quiet strength insures success

joel rea

unavoidable time of adversity.

Quiet strength insures a

later success.

It is a time

of oppression and exhaustion.

None of us escapes such moments; they are simply

a part of living. By meeting them in the correct spirit and

cheerfully bending instead of breaking, you weather

the adversity and meet with success

at a later time.

Inferior elements,

either in one’s self, another,

or the larger world, interfere now to

restrain the superior person. It is foolish to fight

against the restraint; success is simply not possible now.

Rid yourself of the desire to progress and return

to neutrality and acceptance. The stubborn

pursuit of results will bring

misfortune.

With others,

quietness and equanimity are

the watchwords of the moment. Say little,

and say it gently. A similar reticence and gentleness

should be applied to yourself. Do not lapse into

impatience or mistrust of the Deity. Accept

that the Creative often works in a way

that we cannot see or

understand.

A feeling of

despair or depression is a sign

that you are holding a false belief.

To perpetuate an untruth about yourself,

another, or the Sage is to block your own

happiness. Root out and remove any

idea or attitude which

causes negative

feelings.

By opening

your mind, quieting your heart,

and calmly holding to proper principles,

you make it possible for the Creative

to eliminate the oppression

that currently

exists.

from The I Ching, or Book of Changes

Hexagram 47, K’un / Oppression (Exhaustion)

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not even enlightenment will help

here and now

Don’t move.

Just die over and over.

Don’t anticipate. Nothing can save you now,

because this is your last moment. Not even enlightenment

will help you now, because you have no other moments.

With no future, be true to yourself —

and don’t move.

Shunryu Suzuki

zen mind, beginner’s mind

yield, accept, nourish

accept everything that is

Bear

with things as

the earth bears with us: by

yielding, by accepting,

by nourishing.

K’un the Receptive is the complement to Qián the Creative: the dark which is illuminated by light, the earth which receives the blessings of heaven, the vessel into which nourishment flows. This is a time to follow rather than lead, to assist rather than initiate, to listen rather than talk. Redevote yourself to the cultivation of modesty, receptivity, and gentleness now, and let go of concerns about the conduct of others or the progress of your worldly ambitions.

The wisdom of cultivating receptivity cannot be overstated; receptivity is the rich earth without which the Creative cannot take root in our lives. This fundamental hexagram serves as a strong encouragement to you to concentrate on your capacities to nourish, to support, to accept, to work without desiring recognition, to follow the guidance of the Sage.

You can benefit greatly in a period like this from time spent in solitude; in quietness we have an opportunity to focus on purification of our hearts and minds. It is a good time to ask oneself, “Am I sincerely pursuing the good for its own sake, or do I have a hidden agenda?” If so, detach from it and return to the path of independence and balance. Through humility and openness we become receptive to the assistance of the Higher Power.

from The I Ching, or Book of Changes

Hexagram 2, K’un / The Receptive

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disperse hard attitudes

hello

Disperse hard attitudes with gentleness.

The hexagram Huan comes to indicate that there are rigidity and harshness present, either in yourself or others, and that they should be dissolved now for the benefit of all. Whenever we fall into a negative state such as judgement, anger, fear, anxiety, or desire, our attitude becomes structured and inflexible. As long as we remain in this condition we cannot receive the assistance of the Higher Power. Therefore, if we wish for a return of good fortune now we must take steps to dissolve the hardness.

The image of Huan is that of a warm spring wind steadily dissolving winter ice. This is meant to teach us that it is through perseverance and gentleness—rather than aggressiveness—that we overcome what is hard. The I Ching counsels the use of religious forces now: employ music, prayer, meditation, a common project, or some other form of sacred concentration or ceremony to release the pent-up energy in yourself and others.

Allow harsh and unforgiving feelings to be carried away by the song of a flute, the reverberation of a drum, or the sound of the wind through the trees. In your mind’s eye, see where the flow of positive energy is blocked, and then imagine this place as an ice floe breaking up in a thawing river.

Until the inflexibility is removed there can be no unity, either within your own spirit, with others, or with the Sage. Remember that inferior emotions are hard, where the attitudes of the superior person—acceptance, detachment, modesty, innocence, and equanimity—have a quality of softness to them. By returning to this now you insure your own good fortune.

from The I Ching, or Book of Changes

Hexagram 59, Huan / Dispersion

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