Today: – “It is not wise to engage and fight every controversy or conflict, which can  to lead to constant opposition from bellicose parties.” – a reading from the I Ching

It is not wise to engage and fight every controversy or conflict, which can  to lead to constant opposition from bellicose parties.

Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today.

Meditation: NM0337-Bujung Kriya – For Wisdom and Understanding

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Tao Te Ching – Verse 73 – The Tao is always at ease.

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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?

Nine at the top means:

Even if by chance a leather belt is bestowed on one,
By the end of a morning
It will have been snatched away three times.

Leather belt

Here we have someone who has carried a conflict to the bitter end and has triumphed. He is granted a decoration, but his happiness does not last. He is attacked again and again, and the result is conflict without end.

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.

Today: “If your words have the strength of the infinite in them and you value them and they are virtuous, you are the greatest of the great. ” Yogi Bhajan

“If your words have the strength of the infinite in them and you value them and they are virtuous, you are the greatest of the great. If you do not value your words, you have no value. Your own word is your value as a human being. Your word is your value. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0365-20001024-On Communication II

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Today: – “You are on the right track.  Stay in the flow of your existence. Do not resist. No complaints.” – a reading from the I Ching

You are on the right track.  Stay in the flow of your existence. Do not resist. No complaints.

Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today.

Meditation: LA860-960131-Increase the Flow of Earth Within You

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Tao Te Ching – Verse 72 – When they lose their sense of awe, people turn to religion. When they no longer trust themselves, they begin to depend upon authority.

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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.

yang
yin above: Li / The Clinging, Fire
yang
yang
yang below: Sun / The Gentle, Wind, Wood
yin

Caldron

The six lines construct the image of Ting, THE CAULDRON; at the bottom are the legs, over them the belly, then come the ears (handles), and at the top the carrying rings. At the same time, the image suggests the idea of nourishment. The ting, cast of bronze, was the vessel that held the cooked viands in the temple of the ancestors and at banquets. The head of the family served the food from the ting into the bowls of the guests.1
THE WELL (48) likewise has the secondary meaning of giving nourishment, but rather more in relation to the people. The ting, as a utensil pertaining to a refined civilisation, suggests the fostering and nourishing of able men, which redounded to the benefit of the state.2
This hexagram and THE WELL are the only two in the Yi Jing that represent concrete, man-made objects. Yet here too the thought has its abstract connotation.
Sun, below, is wood and wind; Li, above, is flame. Thus together they stand for the flame kindled by wood and wind, which likewise suggests the idea of preparing food.

THE JUDGEMENT

THE CALDRON. Supreme good fortune.
Success.

While THE WELL relates to the social foundation of our life, and this foundation is likened to the water that serves to nourish growing wood, the present hexagram refers to the cultural superstructure of society. Here it is the wood that serves as nourishment for the flame, the spirit. All that is visible must grow beyond itself, extend into the realm of the invisible. Thereby it receives its true consecration and clarity and takes firm root in the cosmic order.
Here we see civilisation as it reaches its culmination in religion. The ting serves in offering sacrifice to God. The highest earthly values must be sacrificed to the divine. But the truly divine does not manifest itself apart from man. The supreme revelation of God appears in prophets and holy men. To venerate them is true veneration of God. The will of God, as revealed through them, should be accepted in humility; this brings inner enlightenment and true understanding of the world, and this leads to great good fortune and success.

THE IMAGE

Fire over wood:
The image of THE CALDRON.
Thus the superior man consolidates his fate
By making his position correct.

The fate of fire depends on wood; as long as there is wood below, the fire burns above. It is the same in human life; there is in man likewise a fate that lends power to his life. And if he succeeds in assigning the right place to life and to fate, thus bringing the two into harmony, he puts his fate on a firm footing. These words contain hints about fostering of life as handed on by oral tradition in the secret teachings of Chinese yoga.

 

Melting Pot

‘Melting Pot’ – Laura Barbosa


1. [There are beautiful examples of the ting in most of our museums, where they are classified as ritual vessels. The German word used by Wilhelm for ting is Tiegel, meaning literally “caldron” and, in another sense, “crucible.” Since this characteristic Chinese vessel is unique in form, so different from either a caldron or a crucible in the usual sense, the word ting has been retained wherever feasible here.]

Today: “The blend of your soul, mind, and body makes you talk.” Yogi Bhajan

“The blend of your soul, mind, and body makes you talk. This is the art of vibration. If your mind is off you cannot talk sensibly. If your soul is off you don’t exist. Hence, it is a blending of the three that makes you vibrate. You vibrate anyway, but vibration in the form of communication is effectively recognized when you talk. Word was with God and communicated with maya to create this universe and its beauty. Word is with you. Communicate to create your own world.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA719 930303 – Magnetic Field – Sacred Space

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Today: – “Liberate yourself from useless and parasitic relationships.  You will receive all the help that you need.” – a reading from the I Ching

Liberate yourself from useless and parasitic relationships.  You will receive all the help that you need.

Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today.

Meditation: NM0405-20010529- Sahaj Naad Kriya

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Tao Te Ching – Verse 71 – Not-knowing is true knowledge. Presuming to know is a disease.

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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.

Nine in the fourth place means:

Free yourself from this useless dependence.
A new and trustworthy companion will appear.

Deliver yourself from your great toe.
Then the companion comes,
And him you can trust.

Yellow big toe

In times of standstill it will happen that inferior people attach themselves to a superior man, and through force of daily habit they may grow very close to him and become indispensable, just as the big toe is indispensable to the foot because it makes walking easier. But when the time of deliverance draws near, with its call to deeds, a man must free himself from such chance acquaintances with whom he has no inner connection. For otherwise the friends who share his views, on whom he could really rely and together with whom he could accomplish something, mistrust him and stay away.
7 – Seven  Shih / Recruiting Allies

Deep Water beneath the Earth’s surface:
Untapped resources are available.
The Superior Person nourishes and instructs the people, building a loyal, disciplined following.
Good fortune.
No mistakes if you follow a course led by experience.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You must gain support from others.
Find a way to make others want to see your objectives met as badly as you want it.
How can they profit from the attainment of this goal?
Can you command confidence that you are just the person that can bring this plan to fruition?

Today: “Here are the following stages of the development of man:” Yogi Bhajan

“Here are the following stages of the development of man: First you want to know; after knowing, you want to acquire; after acquiring, you want to master; after mastery, you want to be recognized.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NMNM0393-20010402 – Sarab Gyan Kriya

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Today: – “Allow love to guide  your relations with family and community.  Be solid and steady  as a mountain.” – a reading from the I Ching

Allow love to guide  your relations with family and community.  Be solid and steady  as a mountain.

Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today.

Lecture: The meaning of love

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Tao Te Ching – Verse 70 – My teachings are easy to understand and easy to put into practice.

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37 – Thirty-Seven  Chia Jên / Family Duties

Warming Air Currents rise and spread from the Hearthfire:
The Superior Person weighs his words carefully and is consistent in his behavior.

Be as faithful as a good wife.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

One in this situation must be keenly aware of his influence on others.
Maintain a healthy respect for the ripple effect of your words and deeds.
To some you serve as a role model.
You can either help shape their world or tilt them into chaos.
Show temperance and consideration to all.

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.

Today: “We all have something in common. We all breathe, therefore we all vibrate and that vibration is the source of our life.” Yogi Bhajan

“We all have something in common. We all breathe, therefore we all vibrate and that vibration is the source of our life. Whosoever can create rhythm within his own vibration, the entire creation will create a rhythmic sound around him.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation:  LA19970407 – Experiencing the Original You

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Today: “We say and we know the truth but we do not practice it to the point of perfection.” Yogi Bhajan

“We say and we know the truth but we do not practice it to the point of perfection. We must practice truth with a sense of perfection so that no one will be in a position to take us away from it.” Yogi Bhajan

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

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Today: – “Do not engage with others in pursuits that are beneath your standards and dignity.  Allow them to raise theirs rather than lower yours.” – a reading from the I Ching

Do not engage with others in pursuits that are beneath your standards and dignity.  Allow them to raise theirs rather than lower yours.

Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today.

Meditation: LA741 – 921125 – Dance of Shiva

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Tao Te Ching – Verse 68 – The best athlete wants his opponent at his best. The best general enters the mind of his enemy. The best businessman serves the communal good. The best leader follows the will of the people.

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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.

Nine in the second place means:
Sincere joyousness. Good fortune.
Remorse disappears.

Temptation of St. Anthony

‘The Temptation of St. Anthony’, 1946 – Salvador Dali
Musée Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels Belgium

We often find ourselves associating with inferior people in whose company we are tempted by pleasures that are inappropriate for the superior man. To participate in such pleasures would certainly bring remorse, for a superior man can find no real satisfaction in low pleasures. When, recognizing this, a man does not permit his will to swerve, so that he does not find such ways agreeable, not even dubious companions will venture to proffer any base pleasures, because he would not enjoy them. Thus every cause for regret is removed.

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?

Today: “May your guru and your God stand by you, may the realms of all angels bless you…” Yogi Bhajan

“May your guru and your God stand by you, may the realms of all angels bless you, may the purity of your heart stand by you, may your divine nature help you, and may your God-consciousness lead you.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0420-20011015 – The Power of Memories – Remember the Saint Within

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Today: – “The time is not right to push forward.  Resist the rush to completion.  Wait for the necessary instance to arrive.” – a reading from the I Ching

The time is not right to push forward.  Resist the rush to completion.  Wait for the necessary instance to arrive.

Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today.

Meditation: Magic Mantra-19760426

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Tao Te Ching – Verse 66 – If you want to govern the people, you must place yourself below them.

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64 – Sixty-Four  Wei Chi / The End In Sight

Fire ascends above the Water:
The Superior Person examines the nature of things and keeps each in its proper place.

Too anxious the young fox gets his tail wet, just as he completes his crossing.
To attain success, be like the man and not like the fox.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Resist the rush to completion.
Anticipation of fulfillment may cause you to be careless before you have fully absorbed the lessons of the journey.
The endpoint of this Quest will only prove to be the threshold for another.
You are short steps from Mastery on this plane, yet you stride toward Ignorance of the challenges lying beyond.
Savor this accomplishment.
Fully Become.
Take full possession of your world before embarking to discover the next one.
That voyage begins soon enough, and you will reminisce about this one.
These are the Good Old Days.

Six at the beginning [yin at bottom] means:
He gets his tail in the water.
Humiliating.

Female blackbird taking bath

Female blackbird taking bath – Landsmeer Holland 2010
photo Lex van den Bos

In times of disorder there is a temptation to advance oneself as rapidly as possible in order to accomplish something tangible. But this enthusiasm leads only to failure and humiliation if the time for achievement has not yet arrived. In such time it is wise to spare ourselves the opprobrium of failure by holding back.1

38 – Thirty-Eight  K’uei / Estrangement

Fire distances itself from its nemesis, the Lake:
No matter how large or diverse the group, the Superior Person remains uniquely himself.

Small accomplishments are possible.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You are working at cross-purposes with another.
The distance between you is very wide.
The gap can be closed, however, with no compromise of your integrity.
You are not adversaries in this case — just two persons addressing individual needs.
Ask yourself: are these needs mutually exclusive?
Is there common ground here?
Must there be one winner and one loser?
Could you become partners in seeking a solution that would allow for two winners?


1. Note how this situation differs from that in the first line of the preceding hexagram 63.
There the tail gets wet as well, but after completion.

Today: “Every word uttered by you must come back to you within twelve years and it must grip you within the scale of seven years. ” Yogi Bhajan

“Every word uttered by you must come back to you within twelve years and it must grip you within the scale of seven years. This is a law of nature.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0365-20001024-On Communication II

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Today: – “Hold back rather than pushing forward.  Regroup and wait for a better time to proceed.” – a reading from the I Ching

Hold back rather than pushing forward.  Regroup and wait for a better time to proceed.

Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today.

Meditation: NM374 – 20001128 – Patience and Intuition

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Today: “If you want to get out of your karma, there is only one way, vibrate the Nam.” Yogi Bhajan

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9 – Nine  Hsiao Ch’u / Gentle Restraint

Winds of change high in the Heavens:
Air currents carry the weather.
Dense clouds blow in from the West, but still no rain.
The Superior Person fine tunes the image he presents to the world.

Small successes.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

No matter what you do, the fruit of your labors never seems to ripen.
Your reward remains just out of reach.
Men have gone mad from such anticipation.
Don’t lose your balance lunging for the brass ring.
While the Fates continue to restrain you, go them one better and display a self-generated restraint and grace.
Look for the humor in the situation.

Nine in the second place means:

He lets himself be drawn back.
Good fortune.

He allows himself to be drawn into returning.
Good fortune.

Chess Game

‘The Chess Game’ – Francesco Beda (1840-1900)

One would like to press forward, but before going farther one sees from the example of others like oneself that this way is blocked. In such a case, if the effort to push forward is not in harmony with the time, a reasonable and resolute man will not expose himself to a personal rebuff, but will retreat with others of like mind. This brings good fortune, because he does not needlessly jeopardise himself.

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.

Today: “If you want to get out of your karma, there is only one way, vibrate the Nam.” Yogi Bhajan

“If you want to get out of your karma, there is only one way, vibrate the Nam. The Nam is the vibration of the praise of Infinity.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: NM0415 – 20010910 – Karma & Dharma

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Today: – “Any movement is too dangerous.  You just have to wait for a way out of the current situation.” – a reading from the I Ching

Any movement is too dangerous.  You just have to wait for a way out of the current situation.

Yogi Bhajan’s quote for today.

Meditation: NM374 – 20001128 – Patience and Intuition

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Tao Te Ching – Verse 64 – Prevent trouble before it arises. Put things in order before they exist.

Read the text from Richard Wilhelm's, Thomas Cleary's, Brian Arnold's and other translations of the I Ching
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 third place means:

Deep, dangerous pitfalls on every side.
Stand fast.

Forward and backward, abyss on abyss.
In danger like this, pause at first and wait,
Otherwise you will fall into a pit in the abyss.
Do not act this way.

Abyss

Here every step, forward or backward, leads into danger. Escape is out of the question. Therefore we must not be misled into action, as a result of which we should only bog down deeper in the danger; disagreeable as it may be to remain in such a situation, we must wait till a way out shows itself.

5 – Five  Hsü / Calculated Waiting

Deep Waters in the Heavens:
Thunderclouds approaching from the West, but no rain yet.
The Superior Person nourishes himself and remains of good cheer to condition himself for the moment of truth.

Great Success if you sincerely keep to your course.
You may cross to the far shore.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You must now endure this Dangling — either a carrot before your nose, or a sword above your head.
This strange mix of apprehension and anticipation is a Purgatory.
There is nothing more you can do to affect the outcome.
You must now submit to the Fates.