Today: “You are in a position to receive great gifts.  Grace and gratitude make it so.” – from the I Ching

Whatever task or project you undertake, give it your best. Do not worry too much about the outcome.  Only beware of any pitfalls

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day

Tao Te Ching – Verse 50 – The Master gives himself up to whatever the moment brings

Meditation: NM0413 – Intuition and the Strength of Excellence

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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.

Six in the second place means:

Plow your field for a field well-plowed, not for possible harvests.
Clear the wasteland for land well-cleared, not for potential rich fields.

Such guileless enterprise can’t help but succeed.

If one does not count on the harvest while ploughing,
Nor on the use of the ground while clearing it,
It furthers one to undertake something.

Autumn Ploughing

‘Autumn Ploughing’ – E.R. Sturgeon (1920 – 1999)

We should do every task for its own sake as time and place demand and not with an eye to the result. Then each task turns out well, and anything we undertake succeeds.

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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Today: “You have to be you, but you can only be you when you understand that you are a part of infinity.” – Yogi Bhajan

“If you are not aware for you and aware of you, then your existence will be damaged. If you want to be great, then you will have to feel great and act great. Many people think they have to seek approval. All you have to do is approve of yourself.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM249 971230 theorem of the Kundalini Yoga; control your micro & macro consciousness

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What else Yogi Bhajan said

Tao Te Ching – Verse 50 – The Master gives himself up to whatever the moment brings

Tao Te Ching – Verse 50

The Master gives himself up
to whatever the moment brings.
He knows that he is going to die,
and he has nothing left to hold on to:
no illusions in his mind,
no resistances in his body.
He doesn’t think about his actions;
they flow from the core of his being.
He holds nothing back from life;
therefore he is ready for death,
as a man is ready for sleep
after a good day’s work. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 50 – The Master gives himself up to whatever the moment brings”

Today: “You are in a position to receive great gifts.  Grace and gratitude make it so.” – from the I Ching

You are in a position to receive great gifts.  Grace and gratitude make it so.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day

Tao Te Ching – Verse 49 – The Master has no mind of her own. She works with the mind of the people.

Musings on Grace and Gratitude

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41 – Forty-one. Sun / Decrease

The stoic Mountain drains its excess waters to the Lake below:
The Superior Person curbs his anger and sheds his desires.

To be frugal and content is to possess immeasurable wealth within.
Nothing of value could be refused such a person.
Make a portion of each meal a share of your offering.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is an occasion for downsizing to fighting trim.
Simplicity and economy are strong defenses against the slings and arrows of Outrageous Fortune.
Whether this is a time of want or a time of plenty, it is an auspicious time to shed a dependency.

Six in the fifth place means:

He is showered with precious gifts, and those giving will hear no refusals.
Supreme good fortune.

Someone does indeed increase him.
Ten pairs of tortoises cannot oppose it.
Supreme good fortune.

Tortoises

If someone is marked out by fate for good fortune, it comes without fail. All oracles – as for instance those that are read from the shells of tortoises – are bound to concur in giving him favorable signs. He need fear nothing, because his luck is ordained from on high.

59 – Fifty-Nine Huan / Dissolution

Wind carries the Mists aloft:
Sage rulers dedicated their lives to serving a Higher Power and built temples that still endure.

The King approaches his temple.
Success if you stay on course.
You may cross to the far shore.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Walls meant to protect have instead separated and isolated.
Your defenses have kept you apart from those whom you most need to touch.
Whatever the reason for discord between you, it is time to lay down your arms.
Dispel the inflexible demands and fears of the Mind so that you may reunite in the Heart.
If you have begrudged, forgive.
If you have torn down, repair.
If you have injured, heal.
If you have judged, pardon.
If you have grasped, let go.

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Today: “You have to be you, but you can only be you when you understand that you are a part of infinity.” – Yogi Bhajan

“You have to be you, but you can only be you when you understand that you are a part of infinity. The moment that you understand you are a part of infinity, then you become a living God.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0415 – 20010910 – Karma & Dharma

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What else Yogi Bhajan said

Tao Te Ching – Verse 49 – The Master has no mind of her own. She works with the mind of the people.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 49

The Master has no mind of her own.
She works with the mind of the people.
She is good to people who are good.
She is also good to people who aren’t good.
This is true goodness.
She trusts people who are trustworthy.
She also trusts people who aren’t trustworthy.
This is true trust.
The Master’s mind is like space.
People don’t understand her.
They look to her and wait.
She treats them like her own children. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 49 – The Master has no mind of her own. She works with the mind of the people.”

Today: “You are blessed.  Bless everyone and everything with humility and inner strength.  Be true and there will be nothing you cannot do.” – from the I Ching

You are blessed.  Bless everyone and everything with humility and inner strength.  Be true and there will be nothing you cannot do.

To bless means to help. Heaven helps the man who is devoted; men help the man who is true. He who walks in truth and is devoted in his thinking, and furthermore reveres the worthy, is blessed by heaven. He has good fortune, and there is nothing that would not further.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day

Tao Te Ching – Verse 48 – In pursuit of knowledge, every day something is added. In the practice of the Tao, every day something is dropped.

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

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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.

Nine at the top means:

Heaven blesses you with good fortune.
Improvement in all facets.

He is blessed by heaven.
Good fortune.
Nothing that does not further.

Stairway to Heaven

‘Stairway to Heaven’ – Jim Warren

In the fullness of possession and at the height of power, one remains modest and gives honor to the sage who stands outside the affairs of the world. By this means one puts oneself under the beneficent influence descending form heaven, and all goes well. Kongfu (Confucius) says of this line:

To bless means to help. Heaven helps the man who is devoted; men help the man who is true. He who walks in truth and is devoted in his thinking, and furthermore reveres the worthy, is blessed by heaven. He has good fortune, and there is nothing that would not further.

32 – Thirty-Two  Hêng / Durability

Arousing Thunder and penetrating Wind.
Close companions in any storm:
The Superior Person possesses a resiliency and durability that lets him remain firmly and faithfully on course.

Such constancy deserves success.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Endurance is the key to success in this situation.
However, durability is not synonymous with stone-like rigidity.
True resilience requires a flexibility that allows adaptation to any adverse condition, while still remaining true to the core.
Can you maintain your integrity under any circumstance?
Can you influence the situation without giving opposing forces anything to resist?
Then you will endure to reach your goal.

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Today: “I am nonviolent, but if I see that the weak is being molested by the unrighteous, I will be first to put myself between the two.” – Yogi Bhajan

“I am nonviolent, but if I see that the weak is being molested by the unrighteous, I will be first to put myself between the two. It may cost me my life but to me it is worth it. That is the grace of the inner being. And when you put your life as an offering on the altar of truth, that is the highest sacrifice.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM327-990930 Know Your Heart

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What else Yogi Bhajan said

Tao Te Ching – Verse 48 – In pursuit of knowledge, every day something is added. In the practice of the Tao, every day something is dropped.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 48

In pursuit of knowledge,
every day something is added.
In the practice of the Tao,
every day something is dropped.
Less and less do you need to force things,
until finally you arrive at non-action.
When nothing is done,
nothing is left undone.
True mastery can be gained
by letting things go their own way.
It can’t be gained by interfering. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 48 – In pursuit of knowledge, every day something is added. In the practice of the Tao, every day something is dropped.”

Today: “To produce radical change, your projection must come from your inner truth and a strong conviction.” – from the I Ching

To produce radical change, your projection must come from your inner truth and a strong conviction.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day

Tao Te Ching – Verse 47 – Without opening your door, you can open your heart to the world

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

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49 – Forty-Nine. Ko / Revolution

Fire ignites within the Lake, defying conditions that would deny it birth or survival:
The Superior Person reads the Signs of the Times and makes the Season apparent to all.

The support you need will come only after the deed is done.
Renewed forces, however, will provide fresh energy for exceptional progress.
Persevere.
All differences vanish.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

A revolutionary Change must be made forcibly.
There is no negotiating with the Established Order.
Perfect timing is essential.
Let the abuse of power become apparent and oppressive to those around you before making your move.
Lay the groundwork, sow the seeds for Revolution without tipping your hand prematurely.
You will need a strong foundation, because you will have to bring about this necessary change alone.
You cannot count on popular support, so you must wait until there is massive dissent.
Then the avenue for your assault will be cleared.

49 – Forty-Nine. Ko / Revolution

Fire ignites within the Lake, defying conditions that would deny it birth or survival:
The Superior Person reads the Signs of the Times and makes the Season apparent to all.

The support you need will come only after the deed is done.
Renewed forces, however, will provide fresh energy for exceptional progress.
Persevere.
All differences vanish.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

A revolutionary Change must be made forcibly.
There is no negotiating with the Established Order.
Perfect timing is essential.
Let the abuse of power become apparent and oppressive to those around you before making your move.
Lay the groundwork, sow the seeds for Revolution without tipping your hand prematurely.
You will need a strong foundation, because you will have to bring about this necessary change alone.
You cannot count on popular support, so you must wait until there is massive dissent.
Then the avenue for your assault will be cleared.

42 – Forty-Two. I / Expansion

Whirlwinds and Thunder:
When the Superior Person encounters saintly behavior, he adopts it; when he encounters a fault within, he transforms it.

Progress in every endeavor.
You may cross to the far shore.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

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.

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Today: “The purpose of knowledge is to develop infinite faith in self.” – Yogi Bhajan

“The purpose of knowledge is to develop infinite faith in self.” Yogi Bhajan

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

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What else Yogi Bhajan said

Tao Te Ching – Verse 47 – Without opening your door, you can open your heart to the world

Tao Te Ching – Verse 47

Without opening your door,
you can open your heart to the world.
Without looking out your window,
you can see the essence of the Tao.
The more you know,
the less you understand.
The Master arrives without leaving,
sees the light without looking,
achieves without doing a thing. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 47 – Without opening your door, you can open your heart to the world”

Today: “Our social structure is being threatened with complete collapse from within based on lies and deceit.    Its constituents must be made aware of the truth.” – from the I Ching

Our social structure is being threatened with complete collapse from within based on lies and deceit.    Its constituents must be made aware of the truth.

In a time of flowering culture, an occasional convulsion is bound to occur, uncovering a hidden evil within society and at first causing a great sensation. But since the situation is favorable on the whole, such evils can easily be glossed over and concealed from the public. Then everything is forgotten and peace apparently reigns complacently once more. However, to the thoughtful man, such occurrences are grave omens that he does not neglect. This is the only way of averting evil consequences.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day

Tao Te Ching – Verse 46 – When the world has the Tao Fast horses are retired to till the soil. When the world lacks the Tao Warhorses give birth on the battlefield

Meditation: NM0163 – Feel God Within You, The Kindness in You

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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.

Six in the fourth place means:

The finest clothes can be shredded to rags.
Keep a sharp eye on the discontent.

The finest clothes turn to rags.
Be careful all day long.

Rags

In a time of flowering culture, an occasional convulsion is bound to occur, uncovering a hidden evil within society and at first causing a great sensation. But since the situation is favorable on the whole, such evils can easily be glossed over and concealed from the public. Then everything is forgotten and peace apparently reigns complacently once more. However, to the thoughtful man, such occurrences are grave omens that he does not neglect. This is the only way of averting evil consequences.
49 – Forty-Nine.  Ko / Revolution

Fire ignites within the Lake, defying conditions that would deny it birth or survival:
The Superior Person reads the Signs of the Times and makes the Season apparent to all.

The support you need will come only after the deed is done.
Renewed forces, however, will provide fresh energy for exceptional progress.
Persevere.
All differences vanish.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

A revolutionary Change must be made forcibly.
There is no negotiating with the Established Order.
Perfect timing is essential.
Let the abuse of power become apparent and oppressive to those around you before making your move.
Lay the groundwork, sow the seeds for Revolution without tipping your hand prematurely.
You will need a strong foundation, because you will have to bring about this necessary change alone.
You cannot count on popular support, so you must wait until there is massive dissent.
Then the avenue for your assault will be cleared.

[/su_spoiler]

Today: “If any person is unhappy, it is because he wished for unhappiness. When you wish for happiness, you also wish indirectly for unhappiness, just as day precedes night and night precedes day. ” – Yogi Bhajan

“If any person is unhappy, it is because he wished for unhappiness. When you wish for happiness, you also wish indirectly for unhappiness, just as day precedes night and night precedes day. Every happiness is followed by sadness and every sadness is followed by happiness.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: KWTC7-19910705 – Self Hypnotic Trance – Self Bliss

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What else Yogi Bhajan said

Tao Te Ching – Verse 46 – When the world has the Tao Fast horses are retired to till the soil. When the world lacks the Tao Warhorses give birth on the battlefield

Tao Te Ching – Verse 46

When the world has the Tao
Fast horses are retired to till the soil
When the world lacks the Tao
Warhorses give birth on the battlefield

There is no crime greater than greed
No disaster greater than discontentment
No fault greater than avarice
Thus the satisfaction of contentment
is the lasting satisfaction

(translation by Derek Lin, 2006)
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When a country is in harmony with the Tao,
the factories make trucks and tractors.
When a country goes counter to the Tao,
warheads are stockpiled outside the cities.
There is no greater illusion than fear,
no greater wrong than preparing to defend yourself, no greater misfortune than having an enemy.
Whoever can see through all fear
will always be safe.

(translation by Stephen Mitchell, 1995)

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Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 46 – When the world has the Tao Fast horses are retired to till the soil. When the world lacks the Tao Warhorses give birth on the battlefield”

Today: “Even from a lowly position in life, you can achieve great things through your kindness and compassion.” – from the I Ching

Even from a lowly position in life, you can achieve great things through your kindness and compassion.

See Yogi Bhajan’s quote for the day

Tao Te Ching – Verse 45 – True perfection seems imperfect, yet it is perfectly itself

Meditation: NM0163 – Feel God Within You, The Kindness in You

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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.

Nine at the beginning [yang at bottom] means:

Even becoming a concubine would be an advance in this woman’s life.
For the lame, any step forward is a good step.

The marrying maiden as a concubine.
A lame man who is able to tread.
Undertakings bring good fortune.

Chinese Traditional Wedding

Chinese Traditional Wedding

The princess of ancient China maintained a fixed order of rank among the court ladies, who were subordinated to the queen as are younger sisters to the eldest. Frequently they came from the family of the queen, who herself led them to her husband.
The meaning is that a girl entering a family with the consent of the wife will not rank outwardly as the equal of the latter but will withdraw modestly into the background. However, if she understands how to fit herself into the pattern of things, her position will be entirely satisfactory, and she will feel sheltered in the love of the husband to whom she bears children.
The same meaning is brought out in the relationships between officials. A man may enjoy the personal friendship of a prince and be taken into his confidence. Outwardly this man must keep tactfully in the background behind the official ministers of state, but, although he is hampered by this status, as if he were lame, he can nevertheless accomplish something through the kindliness of his nature.
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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