in harmony with what is right

“there is a wrong way and a right way”

To achieve

true power and true

greatness one must be in

harmony with what

is right.

False power and false greatness can be seen all around us in the world. Through egotistical and aggressive manipulations many people obtain a temporary position of influence. The I Ching teaches us a different way of acquiring and using power, one that leads to true greatness and enduring influence. The way of the Sage unites power with modesty, justice, gentleness, and equanimity.

The hexagram Ta Chuang indicates that you have increased your power now by purifying your thoughts and actions. Through contemplation of higher principles you have begun to open doors for yourself; through alignment with what is true and good you gain insight into situations and the power to resolve them in your favor. But it is important to remember that it is the Sage who is the source of your strength. If your ego takes over and wields the power that is at hand, the ensuing misfortune will be great.

The I Ching counsels us not to misuse our strength by judging, condemning, punishing, manipulating, or dismissing others. It advises reticence in speech and action: more often than not, the truly superior relies on stillness and nonaction, allowing inner truth to penetrate gently to the heart of difficulties. The I Ching also cautions us to wait patiently for the appropriate time for speech or action. Power can make us eager, but eagerness unbalances and leads us into trouble. By listening carefully and patiently to the Sage we know when to move ahead, when to wait, and when to retreat.

In the end, true greatness comes only to those in whom strength and proper principles are firmly united. If you follow the Sage and persevere steadfastly in what is correct, you will inherit the power of the great.

from The I Ching, or Book of Changes

Hexagram 34, Ta Chuang / The Power of the Great

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there is freedom at the end

those who awaken never rest

There is freedom

from desire and sorrow

at the end of the way. The awakened

one is free from all fetters and goes beyond

life and death. Like a swan that rises

from the water she moves onward,

never looking back.

The one who understands

the unreality of all things, and who

has laid up no store, that one’s track is

as of birds in the air. Like a bird in the air,

she takes an invisible course, wanting

nothing, storing nothing, knowing

the emptiness of all things.

Dhammapada

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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