we are all strangers in a strange land

jan l. waldron
 

 

We are all

wanderers in the Unknown. 

Those who travel beside the Sage 

are protected from

harm.

 
A person who travels as a stranger in a strange land is wise to display an attitude free of arrogance and belligerence. Otherwise he is liable to meet with trouble and find himself unable to survive it. With this hexagram the I Ching reminds us that we are all strangers in a strange land, wanderers in a vast and unknowable universe, obliged to act accordingly.

Think of how you would proceed if traveling alone in an unfamiliar country. You would be cautious and reserved, taking great care not to fall in with the wrong people or enter into dangerous places. You would be tolerant of others and generous toward them if a dispute arose, and you would be inclined to settle disagreements quickly to keep them from getting out of hand. You would rely on your attentiveness, your modest attitude, and your gentle manner to keep you out of harm’s way. The hexagram Lu comes to remind you that it is wise to travel through your entire life in this fashion.

Seek now to stay in quiet harmony with the Higher Power and to embody caution, modesty, and generosity in your actions. Do not drag out disagreements with others; conflict is a poison that grows more dangerous every minute you are in it. Do not depart from the path of humility and correct conduct; in doing so, you lose the protection of the Deity and risk misfortune. By continually seeking to serve the innocent and the good, you stay in step with the Sage and never wander alone in the world.
 

The I Ching, or Book of Changes

Hexagram 56, Lü / The Wanderer

 

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the movement from chaos to order

the center of the way

 

Good fortune unfolds for those who

remain on guard against

inferior influences.

 

This hexagram indicates that the movement from chaos to order is complete. The time is extremely favorable and you are likely to enjoy much success as long as you heed the warning of Chi Chi: remain on guard against incorrect thoughts, attitudes, and actions, both in yourself and in others.

…You are also counseled to remain alert to inferior influences in others. You can only prevent misfortunes by anticipating them in advance, and this is achieved through watchfulness.

The image of Chi Chi is that of a kettle of water boiling over a fire. There is great power here, but it is lost if one allows the water to boil over or evaporate through carelessness and indifference. Alertness and conscientious adherence to what is correct are called for if you wish to prolong your good fortune now.
 

from The I Ching, or Book of Changes

Hexagram 63 / Chi Chi (After Completion)

 

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darkness is always there

natalia jakubek

 

I have studied

and become intimate with

 the speed of darkness. It’s so fast it’s

always here. When the light withdraws

the dark comes from no place. It always lives

with us. Your heart and brain are black.

They never see the true light except in violence

or autopsy. Of course the brain can cast

its own blinding light that we wait for in a poem,

at least blinding to us. In our trances the loves

of long ago enter the room unescorted, silent

perhaps from the black bottom of the ocean

where we all die in perfect darkness, a sense

of whirling that recedes back to the time

the ocean swallowed the smallest stars

then heated us into our early life.

Darkness is always there,

it only stands

revealed.

 

Jim Harrison

 

the sage has no set mind

melt and let go and rest

 

The sage has no set mind.

She adopts the concerns

of others as her own.

 

She is good to the good.

She is also good to the bad.

This is real goodness.

 

She trusts the trustworthy.

She also trusts the untrustworthy.

This is real trust.

 

The sage takes the minds

of the worldly and spins them around.

People drop their ideas and agendas,

and she guides them like

beloved children.

 

The Tao te Ching of Lao Tzu,

Chapter 49

 

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interrelated in indra’s net

indra’s net

 

Causes are complex

and have different time scales.

The efforts of the individual are not

the sole determining factor in the individual’s

condition in life, because everyone is part of the

nexus of society and nature and the continuum

of time. It is common for people to attribute

causes wrongly because of misperception

of real relationships.

 

Every cause is the effect of

something else, and every effect is

the cause of something else. What may seem

like a curse may be a blessing, and what may seem

a blessing may be a curse. Hardship is a blessing

when it spurs effort and development; ease is

a curse when it increases complacency

and self-indulgence.

 

Muso Kokushi