The two things
in the world that are hardest
to do are crossing the ocean and going
into battle; yet people will do these things without
fearing their difficulties. When it comes to the Way, it has
the ease of being so easy that it is attained upon looking
within, not like the danger of crossing the ocean;
it has the security of the naturalness of
celestial design, not like the peril of
going into battle: yet people
rarely practice it —
why is that?
There is an obstacle
to the expression of truth.
allows the Sage to
moderate.
Unity has been broken by one who is not being true to proper principles. This may be another, or an element in one’s own personality, or both. In any case, serious misfortune may result if the appropriate response is not made. The I Ching is very clear about what our proper action is when confronted with an obstacle of this nature: withdrawal into contemplation and a turning over of the matter to the Higher Power for resolution.
This is a time when aggressive action or intervention can only compound the misfortune. Use your strength to clearly separate yourself from incorrectness and realign yourself with the Sage. It is always our responsibility to acknowledge where something has gone wrong, but never our right to punish. The administration of justice is the sole province of the Deity.
The I Ching teaches us to forgive but not to forget. This does not mean one who reveals himself as inferior today should be regarded as such tomorrow. It means that we are wise to pay conscientious attention to the waxing and waning of truth in oneself and others. When truth predominates, we can progress. When it is eclipsed, we are obligated to withdraw and surrender the matter to the Sage.
from The I Ching, or Book of Changes
Hexagram 21, Shih Ho / Biting Through
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.
A challenge to improvement:
that which has been spoiled through neglect
can be rejuvenated through effort.
Receiving this hexagram is a sign that there is a defect in the attitude of oneself, another, or one’s society that should be corrected. Your task now is to bring conscientious thought and action to an area where stagnation has set in. Perhaps you engage in continual doubt about the wisdom of behaving according to proper principles. Perhaps you indulge in greed, or vengeful thinking, or a harsh manner. In any case, the time has come to root out the decay.
The I Ching counsels us to work energetically at this task, but only after proper deliberation. We are advised to spend three full days in understanding the defect; another day in resolving sincerely to remove it; and then three more days watching carefully to insure that it does not return. This steady application of attention to the matter is the wind that carries away stagnation and brings new life in its place.
It is likely that the problem is an old one, and equally likely that no solution will be immediately evident. We are cautioned not to abandon the cause; only perseverance will reveal the great reward that is concealed within the problem.
Whether the fault lies in yourself, another, or your community, the requirement is the same. Watch closely while remaining quiet, innocent, and sincere. After you have clearly identified the problem, act unswervingly to eliminate it without abandoning gentleness and inner balance in the process. When this course is completed, good fortune will be met.
SIXTH CHANGING LINE
A withdrawal from
the affairs of the world is appropriate
if you use this time not to condemn, but to further
your own development. By improving
yourself you improve
the world.
from The I Ching, or Book of Changes
Hexagram 18, Ku / Decay (Work On What Has Been Spoiled)
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 essential thing in studying the Way is to make the roots deep and the stem strong. Be aware of where you really are twenty-four hours a day. You must be most attentive. When nothing at all gets on your mind, it all merges harmoniously, without boundaries — the whole thing is empty and still, and there is no more doubt or hesitation in anything you do. This is called the fundamental matter appearing ready-made.
As soon as you give rise to the slightest bit of dualistic perception or arbitrary understanding and you want to take charge of this fundamental matter and act the master, then you immediately fall into the realm of the clusters of form, sensation, conception, value synthesis, and consciousness. You are entrapped by seeing, hearing, feeling, and knowing, by gain and loss and right and wrong. You are half drunk and half sober and unable to clean all this up.
Frankly speaking, you simply must manage to keep concentrating even in the midst of clamor and tumult, acting as though there were not a single thing happening, penetrating all the way through from the heights to the depths. You must become perfectly complete, without any shapes or forms at all, without wasting effort, yet not inhibited from acting. Whether you speak or stay silent, whether you get up or lie down, it is never anyone else.
If you become aware of getting at all stuck or blocked, this is all false thought at work. Make yourself completely untrammeled, like empty space, like a clear mirror on its stand, like the rising sun lighting up the sky. Moving or still, going or coming, it doesn’t come from the outside. Let go and make yourself independent and free, not being bound by things and not seeking to escape from things. From beginning to end, fuse everything into one whole. Where has there ever been any separate worldly phenomenon apart from the buddhadharma, or any separate buddhadharma apart from worldly phenomena?
Voluntarily chosen limits
empower your growth.
The practice of economies is a valuable notion everywhere in life. In your financial dealings, a reasonable thrift practiced today assures you of opportunity tomorrow. In your emotional life, the practice of balance and equanimity allows steady spiritual progress. The hexagram Chieh comes as an encouragement to set practical limits throughout your life.
Life lived without guidelines is confusing and troubling. In order to make genuine progress in any direction, we must first give some definition to our path. However, limits that are overstrenuous are not helpful; having too many rules causes rebellion in the one on whom they are imposed, whether one’s self or another. Therefore there must be limits even on one’s limits.
To yourself, the setting of limits means defining your purpose and responsibilities so that you have a clear idea of where your energies are to be aimed. Your limits should be determined by yourself, not another or the culture in which you live. Avoid harshness and impatience with yourself; true progress is made in gradual steps. Allow yourself pleasure, but avoid careless self-indulgence.
With others, place limits both on your own actions and the indulgences you offer them. To encourage another’s inferior qualities is to invite misfortune. Allow your interactions with others to take place within the limits of gentleness, tolerance, and innocence. If you will define and observe reasonable limits in all things, you will be assured of steady progress.
from The I Ching, or Book of Changes
Hexagram 60, Chieh / Limitation
ebooks & apps of the Tao the Ching, I Ching,
Hua hu Ching, Wei wu Wei Ching,
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.