We say
to practice zazen
without any gaining idea,
without any purpose. Let things work
as they do, supporting everything as your own.
Real practice has orientation or direction, but it has
no purpose or gaining idea, so it can include everything
that comes. Whether it is good or bad doesn’t matter.
If something bad comes: “Okay, you are a part
of me;” and if something good comes,
“Oh, okay.” Because we don’t have
any special goal or purpose
of practice, it doesn’t
matter what
comes.
A true change of
heart is possible when we accept the
necessity of adversity. Peace comes when
we discontinue the strivings
of the ego.
fifth changing line
from The I Ching, or Book of Changes
Hexagram 30, Li / The Clinging (Fire)
(full text here)
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A moment of
great influence is at hand.
Prepare wisely and act
accordingly.
The image of the hexagram Fêng is that of thunder and lightning filling the sky. It signifies a period of tremendous power which, like all such moments, only lasts for a time. Here we are instructed how to know when the moment is ripe, and what to do when it is not.
Our influence in the world naturally ebbs and flows. At one moment others are full of mistrust, and forward movement is impossible. In the next, by steadfastly clinging to what is true and good, we reawaken their receptivity and growth can take place. Only by carefully observing these cycles—the openings and closings of others to our influence—can we achieve greatness.
To do this, we must cultivate an attitude of independent watchfulness. In this state of quiet observation we open our hearts to the aid of the Sage, who in turn opens our eyes to what is possible and what is not. This clarity enables us to move with strength and grace when the time is right, and in this we achieve abundance.
Fêng also advises us that influence cannot last forever; as the sun rises, so it must set. When receptivity gives way to mistrust and our influence begins to wane, we ought not struggle to fortify or prolong it. Modesty and detachment require that we accept the turning of the tide. By letting go of the passing moment and entering the next with a correct and balanced attitude, we save ourselves for a more beneficial time.
The I Ching, or Book of Changes
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If you want to
pass through easily and directly
right now, just let your body and mind become
thoroughly empty, so it is vacant and silent yet aware
and luminous. Inwardly, forget all your conceptions of self,
and outwardly, cut off all sensory defilements.
When inside and outside are clear all the
way through, there is just
one true reality.
Once
you’ve begun
to understand the Way,
concentrate upon it without
pause. This is the sunlight
that matures the fruit of
your realization.
Maintaining
your insight through
whatever comes, you make
a Oneness of the world, and
conditions such as “good”
and “bad” drop
away.
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.