Tag: Tao

Meditation: LA741 – 921125 – Dance of Shiva

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:

Advance will meet with breathtaking obstacles.
Remaining will meet with criticism from family and friends.

Going leads to obstructions;
Hence he comes back.

Life in old China

While the preceding line shows the official compelled by duty to follow the way of danger, 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.

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?

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Today: “In this world, we know that matter cannot be produced, cannot be destroyed.” – Yogi Bhajan

“In this world, we know that matter cannot be produced, cannot be destroyed. Somebody is rich, somebody is poor. Somebody is fat, somebody is thin. Somebody is tall, somebody is short. This world is nothing but a balance. Its very existence is based on balance. This planet and the entire existence on this planet cannot exist without this great balance. There is nothing you can add; there is nothing you can subtract from it.”
Yogi Bhajan

Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 22 – If you want to become whole, let yourself be partial. If you want to become straight, let yourself be crooked.”

Tao Te Ching – Verse 22 – If you want to become whole, let yourself be partial. If you want to become straight, let yourself be crooked.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 22

If you want to become whole,
let yourself be partial.
If you want to become straight,
let yourself be crooked.
If you want to become full,
let yourself be empty.
If you want to be reborn,
let yourself die.
If you want to be given everything,
give everything up.

Today: “We are able and willing, personally and collectively, yet unnoticed. This is tragic. We must find ways to be useful.” – from the I Ching

We are able and willing, personally and collectively, yet unnoticed. This is tragic. We must find ways to be useful.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 20 – Stop thinking, and end your problems.

Meditation: The Negative Mind

Meditation: The Negative Mind

48 – Forty-Eight Ching / The Well

Deep Waters Penetrated and drawn to the surface:
The Superior Person refreshes the people with constant encouragement to help one another.

Encampments, settlements, walled cities, whole empires may rise and fall, yet the Well at the center endures, never drying to dust, never overflowing.
It served those before and will serve those after.
Again and again you may draw from the Well, but if the bucket breaks or the rope is too short there will be misfortune.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

There is a Source common to us all.
Jung named it the Collective Unconscious.
Others hail it as God within.
Inside each of us are dreamlike symbols and archetypes, emotions and instincts that we share with every other human being.
When we feel a lonely separateness from others, it is not because this Well within has dried up, but because we have lost the means to reach its waters.
You need to reclaim the tools necessary to penetrate to the depths of your fellows.
Then the bonds you build will be as timeless and inexhaustible as the Well that nourishes them.

Nine in the third place means:

This well has been cleansed, but no one will drink from it.
This is a tragic mistake, for it has much to offer prince and pauper alike.

The well is cleaned, but no one drinks from it.
This is my heart’s sorrow,
For one might draw from it.
If the king were clear-minded,
Good fortune might be enjoyed in common.

Kyomasa well – Yoyogi park – Tokyo

An able man is available. He is like a purified well whose water is drinkable. But no use is made of him. This is the sorrow of those who know him. One wishes that the prince might learn about it; this would be good fortune for all concerned.

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.

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Today: “There are two ways of living in this world, the way of worry and the way of relaxation.” – Yogi Bhajan

“There are two ways of living in this world, the way of worry and the way of relaxation. If you worry, you have to concentrate to imagine and it becomes physical work; but if you turn your mind to the universal mind, then things will come to you.” Yogi Bhajan
Yogi Bhajan

Tao Te Ching – Verse 21 – The Master keeps her mind always at one with the Tao; that is what gives her her radiance.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 21

The Master keeps her mind
always at one with the Tao;
that is what gives her her radiance.

The Tao is ungraspable.
How can her mind be at one with it?
Because she doesn’t cling to ideas. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 21 – The Master keeps her mind always at one with the Tao; that is what gives her her radiance.”

Today: “Allow yourself to join and befriend people with whom you feel a heart attraction. Make your simple and sincere offering.” – from the I Ching

Allow yourself to join and befriend people with whom you feel a heart attraction. Make your simple and sincere offering.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 20 – Stop thinking, and end your problems.

Lecture and Meditation: Patience Pays – LA-19831020

Kriya: Awakening Yourself to Your Ten Bodies

Share The Magical Story of Mushkil Gusha over a meal with friends today.

45 – Forty-Five. Ts’ui / Gathering

The Lake rises by welcoming and receiving Earth’s waters:
The King approaches his temple.
It is wise to seek audience with him there.

Success follows this course.
Making an offering will seal your good fortune.
A goal will be realized now.SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is an important Convergence, and you must be part of it.
Look for the Center of this convergence.
Like waters running to the sea, like an astronomical convergence of planets revolving around the sun, you should let the gravity of this Center draw you near.
Others are also drawn to this Center, and among them you will find shared bonds and kindred spirits.
This tribal convergence will give you a clarity of purpose.
You will no longer be alone.

Six in the second place means:

Letting oneself be drawn
Brings good fortune and remains blameless.
If one is sincere,
It furthers one to bring even a small offering.

In the time of GATHERING TOGETHER, we should make no arbitrary choice of the way. There are secret forces at work, leading together those who belong together. We must yield to this attraction; then we make no mistakes. Where inner relationships exist, no great preparations and formalities are necessary. People understand one another forthwith, just as the Divinity graciously accepts a small offering if it comes from the heart.

60 – Sixty. Chieh / Limitations

Waters difficult to keep within the Lake’s banks:
The Superior Person examines the nature of virtue and makes himself a standard that can be followed.

Self-discipline brings success; but restraints too binding bring self-defeat.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Cultivating the proper disciplines and the proper degree of discipline are the concerns of this hexagram.
By limiting options, you may give more attention to priorities.
One who is all over the map is no less lost than one without a map.
Avoid asceticism, however.
Deprivation is not wise discipline.
The key here is regulation, not restriction.

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Today: “One must be conscious to have consciousness, and one must be conscious that his conscious energy can always vibrate in the direction which is righteous.” – Yogi Bhajan

“One must be conscious to have consciousness, and one must be conscious that his conscious energy can always vibrate in the direction which is righteous.”
Yogi Bhajan

Tao Te Ching – Verse 20 – Stop thinking, and end your problems.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 20

Stop thinking, and end your problems.
What difference between yes and no?
What difference between success and failure?
Must you value what others value,
avoid what others avoid?
How ridiculous!
Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 20 – Stop thinking, and end your problems.”

Today: “Slow and steady progress. Take your time, do not rush to finish.” – from the I Ching

Slow and steady progress. Take your time, do not rush to finish.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 19 – Throw away holiness and wisdom, and people will be a hundred times happier.

Lecture and Meditation: Patience Pays – LA-19831020

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.


		above: Sun / The Gentle, Wind, Wood
		above: Sun / The Gentle, Wind, Wood


		below: Kên / Keeping Still, Mountain
		below: Kên / Keeping Still, Mountain

This hexagram is made up of Sun (wood, penetration) above, i.e., without, and Kên (mountain, stillness) below, i.e., within. A tree on a mountain develops slowly according to the law of its being and consequently stands firmly rooted. This gives the idea of a development that proceeds gradually, step by step. The attributes of the trigrams also point to this: within is tranquillity, which guards against precipitate actions, and without is penetration, which makes development and progress possible.

THE JUDGEMENT

DEVELOPMENT. The maiden
Is given in marriage.
Good fortune.
Perseverance furthers.

The development of events that leads to a girl’s following a man to his home proceeds slowly. The various formalities must be disposed of before the marriage takes place. This principle of gradual development can be applied to other situations as well; it is always applicable where it is a matter of correct relationships of co-operation, as for instance in the appointment of an official. The development must be allowed to take its proper course. Hasty action would not be wise. This is also true, finally, of any effort to exert influence on others, for here too the essential factor is a correct way of development through cultivation of one’s own personality. No influence such as that exerted by agitators has a lasting effect.
Within the personality too, development must follow the same course if lasting results are to be achieved. Gentleness that is adaptable, but at the same time penetrating, is the outer form that should proceed from inner calm.
The very gradualness of the development makes it necessary to have perseverance, for perseverance alone prevents slow progress from dwindling to nothing.

Tree on a mountain

Tree on a mountain – from monastry of Semen Stolbnik near Aleppo – Syria

THE IMAGE

On the mountain, a tree:
The image of DEVELOPMENT.
Thus the superior man abides in dignity and virtue,
In order to improve the mores.

The tree on the mountain is visible from afar, and its development influences the landscape of the entire region. It does not shoot up like a swamp plant; its growth proceeds gradually. Thus also the work of influencing people can be only gradual. No sudden influence or awakening is of lasting effect. Progress must be quite gradual, and in order to obtain such progress in public opinion and in the mores of the people, it is necessary for the personality to acquire influence and weight. This comes about through careful and constant work on one’s own moral development.

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Today: “I do not know how I exist, but still I am existing, and this is the wonder of reality.” – Yogi Bhajan

“I do not know how I exist, but still I am existing, and this is the wonder of reality. And this whole realization came to me when I uttered one little sound: Wha, wha, wha.”
Yogi Bhajan

Existence is the reality, “Wha” is the bliss:
Meditation: NM190-19951031-Connect Yourself to the Reality

“Ang Sang Waheguru” is both:
Meditation: KWTC7-19910705 – Self Hypnotic Trance – Self Bliss

Tao Te Ching – Verse 19 – Throw away holiness and wisdom, and people will be a hundred times happier.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 19

Throw away holiness and wisdom,
and people will be a hundred times happier.
Throw away morality and justice,
and people will do the right thing.
Throw away industry and profit,
and there won’t be any thieves.

If these three aren’t enough,
just stay at the center of the circle
and let all things take their course. Continue reading “Tao Te Ching – Verse 19 – Throw away holiness and wisdom, and people will be a hundred times happier.”

Today: “Foolish people will be punished by the consequences of their actions. Punishment should only be used as a deterrent where there is clear danger.” – from the I Ching

Foolish people will be punished by the consequences of their actions. Punishment should only be used as a deterrent where there is clear danger.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 18 – When the great Tao is forgotten, goodness and piety appear.

Meditation: TCH2012 960727 – Warrior’s Exercise for Opening the Energy into the Shushmana & Balancing the Hemispheres of the Brain

Meditation: NM335 – A00111 Connect Up to Infinity

4 – Four. Mêng / Inexperience

A fresh Spring at the foot of the Mountain:
The Superior Person refines his character by being thorough in every activity.
The Sage does not recruit students; the students seek him.
He asks nothing but a sincere desire to learn.
If the student doubts or challenges his authority, the Sage regretfully cuts his losses.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is a time of interchange between a mentor and pupil.
Whether you are the teacher or the student, it is a time of companionship along a mutual path.
This hexagram also emphasizes the eternal, cyclical nature of the mentor/student relationship — a mentor is merely a more seasoned pupil, further along on the journey.
A pupil holds within himself the seed of a future Master.

Nine at the top means:

In punishing folly
It does not further one
To commit transgressions.
The only thing that furthers
Is to prevent transgressions.

‘Punishment of the Baker’ – Jacopo da Pontormo (Italy, 1494-1557)

Sometimes an incorrigible fool must be punished. He who will not heed will be made to feel. This punishment is quite different from a preliminary shaking up. But the penalty should not be imposed in anger; it must be restricted to an objective guarding against unjustified excesses. Punishment is never an end in itself but serves merely to restore order.
This applies not only in regard to education but also in regard to the measures taken by a government against a populace guilty of transgressions. Governmental interference should always be merely preventive and should have as its sole aim the establishment of public security and peace.

2 – Two K’un / Receptive Force

Earth above and Earth below:
The Earth contains and sustains.
In this situation, the Superior Person should not take the initiative; he should follow the initiative of another.
He should seek receptive allies in the southwest; he should break ties with immovable allies in the northeast.

Responsive devotion.
Receptive influence.
Sublime Success if you keep to your course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is a time for dealing with reality as it is, not as you would have it be.
If you realize that in this situation you are the receptor, not the transmitter of the stimulus, you will find yourself reaching goals that seemed unattainable under your own steam.
If you persist in futile efforts to be the Shaper rather than the Shaped, you will completely miss this unique opportunity.

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Today: “Self-exertion or self-reliance and self-realization is not possible for everybody. Why not?” – Yogi Bhajan

“Self-exertion or self-reliance and self-realization is not possible for everybody. Why not? Because we don’t think we are part of infinity and infinity is a part of us. We do not recognize the very divinity in us. That a creature has been created and that this creation has a purpose is totally forgotten by man.”
Yogi Bhajan

Tao Te Ching – Verse 18 – When the great Tao is forgotten, goodness and piety appear.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 18

When the great Tao is forgotten,
goodness and piety appear.
When the body’s intelligence declines,
cleverness and knowledge step forth.
When there is no peace in the family,
filial piety begins.
When the country falls into chaos,
patriotism is born.

(translation by Stephen Mitchell, 1995)
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The great Tao fades away
There is benevolence and justice
Intelligence comes forth
There is great deception

The six relations are not harmonious
There is filial piety and kind affection
The country is in confused chaos
There are loyal ministers

(translation by Derek Lin, 2006)
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There is no Code of Ethics,
And there never was.
There is no kindness; no morality.
There is no genius.
Loyal sons and dutiful workers
Are unreal.
Stop.

(translation by Jeremy M. Miller, 2013)
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from I Ching Online

Today: “Forgive others’ transgressions. Holding contempt or resentment shackles you in a self-imposed prison.” – from the I Ching

Forgive others’ transgressions. Holding contempt or resentment shackles you in a self-imposed prison.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 17 – When the Master governs, the people are hardly aware that he exists. Next best is a leader who is loved. Next, one who is feared. The worst is one who is despised.

Meditation: LA571 890214 Let Go of Your Limitations