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Thursday, March 31, 2011
No. 3, Difficulty at the Beginning:
Difficulty at the beginning works supreme success,
Furthering through perseverance.
Nothing should be undertaken
until clarity is attained.
It furthers one to appoint helpers.
"When it is a man's fate to undertake new beginnings, everything is still unformed,
dark." [Wilhelm]
The Image of
this hexagram is clouds and thunder, the chaos of the storms of spring from which natural growth arises.
Remember - all true growth is organic. "Accept and bear with
the discomfort of chaos without attempting to push it away. Allow it to clear of its own accord, in its own time."
[Walker]
We received this message without
changing lines, meaning: You are at the beginning of a new path. "There is no way you can peer into the
future and make sense of things before you start. You need a leap of faith. Reach inside and find a part of you
that is quiet and at peace. Rest there." [Marshall]
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Note: Thanks to all who expressed concern
over yesterday's missing Daily Yi. I am traveling, and once again learned that there are some areas of the country where
there are NOT Internet cafes or wireless service readily available. Add Southern Colorado to West Texas and
Eastern New Mexico as one of those areas! Susan Lee The Daily Yi No. 62, Preponderance of the Small / Conscientiousness:
"Preponderance of the Small. Success.
Perseverance furthers.
Small things may be done; great things should not be done.
The flying bird brings the message:
It is not well to strive upward,
It is well to remain below.
Great good
fortune."
Duration
will continue if you make small, steady steps in the right direction.
This future message pretty much sums up the main message and the single changing line: The time has come to strike out after a new goal, and the way to reach
it is to stay on your own path and avoid extremes.
Chris Marshall's interpretation sums it up: "The best approach
at the moment is to keep your head down and apply yourself to details."
"Great good fortune" will be your reward.
Monday, March 28, 2011
No.
32, Duration, Line 2:
"Remorse disappears."
Yesterday's main message said that the time has come to strike out after a new goal. You want
to rush forward and attack this challenge, full force. As Larry David would say, "Curb your enthusiasm." We received only one
line of specific advice on how to proceed --- Line 2. Maintaining "the middle way" is the
best way to give your path Duration. Then you will have no cause for Remorse. Tomorrow: "Small things
may be done . . ."
Sunday, March 27, 2011
No.
32, Duration:
"Duration. Success. No blame.
Perseverance
furthers.
It furthers one to have somewhere to go."
".
. . [T]he time has come to strike out after a goal that is new to us." [Blofeld]
Duration does not mean standing still, or digging in your heels. It means maintaining your principles
and your purpose in the face of changing events and conditions. "Receiving this hexagram is an encouragement
to endure, to move ahead by abiding in what is true and correct." [Walker]
"You
need to have flexibility and strength to accommodate change without sustaining structural damage." [Marshall]
You know what your are meant to do, and where you are meant to go. Do not let changing circumstances
distract you.
Tomorrow: "Remorse disappears."
Saturday, March 26, 2011
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 forgo friends in the east and north.
Quiet
perseverance brings good fortune."
Is there a
situation where you are just itching to take over and straighten things out? Take a deep breath, and see if there
isn't some other, more Receptive way you can approach it.
This
does not mean you should be an unthinking
follower. "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] That's not where the Yi wants you to go.
We received no changing lines with this one. "In its unchanging form, [The Receptive] demands a more refined
receptivity to your environment in general. . . . Open up your mind, expand your character to embrace the world.
Then you will find guidance along the right path." [Wing]
Maintaining this open mind through the changes to come will bring you "sublime success."
Friday, March 25, 2011
No. 14, Possession in Great Measure:
"Possession
in Great Measure.
Supreme success."
Possession
in Great Measure and supreme success! That's
the future of Attaining Clarity. Wealth
alone is not "supreme success" in Eastern philosophies. "Supreme success" is being able to realize
your true self, pursue your true goals, and develop harmonious relationships. This reading says that the future is a
favorable time for all aspects of your life.
The Image adds
: "Thus the superior man curbs evil and furthers good, and thereby obeys the benevolent will of heaven."
So - good things will not just be handed to you. You will
have to behave appropriately. Continue to look for Synergy, as the main message and changing lines advised. Use
your power wisely, avoid entanglements, and keep moving toward your supreme success.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
No. 30, The Clinging / Synergy / Attaining Clarity / Brightness,
Line 2:
"Yellow light. Supreme good fortune."
For the Chinese, yellow is symbolic of the center, or mean --- a state
of true balance or harmony.
In the process of Attaining Clarity, this moderation
will be essential. Seeing people or events as "right" or "wrong," "good"
or "bad" will lead to a dead end.
Instead, look
for Synergy. How can the different elements in this situation work together to form
a cohesive and harmonious whole?
Attaining Clarity will
bring about a supreme good fortune, as we will see in the future message . . .
Tomorrow: "Possession in great measure."
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
No. 30, The Clinging / Synergy / Attaining Clarity
/ Brightness:
"The Clinging. Perseverance furthers.
It brings success.
Care of the cow brings good fortune."
"That which is bright rises twice: The image of Fire. Thus the great man, by perpetuating
this brightness, illumines the four quarters of the world." [The Image]
Anthony and Moog call this hexagram Attaining Clarity. It is
one of the eight double-sign hexagrams; Fire over Fire. While it symbolizes The Clinging - flames
clinging to the wood that fuels it - it also embodies light and brightness: Clarity.
Receiving this hexagram is a sign that you need to get clear about what is important
to you. Synergy is important, too: your actions need to be in Synergy with your inner truth.
Are you expending time and energy on a goal you don't really care
about? Is it what someone else wants --- or something you think you should do --- rather than what
you truly want and need to do?
You need to find
what's really essential, and then nurture and care for it. That is what will sustain you.
The Yi has given us a single changing line to help in this process of Attaining Clarity .
. .
Tomorrow: "Yellow Light. Supreme good fortune."
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
No. 44, Coming to Meet / Temptation:
"Coming to meet. The influence is powerful.
One should not join with such an influence."
The future of Waiting involves passing up a powerful
Temptation.
Let's say your situation of Waiting
involves a job where it looks like layoffs are coming. In the early stages (Line 1), the Yi advises Calculated
Inaction: no desperate attempts to be the one who is spared, no jumping ship early.
In the middle stages (Line 4), you should "get out of the pit" if the opportunity
presents itself. It probably won't (Line 6).
But Line 6 also said that a positive outcome would come from an unexpected direction if we "greet the new turn with respect."
Receiving this hexagram as the future
message signals that you will also be presented with a Temptation, an influence that appears to provide the
easiest way out.
The Yi says:
Don't go there. Better things await if you "cross the great water" and take on the challenge of
the unknown.
Monday, March 21, 2011
No. 5, Waiting / Needing / Calculated Inaction,
Line 6:
"Falling into a pit.
There are three unexpected guests coming. Showing respect Ends in good fortune."
"The Waiting is over; the danger can no longer be averted." [Wilhelm]
With Line 6, the worst of this inevitable situation arrives. You will
be "in the pit," no matter how hard you have tried to avoid it.
Yet it is just at this time that help will arrive from an unexpected source. The
problem is: You may not recognize it as "help." It may well be a turn of events that is not what
you wanted at all.
"A person
in this situation must keep his mind alert and not withdraw into himself with a sulky gesture of refusal, but must greet the
new turn with respect. . . . Even happy turns of fortune often come in a form that at first seems strange to us."
[Wilhelm]
"Respect" will
be important, because you will soon be confronted with . . .
Tomorrow: "Temptation."
Sunday, March 20, 2011
No. 5, Waiting / Needing / Calculated Inaction,
Line 4:
"One in need waits in the ditch.
Get out of the pit."
Most English translations of this line translate the key word as "blood." Huang chooses a secondary
meaning, "ditch," and points out that this meaning matches "the meaning suggested by the other three
lines, that one approaches the sand from the outskirts, the mud from the sand, and the ditch from the mud."
Receiving Line 4 means: Things are going to get worse
before they get better.
When you
reach this point, you won't have to ponder what to do: "Get out of the pit."
But how, you may well ask. We received one more line, Line
6, which holds the answer.
Tomorrow: "Showing respect ends in
good fortune."
Saturday, March 19, 2011
No. 5. Waiting / Needing / Calculated Inaction,
Line 1:
"One in need waits on the outskirts.
Favorable to engage in perseverance. No fault."
Do you see a problem developing in your life? The Yi
says: Don't become agitated or apprehensive.
You are, as yet, "outside" the problem. "The danger is not
yet close. One is still waiting on the open plain." [Wilhelm]
At this early stage, your job is
to "live your life as normally as possible and do nothing out of the ordinary." [Wing]
Calculated
Inaction is advised. This situation has its own timetable, and you will just have to work through the stages as
they present themselves, as we will see in Line 4 . . .
Tomorrow: "One
in need waits in the ditch."
Friday, March 18, 2011
No. 5, Waiting / Needing / Calculated
Inaction:
"Waiting. If you are sincere,
You have light and success. Perseverance brings good fortune. It furthers one to cross the great water."
Are you ready to "cross the great water?" The time is here --- almost.
"A time of
important change in your life, You have reached a critical point, and there soon have to be some major alterations to
both your circumstances and direction." [Marshall]
But . . . "A period of Calculated Waiting must pass before
the cosmos can address itself to your needs. Many areas are undergoing significant change. Shifting powers are
generating new ideas, animosities are appearing, alliances are forming, systems are breaking down, and collective causes are
being organized. It is the eternal flux of changes as manifested in human affairs." [Wing]
We received this message not long ago, on Feb. 24,
with only one changing line, Line 2. We receive it again today, this time with three changing lines, Lines 1, 4, and
6, meaning that what we do while we wait is crucial . . .
Tomorrow: "One
in need waits on the outskirts."
Thursday, March 17, 2011
No. 58, The Joyous / Encouraging:
“The Joyous. Success.
Perseverance is favorable.”
This hexagram signals a time of peaceful, supportive and even Joyous collaboration with
others.
The Image is "Lakes resting one on the other: ...
Thus the superior man joins with his friends for discussion and practice."
Encourage
others to find and pursue their individual goals, as you pursue yours. This joining with others will not be
"fun" in a self-indulgent, frivolous sense, but Joyous in a deeply sustaining way.
"The superior person makes friends with people, discussing and practicing the Tao of Truth."
[Huang]
No changing lines with this one, indicating "a continuing
success, which is dependent upon your relations with others. . . .Difficulties will arise now if your endeavors
are toward the self-sufficient." [Wing]
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
No. 52, Keeping Still / Mountain:
"Keeping Still. Keeping his
back still
So that he no longer feels his body.
He goes into his courtyard
And does not see
his people.
No blame."
Your
Gradual Progress may include a time of just . . .Keeping Still.
The Image explains further: "Thus the
superior man does not permit his thoughts to go beyond his situation."
That will be the key to your Development : Let go of worrying about what has happened,
or what may happen.
The Yi advises meditation - "keeping
his back straight so that he no longer feels his body." Wilhelm says, "Possibly the words of the text embody
directions for the practice of yoga."
I
love Wilhelm's explanation of The Image: "The
heart thinks constantly. This cannot be changed, but the movements of the heart - that is, a man's thoughts - should restrict
themselves to the immediate situation. All thinking that goes beyond this only makes the heart sore."
As Ram Dass would say: Be here now.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
No. 53, Development / Gradual Progress, Line 2:
"The wild goose gradually draws near the cliff.
Eating
and drinking in peace and concord. Good fortune."
All the changing lines for this hexagram
represent stages of flight of the wild goose. We received only Line 2.
Meaning: You are in good, safe position, not quite ready to take flight.
Instead of being "Oppressed at meat and drink," as in the last message, you are "eating and drinking
in peace and concord."
Don't
be in a hurry to move on. Allow your Development to continue at a measured pace. In fact, your Gradual
Progress may even require . . .
Tomorrow: "Keeping Still."
Monday, March 14, 2011
No. 53, Development / Gradual Progress:
"Development. The maiden
Is given in marriage.
Good fortune.
Perseverance furthers."
The Oppression/Adversity of the previous main
message will come to an end. When that happens, you need to make a commitment to steady, measured action.
"While we desire rapid progress - we want to change someone's
mind today, achieve all our goals immediately - sooner or later we must come to understand that the only
lasting progress is gradual progress. This message comes to urge you to accept this fact and adjust your attitude and
actions accordingly." [Brian Browne Walker]
Your new situation will take time to develop and become clear. "There are no shortcuts in the
journey ahead." [Wing]
Tomorrow: "The wild
goose gradually draws near the cliff."
Sunday, March 13, 2011
No. 45. Gathering Together:
"Gathering Together. Success.
The king approaches
his temple.
It furthers one to see the great man.
This brings success. Perseverance furthers.
To bring
great offerings creates good fortune.
It furthers one to undertake something."
The future of Oppression
favors Gathering Together with others, and working together toward a common goal.
Or it may be that you,
personally and internally, need to "get it together," as pointed out in yesterday's changing line.
"When you are not in accord with your goals, you may well feel indecision, conflict, or malaise; when you are,
a sense of confidence and well-being will surround you." [Wing]
When you complete your "great offering," the time will be right to "undertake something."
You will create your own good fortune.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
No. 47, Oppression / Exhaustion / Adversity,
Line 2:
"One is oppressed while at meat and drink.
The man with the scarlet knee bands is just coming. It furthers
one to offer sacrifice. To set forth brings misfortune. No blame."
You
have everything you need. In fact, you may be over-indulging. Yet you feel Oppressed. Why?
The Yi says: You're bored.
"One is exhausted by the commonplace of life, and there seems
to be no way of escape." [Wilhelm]
In ancient China, scarlet knee bands were worn by those of highest rank, and during sacrificial ceremonies,
to make kneeling easier. Turn your attention to a higher purpose, and make preparations to devote yourself totally to
this new direction. Your Exhaustion will vanish.
But don't quit your day job just yet. "To set forth without being prepared would be disastrous, though not morally
wrong." [Wilhelm]
Tomorrow: "Gathering Together. Success."
Friday, March 11, 2011
No. 47, Oppression / Exhaustion / Adversity:
"Oppression. Success. Perseverance.
The great man brings about good fortune.
No
blame.
When one has something to say,
It is not believed."
Oppression. Or Exhaustion. Or Adversity. Yet what is the first thing
that follows? Success. How can this happen?
With perseverance, of course.
Even the most difficult of times can result in good fortune.
The Yi defines
Oppression as: "When one has something to say, it is not believed."
Yesterday's future message said, "On your own day, you are believed."
Apparently, "your own day" has not arrived yet. And it won't, unless you summon up your best qualities,
and rely on your virtues to see you through.
Are you engaging in a seemly endless argument with someone? You are not to blame in this situation, but that will be
of little or no help. Give it up.
We received one changing line, which may hold the key to what is really Oppressing you . . .
Tomorrow: "One is oppressed while at meat and drink. The man with the scarlet
knee bands is just coming."
Thursday, March 10, 2011
No. 49, Revolution / Renewal / Changing:
“Revolution. On your own day
You are believed.
Supreme success,
Furthering
through perseverance
Remorse disappears."
The future of The Power of the Great will be nothing short of a Revolution.
Losing
that bad attitude (yesterday's changing line) will brighten your life: this hexagram depicts
the dark of winter being overcome by the light of spring.
Let
go of your old, dead patterns. Allow the new, vigorous growth to appear. Regrets over the past will disappear.
What's more, others will listen - and believe you! - bringing about
"supreme success."
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
No. 34, The Power of the Great, Line 5:
"Loses the goat with ease.
No remorse."
The Yi says: Lose the 'tude, dude.
Give up your stubborn attitude.
Once it's gone, you will find no cause for regret.
Let's
look at the other changing lines in this series --- the ones we didn't receive. Lines 3-6 concern "the
goat." In Line 3, the goat "butts against a hedge and gets its horns entangled." In Line 4, "the
hedge opens --- no entanglement." In Line 6, "the goat butts against the hedge. It cannot go backward,
it cannot go forward."
Here, in Line
5, success comes when you "lose the goat with ease." Unlike
Line 4, this is not an external impediment that will open for you. It is an inner opinion or attitude
that you need to "lose."
"It
is no longer necessary to prove anything. The situation will progress with ease; therefore you do not need to use excessive
force." [Wing]
Tomorrow: "On your own day,
you are believed."
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
No.
34, The Power of the Great, Line 2: "Persistence
in a righteous course brings reward."
Line 2 is essentially the same as the main message:
Great Power may be available to you now, but don't let that lead you into overconfidence.
A person may receive this hexagram and changing line when "the gates to success are beginning to open." [Wilhelm]
The biggest danger now is that you will let this surge
of energy carry you too far, too fast.
"In a position
of great strength, one tends to overdo. If he is able to restrain himself and persist in doing right, there will be
good fortune." [Huang] Tomorrow: "Loses the goat with ease."
Monday, March 7, 2011
No. 34, The Power of the Great:
"The Power of
the Great.
Persistence in a righteous course brings reward."
A time of Great
Power arrives. You can use this power to move "out of and beyond what may be a stifling situation."
[Wing] (The Restraint of the previous hexagram.)
The Image adds: "Thunder in
heaven above: the image of the Power of the Great. Thus the superior man does not tread upon paths that
do not accord with established order."
"There is an enourmous amount of strength and
vitality available to you at this moment, but you must go about your affairs in a measure manner. If you reach your
goal through excessive use of strength, there will be misfortune." [Walker]
The Yi sent two reminders on how to use this Great Power . . .
Tomorrow: ". . . in a righteous course
. . ."
Sunday, March 6, 2011
No. 18, Work on What Has Been Spoiled / Decay / Repair:
"Work on What Has Been Spoiled
Has supreme success.
It furthers one to cross
the great water.
Before the starting point, three days.
After the starting point, three days."
Does the Restraint that is holding you back
seem insurmountable? That's because you are looking at it the wrong way - through a distorted lens of past experiences, old
habits and out-dated attitudes.
"Stop and think about it. Your problems may
seem to be overwhelming: things may seem to be out of hand. Yet the hexagram Repair bodes great success. . . . Your
own past attitude has allowed the damage to occur, making you uniquely equipped to Repair it." [Wing]
Fill in the blank here: "I really have to_________." Do you?
Really?
Take some serious time to consider where you have been, and where
you are going. Setting your course correctly will prepare you to "cross the great water."
Saturday, March 5, 2011
No. 9, The Taming
Power of the Small / Restraint, Line 5:
"If you are sincere and loyally attached,
You are rich in your neighbor."
You may be Restrained
right now in pursuit of your goal, but look around you. You are enriched by both receiving from, and giving to, others.
Relationships are the true wealth. The person who understands this "comprehends
the Tao of Heaven, that is, that one who helps others in the end helps himself." [Huang]
Do not lose heart. Remember, the main message here was "The Taming Power of the Small has success."
"Confidence is like a cord to bind the hearts of others. With it we enrich our neighbors." [Blofeld]
Tomorrow: "Work on what has been spoiled . . ."
Friday, March 4, 2011
No. 9, The Taming Power of the Small / Restraint, Line 1:
"Return to the way.
How could there be blame in this?
Good fortune."
You have a definite destination in mind, but an obstruction has appeared in
your path. You are tempted to turn back, or branch off in a direction that looks easier.
The Yi says: Don't do it. Stay on your own path, and keep taking small steps.
This time of Restraint will eventually pass. When it does, you will be in the right spot to make rapid progress.
Tomorrow: " . . . you are rich in your
neighbor."
Thursday, March 3, 2011
No. 9, The Taming Power of the Small / Restraint:
"The Taming Power of the Small
Has success.
Dense clouds, no rain from our western region."
More small steps.
Restraint remains in control, possibly the "man of dark nature in a position
of authority" warned of in yesterday's reading.
But that Darkening of the Light could also be an inner light --- old doubts and fears about your ability to
succeed, or "beliefs the person allows within himself that prohibit him from respecting or honoring his own needs in
favor of others' " . . ." [Anthony & Moog]. Is there something in your own thoughts that is holding
you in check?
Potential - like
moisture in the clouds - is there. The Yi wants you to carefully consider two aspects of this situation while you
wait for the rain . . .
Tomorrow: "Return to the way."
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
No. 36, Darkening of the Light:
"Darkening of the Light. In adversity
It furthers one to be persevering."
Whose Light is going to be darkened? Yours.
Legg called this hexagram Intelligence Wounded.
"A man of dark nature is in a position of authority and brings harm." [Wilhelm]
This is the future of Pushing Upward. You are the bright light
in this situation, but for a time, you will need to keep your light hidden to survive the adversity.
"In a time such as this, it is wise to adopt a stance of outer disengagement and inner perseverance.
Step aside, yield, let go, allow people and events to pass without attachment." [Walker]
You have a destination that is far more important than any current difficulty. Don't be a target
for someone else's animosity. Keep a low profile, and continue on your journey.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
No. 46, Pushing Upward, Line 2:
"If one is sincere,
If furthers one to bring even
a small offering. No blame."
You are worried that the path you wish to take - what the main message called the path of your "unique
destiny" - is not "important" enough.
The Yi wants to reassure you: If you are sincere, even the smallest contribution is good.
Pay no attention to the voices that say "It's not enough."
You will need to maintain your focus through a future time of . . .
Tomorrow:
"Darkening of the light."
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