what is called for now

There are

great pressures at work.

By meeting them with modesty and

patience, you avoid misfortune

and meet with success.

The image of this hexagram is that of a beam under a great load: it sags in the middle and is in danger of giving way. You are in a similar situation now. The pressures of the moment are enormous, and there is a temptation to wriggle away and flee, or to resort to the plotting, conniving, and aggressive actions of the ego. It is by resisting this temptation and holding firmly to proper principles that you survive and succeed.

This is in fact a moment for which you have been preparing yourself for some time. A powerful energy has been accumulated—imagine a flood pressing against a dam—and it is up to you to direct its flow. If you succumb to fear, desire, or anger and resort to incorrect behaviors, the dam bursts and the pent-up energy causes destruction and misfortune. If, on the other hand, you cling to what is correct—modesty, balance, patience, independence, and gentleness—then you will obtain the aid of the Higher Power and the accumulated energy will be directed toward creating a profound success.

What is called for now is quiet integrity. With others, no matter how they may assault you, remain modest and patient. In your actions, seek to penetrate gently and steadily rather than forcibly and explosively. Meet the difficulties of the day cheerfully and resolutely. By taking great care now, by remaining correct in every moment, by embodying the principles of the Sage, you make possible the arrival of good fortune.

from The I Ching, or Book of Changes

Hexagram 28 / Ta Kuo (Preponderance of the Great)

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Further guidance from the
Wei Wu Wei Ching

In every moment,

your enlightenment is directly

in front of you, being handed to you.

All that’s necessary to receive it

is to empty your hands

and relax your

mind.

Wei wu Wei Ching, Chapter 28

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a time of darkness comes to a close

patricia r. miranda

Receiving

this hexagram is a sign

that you have reached a turning point.

This moment is akin to the winter solstice: the

greatest adversity is past, and the light is beginning

to return. Nonetheless, one cannot force the

completion of the change, and it is wise

to rest. Act only when you can move

gently and innocently, and all

will be well.

Fu also comes

as a reminder to return

to the light in yourself. Growth is only

possible when we relinquish the expressions of

the ego: pride, impatience, anger, and desire.

To act forcefully or ambitiously

now will only generate

misfortune.

Let things

develop naturally, in their

own way. Simply observe and accept

changes as you observe and accept the rising

of the sun. Allow yourself to rest and gather strength

for a time of growth ahead. By holding to modesty,

gentleness, and correct conduct, you prepare

the ground for a fruitful blossoming

when the light fully

returns.

from The I Ching, or Book of Changes

Hexagram 24, Fu / Return

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she who is filled with goodness

innocence

She

who is filled with

goodness is like a newborn child:

wasps and snakes will not bite it, fierce

beasts will not attack it, birds of

prey will not pounce

on it.

Its

bones are soft

and its muscles weak,

but its grip is firm. It hasn’t yet

known the union of male and female,

yet its organ stirs with vitality.

It can howl all day without

becoming hoarse,

so perfect is its

harmony.

know harmony is to

know the eternal. To know

the eternal is to be

inspired.

Prolonging

life is not harmonious.

Coercing the breath is unnatural.

Things which are overdeveloped must

decay. All this is contrary to Tao,

and whatever is contrary

to Tao soon ceases

to be.

from The Tao te Ching of Lao Tzu,

Chapter 55

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gradual cultivation

lori andrews

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.”

Yuanwu

zen letters

make an offering of stillness

wei wu wei

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

Hexagram 52, Ken / Mountain

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