Repeatedly
undergoing birth and death
is just due to grasping at objects.
When we reflect back on the mind that
grasps at objects, we see that the real identity
of mind is originally pure. Within this purity, grasping
mind does not exist. Within nirvana, fundamentally
there are no thoughts moving; the movement
is ever still. Being still, there is
no seeking.
Records of the Teachers and Students of the Lanka
There is an obstacle
to the expression of truth.
allows the Sage to
moderate.
Unity has been broken by one who is not being true to proper principles. This may be another, or an element in one’s own personality, or both. In any case, serious misfortune may result if the appropriate response is not made. The I Ching is very clear about what our proper action is when confronted with an obstacle of this nature: withdrawal into contemplation and a turning over of the matter to the Higher Power for resolution.
This is a time when aggressive action or intervention can only compound the misfortune. Use your strength to clearly separate yourself from incorrectness and realign yourself with the Sage. It is always our responsibility to acknowledge where something has gone wrong, but never our right to punish. The administration of justice is the sole province of the Deity.
The I Ching teaches us to forgive but not to forget. This does not mean one who reveals himself as inferior today should be regarded as such tomorrow. It means that we are wise to pay conscientious attention to the waxing and waning of truth in oneself and others. When truth predominates, we can progress. When it is eclipsed, we are obligated to withdraw and surrender the matter to the Sage.
The I Ching, or Book of Changes
Hexagram 21, Shih Ho / Biting Through
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This morning
I felt strong and jaunty in my
mail order Israeli commando trousers.
Up at Hard Luck Ranch I spoke to the ravens
in baritone, fed the cats with manly gestures.
Acacia thorns can’t penetrate these mighty pants,
then out by the corral the infant pup began
to weep, abandoned. In an instant
I became another of the
Earth’s billion sad
mothers.
Arrogance in ambition
or conduct brings danger, downfall,
and isolation. Remain quietly joined to
the will of the Sage. The abandonment
of gentleness and humility leads
to misfortune.
sixth changing line
from The I Ching, or Book of Changes
Hexagram 1, Ch’ien / The Creative
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Flow like pure water
through difficult situations.
The image of the hexagram K’an is that of water: water falling from the heavens, water coursing over the earth in streams, water collecting itself in pure and silent pools. This image is meant to teach us how to conduct ourselves in trying situations. If we flow through them, staying true to what is pure and innocent in ourselves, we escape danger and reach a place of quiet refuge and good fortune beyond.
K’an often appears to warn of a troubling time either drawing near or already at hand, and to counsel you not to fall into longing for an immediate and effortless solution to the trouble. When you become “emotionally ambitious” – when you cling to comfort and desire to be free of the currents of change in life – you block the Creative from resolving difficulties in your favor. What is necessary now is to accept the situation, to flow with it like water, to remain innocent and pure and sincere while the Higher Power works out a solution.
It is not that you should not act now; it is that you should not act out of frustration, anxiety, despair, or a desire to escape the situation. Instead, still yourself and look for the lesson hidden inside the difficulty. Correct your attitude until it is open, detached, and unstructured. Abandon your goals and stay on the path, where you proceed step by step, arm in arm, with the Sage.
Those whose hearts and minds are kept pure and innocent relate properly to all events, understand their cosmic meaning, and flow through them with the strength, clarity, and brilliance of pure water.
The I Ching, or Book of Changes
Hexagram 29, K’an / The Abysmal (Water)
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