difficulty at the beginning

quiet, luminous, still

 

If we persevere a great success is at hand.

 
The literal translation of “chun” is “a blade of grass pushing against an obstacle as it sprouts out of the earth.” Receiving this hexagram is a sign that beyond the difficulties and pressures that surround you, a success lies waiting. In order to bring it fully into the light, you must be patient and persevere in nonaction.
 
No matter how fervently one desires to resolve a situation, to intervene impatiently now will only hinder the progress of good fortune. Accept and bear with the discomfort of chaos without attempting to push it away. Allowing it to clear of its own accord, in its own time, is the only way of insuring a subsequent blossoming of success.
 
Hold to proper principles. In your actions, seek and respect the counsel of the Sage. Allow those whose hearts are true to assist you wherever possible; be tolerant of all others. In this way the blessing that now lies hidden will come into the open.
 

from The I Ching, or Book of Changes

Hexagram 3, Chun / Difficulty at the Beginning

 

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invisible yet ever present


 
 

The heart of Tao is immortal,

the mysterious fertile mother of us all,

of heaven and earth, of every

and not-thing.

 

Invisible yet ever present,

you can use it forever

without using it up.

 

Tao te Ching of Lao Tzu,

Chapter 6

 

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I knew no one worth my envying him


 

A day

so happy. Fog lifted

early, I worked in the garden.

Hummingbirds were stopping over

honeysuckle flowers. There was no thing

on earth I wanted to possess. I knew no one

worth my envying him. Whatever evil I had

suffered, I forgot. To think that once I was

the same man did not embarrass me.

In my body I felt no pain. When

straightening up, I saw the

blue sea and

sails.

 

Czeslaw Milosz

 

scarlett hooft graafland

 

Mind is consciousness

which has put on limitations.

You are originally unlimited and perfect.

Later you take on limitations

and become the mind.

 

Ramana Maharshi

 

a time for creating union

seeds of realization

 

Seek union with others

and with the Sage.

 

“Holding together”

denotes a time for creating union

with others in order to complement and assist

one another, just as the rain complements and assists

the earth, which is an image often associated with

this hexagram. In order for your unions to bear

the greatest possible fruit, certain

requirements must

be met.

 

The first

requirement for holding

together with others is that we hold

together with our own inner truth. This means

that we adhere to proper principles as a matter of habit,

striving always to remain innocent, balanced, and

correct. In short, marry the Sage first and

faithfully, and good fortune will

come to all subsequent

marriages.

 

The second

requirement for holding

together with others is that we

steadfastly resist the clamoring of

the emotional inferiors within. Every union

meets with challenges, and if we are not resolute

against the effects of fear, doubt, despair, and anger,

no lasting success will be possible in any relationship.

This is a good time to ask yourself if you are

displaying the steadfast correctness and

strength of character that are

at the heart of all great

unions.

 

Finally,

it is the responsibility

of one who would unite to see

that it is possible for others to enjoy union

as well. The desire for community is deeply felt by

all humans, and it is the shared responsibility of all those

on the higher path to make some sort of “family”

available to those in need. In doing this,

we pay homage to

the Sage.

 

The I Ching, or Book of Changes

Hexagram 8, Pi / Holding Together

 

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