Posts Tagged → meditation

the highest good is like water

they accepted life as a gift

 

The highest

good is like water,

which benefits all things and

contends with none. It flows in low

places that others disdain, and

thus it is close to

the tao.

 

In living,

choose your ground well.

In thought, stay deep in the heart.

In relationships, be generous.

In speaking, hold to the truth.

In leadership, be organized.

In work, do your best.

In action, be

timely.

 

If you compete with no one,

no one can compete with you.
 

The Tao te Ching of Lao Tzu,

Chapter 8

 

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a long-awaited change is at hand

tjitske kamphuis

 

A breakthrough.

Do not be drawn back

into bad habits.

 

The arrival of the hexagram Kuai indicates that a long-awaited change is at hand. A difficulty that has oppressed you over a long period is now about to dissolve. It is important to respond in the proper way.

There is a temptation on obtaining relief to fall into the traps of the ego: pride at having dispersed the trouble, self-righteousness about having triumphed through correctness, anger at one who we think was the source of the problem, or a desire to remain free of all difficulty in the future. None of these responses is appropriate to the situation at hand.

What is needed now is resoluteness: a firm commitment to continuing the battle for good and to the self-examination that makes all good things possible. This is not a time to lapse back into negative mental habits and enjoy the “vacation” provided by the breakthrough. Do not rest on your laurels, but push forward, deepening your inner strength and your resistance to the influence of inferiors, both in yourself and others.

Strengthen those around you by setting an example of self-improvement and self-correction. Great progress and good fortune are available now to one who makes proper use of the opening.
 

The I Ching, or Book of Changes

Hexagram 43, Kuai / Breakthrough (Resoluteness)

 

 

Forget all ideas 

of accomplishing something — 

in your practice and everywhere 

else. Everything is already 

accomplished. 

 

If this sounds 

like a tricky idea to you, 

the flaw is in your understanding 

of reality, not in reality 

itself.

 

Allowing nature 

to manifest is the way 

of the Way. By setting aside 

our ambitions and leaving

the Way to the Way, 

we perfect the

Way.

 

Wei wu Wei Ching, Chapter 43

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darkness reigns in the external world

a darkness as much of the womb as the grave

 

Darkness reigns

in the external world now. 

Disengage from negative feelings

and maintain your inner

light.

 
This is a time when darkness and inferior energies surround you. The image is that of the sun completely swallowed by the earth. The only light left is that inside your own heart, and you are counseled to return to it, maintain it, and quietly nourish yourself with it.

It is in dark moments that a correct attitude is most important. If we fight against the darkness, we are swallowed by it and suffer great misfortune. If we react to the lack of visible progress with despair and negativity, we extinguish our own inner light and block the aid of the Creative. If we try to persuade others that they must return to the light, we exhaust ourselves in vain now.

In a time such as this is it wise to adopt a stance of outer disengagement and inner perseverance. Do not focus on or interact with the negative influences around you; this only strengthens their grip on you. Step aside, yield, let go, allow people and events to pass without attachment. Direct your attentions inside to your inner light, your devotion to what is right, your conversation with the Higher Power.

Progress may be slow, but there will indeed by progress. Remember that much of the work of the Higher Power is hidden from us, and that we enable and assist it by remaining detached, accepting, and reserved in the face of negative influences.
 

The I Ching, or Book of Changes

Hexagram 36, Ming I / Darkening of the Light

 

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tools of evil

 

No weapon that is formed

against thee shall prosper; and

every tongue that shall rise against thee

in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the

heritage of the servants of the Lord,

and their righteousness is of

me, saith the Lord.

 

Isaiah 54:17

 

we are all strangers in a strange land

jan l. waldron
 

 

We are all

wanderers in the Unknown. 

Those who travel beside the Sage 

are protected from

harm.

 
A person who travels as a stranger in a strange land is wise to display an attitude free of arrogance and belligerence. Otherwise he is liable to meet with trouble and find himself unable to survive it. With this hexagram the I Ching reminds us that we are all strangers in a strange land, wanderers in a vast and unknowable universe, obliged to act accordingly.

Think of how you would proceed if traveling alone in an unfamiliar country. You would be cautious and reserved, taking great care not to fall in with the wrong people or enter into dangerous places. You would be tolerant of others and generous toward them if a dispute arose, and you would be inclined to settle disagreements quickly to keep them from getting out of hand. You would rely on your attentiveness, your modest attitude, and your gentle manner to keep you out of harm’s way. The hexagram Lu comes to remind you that it is wise to travel through your entire life in this fashion.

Seek now to stay in quiet harmony with the Higher Power and to embody caution, modesty, and generosity in your actions. Do not drag out disagreements with others; conflict is a poison that grows more dangerous every minute you are in it. Do not depart from the path of humility and correct conduct; in doing so, you lose the protection of the Deity and risk misfortune. By continually seeking to serve the innocent and the good, you stay in step with the Sage and never wander alone in the world.
 

The I Ching, or Book of Changes

Hexagram 56, Lü / The Wanderer


ebooks & apps of the Tao the Ching, I Ching,

Hua hu Ching, and Art of War for

iPad, Phone, Kindle, Nook,

or Android

 

You

can now buy

Tao te Ching as part of a

five-app bundle of Taoist classics 

for iPhone or iPad for less than

the cost of one hardcover

book.

brian browne walker taoist app bundle ios ipad iphone