The line
separating good and evil
passes not through states, nor between
classes, nor between political parties either,
but right through every human heart,
through all human
hearts.
The line
separating good and evil
passes not through states, nor between
classes, nor between political parties either,
but right through every human heart,
through all human
hearts.
the largest known structure in the universe
Good and evil all
arise from one’s own mind.
But tell me, besides your activities,
thoughts, and discrimination, what do you call
your own mind? Where does your mind come from?
If you can discern where your own mind comes from,
then boundless karmic obstruction will be cleared
away instantly, and all sorts of marvels will
come of themselves without
being sought.
You must keep this
mind balanced and equanimous,
without deluded ideas of self and others,
without arbitrary loves and hates, without grasping
or rejecting, without notions of gain and loss.
Go on gradually nurturing this for
a long time, perhaps twenty
or thirty years.
Whether you encounter
favorable or adverse conditions,
do not retreat or regress — then when you
come to the juncture between life and death,
you will naturally be set free and be not afraid.
As the saying goes, “Truth requires sudden
awakening, but the phenomenal
level calls for gradual
cultivation.”
In the
reconciling of resentments,
ill will often lingers. What’s the good
in that? The person who is truly good concerns
herself with what she owes others, never
with what they owe her. The tao of
heaven is impartial. If you
perpetuate it, it
perpetuates
you.
from The Tao te Ching of Lao Tzu,
ebooks & apps of the Tao the Ching, I Ching,
Hua hu Ching, and Art of War for
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book.
The
hexagram Lin
signals the approach of
powerful beneficial influences.
Just as the winter solstice heralds the
return of spring, the appearance of this hexagram
marks a similar movement toward light and
growth. Progress and success are
assured now to those who
persevere on the path
of truth.
To
maximize
the opportunity implicit
in this moment, it is important to
cultivate a proper attitude. It is easy, during
good times, to relax our inner discipline and fall back
into incorrect thoughts and actions. Allowing one’s ego to take
over in a moment of success is a sure means of ending the
progress that has begun. The growth that is at hand
was made possible by conscientious behavior,
and continuing carefully along that path
is our only means of coming
into full possession
of it.
A
steadfast
modesty and acceptance,
whether external conditions are good
or bad, is the mark of the superior person.
In yourself, maintain balance, equanimity, and
humility in times of accomplishment. With
others, remain patient, tolerant, and
gentle. Clinging to those principles
assures you of a time of joy
and prosperity.
from The I Ching, or Book of Changes
ebooks & apps of the Tao the Ching, I Ching,
Hua hu Ching, and Art of War for
You
can now buy
the I Ching as part of a
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for iPhone or iPad for less than
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book.