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Posts tagged ‘express’

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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Resistance is Necessary to Life

Spirit shares I Ching wisdom.

Today’s situation on our journey through human
existence is designed to develop the attributes
of Hexagram 2 – The Receptive.

Earth is both above and below, and represents
Mother Nature, or for those who see Nature
as disconnected from themselves, the environment.

Nature is both flexible and firm. Though it
generally accepts directions from Universal Laws,
and both adapts and contributes to the needs
of other life forms, it also maintains its own
personal essence, and lives to express its own
purpose and desires, resisting any form of abuse.

It sounds like me.

It is you, and everyone else, both individually
and collectively.

But, Nature is surely much more than people.

As in kind, or power?

Both.

How?

We each are part of Nature and yet Nature is
much more than all of us together.

Yes.

What is the message?

What could Nature teach you about yourself?

To be flexible, yet firm, and to seek to express ..

Not to seek to express.

Then, to express my own purpose and desires,
and to resist abuse in any form.

Yes.

That’s fine and noble, except …

Except what?

It can be so wearying.

And easier to give in to abuse?

Yes.

What effect does that have on the abuser?

It seems to encourage more abuse.

Yes.

Then …

Yes. A certain low level but constant
resistance is necessarily a part of
the Game of Life.

Get used to it?

Yes.

Category:

applied philosophy to live by, cause and effect, enlightenment, I Ching as a path to enlightenment, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom

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An Inner Will to Reach High or Low

Spirit shares His I Ching understanding.

Hexagram 33 – Withdrawal.
Heaven above; Mountain below.

Withdrawal does not necessarily mean retreat.

What other purpose would it have?

Possibly, many more than one.

Such as?

Situational responses require reflection
and reflection requires time out to
consider appropriate responses.

Withdrawal follows Constancy and
constant can refer to constant movement,
such as tides express. Their constancy
is a measurable high followed by a
measurable low.

Nautical charts reliably forecast,
or predict, the highest point tides
will reach, at any particular time,
anywhere in the world.

Then, tides withdraw when they have
reached a predetermined high?

Yes, and the high itself is constant
in that it reaches incrementally
higher until the high tide in a set,
and then withdraws its highest point
in a constant rhythm until its high
is as low as natural forces have
determined it will go.

It sounds so orderly.

It is.

But, how does that relate to
human life?

In what way?

What natural forces can help direct
our highest reach?

The same as help us reach our lowest.

And that is?

An inner will to reach high or low.

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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Rising is followed by Exhaustion

Spirit explains I Ching 46 – Rising

Rising follows Gathering in the order
of the hexagrams, and whatever is
gathered or gathers together rises,
at least in quantity.

What about quality?

What about it?

I like to think of rising as expressing
an upward momentum.

It does.

But, how could anything increasing in
negativity express an upward movement?

For example?

The rainy season has begun, or threatens to.

What is negative about a rainy season?

My beloved summer season is over.

It, too, rose until it reached
a predetermined limit to its rising.
Rising is and must be followed by
Exhaustion, as will be the rainy season.

Is there a personal message for me?

Yes. You have been impatient.

Category:

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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Truth is Appropriate in Any and All Instances

Spirit explains I Ching 58 – Pleasing:

As the text expresses, pleasing is beneficial
if correct.

How can we ever know ahead of time how correct
our pleasing is?

Your purpose in trying to please is a clue.

I want everyone to be happy.

Why?

Why would I not want everyone to be happy?

Even if they have caused you to feel
unhappy?

Then, pleasing them, or attempting to,
would seem to reward them for their
unpleasing behaviour?

Exactly.

Then, please explain the purpose of
pleasing.

Pleasing should have no purpose.

Then, why do I seem to need to please.

Whom do you seem to need to please?

You, among others.

How have I, among others, rewarded
your attempts to please?

Negatively, it seems.

Why do you suppose that is, or seems
to be?

I don’t know.

Perhaps you know more than you pretend
to know.

What does that mean?

You and many others have been socially
conditioned to fear displeasing some
others, and so you have developed
a pattern of pretending to attempt
to please.

Why?

As a defensive strategy, to attempt
to reduce or escape confrontation.

Then, you approve?

No.

Why?

Confrontation is necessary and
an honest expression of one’s truth.

Truth is a powerful word.

Yes.

How is it appropriate in this instance?

Truth is appropriate in any instance.
Whether we choose to express it or not,
we should always be aware of it.

Is that possible?

Yes.

Category:

applied philosophy to live by, I Ching as a path to enlightenment, mystery schools, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom

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Receptivity to Inspiration Provides Opportunities

Spirit explains I Ching Hexagram 4 – Immaturity.

The journey of our life begins with creation;
individual and collective.

Creativity (hexagram 1) is an essential attribute
of our unique essence.

Receptivity (hexagram 2) to inspiration, both from
without and within, provides us with opportunities
to express our individual uniqueness.

Difficulty (hexagram 3) in the early stages of
our development is to be expected.

Immaturity (hexagram 4) never lasts forever.
Sooner or later we each progress in our
chosen direction.

Who chooses our direction, and to where?

Our chosen direction chooses itself.

How is that possible?

It is the only way possible.

Please explain.

Why did you not ask about the role of
so-called free will?

I have learned enough from you to accept
that free will is limited to available
options and that even then we my not be
aware of future choices each option
may require of us.

Yes.

So, please explain how our chosen direction
chooses itself.

The future is as the past in that it develops
from how we live here and now.

There always was a here and now?

Yes.

Then, the direction we think we are choosing,
if we do consider the choices we make, are
a direct result of how we got to where
we now are?

Yes.

Then, how can we begin to intentionally choose
where we want to go?

First, by intentionally choosing to be where
you now are.

What choice is there to make?

Accepting responsibility for how you arrived
where you are.

Then, what?

Determine to develop a more mature outlook
on life in general, and your own life,
in particular.

And, to let go of all that we know
holds us back?

Yes.

And those who seem to hold us back?

No, never.

Why?

Unhealthy relationships hold us back,
not unhealthy people. They need us
to accept them as they seem to be,
without pretending that we are where
they are or that they are where
we are, or need and intend to go.

How does one do that?

Release your hold on the past;
not the people in your past.

Then, we move on without necessarily
rejecting them?

Yes.

It doesn’t sound too easy.

Life isn’t meant to be too easy.

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 greatest pleasure or the least pain?

Spirit shares I Ching wisdom.

16 – Pleasure

“Do what you love and love what you do” has been used
as an advertisement to enroll in classes that will lead
to a successful career earning an income working at
something that brings you pleasure.

It also expresses the thought that we will do best
what we choose to do for self-satisfaction and not
for its dollar value, alone, or for social status.

That sounds great, but ..

You do not agree?

I do agree.

And yet?

It isn’t always possible.

Why?

We must choose …

That’s what it’s all aobut.

What is all about choosing.

Life.

Life may be about choosing ..

Not may be. It is.

But, sometimes we choose, not for the most
pleasure, but for the least pain.

Is there a difference?

Perhaps not in the final choice, but ..

So, we sometimes sacrifice pleasure?

At least short-term.

For delayed or postponed satisfaction?

Yes.
Why? You’re testing me. Yes.

Category:

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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Spirit Teaches I Ching – Social Networking

Spirit shares His understanding of the timeless wisdom of I Ching, as expressed in Hexagram 13 – Social Networking. Social Networking develops out of Obstruction (12) and moves toward Great Possession (14). Heaven is over Fire; yang over  yang. Lines two and five are natural correspondents of each other and perfectly matched when yin is on second and yang is on fifth, as is the case in this instance. Yang is in it’s  leadership psition on Line Five, and yin is in a balanced and supportive poisition on Line Two.

Spirit explains: “Through differences of opinion and difficulties with communication, we learn, sooner or later, the value of open and respectful social networking. We learn how to express our own understanding and to listen with intent to understand the positions of others. This is a valuable skill; a great possession, for it helps to foster co-operation without rejecting either our own truth or that of others, should they differ.”

“It sounds very noble, and a way of peaceful co-existence. But, how does this awareness relate to me, specifically, if it does?”

“It’s good advice for each and every one of us, both generally and specifically.”

………………….

Category:

applied philosophy to live by, enlightenment, Inspirational reading

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Spirit’s I Ching – 24 – Return

A spirit teacher shares His understanding of timeless wisdom

contained within the I Ching hexagram 24 – Return.

Earth is above and Thunder is below.

How is that possible?

Thunder can refer to earth-shattering noise; heard or not.

Emotions or thoughts?

Yes.

Does return suggest going back to an earlier way of life?

We can never return. The clutter we have created is from

an earlier lifestyle. Now, we must let go and move forward.

Stripping away is removing that which in unnecessary

and no longer serves us well.

.Excesses in our life usually develop gradually and are

best removed in that same manner, but with intent to

improve the quality of our life, not merely to reduce quantity.

Stripping away can be seen as intent to return to a state of

Balance that has lost sense of its goal.

The message?

It may be time to listen to our personal sense of comfort and

need. We each have physical, intellectual, emotional, and

spiritual needs that harmonize with each other, or they do not.

Harmony of our unique blend of energies is life-promoting.

disharmony is unhealthy.

Category:

A wide (33%) middle way., I Ching as a path to enlightenment, Inspirational reading, Understanding life's struggles

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Spirit’s I Ching 57 – Wind

Today’s I Ching reading by Spirit

Wind follows Travel

 

Spirit explains:

 

Travel and Wind each express movement, but each in its own way.

Wind, though variable in force and direction, is limited to movement of

Matter, without capacity to choose what it moves or how far.

 

Travel suggests intentional movement from one place to

Another, or from one condition to another.

 

Another, important difference between Travel and Wind is that

The wind can change direction and revisit where it had once been.

 

Only physical travel allows for return, and even then, never as

One was before moving or being moved.

 

Subjective states of mind, such as thought and emotion, can

Also travel, moved by outer or inner forces, with or without

Personal control.

 

Study, prayer, meditation, and contemplation are, more or less,

Self-directed ways of travel that require intention to direct or

Seek direction in both a physical and non-physical form.

 

What can be both physical and non-physical in form?

 

A lifestyle.

 

 

Category:

A wide (33%) middle way., enlightenment, I Ching as a path to enlightenment, Inspirational reading, Understanding life's struggles

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