Perfection of character
lies in this: to live each day as though
it were your last, without turmoil,
without listlessness, and
without pretense.
Perfection of character
lies in this: to live each day as though
it were your last, without turmoil,
without listlessness, and
without pretense.
A change in attitude
delivers you from
difficulties.
The hexagram Hsieh signals the beginning of a deliverance from danger, tensions, and difficulty. The I Ching instructs you here on both the cause of deliverance and how you must act in order to fully benefit from it.
Deliverance is always caused by a change in our attitude. The Higher Power uses conflicts and obstacles to teach us lessons that we refuse to learn in an easier way, but they only darken our doorstep until we have acknowledged the lesson. So long as we ignore or resist difficulty it remains our constant companion; as soon as we accept its presence as a sign that some self-correction is needed, our deliverance begins. Truly, the only way to dispel trouble and regain peace of mind is to change our attitude.
The I Ching also teaches us that we have several responsibilities once our deliverance begins. The first is to forgive the misdeeds of others. The image of the hexagram is that of a powerful rainstorm washing away what is unclean. This, then, is a time to clean every slate and begin anew, meeting others halfway with gentleness and patience.
Next, we are advised to restore our inner balance and see that it is maintained. Deliverance offers us a return to equanimity, and we must avail ourselves of the opportunity conscientiously.
Finally, we are counseled not to try to force progress, even though the time is beneficial. If we have truly changed our attitude, we have become detached, innocent, modest, and accepting. In this state we allow progress to unfold naturally according to the will of the Sage.
The I Ching, or Book of Changes
Hexagram 40, Hsieh / Deliverance
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If people don’t love life,
they won’t fear death, and threatening
them with it won’t work. If people have lives worth
living, then the threat of death is meaningful,
and they’ll do what is right
to avoid it.
Killing
should be the province
of the great executioner alone.
Trying to take his place and kill is like
cutting wood in the place of the
master carpenter: chances
are you’ll hurt your
own hand.
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illuminate your own buddha nature from within
Do you find
your spiritual practice
pitiful and wanting? If buddha
were before you, would you
be ashamed, afraid,
shy, small?
Wake up!
The truth too large
for words is that the buddha
is closer to you than that:
you are the buddha
now.
This entire world is
just for you. All the teaching in this
world is only for you. Accept this without
further thought of whether you are good or bad
and be responsible to it. This is the spirit you
must bring to everything that you do.
Be the buddha now.
i ching / hexagram 4 ☯️ mêng / youthful folly
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“i’m so grateful for having known him”
All things are set
on a nonabiding basis. The nonabiding basis is
based on nonabiding. If you can reach a thorough understanding
of this, then all things are One Suchness, and you cannot
find even the slightest signs
of abiding.
The whole of
your present activities and behavior
is nonabiding. Once the basis is clear to you,
it will be like having eyes: the sun is shining brightly,
and you can see all kinds of colors and
forms. Isn’t this the mainspring of
transcendent wisdom?
Yongjia said,
“Without leaving wherever you are,
there is constant clarity.” No words come closer
to the truth than these. If you start seeking, then we know
that you are unable to see. Just cut off any duality between
“wherever you are” and “constant clarity,” and make
yourself peaceful and serene. Avoid concocting
intellectual understanding and seeking.
As soon as you seek, it is like
grasping at shadows.