Calmness
in quietude is not
real calm; when you can be calm
in the midst of activity, this is the true
state of nature. Happiness in comfort is
not real happiness; when you can be
happy in the midst of hardship,
then you see the true
potential of the
mind.
Perseverance in stillness,
in both thought and deed, forms
a noble heart. The ultimate fruit of
a noble heart is complete
peace of mind.
sixth changing line
from The I Ching, or Book of Changes
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Allow yourself to yield,
and you can stay centered.
Allow yourself to bend, and you will
stay straight. Allow yourself to be empty, and
you’ll get filled up. Allow yourself to be exhausted,
and you’ll be renewed. Having little, you can receive
much. Having much, you’ll just become confused.
Therefore the sage embraces the oneness and
becomes a pattern for the
whole world.
She doesn’t display herself, so she becomes illuminated.
She doesn’t justify herself, so she becomes distinguished.
She doesn’t boast, so she is recognized.
She doesn’t claim credit, so she advances and endures.
She doesn’t contend, so no one can contend with her.
“Yield and you
can stay centered” —
Is this saying meaningless?
Stay whole, and all things
return to you.
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In the search
for enlightenment,
there is an ever-present
certainty that there is more to do,
someone else who holds the
secret, another state to
attain.
In the
finding of it,
there is the comical
revelation that not one
of those things was
ever true.
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Surrounded by obstructions,
one must first retreat, then
seek the direction of
the Sage.
There is an old saying which fits this hexagram: “You are caught between a rock and a hard place.” In other words, you are surrounded by obstructions. As much as you may want to blame others for the difficulty, in all likelihood the true obstruction is in your own thinking. What is called for now is a retreat into self-examination and self-correction.
Emotions of desire, fear, or anger may tempt you to take action now, but do not be seduced. The presence of these strong feelings is proof that your are off balance and need to steady yourself. As long as you try to forcibly achieve results—rather than carefully following higher truth step by step—you will be obstructed from making personal progress.
Whenever we indulge in judgements about others, we obstruct our own peace of mind and progress. We should choose instead to see the best in others, allow them to come and go as they will, and turn our energies inward, toward self-improvement.
Often the faults in our own thinking are revealed only with the aid of others. You would be wise now to seek the advice of a qualified counselor or truth-minded friend. Retreat, self-examination, and self-correction will remove the obstructions that block your path now.
The I Ching, or Book of Changes
Hexagram 39, Chien / Obstruction
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.
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