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Archive for the ‘Spirit shares I Ching wisdom’ Category

Oppression Incites Reaction

A spirit teacher shares His understanding
of the timeless wisdom expressed within
the symbolic structure of I Ching.

Life situations and experiences necessarily
develop from previous conditions and lead
to future possibilities. Choices were made,
are made, and will be made, to integrate
human activities within an ever-expanding
universe.

The I Ching Hexagram 49 – Revolution
is expressed with the trigram named Lake
above the trigram named Fire.

Oppressed people may appear as passive
as still water, while within them burns
a fire of indignation or, worse, hatred
toward those they feel responsible for
the injustices inflicted upon them.

It sounds like a dangerous situation.

It is a dangerous situation.

Why do people endure injustice until
it reaches such an explosive situation?

Why do people inflict injustice until
it reaches such an explosive situation?

Perhaps they feel helpless to change
the situation.

Alone or together?

Would it make a difference?

Yes and no.

Please explain.

We are each alone only as long as we each
believe we are each alone.

How would awareness of group oppression
change the situation?

Nothing can change without such awareness.

Then, awareness of togetherness unites us?

Yes.

But, some might be more aware than are others.

Why?

Their focus is only on self?

Yes.

How can they become united?

A leader.

How would they choose a leader?

They usually do not.

Then, how is a leader chosen?

The leader of a revolution often choose himself,
or is chosen by a small group.

How can such a leader, or small group, know
the wishes of those whom they would lead?

They tell the masses what is best for them.

And the masses believe them?

They often seem to be willing to believe.

Then, after the battle is won, if it is,
the masses could sooner or later be oppressed
by a new leader or his small group?

His?

Isn’t war a male thing?

Yes.

Category:

cause and effect, I Ching as a path to enlightenment, male domination, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom, The Way of I Ching

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Retreat is Not an Option

A spirit teacher shares His understanding of
I Ching 39 – Halting.

Water is above Mountain.

On high mountain tops, water expressing itself
as ice or snow can temporarily resist
its natural tendency to flow downhill. But,
it will never lose its potential to move,
and will do so, when and if it can.

The text seems to relate to human activities.

The text always relates to human activities.

Then, natural forces are used to express
human activities.

Human activities express natural forces.

Does that suggest we should accept that
some situations require us to halt?

Require?

In the sense that we cannot move forward.

Retreat is always an option.

But if we are moving in a direction
we believe in, why would we consider
retreat?

Yes.

Category:

A spirit teacher shares His I Ching Wisdom, Power comes from within, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom, spirituality without intelligence is not intelligent spirituali5y

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Abusive Disrespect

A Spirit Teacher shares His understanding
of I Ching hexagram 44 – Meeting, and how
it can be expressed in our individual life
and collectively; here and now; wherever
here and now are.

Heaven is above Wind.
Heaven is yang while Wind is yin.

First; Chela, tell me your immediate response
to our chosen reading.

Forty-four is not a number I would choose.

But, you did.

Perhaps it chose me.

Why?

Possibly because of my resistance to
the disrespectful attitude it seems to
express toward women.

Social order requires certain restrictions
to individuals.

I can understand that, but when women
are, or seem to be, classified as less
than men, then …

You rise to their defense.

I am a woman.

Yes.

What does that mean?

It means that your response suggests
that you are defending the position
of women in an earlier culture
simply because you are a woman.

Men don’t seem to need protection.

Protection and not defense?

Protection from abuse of rigid patterns
of social organization.

And, who would defend them?

Perhaps we must learn a way
to defend ourselves.

Individually or collectively?

Perhaps both.

How?

Awareness and understanding of
how and why we are abused.

Abused?

Disrespect is abusive if it is
based on gender.

Yes.

Category:

applied philosophy to live by, I Ching as a path to enlightenment, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom, Understanding life's struggles

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The Way of Arrogance

A Spirit Teacher shares his understanding of
the I Ching Hexagram 26 – Great Accumulation,
with me and whomever else cares to listen.

Great Accumulation follows No Error (25)
and moves toward Nourishment (27).
Mountain is over Heaven.

Nothing is higher than Heaven, and yet,
in this instance, Mountain claims to be.

Can this express challenge to authority?

Yes.

How could such a situation develop from
No Error?

The pendulum has swung to the opposite
extreme.

Mountain is out of line?

In the eyes of Heaven, yes.

And Heaven is forever.

Forever what?

Not what, but in terms of time.

There is no time.

Then, what is the meaning?

When?

Now.

Nothing comes from nothing.

Then, No Error and Great Accumulation
can be seen as opposite extremes?

Of what?

Arrogance?

Yes.

How does this situation lead toward
Nourishment?

Awareness is as nourishment.

Awareness of the Middle Way?

Yes.

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cause and effect, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom, Understanding life's struggles, Universal laws apply even today

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Some Can Recognize Detour Signs

Spirit shares I Ching wisdom.

Today’s focus is on Hexagram 28 – Great Surpassing.

How does one greatly surpass?

What?

Anything.

Or anybody?

Oh!

Yes, we greatly surpass those whom we do.

For whatever reason?

No.

We have a reason to go beyond?

Yes and no.

Please explain.

We go beyond where we once were, not necessarily
to pass another, but ourselves.

Great Surpassing follows Nourishment (27). Why?

Something has fed our need to move on.

Experience?

Yes.

But, the same experience doesn’t seem to have
the same effect on everyone.

Inspiration …

Inspiration is an experience?

Yes.

And we each respond to experience,
or inspiration, in our own unique way?

Yes. It is the same as with food.

Please explain.

If we allow our natural taste for specific foods
to become corrupted by a desire to please others,
then our socially conditioned body’s response to
specific foods will influence our choices and
we will develop eating habits that may not be
healthy for our particular body type.

Then, great surpassing may suggest success
in resisting the temptation to follow
where some others might lead?

Yes.

What about Double Pitfall (29)? Why or how
would resisting temptation lead to problems?

No situation described within the I Ching
circuit of life experiences necessarily
follows or leads to any other specific
situation or experience.

Then, how can it be described as a circuit,
or endless loop of situations or experiences?

Because it is.

Please explain.

Those who have eyes to see can recognize dangers
ahead of them, and take action to protect
themselves, by changing their plans, or
path of travel.

Detour signs?

Yes.

Category:

Potential consequences, Power comes from within, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom, spirituality without intelligence is not intelligent spirituali5y

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Co-operation Is Mutually Beneficial

Spirit shares I Ching wisdom.

Wisdom, awareness and enlightenment each reflect
the other two, from a unique perspective.

Our current position, along the path through life,
which we have chosen, more or less, is expressed by
the I Ching Hexagram 50 – The Cauldron.

Fire is over Wind, creating heat as fire and wind
co-operate with each other.

This situation of working together to achieve
a common goal develops out of Revolution (49).
Revolutions are necessarily violent confrontations
of differing goals, as expressed by Water over Fire,
a mutually destructive situation.

Why do we seek to improve our relationships
after the battle?

The battle serves a socially useful purpose.

What purpose?

Mutual respect.

How is that possible if the revolution is successful?

Revolutions are never successful, except …

Except what?

Except when.

When they result in a change in power?

No. That would only result in a change at the top.

Then, when can revolutions be considered to be
successful?

When both sides accept that co-operation is
mutually beneficial.

A win-win situation?

Yes.

Category:

cause and effect, higher education, I Ching as a path to enlightenment, Potential consequences, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom

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There Are No Cycles To Our Life

Spirit shares I Ching wisdom.

Today’s focus is on I Ching 1 – The Creative.
Heaven is over Heaven. Each alone represents
the sum total, and the source, of all power.
Together they can each be no more, or less.

The essence of all life expresses itself
in countless forms and non-forms. All energy
is creative, and energy is the essence of
all forms of life.

Aspects of creativity include origination,
development, perfection, and consummation.

Consummation refers to the creative act of
dissolving whatever has been created. A cycle
has been completed and now the energy or essence
of whatever was created will be used for some
other purpose. A new cycle begins. We move on.
We move on, but not necessarily forward.

What does that say to me, now that I have
left a stressful chapter in my life?
Where do I go from here?

You turn the page. A new chapter will begin.
It has begun.

But, it hasn’t been created, yet.

Perhaps not, but the outline has been. All
that you now are has been developed throughout
earlier chapters of your life. The next chapter
is not, nor can it be, completely separated from
earlier chapters. This would result in
discontinuity.

And that would suggest completion of a cycle
of life?

There are no cycles to our life, only to the
situations within it. Life, itself, is forever.

Category:

applied philosophy to live by, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom, Understanding life's struggles, Universal laws apply even today

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We Each Need to Learn To Be Self-Directed

Spirit shares I Ching wisdom.

The situation that we now must cope with on our
journey through life is represented by
Hexagram 19 – Overseeing.

Overseeing follows Degeneration and moves into
Observation. This may seem to suggest
a more-or-less orderly sequence of situations
through the sixty-four hexagrams, but life
was never designed to move seamlessly, or
smoothly for long periods of time.
Seasons progress in a predetermined order
but each Spring is in some way unique, as
is each of the yearly seasons.

And so it is with our individual lives.
We may encounter a regular progression of
situations but we must be alert to their
potential for uniqueness.

Since nothing can happen without preconditions
for its happening, nature always provides us with
early warning signs of imminent danger, if we
would listen. But, we grow complacent when life
is moving smoothly, forgetting that nothing
is without limits, or potential limits.

Why does Overseeing follow Degeneration?

If we are aware that a particular situation,
such as crops approaching their ideal stage
of growth for harvesting, then we can move
to harvest them before they degenerate.

It is the same with material possessions
and public utilities, such as roads, power,
and water resources, to name a few. If
our leaders are aware of weaknesses that
require repair or replacement, and act
on that awareness, then degeneration to
the point of collapse, can be prevented.

A stitch in time?

Yes. Some situations develop as a direct or
indirect consequence of human carelessness,
or lack of sufficient foresight. It is
then that overseeing would follow
degeneration. There is not always an
absolute order of events throughout life.

Could degeneration also refer to attitudes
as well as to diminished quality of work
or structural degeneration?

Specific situations do not necessarily
develop from any single cause. Life is
too complex to allow for such a
simplistic explanation.

How could potentially destructive
situations be prevented if specific
causes could not be identified?

History teaches Wise leaders to observe
what is happening and to be aware of what
potential dangers might be prevented.

How does this situation relate to
daily living?

It’s the same.

In what way?

Preparing meals requires paying attention
to what is happening to the food you are
preparing. Overseeing does not necessarily
refer to one person observing what another
is doing. We each need to learn to become
self-directed.

And, that’s the lesson?

Yes.

Category:

applied philosophy to live by, cause and effect, enlightenment, Potential consequences, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom

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Power Comes From Within

Spirit shares I Ching Wisdom.

Today, the situation that we encounter
along our journey through Life is
expressed by Hexagram 33- Withdrawal.

Withdrawal follows Constancy, and
moves toward or into Great Power.

How can withdrawal lead to any power,
let alone great power?

What does it mean to withdraw and,
from what?

Constancy suggests steadiness;
not easily moved.

It can also suggest patience; waiting
until opportunity presents itself.

Then, opportunity comes from without?

Yes.

But, awareness of it comes from within.

Yes. WE can plan and prepare to execute
our plans, even during times unfavorable
to acting on them.

A farmer plans what he will plant before
the season of planting arrives. Then,
weather conditions being favorable,
he puts into action plans that needed
only an opportunity to carry through.

Where does Great Power enter into
the picture?

The power comes from within; self-control,
patience, planning, and the courage
to follow through on our plans when
circumstances are favorable for doing so.

Our plans?

Our plans.

Is this speaking specifically and personally,
or generally?

Yes.

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applied philosophy to live by, enlightenment, higher education, Power comes from within, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom

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A Bodhisattva is a Guide and Companion

Spirit shares I Ching wisdom.

Today’s experience through our journey of human existence
is described by hexagram 28 – Great Surpassing.

A Bodhisattva vows to walk the path of enlightenment
again and again, to serve as a guide and companion
to those who would, and could, with a little help,
follow the middle way through life.

Why is this experience called Great Surpassing?

Great rivers can be crossed without great effort
if one is aware, patient and willing to proceed,
one step at a time, when circumstances are
favorable for doing so.

There are seasons when rivers rise, and other seasons
when rivers flow more slowly and the channel narrows.
Also, there are times of calm between storms,
when travel is easier and the journey more pleasant.

Then, Great Surpassing can refer to a stress-free way
to walk The Path of Enlightenment?

Yes. There is no reward for speed. In fact, it is
never advised. So much is lost.

Such as?

Depth of awareness and understanding of the missed
opportunities to share compassion.

How can compassion be shared?

Compassion is always shared or it is not compassion.

But, if I feel compassionate toward someone
in distress, how can this person express compassion
for me? Surely, she or he would be too involved
with personal pain to be able to provide such an
emotion as compassion for anyone.

But you are not, or are you?

Am I what?

Too intent or concerned for the distressed soul
that you forget to care for yourself.

What care would I need?

Compassion.

Why? and from Whom?

Because we are one, the other’s distress
is our own distress, and as such requires
the same compassion toward oneself as
we would feel for others.

So, in feeling compassion for anyone,
I also, at the same time feel compassion
for myself, as that other?

Yes. We share Life with all; pleasure and pain.

Whether we are aware of that or not?

Yes.

.

Category:

A Bodhisattva vow, A wide (33%) middle way., applied philosophy to live by, I Ching as a path to enlightenment, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom

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