The world is
violent and mercurial —
it will have its way with you.
We are saved only by love — love for
each other and the love that we pour into the art
we feel compelled to share: being a parent; being a writer;
being a painter; being a friend. We live in a perpetually
burning building, and what we must
save from it, all the time,
is love.
Because
I have a little wisdom,
I choose to walk the great path of
Tao, fearing nothing but to stray from
it. The great way is very smooth
and easy, but some people
are fond of getting
sidetracked.
When a ruler’s
palace is full of treasure,
the people’s fields are weedy
and their granaries are empty.
If the ruler wears fancy clothes and
his house is full of weapons, if his table
is laden with extravagant food and drink
and everywhere one looks he has more
wealth than he can use, the ruler
is a robber and thief. This
is not in keeping
with Tao.
from The Tao te Ching of Lao Tzu,
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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)
ebooks & apps of the Tao the Ching, I Ching,
Wei wu Wei Ching, Hua hu Ching, and
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If you are
stopping now, then stop.
If you are seeking a time when
you finish, then you will
never finish.
Calmness
in quietude is not
real calm; when you can be calm
in the midst of activity, this is the true
state of nature. Happiness in comfort is
not real happiness; when you can be
happy in the midst of hardship,
then you see the true
potential of the
mind.