being in harmony is the true way

arthur morris

You disciples and apostles,

you all do the same work, yet you try

to determine who’s above and who’s below.

Each of you thinks you’re special, and in that

vanity you irritate each other mightily.

You think there will not be enough,

so you fight for your portion

like dogs in the street.

Being in harmony

is the true way, not this itch

of greed, this constricted stall where

you and other donkeys get beaten with a stick.

Move instead to the praise-place, inside the

mystery, where prayer is unlimited,

and you feel the delight of

giving homage.

Bahauddin, father of Rumi

the drowned book

serene and free at all times

Those people

who actually realize it just

keep serene and free at all times,

without cravings, without

dependence.

Yantou

and more yantou

the guardian spirit lodged within

rannveig aamodt

If you find anything

better in human life than justice,

honesty, moderation and courage — if,

to put it generally, you find anything better

than the self-sufficiency of your mind on those

occasions that your actions are compatible with

right reason, as well as when something is allotted

to you by fate without your having chosen it —

if, I say, you’re aware of anything better

than this, turn to it with all your heart

and enjoy the supreme good

you’ve discovered.

But if you find

nothing better than the

guardian spirit lodged within you,

which has brought all your particular

impulses under its control, which scrutinizes

your thoughts, which, as Socrates used to say, has

withdrawn itself from sensations, which has put itself

in the gods’ hands, and which cared providentially for

other people — if everything else turns out to be

trivial and worthless by comparison,

then make room for

nothing else.

Marcus Aurelius

the annotated marcus

a time for creating union

come together

Seek union with others

and with the Sage.

“Holding together”

denotes a time for creating union

with others in order to complement and assist

one another, just as the rain complements and assists

the earth, which is an image often associated with

this hexagram. In order for your unions to bear

the greatest possible fruit, certain

requirements must

be met.

The first

requirement for holding

together with others is that we hold

together with our own inner truth. This means

that we adhere to proper principles as a matter of habit,

striving always to remain innocent, balanced, and

correct. In short, marry the Sage first and

faithfully, and good fortune will

come to all subsequent

marriages.

The second

requirement for holding

together with others is that we

steadfastly resist the clamoring of

the emotional inferiors within. Every union

meets with challenges, and if we are not resolute

against the effects of fear, doubt, despair, and anger,

no lasting success will be possible in any relationship.

This is a good time to ask yourself if you are

displaying the steadfast correctness and

strength of character that are

at the heart of all great

unions.

Finally,

it is the responsibility

of one who would unite to see

that it is possible for others to enjoy union

as well. The desire for community is deeply felt by

all humans, and it is the shared responsibility of all those

on the higher path to make some sort of “family”

available to those in need. In doing this,

we pay homage to

the Sage.

from The I Ching, or Book of Changes

Hexagram 8, Pi / Holding Together

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he helps all beings become themselves

what would papa do

What has equilibrium

is easy to maintain. What hasn’t

begun is easy to plan. What is fragile

is easy to shatter. What is small

is easy to scatter.

Deal with things

before they arise. Cultivate

order before confusion

sets in.

The tallest tree

springs from a tiny shoot.

The tallest tower is built from a pile of

dirt. A journey of a thousand miles

begins at your feet.

Interfere with things,

and you’ll be defeated by them.

Hold on to things, and you’ll lose them.

The sage doesn’t interfere, so he

doesn’t fail; doesn’t hold on,

so he doesn’t lose.

Because projects

often come to ruin just before

completion, he takes as much care at

the end as he did at the beginning,

and thereby succeeds.

His only desire

is to be free of desire.

Fancying nothing, learning not

to know, electing not to interfere,

he helps all beings become

themselves.

The Tao te Ching of Lao Tzu,

Chapter 64

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