today like every other day

long lost lil

Today,

like every other day,

we wake up empty and frightened.

Don’t open the door to the study and begin reading.

Take down a musical instrument. Let the beauty

we love be what we do. There are hundreds

of ways to kneel and kiss

the ground.

Jalal al-din Rumi

translated by coleman barks

the i ching ☯️ hexagram 5

To wait with

a proper attitude invites

the assistance of the

Higher Power.

There is

a situation at hand that

cannot be corrected by force or

external effort. The Creative will provide

the solution to one who waits with a correct

attitude. This is a time for patience

and careful attention to

inner truth.

Do not

give in to doubt and

agitation now. You are not meant

to wait in a state of desperate longing but

in one of patient inner strength. Without certainty

in the power of the truth, success is impossible.

Attempts to force a change, rather than

allowing it to mature naturally,

will only cause

misfortune.

You would be

wise to strengthen and reaffirm

your reliance on the Creative. When you indulge in

fear and doubt, you flood the arena where the Higher Power

is attempting to work. Your principal responsibility in life

is to keep this arena—your own consciousness—

free of negative influences.

By accepting things

as they are and not making fruitless

comparisons to the situations of others or some

imagined ideal, one engages the power of the Creative.

If one then remains balanced, modest, and

independent, good fortune

will come to hand.

from The I Ching, or Book of Changes

Hexagram 5, Hsü / Waiting

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a moment of great influence

for nature, from nature

A moment of

great influence is at hand.

Prepare wisely and act

accordingly.

The image of the hexagram Fêng is that of thunder and lightning filling the sky. It signifies a period of tremendous power which, like all such moments, only lasts for a time. Here we are instructed how to know when the moment is ripe, and what to do when it is not.

Our influence in the world naturally ebbs and flows. At one moment others are full of mistrust, and forward movement is impossible. In the next, by steadfastly clinging to what is true and good, we reawaken their receptivity and growth can take place. Only by carefully observing these cycles—the openings and closings of others to our influence—can we achieve greatness. To do this, we must cultivate an attitude of independent watchfulness. In this state of quiet observation we open our hearts to the aid of the Sage, who in turn opens our eyes to what is possible and what is not. This clarity enables us to move with strength and grace when the time is right, and in this we achieve abundance.

Fêng also advises us that influence cannot last forever; as the sun rises, so it must set. When receptivity gives way to mistrust and our influence begins to wane, we ought not struggle to fortify or prolong it. Modesty and detachment require that we accept the turning of the tide. By letting go of the passing moment and entering the next with a correct and balanced attitude, we save ourselves for a more beneficial time.