Whip
and tether, self
and bull, every thing
is no thing. The clear blue
sky is unmarked by a message.
Could a snowflake persist
in a flaming fire? This
is the place of
masters.
Whip
and tether, self
and bull, every thing
is no thing. The clear blue
sky is unmarked by a message.
Could a snowflake persist
in a flaming fire? This
is the place of
masters.
Activity grounded in truth
brings good fortune.
It is
a time when
great progress can be made
through effort of will. However, it is essential
that all your activity be characterized by humility,
conscientiousness, and adaptability. Progress
as a tree does, bending around obstacles
rather than confronting them,
pushing upward steadily
but gently.
There
is nothing to be feared
from others now. Be neither subservient
nor forceful with those you encounter; simply meet
everyone with tolerance and gentle goodwill.
Those who look for the good
in others find it
there.
If fears
or doubts intrude,
remain quietly focused on
the activity at hand. Cultivate inner
independence and trust the leadership of
the Sage. The time is ripe for progress
if you put forth an effort that is
innocent, sincere, and
balanced.
The I Ching, or Book of Changes
Hexagram 46, Sheng / Pushing Upward
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.
You must keep this
mind balanced and equanimous,
without deluded ideas of self and others,
without arbitrary loves and hates, without grasping
or rejecting, without notions of gain and loss.
Go on gradually nurturing this for
a long time, perhaps twenty
or thirty years.
Whether you encounter
favorable or adverse conditions,
do not retreat or regress — then when you
come to the juncture between life and death,
you will naturally be set free and be not afraid.
As the saying goes, “Truth requires sudden
awakening, but the phenomenal
level calls for gradual
cultivation.”
Work toward
emptiness and openness.
Cultivate stillness. Breathe harmony.
Become tranquility. As the ten thousand
things rise and fall, rise and fall,
just witness their return
to the root.
Everything
that flourishes dissolves
again into the source. To dissolve
back into the source is to find peace.
To find peace is to recover your true nature.
To recover your true nature is to know
the constancy of Tao. To know
the constancy of Tao
is insight.
Insight opens
your mind. An open
mind leads to an open heart.
Open heartedness leads to justice.
Justice is an expression of
divinity. Divinity is
oneness with
Tao.
Oneness
with Tao is freedom
from harm, indescribable
pleasure, eternal
life.
ebooks & apps of the Tao the Ching, I Ching,
Hua hu Ching, and Art of War for
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.
Still your emotions through
meditation.
Receiving this hexagram is a sign that you need to quiet your emotions so that you can think clearly. To answer the clamorings of the ego with action now is to invite misfortune. The I Ching counsels non action and the stilling of the emotions through meditation.
It is the nature of having a body to have strong feelings and impulses. However, if we allow our thinking to be controlled by them, we cannot act with the gentleness, neutrality, and graceful wisdom of the Sage. Instead, we move rashly when we ought to keep still, or we solidify when we ought to remain fluid. Therefore it is necessary to quiet the body and its inferior elements so that our thoughts and actions may be clear and balanced.
Three things are advised. First, sit quietly in a self-supporting position with your back straight and eyes closed. Second, observe the flow of your bodily emotions. Do not judge or resist them; the simple practice of watching them come, linger, and go without acting on them allows you to gradually separate them from your thought processes. Third, turn your inner conflicts over to the Deity for resolution.
The help of the Higher Power is only made available to those who ask for it in a disciplined way, who make an offering of their stillness and mindfulness. Through meditation we reduce the influence of the inferior elements and make it possible for the Sage to assist us. Keep still as a mountain now and you will be rewarded with good fortune.
from The I Ching, or Book of Changes
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.