Tag: Yogi Bhajan

Tao Te Ching – Verse 15 – The ancient Masters were profound and subtle

12 – Twelve P’i / Stagnation

Heaven and Earth move away from each other.
In the ensuing void, the small invade where the great have departed.
There is no common meeting ground, so the Superior Person must fall back on his inner worth and decline the rewards offered by the inferior invaders.

Difficult trials as you hold to your course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

It is natural to assume that, if Earth above Heaven forms the hexagram for Peace and Paradise, then the opposite configuration, with Heaven over Earth would represent the antithesis of Paradise, Hell.
Not so.
This hexagram is actually the Dark side of Peace, its unsavory byproduct, Stagnation.
In a time when most of our wants are provided, there is little need for the heroes, the artists, the great thinkers and innovators.
As they recede into the shadows, Idleness, Apathy, and Lassitude come to the forefront.
Peace has become boring, bland, unchallenging — Stagnant.
Now our attention turns to the quick fix, the instant celebrity, the fad, the one-nighter, the current buzz.
There is no room for depth.
If you are a passionate soul, you must wait for a better time to find kindred spirits.
In these times, they are only curious legends, bas-relief, dead poets.

Six in the third place means:

A vague inward feeling of shame remains unrecognized but still succeeds in haunting.

They bear shame.

Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI in the Garden of the Tuilerie

Inferior people who have risen to power illegitimately do not feel equal to the responsibility they have taken upon themselves. In their hearts they begin to be ashamed, although at first they do not show it outwardly. This marks a turn for the better.

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.

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

Today: “Compassion is nothing but realization of adjustable values. Nobody is bad.” – Yogi Bhajan

“Compassion is nothing but realization of adjustable values. Nobody is bad. If one does not act or understand well, or he is limited, you should have compassion, not negativity. Why does somebody harm you? Why does somebody slander you? Because he doesn’t know any better.” Yogi Bhajan

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

Meditation: LA101 790419-Faith In Our Self And Our Own Discipline

Today: Avoid pursuing shiny objects. Hold to your discipline and discernment of the relative value of everything. – from the I Ching

Avoid pursuing shiny objects. Hold to your discipline and discernment of the relative value of everything.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 15 – The ancient Masters were profound and subtle

31 – Thirty-One Hsien / Attraction

The joyous Lake is cradled by the tranquil Mountain:
The Superior Person takes great satisfaction in encouraging others along their journey.
He draws them to him with his welcoming nature and genuine interest.

Supreme success.
This course leads to marriage.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

There is no greater natural law in the Cosmos than Attraction.
From the magnetic pull of an atom’s nucleus to the centrifugal force that spirals a galaxy, the face of the universe is shaped by Attraction.
On a human scale, it is Attraction that fuels procreation and furthers our species.
Yet it is also Attraction that spawns greed and covetousness, threatening our extinction.
Attraction is the underlying force of the situation in question.
You are refined or debased by the objects of your desire.
What gravitational pull are you now under?
Around what sphere of influence do you circle?
Can you use your own ability to attract?

Nine in the third place means:

Restless thighs signify impatience and a lack of restraint.
He has lost his center and is obsessed with another.
Humiliation.

The influence shows itself in the thighs.
Holds to that which follows it.
To continue is humiliating.

‘The Three Graces’ – Peter Paul Rubens c.1636-1638 Museo del Prado, Madrid Spain

Every mood of the heart influences us to movement. What the heart desires, the thighs run after without a moment’s hesitation; they hold to the heart, which they follow. In the life of man, however, acting on the spur of every caprice is wrong and if continued leads to humiliation. Three considerations suggest themselves here. First, a man should not run precipitately after all the persons whom he would like to influence, but must be able to hold back under certain circumstances. As little should he yield immediately to every whim of those in whose service he stands. Finally, where the moods of his own heart are concerned, he should never ignore the possibility of inhibition, for this is the basis of human freedom.

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.

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

Today: “When man leaves this earth, with him goes nothing but his will, his inspiration, and his consciousness” Yogi Bhajan

“When man leaves this earth, with him goes nothing but his will, his inspiration, and his consciousness; his aim and his object; what he looks at as a being.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA007-780117-SADHANA YOJINA-To Infinity Upon Death

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

Today: All opposition has cleared. Success is assured. Evil has been defeated, but not completely eradicated. Be wary of its attempts to return.- from the I Ching

All opposition has cleared. Success is assured. Evil has been defeated, but not completely eradicated. Be wary of its attempts to return.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 15 – The ancient Masters were profound and subtle

43 – Forty-Three Kuai / Breakthrough

A Deluge from Heaven:
The Superior Person rains fortune upon those in need, then moves on with no thought of the good he does.

The issue must be raised before an impartial authority.
Be sincere and earnest, despite the danger.
Do not try to force the outcome, but seek support where needed.
Set a clear goal.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Your iron will must come to the forefront now.
It will take great personal determination to resolve the situation in question.
Your adversary would love to force you into an angry display.
That would legitimize his opposition to you.
Such a berserker rage would drag you down to his level.
You must resolutely take a public stand against what he represents, but refuse to engage him.
Without compromise, you show others the way to higher ground.

Six at the top means:

A warning sign goes unheeded.
Misfortune ahead.
No cry.
In the end misfortune comes.

‘The Scream’ – Edvard Munch, 1893

Victory seems to have been achieved. There remains merely a remnant of the evil resolutely to be eradicated as the time demands. Everything looks easy. Just there, however, lies the danger. If we are not on guard, evil will succeed in escaping by means of concealment, and when it has eluded us new misfortunes will develop from the remaining seeds, for evil does not die easily. So too in dealing with the evil in one’s own character, one must go to work with thoroughness. If out of carelessness anything were to be overlooked, new evil would arise from it.

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.

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

Today: “The conscious regulation of the breath is to bring about a balance of energy” – Yogi Bhajan

“The conscious regulation of the breath is to bring about a balance of energy in the nervous system.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: Breath to Conquer Time Space and Destiny

Meditation: Release obstacles in your path

Today: You have what you need. If you keep up your discipline and follow your path, the way is clear. – from the I Ching

You have what you need. If you keep up your discipline and follow your path, the way is clear.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 15 – The ancient Masters were profound and subtle

26 – Twenty-Six Ta Ch’u / Recharging Power

Heaven’s motherlode waits within the Mountain:
The Superior Person mines deep into history’s wealth of wisdom and deeds, charging his character with timeless strength.

Persevere.
Drawing sustenance from these sources creates good fortune.
Then you may cross to the far shore.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

There are important precedents in this situation.
Others have trodden this Path before you, overcoming the same obstacles facing you now, and making crucial decisions at the same crossroads.
Study their journals, watch for their trail markings.
Gain inspiration and wisdom from the heroes and learn from the mistakes of those who chose a sidepath.
All were Seekers, explorers whose daring mapped a course you can follow.
The words and deeds of the finest can imbue you with the courage necessary to face what lies before you.

Nine in the third place means:

A good stallion with speed.
Discipline daily, study your goal, and advance is assured.
A good horse that follows others.
Awareness of danger,
With perseverance, furthers.
Practice chariot driving and armed defense daily.
It furthers one to have somewhere to go.

Scene form Ben Hur, the movie

The way opens; the hindrance has been cleared away. A man is in contact with a strong will acting in the same direction as his own, and goes forward like one good horse following another. But danger still threatens, and he must remain aware of it, or he will be robbed of his firmness. Thus he must acquire skill on the one hand in what will take him forward, and on the other in what will protect him against unforeseen attacks. It is good in such a pass to have a goal toward which to strive.

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.

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

Today: “Create the environments in which man can speak to man” – Yogi Bhajan

“Creative meditation is the situation in which man can create the environments in which man can speak to man.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA958 A00413 Grace My Grace Is Me! 20000413

Meditation: KWTC 19970630 – For Faculty of Self Engagement

Today: Let loose your creative capacity, outwardly and inwardly, with compassion and without ambition. – from the I Ching

Let loose your creative capacity, outwardly and inwardly, with compassion and without ambition.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 14 – Look, and it can’t be seen. Listen, and it can’t be heard. Reach, and it can’t be grasped.

1 – One Ch’ien / Creative Activity

Heaven above and Heaven below:
Heaven in constant motion.
With the strength of the dragon, the Superior Person steels himself for ceaseless activity.

Productive Activity.
Potent Influence.
Sublime Success if you keep to your course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

The time for action has come.
You now have the focus and the stamina necessary for accomplishing great tasks.
The path before you is being cleared and reward lies ahead.

Nine in the third place means:

The Superior Person builds by day and remains vigilant through the night.
Danger, but he will persevere.

All day long the superior man is creatively active.
At nightfall his mind is still beset with cares.
Danger. No blame.

‘Nightfall Montmartre’ – Daniel Wall

A sphere of influence opens up for the great man. His fame begins to spread. The masses flock to him. His inner power is adequate to the increased outer activity.¹ There are all sorts of things to be done, and when others are at rest in the evening, plans and anxieties press in upon him. But danger lurks here at the place of transition from lowliness to the heights. Many a great man has been ruined because the masses flocked to him and swept him into their course. Ambition has destroyed his integrity. However, true greatness is not impaired by temptations. He who remains in touch with the time that is dawning, and with its demands, is prudent enough to avoid all pitfalls, and remains blameless.

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.

1. [The upper trigram is considered to be “outside,” the lower “inside”. This distinction underlies the constant juxtaposition of inner, mental states and external actions or events, of subjective and objective experiences. From this also arise the frequent comparisons between ability and position, form and content, outer adornment and inner worth.]

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

Today: “You run after wealth and glory and glamour” – Yogi Bhajan

You run after wealth and glory and glamour. But it will run after you, providing you are an open channel.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: Meditate on Nothing to Find Prosperity – 19930421

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

Today: If you would go with the flow, everything will become much easier and more quickly brought to conclusion. – from the I Ching

If you would go with the flow, everything will become much easier and more quickly brought to conclusion.

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

43 – Forty-Three Kuai / Breakthrough

A Deluge from Heaven:
The Superior Person rains fortune upon those in need, then moves on with no thought of the good he does.

The issue must be raised before an impartial authority.
Be sincere and earnest, despite the danger.
Do not try to force the outcome, but seek support where needed.
Set a clear goal.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Nine in the fourth place means:

Your legs are torn and bleeding as you push heedlessly through the thorns toward your target.
If you would allow yourself to be led down the path of least resistance, you would reach your goal.

There is no skin on his thighs,
And walking comes hard.
If a man were to let himself be led like a sheep,
Remorse would disappear.
But if these words are heard
They will not be believed.

Here a man is suffering from inner restlessness and cannot abide in his place. He would like to push forward under any circumstances, but encounters insuperable obstacles. Thus his situation entails an inner conflict. This is due to the obstinacy with which he seeks to enforce his will. If he would desist from this obstinacy, everything would go well. But this advice, like so much other good counsel, will be ignored. For obstinacy makes a man unable to hear, for all that he has ears.

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.

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

Today: “Make your temple clean” – Yogi Bhajan

“Make your temple clean. Make your heart open with love so that He can come and sit in it. Whosoever live in fear has not seen the light. We have forgotten who we are. We are one and there is One to whom we belong. The aim of life is to inspire each other to God-consciousness.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA015 780227 – To Bring Swift and Powerful Change

Today: Give attention to the social order. You are part of a community in which you serve. – from the I Ching

Give attention to the social order. You are part of a community in which you serve.

Meditation: A907 – Kriya for Non-Reaction

13 – Thirteen T’ung Jên / Social Mechanism

Heaven reflects the Flame of clarity:
The Superior Person analyzes the various levels and working parts of the social structure, and uses them to advantage.

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

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

This is a matter of Positioning — not only yourself, but others as well.
There are niches to be filled, potentials to be realized, right livelihoods to be found.
You are not building a new organization, but shoring up an existing infrastructure.
It’s worth the effort, because it will provide union, community, and an ironclad alliance.

The image of the upper trigram Ch’ien is heaven, and that of the lower, Li, is flame. It is the nature of fire to flame up to heaven. This gives the idea of fellowship. It is the second line that, by virtue of its central character, unites the five strong lines around it. This hexagram forms a complement to Shih, THE ARMY (7). In the latter, danger is within and obedience without – the character of a warlike army, which, in order to hold together, needs one strong man among the many who are weak. Here, clarity is within and strength without – the character of a peaceful union of men, which, in order to hold together, needs one yielding nature among many firm persons.

THE JUDGEMENT

FELLOWSHIP WITH MEN in the open.
Success.
It furthers one to cross the great water.
The perseverance of the superior man furthers.

True fellowship among men must be based on a concern that is universal. It is not the private interests of the individual that create lasting fellowship among men, but rather the goals of humanity. That is why it is said that fellowship with men in the open succeeds. If unity of this kind prevails, even difficult and dangerous tasks, such as crossing the great water, can be accomplished. But in order to bring about this sort of fellowship, a persevering and enlightened leader is needed – a man with clear, convincing, and inspiring aims and the strength to carry them out. (The inner trigram means clarity; the outer, strength.)

Heaven together with fire:
The image of FELLOWSHIP WITH MEN.
Thus the superior man organises the clans
And makes distinctions between things.

Heaven has the same direction of movement as fire, yet it is different from fire. Just as the luminaries in the sky serve for the systematic division and arrangement of time, so human society and all things that really belong together must be organically arranged. Fellowship should not be a mere mingling of individuals or of things – that would be chaos, not fellowship. If fellowship is to lead to order, there must be organisation within diversity.

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

Today: “If someone accepts me as a God, he will see God in me. If someone should accept me as a devil, he will see the devil in me.” Yogi Bhajan

If someone accepts me as a God, he will see God in me. If someone should accept me as a devil, he will see the devil in me. But he is the one who is going to see, I am not. Why should I worry? But, if someone tells me I am a devil and I tell him that I am not and he is, then I am a real devil; then the devil comes out in me. There is a devil in me and there is a God in me; the question is what comes out of me.” Yogi Bhajan

Meditation: LA135-19791029 Resolve Inner Conflict

Today: If a conflict between people cannot be resolved, consult with someone who understands. – from the I Ching

If a conflict between people cannot be resolved, consult with someone who understands.

Meditation: M061b-19901124 – Know the structure of the mind

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.

Nine in the fifth place means:

Bring the conflict before a just authority.
If you are truly in the right, justice will bring good fortune.

To contend before him
Brings supreme good fortune.

Zhao Kuangyin seized power by a coup in Chenqiaoyi in 960

This refers to an arbiter in a conflict who is powerful and just, and strong enough to lend weight to the right side. A dispute can be turned over to him with confidence. If one is in the right, one attains great good fortune.

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.

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

Today: “Knowledge of the mind is not intellectual” – Yogi Bhajan

“Knowledge of the mind is not intellectual. It is an experienced wisdom that is gained only by personal practice, by a sadhana.” Yogi Bhajan