fit in.” – Yogi Bhajan

“If you do not have the purpose of your life, all purposes of life will not fit in. You don’t understand that there is a problem in us. We are not born to suffer. We suffer because we don’t have motivation, we don’t have purpose. We think if we are making “x” amount of money, we are fine, if we have “x” amount of sex, we are fine, if we have “x” amount of security, we are fine. We have a judgment on everything. That’s what our measurement is, but this measurement is ridiculous.” Yogi Bhajan

Yogi Bhajan’s Seven Steps to Happiness

Today:”As the direction shifts towards growth after a long period of decay, many difficulties arise as to how it should proceed.  The only mandatory thing is not to give up.” – From the I Ching

As the direction shifts towards growth after a long period of decay, many difficulties arise as to how it should proceed.  The only mandatory thing is not to give up.  That would cause remorse beyond repair.  Manage the reconstruction.  See it through.
Overcoming initial obstacles, you can look forward to a period of expansion and growth.

See yesterday’s reading.   See previous day’s reading.

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

#3, line 6, #42

TIMES OF GROWTH are beset with difficulties. They resemble a first birth. But these difficulties arise from the very profusion of all that is struggling to attain form. Everything is in motion: therefore if one perseveres there is a prospect of great success, in spite of the existing danger. When it is a man’s fate to undertake such new beginnings, everything is still unformed, dark. Hence he must hold back, because any premature move might bring disaster. Likewise, it is very important not to remain alone; in order to overcome the chaos he needs helpers. This is not to say, however, that he himself should look on passively at what is happening. He must lend his hand and participate with inspiration and guidance.
The difficulties at the beginning are too great for some persons. They get stuck and never find their way out; they fold their hands and give up the struggle. Such resignation is the saddest of all things. Therefore Kongfu (Kongzi, Confucius) says of this line:
“Bloody tears flow: one should not persist in this.”
Sacrifice on the part of those above for the increase of those below fills the people with a sense of joy and gratitude that is extremely valuable for the flowering of the commonwealth. When people are thus devoted to their leaders, undertakings are possible, and even difficult and dangerous enterprises will succeed. Therefore in such times of progress and successful development it is necessary to work and make the best use of the time. This time resembles that of the marriage of heaven and earth, when the earth partakes of the creative power of heaven, forming and bringing forth living beings.

Meditation: The Positive Mind
Personal I Ching readings
Tao Te Ching – Verse 15
Previous readings
Today: I Ching

 

Today: “The human is the light: mental, spiritual, self, and the teacher is the embodiment of it.” – Yogi Bhajan

“The human is the light: mental, spiritual, self, and the teacher is the embodiment of it. It delightfully lights everything, and removes the darkness.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0410 Ek Ong Kar