Our bodily
food changes into us,
but our spiritual food
changes us into
itself.
Posts Tagged → mind
no power so great as modesty
The Creative acts
to empty what is full and
to offer abundance to
what is modest.
This hexagram suggests that a deepening of one’s modesty now is a sure means of improving the situation. There is no power so great as modesty for compelling the assistance of the Sage – nor one so hindering as immodesty. Those in high places who retain their modesty are loved by all and continually prosper; those below who cultivate modesty inevitably rise on the strength of their merits, without making enemies along the way.
But what does modesty mean? Certainly it entails a refusal to boast or act imperiously with others, even in small ways. But beyond this steadfast humility it also means that our effort to discern what is right and then do it is constant; we do not work against ourselves, and we do not indulge in doubts about the wisdom of correct conduct. This unwavering commitment to what is correct might be called “the modesty before the Sage”.
So there is in modesty a component of nonaction – that is, not indulging in arrogant, ego-centered behavior – as well as a component of active effort: looking for opportunities to correct ourselves, to assist justice where there is injustice, to feed where there is hunger, to give solace where there is pain.
Finally and most plainly, modesty means holding to innocence, sincerity, and openness in every situation. To do this is to empty ourself and make room for the blessings of the Creative to take root.
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
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book.
not even enlightenment will help now
One morning in the zendo
as we were all silently sitting zazen,
Suzuki Roshi said, “Don’t move. Just die over
and over. Don’t anticipate. Nothing can save you
now, because this is your last moment. Not even
enlightenment will help you now, because
you have no other moments. With no
future, be true to yourself —
and don’t move.”
To Shine One Corner of the World
the sage looks into her own heart
The tao is the law of nature,
which you can’t depart from for even one
instant. If you could depart from it, it wouldn’t be the tao.
Thus the mature person looks into her own heart and respects
what is unseen and unheard. Nothing is more manifest than
the hidden; nothing is more obvious than the unseen.
Thus the mature person pays attention to what
is happening in his inmost self.
honor comes to those who are correct
Hexagram 16 ☯️ Yü / Enthusiasm
Proper enthusiasm opens every door.
The I Ching
teaches that there are
two kinds of enthusiasm: one that
leads to misfortune, and one that leads to success.
This hexagram comes as a sign that you can
proceed with confidence now if your
enthusiasm is properly
founded.
Improper
enthusiasm is fueled
by the desires of the ego.
People often desire recognition,
wealth, power, or freedom from difficulty.
Such desires can become so great that we will do
anything to achieve them. Our energy rises as we wildly
pursue our goal, but this unruly and egotistical
enthusiasm inevitably leads us into incorrect
and imbalanced behavior and
into misfortune.
Proper enthusiasm,
on the other hand, is fueled by
a devotion to attaining and expressing
inner balance and inner truth. When your aim
is not to influence others or to satisfy your ego but to
follow the guidance of the Higher Power in all that you do,
you acquire another kind of energy: a balanced and
bottomless eagerness for living in step with
what is right and good. In this there
is true power and true
grace.
This hexagram
reminds you that striving out
of your ego now will only push you further
away from your goals. Seek instead to follow proper
principles: keep to what is innocent, correct, and
kind, and the Creative will come to your aid.
The path of truth is always the path
of least resistance.
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
five-app bundle of Taoist classics
for iPhone or iPad for less than
the cost of one hardcover
book.