chosen limits empower growth

Voluntarily chosen limits
empower your growth.

The practice of economies is a valuable notion everywhere in life. In your financial dealings, a reasonable thrift practiced today assures you of opportunity tomorrow. In your emotional life, the practice of balance and equanimity allows steady spiritual progress. The hexagram Chieh comes as an encouragement to set practical limits throughout your life.

Life lived without guidelines is confusing and troubling. In order to make genuine progress in any direction, we must first give some definition to our path. However, limits that are overstrenuous are not helpful; having too many rules causes rebellion in the one on whom they are imposed, whether one’s self or another. Therefore there must be limits even on one’s limits.

To yourself, the setting of limits means defining your purpose and responsibilities so that you have a clear idea of where your energies are to be aimed. Your limits should be determined by yourself, not another or the culture in which you live. Avoid harshness and impatience with yourself; true progress is made in gradual steps. Allow yourself pleasure, but avoid careless self-indulgence.

With others, place limits both on your own actions and the indulgences you offer them. To encourage another’s inferior qualities is to invite misfortune. Allow your interactions with others to take place within the limits of gentleness, tolerance, and innocence. If you will define and observe reasonable limits in all things, you will be assured of steady progress.

from The I Ching, or Book of Changes

Hexagram 60, Chieh / Limitation

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add to goodness from your own heart

the way of jesus

Whenever we see

that goodness is lacking,

we may add to it from our own heart

and so complete the nobility of human nature.

This is done by patience, tolerance, kindness, forgiveness.

The lover of goodness loves every little sign of goodness.

He overlooks the faults and fills up the gaps by

pouring out love and supplying that

which is lacking. This is real

nobility of soul.

Hazrat Inayat Khan

the stream of love

they see the divine in all forms

he did

In the East,

when we speak of saints

or sages, it is not because of their

miracles, it is because of their presence

and their countenance which radiate vibrations

of love. How does this love express itself? In tolerance,

in forgiveness, in respect, in overlooking the faults of others.

Their sympathy covers the defects of others as if they were

their own; they forget their own interest in the interest

of others. They do not mind what conditions they are

in; be they high or humble, their foreheads are

smiling. To their eyes everyone is the

expression of the Beloved, whose

name they repeat. They see the

divine in all forms and

in all beings.

Hazrat Inayat Khan

good approaches the superior person

electric night, sardinia

The

hexagram Lin

signals the approach of

powerful beneficial influences.

Just as the winter solstice heralds the

return of spring, the appearance of this hexagram

marks a similar movement toward light and

growth. Progress and success are

assured now to those who

persevere on the path

of truth.

maximize

the opportunity implicit

in this moment, it is important to

cultivate a proper attitude. It is easy, during

good times, to relax our inner discipline and fall back

into incorrect thoughts and actions. Allowing one’s ego to take

over in a moment of success is a sure means of ending the

progress that has begun. The growth that is at hand

was made possible by conscientious behavior,

and continuing carefully along that path

is our only means of coming

into full possession

of it.

steadfast

modesty and acceptance,

whether external conditions are good

or bad, is the mark of the superior person.

In yourself, maintain balance, equanimity, and

humility in times of accomplishment. With

others, remain patient, tolerant, and

gentle. Clinging to those principles

assures you of a time of joy

and prosperity.

from The I Ching, or Book of Changes

Hexagram 19, Lin / Approach

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