Want
to study with
an enlightened teacher?
Just stop giving rise to thoughts
and divisions and distinctions. When
self and other, good and bad, right
and wrong are replaced with
emptiness, you are your
own master.
🪷
i ching hexagram 4 / meng (youthful folly)
🪷
You
can now buy
Wei wu Wei Ching as part of a
five-app bundle of Taoist classics
for iPhone or iPad for less than
the cost of one hardcover
book.
In your light
I learn how to love.
In your beauty, how to make poems.
You dance inside my chest, where no one sees you,
but sometimes I do, and that sight
becomes this art.
live close to
who you are and travel light
the magic turtle needs no food but air
be kind to fools and children know your death
the grace of age the trap of seeking pleasure
out of fear take time to understand
the open door
As you develop yourself you
will inevitably be misunderstood by others.
Endure these times patiently, and they will pass.
By staying on the path unswervingly you
meet with great success.
fifth changing line
from The I Ching, or Book of Changes
Hexagram 53, Chien / Gradual Progress
ebooks & apps of the Tao the Ching, I Ching,
Wei wu Wei Ching, Hua hu Ching, and
Art of War for iPad/Phone, Kindle,
You
can now buy
the I Ching as part of a
five-app bundle of Taoist classics
for iPhone or iPad for less than
the cost of one hardcover
book.
The
entirety
of the Oneness is
contained within you.
Don’t believe it?
Go look.
The
senses can’t perceive it.
Thought fails to apprehend it.
Approach by sacrificing all knowing
and doing, though, and it
envelops you.
Marry
mind to breath and
look within until all false
concepts and imaginings
come to an end. This
is the center of
the Way.
hexagram 63: the movement from chaos to order
You
can now buy
Wei wu Wei Ching as part of a
five-app bundle of Taoist classics
for iPhone or iPad for less than
the cost of one hardcover
book.
Even the foolish
can attain wisdom by
modestly following
the Sage.
Folly is a characteristic of youth: those who have had little experience generally exhibit little wisdom. This is true of us in a spiritual way as well; in comparison to the Sage we are “babes in the woods.” The hexagram Mêng counsels us to utilize the I Ching as a lantern so that we may survive our youthful folly and travel safely through the woods of life.
There is no shame in seeking guidance in life. A child is eager to be shown the way by his parents and teachers, and we are wise to recognize that in spiritual terms we are akin to children. Our success will come quicker if we find and follow a wise teacher. The Sage is available to serve in this way for those who approach the I Ching with a sincere desire to learn and grow.
To study the I Ching is to gain the perspective of the Deity, to learn the cosmic lesson inherent in every situation that faces us. If we truly look for and strive to comprehend these larger lessons, we gain mastery over fear, doubt, and anxiety. We can learn from study of the I Ching to live in a state of understanding, contentment, and acceptance, but several things are required of us.
The first is that we suspend our mistrust of the Unknown and allow the Sage to lead us. It is tempting to think that the I Ching might be just a book, merely words on paper, but there is more to it that this. To accept this is to recognize the Sage and become receptive to his assistance.
The second thing required of us is that we quiet the demands of our egos for comprehensive answers to our questions about life. The I Ching teaches us not how to get from A to Z but how to get from A to B, then from B to C, then from C to D. The sage travels step by step, dealing always with what is immediately at hand and bringing complete focus and concentration to the moment. By doing the same we fall into step with, and receive the help of, the Creative power of the universe.
Lastly, we are required to unstructure our attitude. By abandoning strategies about people and situations, we let the past and future go and meet the present with an open mind. To be unstructured and open is to allow the Sage to guide us safely and joyfully through life.
The image of Mêng is that of a stream beginning to flow down a mountainside, filing each ravine and hollow place as it goes. If we persevere in following the Sage, seeking the counsel of the I Ching and filling in the gaps in our character as they are revealed, we will be led to lasting success in life.
The I Ching, or Book of Changes
Hexagram 4, Mêng / Youthful Folly
You
can now buy
Wei wu Wei Ching as part of a
five-app bundle of Taoist classics
for iPhone or iPad for less than
the cost of one hardcover
book.
