Returning to the root is
the movement of Tao.
Quietness is how
it functions.
The ten thousand things
are born of being.
Being is born of
emptiness.
from The Tao te Ching of Lao Tzu,
ebooks & apps of the Tao the Ching, I Ching,
Hua hu Ching, and Art of War for
You
can now buy
Tao te Ching as part of a
five-app bundle of Taoist classics
for iPhone or iPad for less than
the cost of one hardcover
book.
Through
openness and gentleness
the correct solution is
reached.
Arriving at the correct solution to a difficult situation requires a receptivity to inner truth. Unless we are willing to put aside the strong emotions of our egos and devote ourselves to discovering what is right, there can be no hope of progress at this time. Help only comes when we invite it with a sincere and innocent attitude.
The I Ching teaches a simple but effective method of influencing difficult people and arduous situations. It advises us first to lay aside our prejudices – our feelings of being wounded, angry, or in the right – and second to seek to understand the positions of others and the lesson that the Sage is teaching us with the situation. Even when another is truly out of line, it is only be accepting this and remaining balanced that you make it possible for positive change to occur. Gentleness and understanding create in others an unconscious willingness to be led.
The superior person therefore avoids the use of anger and force in trying times, knowing that they only prolong conflict. It is far wiser to accept that each experience we have is necessary for us to learn something about ourselves and about the higher laws of life. The greatest openings come when we meet difficulty with acceptance, gentleness, and a desire to understand the lesson underneath.
from The I Ching, or Book of Changes
Hexagram 61 / Chung Fu (Inner Truth)
ebooks & apps of the Tao the Ching, I Ching,
Hua hu Ching, and Art of War for
You
can now buy
the I Ching as part of a
five-app bundle of Taoist classics
for iPhone or iPad for less than
the cost of one hardcover
book.
The transition
from chaos to order depends
upon your achieving true
inner calm.
The image of this hexagram is that of spring, a time when the darkness and decay of winter are about to give way to the light and plenty of summer. The transition is not yet complete; here it depends upon you strengthening your clarity, calm, and conscientiousness.
Wei Chi often comes as an indication that we have not yet achieved a genuine inner equanimity. As long as we respond to outer pressures with our egos—by worrying, desiring, or becoming aggressive—we cannot attain a successful repose. The I Ching reminds us now to abandon the hysterics of the ego in favor of acceptance, modesty, and inner balance.
Wei Chi denotes a time of great responsibility. In a very real sense it can be said that the state of the world depends upon your thoughts and conduct now. The external world will only come into order if the inner world has done so. Therefore, seek now to correct whatever in your self is at odds with the principles of the Sage. Quiet your ego, make humility and acceptance your primary goals, and move forward like a fox walking on ice: cautiously, deliberately, and gently. By persevering in what is true and good you build the foundation upon which good fortune can come to rest.
from The I Ching, or Book of Changes
Hexagram 64, Wei Chi / Before Completion
ebooks & apps of the Tao the Ching, I Ching,
Hua hu Ching, and Art of War for
You
can now buy
the I Ching as part of a
five-app bundle of Taoist classics
for iPhone or iPad for less than
the cost of one hardcover
book.
I will walk down to a marina
on a hot day and not go out to sea.
I will go to bed and get up early,
and carry too much cash in my wallet.
On Memorial Day I will visit the graves
of all those who died in my novels.
If I have become famous I’ll wear a green
janitor’s suit and row a wooden boat.
From a key ring on my belt will hang
thirty-three keys that open no doors.
Perhaps I’ll take all of my grandchildren
to Disneyland in a camper but probably not.
One day standing in a river with my fly rod
I’ll have the courage to admit my life.
In a one-room cabin at night I’ll consign
photos, all tentative memories to the fire.
And you my loves, few as there have been, let’s lie
and say it could never have been otherwise.
So that: we may glide off in peace, not howling
like orphans in this endless century of war.
The teaching
of the Integral Way will go on
as long as there is a Tao and someone who
wishes to embody it; what is painted in
these scrolls today will appear in
different forms in many
generations to
come.
These things,
however, will never change:
Those who wish to attain oneness must
practice undiscriminating virtue. They must
dissolve all ideas of duality: good and bad, beautiful
and ugly, high and low. They will be obliged to abandon
any mental bias born of cultural or religious belief.
Indeed, they should hold their minds free
of any thought which interferes with
their understanding of the
universe as a harmonious
oneness.
The
beginning
of these practices is
the beginning of
liberation.
ebooks & apps of the Tao the Ching, I Ching,
Hua hu Ching, and Art of War for
You
can now buy
Hua hu Ching as part of a
five-app bundle of Taoist classics
for iPhone or iPad for less than
the cost of one hardcover
book.
