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Tuesday, March 31, 2009
The Well, Line
2: “At the wellhole one shoots fishes,
The jug is broken and leaks."
This line suggests you have superior qualities, but are neglecting them.
Your talents, if not properly nurtured, will "leak" away.
This was the first of two specific pieces of advice the Yi had for us about The Well.
We'll look at the second piece of advice, Line 3, tomorrow.
Monday, March 30, 2009
No.48,
The Well:
“The Well. The town may be changed, But the well cannot be changed. It neither decreases nor increases. They come and go and draw from the well. If one gets down almost to the water And the rope does not go all the
way, Or the jug breaks, it brings misfortune."
Receiving this hexagram signals a time in life when you must "dig deep."
There is an inexhaustible source of wisdom available to you.
Surface circumstances may change, but the truth is there, unchanging. However, you will have to seek it conscientiously.
If you don't lower your bucket all the
way down, you will come up empty. If you are not careful in drawing the wisdom out, it will bring misfortune.
Can you identify The Well that is awaiting you?
We received two changing lines, Lines 2 and 3. We'll look at Line 2 tomorrow.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
No. 2, The Receptive:
"The Receptive brings about sublime success.
Furthering through the perseverance of a mare.
If the superior
man undertakes something and tries to lead,
He goes astray;
But if he follows, he finds guidance.
It is favorable
to find friends in the west and south,
To fore go friends in the east and north.
Quiet perseverance brings good
fortune."
Receiving
this hexagram as a future message to After Completion is a sign that you should be
open and Receptive to whatever the Universe has to offer.
Don't be in a hurry to plunge into another project. "To find friends in the west and the south"
means you will be able to find the kind of guidance you need.
"The east symbolizes
the place where a man receives orders from his master, and the north where he reports on what he has done." Taking
orders, and reporting to a "master," is not how you want to spend the future.
9:32 pm mdt
Saturday, March 28, 2009
After
Completion, Line 5:
"The neighbor in the east who slaughters an ox
Does not attain
as much real happiness
As the neighbor in the west
With his small offering."
After Completion, you may be tempted to make a great show of celebration and your thankfulness
for your success.
The Yi will not be impressed, and neither will others.
Sincerity - not extravagance - is what is important.
Tomorrow we'll look at the future After Completion.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
After Completion, Line 1:
"He
brakes his wheels.
He gets his tail in the water. No blame."
At a time After Completion,
it is tempting to conclude that you have "succeeded." You charge ahead, assuming that everything will continue
to go your way.
The Yi says:
Not so fast. Put on the brakes and retain control.
Slowing the situation down may cause
a minor embarrassment, like the fox whose tail gets in the water as he's crossing the stream. There is "no
blame" in this.
This was the first of
three things the Yi warned us to look out for in the time After Completion. We'll look at the second, Line
3, tomorrow
8:42 pm mdt
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
No. 63,
After Completion:
"After
Completion. Success in small matters.
Perseverance furthers.
At the beginning good fortune,
At the end disorder."
Yes, you're right - this is the same message we received yesterday. Only this time, it came with three
changing lines; Lines 1, 3 and 5.
So the Yi obviously wants to send us a slightly different message. Instead of saying that
there is little we can do to influence the forces around us, After Completion with changing lines says that there
are things we need to look out for.
What is important now is how we act in the
face of this calmer set of circumstances. This is a favorable message, as long as you take to heart its warning
that you must incorporate these changes into your daily life in small, steady steps.
We'll look at the first
of the three specific pieces of advice related to this message tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
No.
63, After Completion:
"After
Completion. Success in small matters.
Perseverance furthers.
At the beginning good fortune,
At the end disorder."
R.L. Wing compares this situation with being in the eye of a hurricane. Everything seems perfectly fine, for
now, but the forces of change are swirling around you.
We received no changing lines with this message,
indicating that there is little you can do to influence these forces.
However,
you may have success if you persevere and take only small steps - the Duration of
the message received yesterday (also without changing lines.)
Monday, March 23, 2009
No. 32, Duration:"Duration. Success. No blame. Perseverance furthers. It furthers one to have somewhere to go."
We received Duration with no changing
lines. This indicates a continuing need for consistency of effort.
The
commentaries all emphasize that Duration does not mean standing still. It is referring to the strength
to maintain your principles and remain on your path in the face of changing events and conditions.
As Brian Browne Walker explains it, "Receiving this hexagram is an encouragement to endure, to move ahead by abiding
in what is true and correct."
Sunday, March 22, 2009
No. 46,
Pushing Upward: "Pushing Upward has supreme success.
One must see the great man.
Fear not.
Departure toward the south
Brings good fortune." The Image: "Within the earth, wood grows:
The image of Pushing Upward.
Thus the superior man of devoted character
Heaps up small things
In order to achieve something high and great." The Yi's advice about the future is: Keep Pushing Upward - in small, steady amounts. Our main message was Waiting, which advised that a nourishing, life-giving change is coming.
Pushing Upward is considered an extremely auspicious
message, signaling a time is coming when everything will be in place for growth, success and good fortune.
However, this success won't just
"happen." Effort - pushing upward - is required.
What
"small things" could you "heap up" to "achieve something high and great?"
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Waiting / Nourishment, Line 5:
"Waiting at meat and drink.
Perseverance brings good fortune."
A moment will arrive in your Waiting
when there is no immediate threat.
Enjoy it, but be aware: there is still something headed
your way. Use this time to strengthen yourself for what lies ahead. If it's good fortune, you want to
be prepared to make the most of it.
Hopefully, the future reading
- which we'll look at tomorrow - will give us an idea of what's coming.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Waiting / Nourishment, Line 1:
"Waiting in the meadow.
It furthers one to abide in what endures.
No blame."
A challenge lies ahead, but for now, conditions are calm.
You will meet this challenge best by centering yourself and remaining focused on higher principles.
This may require you to ignore the clamoring of others. There is no blame in not turning your attention to these trivial
distractions.
We'll
look at Line 5 tomorrow.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
No. 5,
Waiting / Nourishment:
"Waiting. If you are sincere,
You have light and success. Perseverance brings good fortune. It furthers one to cross the great water."
"The rain will come in its own time. We cannot make it come;
we have to wait for it." Wilhelm
Receiving
this hexagram indicates a nourishing, life-giving change is coming. But you cannot rush it.
The important thing
is how you wait. Fear that it won't happen, anxious anticipation, wanting it to happen sooner, will all cloud the atmosphere.
The Yi advises
strength and confidence while remaining patient.
We received two changing lines, Line 1 and Line 5. We'll look
at Line 1 tomorrow.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
No. 25,
Innocence / The Unexpected:
"Innocence. Supreme success.
Perseverance furthers.
If
someone is not as he should be,
He has misfortune,
And it does not further him
To undertake anything."
When we change
our single changing line from yin to yang, we receive the future message Innocence, also known as The Unexpected.
The Yi is saying that change will be coming from an unexpected direction. You are advised to meet this change with innocence
- no preconceived notions as to whether the change is good or bad, right or wrong.
Letting this
change happen without trying to direct it, and without judging it, will bring supreme success. Failure to follow your
inner guide, and be true to yourself, will result in misfortune.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Following,
Line 6:
"He meets with firm allegiance
And is still further bound.
The King introduces him
To the Western Mountain."
There is some one who
is devoted to you, who you will be asked to lead and assist.
You may wish to "retire"
from the effort, but you will be rewarded for continuing.
The Western Mountain was where the ancestors
of the King were buried. To be included in this holy place was a very high honor. This kind of honor will come
to you if you aid another.
We'll look at the future of
this message tomorrow.
Monday, March 16, 2009
No. 17, Following:
"Following
has supreme success.
Perseverance furthers. No blame."
The Yi continues to advise a non-aggressive course. This new main
message says that now is not the time to pursue your own path, if it diverges from
that of those around you.
Wing calls this hexagram Adaptability.
The core idea is: Go with the flow. Adapt yourself to the demands of the time.
There is "no blame" in following this course now. In fact, it will bring you "supreme success."
We have one changing line, Line 6. We'll look at that tomorrow.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
No. 44, Coming
to Meet / Temptation:
"Coming
to meet. The maiden is powerful
One should not marry such a maiden."
The Yi has been advising a non-aggressive course.
First we received The Receptive; then The Clan;
and the current main message, The Gentle. The future of all that is: Temptation.
Ladies - try to get past your initial reaction
to the sexist phrasing of the ancient Chinese. The real message here is that something "seemingly harmless
but potentially dangerous" [Wing] will enter your life. Stop clicking through your emails right now and try to
identify where this temptation is coming from:
- Internal -
a "good reason" to cheat on your diet, skip a day of exercising, have just one cigarette
to calm your nerves?
-
External - A personal relationship that has the promise of pleasure,
without responsibility?
With this hexagram, the Yi is sending a message: Don't go there. The situation holds dangers you can't see
now.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
The Gentle, Penetrating Wind, Line 4:
"Remorse vanishes.
During the hunt
Three kinds of game are caught."
Action is what is called for now. "The hunt" is a metaphor for a planned, and systematically
executed, effort to reach your goals.
Just making this decision and beginning will cause your regrets
over the past to vanish.
You will be rewarded with "three kinds of game"
- what you will accomplish will satisfy all of your needs.
What is your "hunt?"
Friday, March 13, 2009
No. 57, The Gentle, Penetrating Wind:
“The Gentle. Success through what is small.
It furthers one to have somewhere to go. It furthers one to see the great
man."
I call
this one the divi divi tree message. Divi divi trees on the island of Aruba
all lean in the same direction because the wind blows steady and unchanging from one side of the island to the other.
Tour guides like to tell you that you can't get lost on the island. Just follow the divi divi trees, whose branches all
point towards the more populated shore.
Do you have clearly
in mind the direction you want go? The Yi is suggesting you keep all your efforts -preferably
small, consistent efforts - moving gently in that same direction.
We had one changing line, Line 4. We'll see what
specific advice that has to offer tomorrow.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
No. 37, The Family / The Clan:
"The Family. The perseverance of the woman furthers."
"The perseverance of the woman" refers not to a specific woman, but to the importance
of nurturing.
"Try to see all organizations, whether familial, social, or political, as Family groups and then determine
your most comfortable position within them. If you hold to this natural aspect of your character and understand the ensuing
duties and responsibilities, you can more easily achieve your goals." R.L. Wing
Wing adds this important caveat, "Be certain, however, that you
are not involved in carrying out a role for which you are unsuited, or a role that has been cast upon you. This will rob your
life of meaning."
The
bottom line of this future reading? Be Receptive (our main reading). Be nurturing and supportive
of others in The Clan. But don't be a doormat.
7:24 pm mdt
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The Receptive, Line
6:
"Dragons fight in the meadow.
Their
blood is black and yellow."
A conflict will come out in the open. Now is not the time to challenge a superior force.
If this conflict continues, both parties will suffer.
Remember, the main message here
was The Receptive.
We'll look at the future of
The Receptive and the four changing lines tomorrow.
7:47 pm mdt
Monday, March 9, 2009
The Receptive, Line
5:
"A yellow lower garment brings supreme good fortune."
Yellow is the color of the mean, or middle, and of clarity. The "lower
garments" refer to the basics - your inner truth.
The Yi advises: Do not flaunt your virtues. Let your good works remain behind
the scenes. This will bring you "supreme good fortune."
Tomorrow
we'll look at Line 6, the last of the four changing lines we received.
8:18 pm mdt
Sunday, March 8, 2009
The Receptive, Line 3:
"Hidden lines.
One is able to remain persevering.
If by chance you are in the service of a king,
Seek
not works, but bring to completion."
"Hidden lines" means there is more going on
than you realize at present.
"Something" has been set in motion.. You
need to hang in there and keep moving with it, even though you don't understand right now where events may be leading.
This "something" is likely for a higher purpose. The Yi advises you not to seek
recognition for what you do. Concentrate only on getting the job done.
What is your "something?"
Tomorrow we'll look at Line 5, the third of the four changing lines we received.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
The Receptive, Line 1:
"When there is hoarfrost underfoot,
Solid ice is not far off."
Examine your relationships: If things have been a little cold lately in some area, "solid ice" is not far
off.
This change, like the cold of winter, is developing, whether you like it or not.
Don't resist what you cannot control.
The Yi advises: Read the signs and prepare yourself.
Tomorrow we'll look at Line 3, the second of the four changing
lines we received.
Friday, March 6, 2009
No. 2, The Receptive:
"The Receptive brings about sublime success.
Furthering through the perseverance of a mare.
If the superior
man undertakes something and tries to lead,
He goes astray;
But if he follows, he finds guidance.
It is favorable
to find friends in the west and south,
To fore go friends in the east and north.
Quiet perseverance brings good
fortune."
Receiving
this hexagram is a sign that now is the time for you to take a supportive role. Trying to lead will take you in the
wrong direction.
"The east symbolizes the place where a man receives orders from his master,
and the north where he reports on what he has done." [Wilhelm] I think we will all be happy foregoing that.
"To find friends in the west and the south"
means finding the guidance you need.
We received four (!) changing lines with this main
message, so the Yi obviously has a lot more advice that it wants to impart. We'll look at Line 1 tomorrow.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
No.. 21, Biting Through:
“Biting Through
has success. It is favorable to let justice be administered." Have
you been struggling with the advice from the main message, trying to nourish yourself with higher things?
Well, as R.L. Wing says of this hexagram: "There are times to
avoid confrontations, to sublimate deep feelings, or to retreat and await a more opportune moment for action. This is not one of those times." Or, more correctly, the future, which this message represents,
is not one of those times..
Wing calls this hexagram Reform.
The Yi's message is: An obstacle is blocking your path. It is either a person who is a "talebearer
or traitor," to use Wilhelm's terms; or it is your own refusal to see things as they really are.
Either way, there will be only one way forward: Bite the bullet. Do what has to be done, no matter how difficult, in
order to provide yourself with the Nourishment you need - whether it's mental or physical.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The Corners
of the Mouth / Providing Nourishment, Line 4:
"Turning to the summit
For provision of nourishment
Brings good fortune.
Spying about with sharp
eyes
Like a tiger with insatiable craving.
No blame."
The Yi advises that you nourish yourself
with higher things. This will bring good fortune.
You can be single-minded in this pursuit
of the superior - "Like a tiger with insatiable craving." There will be "no blame" in
focusing your effort in this way.
"He who cultivates the superior parts of his nature is a superior man." Mencius
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
No. 27,
The Corners of the Mouth / Providing Nourishment:
"The Corners of the Mouth.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Pay heed to the providing of nourishment
And to what a man seeks
To fill his own mouth with."
This message advises that now is the time to pay attention to what you put in your mouth - and in your mind.
Writing down everything you eat is a great wake-up call, and can help you get started on a more nutritious diet. It's
a lot harder keeping track of what you put in your mind. Sure, you can identify the empty calories in watching
the season finale of The Bachelor (no, I don't watch it, I just saw the news reports). But what about your own negative,
self-defeating thoughts? What and how we think
is part of what we "feed" our mind.
See if you can keep a diary, just for a day, of what you put in your mind.
Tomorrow we'll look at Changing Line 4, the only changing
line we received with this hexagram.
Monday, March 2, 2009
No. 23,
Splitting Apart:
"Splitting apart. It does not further one
To go anywhere."
You were advised in the main message, Inner Truth, to find, and stay centered on, your own inner truth.
Splitting Apart is the future message that results when we change the changing lines
received with Inner Truth to their opposites. We received the same future message
just last week.
This signifies that you will be be separating from life circumstance or relationship.
You will be moving in your own direction.
The Yi is telling you that your Inner Truth will sustain you through this separation.
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What is the I Ching?
The I Ching, also known as the Yi
Jing, or (in English) Book of Changes, is an oracle; a divination device
that forms a pattern reflecting the forces at work in the Universe at a particular point
in time.
The symbol you see above is the bagua,
the symbol of the I Ching for thousands of years before it was "adopted" as the octagonal logo of the
Dharma Iniative in the television series "Lost." This pattern,
when viewed in the context of a concern or question, sends a message of timeless advice and insight.
Richard Wilhelm explained it this way in a footnote to his translation of Ta Chaun - The Great Treatise: "The way in which the
Book of Changes works can best be compared to an electrical circuit reaching into all situations. "The circuit only affords the potentiality
of lighting: it does not give light. "But
when contact with a definite situation is established, the 'current' is activated, and the given situation is illumined." Plug yourself in. -------------------------------
The great Swiss pyschiatrist C.G.
Jung, who was a serious student of the I Ching, said:
"The
I Ching does not offer itself with proofs and results; it does not vaunt itself, nor is it easy to approach. Like a part of
nature, it waits until it is discovered.
"It offers neither
facts nor power, but for lovers of self-knowledge, of wisdom - if there be such - it seems to be the right book. . .
.
"He who
is not pleased by it does not have to use it, and he who is against it is not obliged to find it true. "Let it go forth into the world for the benefit
of those who can discern its meaning." -------------------------------------------
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