Without any
intentional, fancy way
of adjusting yourself, to express
yourself as you are is the most
important thing.
Posts Tagged → taoism
equanimity in all you say think and do
Give proper nourishment
to yourself and
others.
The image of this hexagram is that of an open mouth. It comes to remind us that the nourishment of our bodies and spirits is important and merits our conscientious attention.
The I Ching teaches us that if we wish to gauge someone’s character, we should notice what he nourishes in himself and in others. Those who cultivate inferior behaviors and relationships are inferior people; those who cultivate superior qualities in themselves and others are superior people. This is a test that we should apply to ourselves as well as to others.
What you put into your body is obviously important. Because it determines your fundamental physical well-being, it is wise to be moderate and thoughtful about the food you eat. What you put into your mind is even more significant, and regulating it is a more subtle art. This hexagram gives us three-part advice on that subject.
The first counsel is that we should not feed our minds on desire. When we forego our equanimity and begin to desire something or someone, a host of other inferior influences comes into play: we become ambitious about obtaining the object of our desire; we become fearful that we will not; if we do achieve it our ego is gratified and strengthened and it soon issues another demand for us to meet. A self-reinforcing cycle of negativity is thus created. Therefore it is wise to hold yourself free from desire.
The second counsel is that we begin and continue in a regular practice of meditation. Sitting quietly with our eyes closed for even as little as ten or fifteen minutes a day begins to “clear the waste” out of our hearts and minds, making room for the nourishment of peace and wisdom to enter in. To sit in meditation is tune your ear to the voice of the Sage, and it is the most powerful way of gaining his assistance.
The final counsel is that we observe tranquility in speech, thoughts, and actions. By cultivating calm and equanimity in all that you say, think, and do, you nourish your superior self and that of those around you. One who follows these three counsels now will meet with good fortune.
from The I Ching, or Book of Changes
Hexagram 27 / Providing Nourishment
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note to self and others
This
is an absolute necessity
for anybody today. You must have a room,
or a certain hour or so a day, where you don’t know
what was in the newspapers that morning, you don’t know
who your friends are, you don’t know what you owe anybody,
you don’t know what anybody owes to you. This is a place where
you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and
what you might be. This is the place of creative incubation.
At first you may find that nothing happens there.
But if you have a sacred place and use it,
something eventually will
happen.
progress as a tree does
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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oneness with tao is your true nature
Work toward
emptiness and openness.
Cultivate stillness. Breathe harmony.
Become tranquility. As the ten thousand
things rise and fall, rise and fall,
just witness their return
to the root.
Everything
that flourishes dissolves
again into the source. To dissolve
back into the source is to find peace.
To find peace is to recover your true nature.
To recover your true nature is to know
the constancy of Tao. To know
the constancy of Tao
is insight.
Insight opens
your mind. An open
mind leads to an open heart.
Open heartedness leads to justice.
Justice is an expression of
divinity. Divinity is
oneness with
Tao.
Oneness
with Tao is freedom
from harm, indescribable
pleasure, eternal
life.
ebooks & apps of the Tao the Ching, I Ching,
Hua hu Ching, and Art of War for
You
can now buy
Tao te Ching as part of a
five-app bundle of Taoist classics
for iPhone or iPad for less than
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book.