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Posts tagged ‘fire’

Movement Has No Purpose of its Own

A spirit teacher shares His understanding of timeless wisdom

Contained within I Ching 56 – Travel.

In the order of the hexagrams, Travel follows Abundance (55)

And transforms itself into Wind (57), or has the potential to do so,

If we only travel because of restlessness.

The trigram Fire is above Mountain. Fire is Yin energy

Mountain is yang.

 

Isn’t that curious?

 

What?

 

That yin Fire moves while yang Mountain is placid.

 

Mountains are never placid. A calm exterior can contain

Dynamic energy. Now can we continue with the reading?

 

Please do.

 

Fire moves, or at least has potential to move

Mountains are generally known for their stability.

If we travel from and then return to a mountain,

We can usually be confident that it will be where we left it.

A fire may have moved on and created destruction.

 

What general message would this reading seem to suggest?

 

Travel is only movement if it has no purpose.

 

Category:

A spirit teacher shares His I Ching Wisdom, applied philosophy to live by, higher education, lifelong learning, Potential consequences

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Case Closed

A spirit teacher shares His understanding of timeless wisdom
contained within the I Ching Hexagram 61 – Settled.

Water is over Fire.

It’s curious to me that Water is Yang and Fire is Yin.

Why?

I would consider Fire to be more powerful than Water.

How so?

Fire can rage out of control.

Water seems to be able to control Fire more easily
than can Fire control Water.

Fire can heat Water.

Not without human help to control it.

I’ve distracted you from the reading.

No. You’ve distracted yourself, alone.

So, Water over Fire settles or calms Fire?

Settled refers to closed, as in, this issue has been …

What issue?

Whatever issue.

Our discussion?

Yes.

Category:

A spirit teacher shares His I Ching Wisdom, male domination, Potential consequences, spirituality without intelligence is not intelligent spirituali5y

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Cause or Effect – Chicken or Egg

A spirit teacher shares His understanding of timeless wisdom contained within
the symbolic structure of the 64 I Ching hexagrams, which expresses an endless
series of events and situations that each of us will necessarily experience
during our human lifetimes, until we have learned to become aware of our own
self-directed role in creating the illusion of permanence and of our seeming
resistance to accept what is, and to respond without unproductive emotional
or intellectual analysis. When milk is spilled, by whatever cause, we mop it up.

How does cause and effect or chicken and egg fit into such a philosophy of life?

I Ching hexagram 50 – The Cauldron, answers that question.

Then, please explain.

Fire is over Wind. Each are yin and each is receptive to the other, at least
in this situation.

The separate energies of Fire and Wind, in their extremes, can create destruction.
Together, they could bring about disaster. Mental energies are no different than
those of nature, in this respect.

But, a gentle fire and a controlled movement of air can create warmth, boil
water, or heat food.

Enter the Cauldron?

Yes. A cauldron was a large kettle hung over an open fire, before it was
replaced with modern appliances and more controllable sources of heat.

However, the timeless realities exist even within a so-called modern
world. The transfer of energy still requires movement and interaction
between cause and effect.

What is the message that this discussion of fire and wind say to me?

It dares to ask a question concerning our relationship, which you seem
to hesitate to face.

And, that is …?

Who is what?

Fire or Wind?

No.

Cause or effect?

Yes.

Perhaps we each, depending upon the situation, can and do play
either role.

Yes.

Category:

A spirit teacher shares His I Ching Wisdom, applied philosophy to live by, cause and effect, spirituality without intelligence is not intelligent spirituali5y

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Many Ways Become One

Spirit shares His understanding of the timeless wisdom
expressed within the I Ching Hexagram 13 – Association.

Heaven is above and Fire is below. Heaven represents
powerful yang. Fire is yin, but by no means weak.

Association follows Obstruction (12) in the order of
the hexagrams that unfold the stories of our life, both
individually and collectively.

Fire has power to consume, but Heaven, representing
cosmic energy, or cosmic consciousness, has the power,
and uses it wisely, to subsume all inferior powers
within itself.

And, all other powers are inferior?

Yes.

I sense that you have chosen number 13 knowing that it
also represents the Death card in Tarot.

Yes, and yet the so-called Death card in Tarot
expresses change.

Death to an old way of thinking?

Death to an old way of being, or, rather, death to
a non-way of being.

How can there be such a thing?

Not a thing; a way.

As in going down the wrong road?

Yes, but there are detour signs all along the way.

How does this relate to me, personally, when I try
to understand Your way.

Not my way, alone.

Then, whose?

Not whose.

Then, what?

The only way.

How can there be many ways and also an only way?

Not possible, and yet necessarily so.

Please explain.

All ways are subsumed within the only way.

Then, why would detour signs be necessary?

They allow for different ways to merge
with others, along the way.

So, saying that all roads lead to wherever does
not necessarily mean they remain separate,
all the way?

Yes.

Category:

A spirit teacher shares His I Ching Wisdom, applied philosophy to live by, destiny, enlightenment, The Way of I Ching

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The Fire of Imagination

Spirit shares His understanding of I Ching Wisdom.

Hexagram 30 – Fire (Clinging) follows Double Pitfall (29)
and is in turn followed by Sensing (31).

Double Pitfall seems to suggest being stuck or trapped
between a rock and a hard place.

A need to choose between two unpleasant options?

Yes.

We could resist choosing either.

Postpone decision-making and hope for a third …?

Not hope.

Then, what?

Expanding our awareness of the situation.

Where does Fire fit in?

Into what?

Into taking time to consider possible alternatives
that are not obviously available?

The fire of imagination.

Envisioning what a third option would look like?

Yes.

What if there isn’t a third option?

There is always another way out of any problem.

That sounds absolute.

It is absolute.

Then, Sensing could suggest using one’s intuition?

For what purpose?

To guide our decision-making.

Yes.

Category:

A spirit teacher shares His I Ching Wisdom, applied philosophy to live by, Inspirational reading, spirituality without intelligence is not intelligent spirituali5y

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Rewards Relate To The Past

A Spirit Teacher shares His understanding of
I Ching 22 – Adornment.

Mountain is above and Fire is below.

Adornment develops out of Biting Through (21)
and will transform itself, or be transformed
into Stripping Away (23).

Adornment expresses excess that will reach
a limit and then be reduced, one way or another.

No situation in life begins or ends on its own.
Each is interconnected with what came before
and with whatever will follow or develop
out of what now is, or seems to be.

Biting Through suggests successful struggle.
Perhaps adornment was or is a reward?

Yes.

Then, how and why would a well-earned
(if it was) reward be reduced?

Everything is relevant to everything else.
We may reward ourselves for past battles
fought and won, but, the future
is not the past, and past success
does not guarantee future success.

Then struggle is forever?

Challenge is forever.

What is the difference?

How we perceive the situation.

Please explain.

To struggle is to seek to control
outcome, whereas a challenge is
seen as an opportunity to test
our own ability to meet whatever
difficulty we face, regardless
of the possibility of failure.

To do our best; win, lose, or draw?

Yes.

Category:

A spirit teacher shares His I Ching Wisdom, applied philosophy to live by, cause and effect, I Ching as a path to enlightenment

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Indecision Never Wins

Spirit shares I Ching wisdom.

I Ching 31 – Sensing follows Fire in the sequential
order of situations and events that we each face
as we travel along our physical life journey.

As in cause and effect?

No.

Then what?

As in order or progression. The universe
does not operate on a system of cause
and effect, even if at times it might
appear to do so.

Then, why does Sensing follow Fire?

You might also ask why Sensing leads
to Withdrawal, or why that outcome
might be advisable.

Can we go back to Sensing?

We never left it, at least not those
of us who pay close attention
to whatever situation has developed
or shows signs of doing so.

Then, Sensing is as an instinctual
awareness?

Awareness is not instinctual, but does
or can develop from a natural response
to heat, among other things.

Could instinct be considered as
a prerequisite to sensing or awareness?

No.

Then, where does instinct fit in with sensing?

Instinct follows sensing.

So, when our physical senses send a warning
to our inner awareness, then awareness
triggers an instinctual response to withdraw?

Yes.

Then, fight or flight determine outcome?

No.

Then what?

We choose whether to withdraw or not to.

Then why does withdrawal follow sensing?

It is the usual recommended course of action
in extreme situations.

Then, whatever follows or leads into
any developing situation is contingent
upon …

Contingent upon what?

I’m not sure.

Yes.

What does that mean?

Indecision is also an option.

But, if instinct only offers two?

Then indecision would be over-ruled
by the most dominant instinct.

Or the less controlled one?

Yes.

Category:

cause and effect, I Ching as a path to enlightenment, Spirit shares I Ching wisdom, Universal laws apply even today

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Higher Values Create Their Own Expression

Spirit shares His understanding of the life situation expressed within  HexagramI 22 – Adornment. Mountain is above and Fire is below. Yin over yang.

“Society is as a fire that brings people together; first, for survival and then for other mutually beneficial purposes beyond, but never excluding survival. Culture is as a volcanic mountain that can only develop, as an adornment, around a more-or-less stable society.

Culture cannot develop without generally accepted social rules of relating to different people in different ways. A teacher is not a cook or a bus driver.”

“That’s curious that you would choose a cook and a bus driver
to distinguish yourself as other than.”

“Why?”

“A cook prepares food for eating anda bus driver takes one to his or her
chosen destination.”

“Yes.”

“But, you do neither.”

“That is correct.”

“You seem to neither prepare food nor offer transportation. Perhaps
the spiritual teachings you share, after I struggle to digest them
and walk the path they point to, are as adornments of sacred wisdom.”

“Yes.”

“But, I might understand what you say in a way that differs from others.”

“Relate what I share with your lived experience.”

“But, different people have different lived experiences.”

“Yes and no.”

“How so?”

“Our individually lived experiences are as adornments on the form
within which our shared intelligence feels and thinks.”

“Then there is a finite varietyof emotions and thoughts that we each share?”

“Yes, but there is an infinite variety of quality of thought and emotion.”

“Where does spiritual development come into all of this?”

“All of this?”

“Our shared thoughts and emotions of infinite qualities.”

“Spirituality is in the personal development of higher qualities of thought and emotion.”

“What about action?”

“What about it?”

“How do we express higher qualities of thought and emotion?”

“How do we choose the form or focus of our expression of higher values?”

“Values?”

“Higher thoughts are values.”

“Then, how do we choose to express them.”

“They choose their own expression.”

“As do lower levels of thought and emotion?”

“Yes.”

………………..

Category:

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

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How Many Times?

Spirit shares His understanding of the life situation expressed by I Ching Hexagram 14 – Great Possession. Fire is over Heaven. Both are yang.  Great Possession follows Association with Others (13) and leads to Humility (15).

“Fire, in this instance, expresses emotion out of control, or with great potential
to move in that direction. Heaven represents self-controlled
power and stability.”

“We’re into Yin and Yang again?”

“We can never leave the concepts of extremes of emotion
and control.”

“Why?”

“These are as boundaries within which we live.”

“Are they the same for everyone?”

“Yes and no.”

“Why yes?”

“We each choose the boundaries of our comfort or
safety zone, within which we live our life
our way.”

“And no?”

“Some dare to accept that self-imposed boundaries
can be expanded, without necessarily leaving
the situation or relationship the boundaries
enclose.”

“Why not just leave and start again?”

“How many times?”

………………

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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Cause and Effect are Interactive

Spirit shares His understanding of the timeless wisdom of  I Ching  as expressed in Hexagram 50 – The Cauldron.

“Fire i over Wind. Yang is over yang.. Each is receptive to the other, at least in this situation. The Cauldron follows  Revoluion (49) in the order of the hexagrams, and leads to Thunder (51). The energies of fire and wind, in their extreme forms, can create destruction on their own. Together, they could bring disaster. Mental energies are no different than those of nature, in this respect. But, a gentle fire and a controlled movement of air can create welcomed warmth, boil water, or heat food.

A cauldron was a large kettle hung over a fire before it was replaced by modern appliances and more controllable sources of heat. However, the timeless realities exist even in a so-called modern world. The transfer of energy still requires movement and interaction between cause and effect.

What are you saying to me?

Who is what?

Perhaps there is a two-way interaction.

Yes.

…………..

Category:

I Ching as a path to enlightenment, Understanding life's struggles, Universal laws apply even today

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