progress as a tree does

wise trees

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

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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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