It is not
our responsibility to
control or direct others.
Allow them their own path,
and keep to yours. If the
paths meet, fine. If
they do not,
also fine.
fifth changing line
The I Ching, or Book of Changes
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Be still, lessen the power of
the ego, and misfortune
will be avoided.
It is
a fact of life that
times of decrease come upon us:
our resources are limited, difficulty surrounds us,
and our egos generate angry and unhappy emotions. Nonetheless,
such times are good for us. If we respond to them by quieting
our egos and turning sincerely to the Higher Power
for help, we emerge from the period of
decrease stronger, healthier,
and wiser.
When
we discover that we
are unable to achieve our goals,
our egos become infuriated. We are tempted
to harden into anger and bitterness, to lash out, to
desperately and aggressively grab for control
over the situation. If we do this,
however, we only push our
own salvation further
away.
The I Ching
counsels a withdrawal
into stillness now. The image is that
of a spring reverting to the inside of the mountain
during a time of drought. By returning to its quiet center
during the time of decrease, it avoids evaporating and exhausting
itself in vain. You would be wise to follow this example. To try
to force progress by arguing, manipulating, or making
excuses will only bring your own downfall. Instead,
disengage from your inferior elements —
however passionately they seek
expression – and turn to the
Sage for guidance and
assistance.
The
hexagram Sun
issues a call to sacrifice
negative feelings, accept the
powerlessness of the ego against the
currents of life, and return to contemplation
of the principles of the Sage. In stillness and
meditation we enrich the higher parts
of ourselves and thus bring
an end to the time of
decrease.
The I Ching, or Book of Changes
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Wei wu Wei Ching, Hua hu Ching, and
Art of War for iPad/Phone, Kindle,
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book.
If you
are trying to attain
enlightenment, you are creating
and being driven by karma, and you are
wasting your time on your black cushion.
The most important things in our practice are
our physical posture and our way of breathing.
We are not so concerned about a deep understanding
of Buddhism. As a philosophy, Buddhism is a very deep,
wide, and firm system of thought, but zen is not concerned
about philosophical understanding. We emphasize practice.
We should understand why our physical posture and
breathing exercise are so important. Instead of
having a deep understanding of the teaching,
we need a strong confidence in our teaching,
which says that originally we have
Buddha nature. Our practice
is based on this
faith.
Hexagram 55: FÊNG /
ABUNDANCE
In
the search
for enlightenment,
there is an ever-present
certainty that there is more to do,
someone else who holds the
secret, another state to
attain.
In the
finding of it,
there is the comical
revelation that not one
of those things was
ever true.
小畜
Hexagram 9: HSIAO CH’U /
THE TAMING POWER OF THE SMALL
The
best effort
one can make is the
gentlest effort: wei wu wei.
Quietly, persistently direct the
mind toward emptiness. When
all thoughts and ideas have
dissipated, then make no
further effort. Just
breathe.
This
is the only
practice required of a
human, the best one, the one
that perfectly purifies
our lives.
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book.
Do you
imagine the universe
is agitated? Go into the desert
at night and look out at the stars.
This practice should answer
the question.
The superior
person settles her mind as
the universe settles the stars in the sky.
By connecting her mind with the subtle origin,
she calms it. Once calmed, it naturally
expands and ultimately her mind
becomes as vast and
immeasurable as
the night
sky.
ebooks & apps of the Tao the Ching, I Ching,
Hua hu Ching, and Art of War for
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book.
The
present moment
is the source of everything.
As long as you have resentments
about the past or ideas about
the future, you cannot
genuinely be in
the present.
You owe it
to your future self,
and to the rest of us, to be
completely absorbed here and
now. Make all notions of past
and future a cool pile
of ashes in the
corner.
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