Do not turn your back
when you are needed. The superior
person exercises his higher nature now,
saving not only himself but
others around him.
sixth changing line
Hexagram 39, Chien / Obstruction
The I Ching, or Book of Changes
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At all times just remain free and uninvolved. Never make any displays of clever tricks — be like a stolid simpleton in a village of three families. Then the gods will have no road on which to offer you flowers, and demons and outsiders will not be able to spy on you.
Be undefinable, and do not reveal any conspicuous signs of your special attainment. It should be as if you are there among myriad precious goods locked up securely and deeply hidden in a treasure house. With your face smeared with mud and ashes, join in the work of the common laborers, neither speaking out nor thinking.
Live your whole life so that no one can figure you out, while your spirit and mind are at peace. Isn’t this what it is to be imbued with the Way without any contrived or forced actions, a genuinely unconcerned person?
Among the enlightened adepts, being able to speak the Truth has nothing to do with the tongue, and being able to talk about the Dharma is not a matter of words.
🪷
In the
very center of each
of us there dwells an innocent
and divine spirit. If we allow ourselves to
be guided by it in every situation, we can never
go wrong. Wu Wang comes to remind us that
we must actively disengage our egos
before we can obtain the vast
rewards that come from
living in a state of
innocence.
The nature
of the ego is that when
we exercise it, it takes us out
of the present. When we engage in
ambitions, anxieties, or anticipations,
our ego is skipping ahead, and we miss the
guidance of the Creative in the present moment.
When we engage in anger, judgment, and condemnation —
whether toward ourselves or others — our ego is looking
backward, and we cannot see the Sage’s clear solution
to the present situation. In either case, the result is
misfortune. Only by stilling the ego and accepting
life in its entirety can we become innocent.
In this state we are receptive to the
help of the Higher Power and
can meet with good fortune
wherever we go.
You are
advised now to stop
looking forward and backward,
to abandon your ambitions, to disengage
from judgments and critical thinking. If a thought,
attitude, or action is not in accord with the principles of
acceptance, equanimity, humility, and gentleness,
do not indulge in it. The I Ching encourages you
to actively practice innocence. Because
the ego is strong, you must make a
conscious and conscientious
effort to be innocent.
If you
willfully unstructure
your attitude, open your heart
to the Deity, and allow yourself to be
guided by that which is innocent
and pure, you will meet with
success in the coming
time.
The I Ching, or Book of Changes
Hexagram 25, Wu Wang / Innocence (The Unexpected)
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In the morning
After taking cold shower
—-what a mistake—-
I look at the mirror.
There, a funny guy,
Grey hair, white beard, wrinkled skin,
—-what a pity—-
Poor, dirty, old man,
He is not me, absolutely not.
Land and life
Fishing in the ocean
Sleeping in the desert with stars
Building a shelter in the mountains
Farming the ancient way
Singing with coyotes
Singing against nuclear war—
I’ll never be tired of life.
Now I’m seventeen years old,
Very charming young man.
I sit quietly in lotus position,
Meditating, meditating for nothing.
Suddenly a voice comes to me:
“To stay young,
To save the world,
Break the mirror.”
Joan Radcliffe Walker completed her journey on earth in the early morning hours of 26 October 2024, passing in peaceful sleep in hospice care. She leaves her daughters Julie Sands Donaldson and Laurie Lysle Walker, her son Brian Browne Walker, three grandchildren, Dylan, Sofia, and Rebecca, and some very good friends.
Joan’s father departed this life when she was 16, so his influence dimmed with time, but the presence of her mother Cynthia Pace Radcliffe entertained and inspired her and remained, until Cincie died at 83, a constant companion and guiding star.
Bud Walker, her husband for 65 years, was the best man anyone could have been married to. Bud died in January 2017.
Not what she attained, but what she learned, motivated Joan’s steps throughout her life: from an emancipated childhood she learned freedom to explore, to mingle, and to fraternize.
From scarcity in her teens she learned to improvise and plan.
From industry in her 20’s, she learned to triumph over difficulties and excel.
From her observation of discrimination and inequities, she realized an ability to access her own powers to intercede for others successfully.
From maturation she learned where her true talents lay, and from living to 99 she learned patience and a peaceful acceptance of life.
In the sum of these lessons she found joy, humor, humility, and gratitude. Life contained hope and purpose to the end.
Rest in peace, Joan, you have lived an exceptional life.
🪷
Almost nine years ago, my mother and I sat down at the only dining room table that I’ve ever known in my parents’ home and wrote my father’s obituary together. Soon after, without my knowing about it, she wrote her own. Years later, she gave it to me, and I have carried it with me since. Almost every word of what lies above was written by its subject.
What I said about my father in italics at the end of his obituary was
It is
a signal honor when
the best man one has ever known,
the best friend one has ever had, and
one’s own father are one and the
same man. I love you,
Papa, always and
forever.
Change the gender, and what I have to say here is the same — not identical, because they weren’t, but of a feather, as they were. It’s not a sack race, of course. It’s the greatest thing that ever happened to me: I am the son of Bud and Joan Walker.
Goodbye,
my beloved mama.
We will never be apart
for so much as
an instant.
☯️