quiet strength insures success

joel rea

 

An

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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returning to innocence

this is how you do it

 

It isn’t difficult to

become one with the Way.

How hard was it to be a baby?

But returning to innocence requires

intention. Drop your dark habits, your

ideas, your emotions, and allow an

opening for virtue and wisdom

to return. Do non-doing, and

goodness will inform

all you do.

 

Wei wu Wei Ching, Chapter 54

i ching hexagram 54 ☯️ the marrying maiden

 

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acceptance, modesty, inner balance

konrad wothe

 

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

 

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this world is open sky and dustbin

be free from concerns

 

This world

is an open sky and also a dustbin,

giving life to some and death to others;

the outcomes are not controlled

by this world. 

 

Press

your finger into the world

and put it to your nose.  You may smell

sweetness, or you may smell dung. 

Discernment is possible in

these matters.

 

True hearts

stay awake if love is possible. The

others have no need for beauty, nor hope of

it.  If you are holding gold in your hand,

don’t imagine ways to turn it

into mud.

 

Bahauddin, father of Rumi

the drowned book

 

☯️

 

The Old Fool wears

second-hand clothes and fills his belly

with tasteless food, mends holes to make a

cover against the cold, and thus the myriad affairs

of  life, according to what comes, are done. Scolded, the

Old Fool merely says, “Fine.” Struck, the Old Fool falls

down to  sleep. “Spit on my face, I just let it dry;

I save strength and energy and give you no

affliction.” Paramita is his style; he

gains the jewel within.

 

Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch

 

🪷

 

Forget the body.

Let go of sensations

and obsessions and objects.

Do non-doing to the point that thoughts

cease to arise. Releasing mental constructs and

emotional entanglements, you’ll begin

to flow as a sage. Then let go

of that notion on top

of everything

else.

 

Wei wu Wei Ching, Chapter 15

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the result is freedom

hard candy

 

Buddhism

advises you not to implant

feelings that you don’t really have or avoid

feelings that you do have. If you are miserable you

are miserable; that is the reality, that is what is happening,

so confront that. Look it square in the eye without flinching.

When you are having a bad time, examine that experience,

observe it mindfully, study the phenomenon and learn

its mechanics. The way out of a trap is to study the

trap itself, learn how it is built. You do this by

taking the thing apart piece by piece.

The trap can’t trap you if it has

been taken to pieces.

The result is

freedom.

 

Henepola Gunaratana

the shock of unsettling events