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Posts tagged ‘potential.’

Awareness of Potential Danger

A spirit teacher shares His understanding of timeless wisdom
expressed within the I Ching hexagram 41 – Reduction.

Reduction emerges from Solution (40) and develops into
Increase (42).

Mountain is above Lake. Mountain is Yang and Lake is Yin.

Mountains have height while lakes have depth, and yet
we measure deep and high from our own unique perspectives.
That’s curious.

Why?

One mile or kilometer up or down is still the same distance.

It can make all the difference if you applied the same
measure to progress along the way; any way.

Our life as a way?

Yes, a chosen, more or less, way to live. And as mountains
and lakes, the ground beneath is rarely even. It dips and
climbs in irregular intervals and to irregular degrees.

But, in a boat on top of the lake?

I think you know from personal experience how an ocean
surface can become dangerously unpredictable.

Yes, terrifying so.

So it is with mountains. There is always a risk of uncertainty.
Landslides, mudslides, rock slides, and avalanches, to name
a few possible dangers that may present themselves with little
or no warning.

You’re going to relate all of this talk to Reduction. How?

Knowing possible risks and still choosing to follow a path,
any path through life, is only foolish if you do not first
prepare for whatever you might have to face along the way.

How can I know?

What?

How to possibly prepare for what hasn’t yet happened?

Awareness.

Of what?

Awareness of your own strengths and weaknesses, based on …

study and experience?

Yes, and that awareness will reduce the potential danger
along the Way of Life..

Category:

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

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Waiting for an Answer

A spirit teacher shares His understanding of timeless wisdom
contained within the I Ching Hexagram 5 – Waiting.

Water is over Heaven. Both express yang energies; Heaven as
ultimate power, and Water as flowing downward to reach its
own comfort zone; its own level.

What is Heaven?

Heaven is Life.

But, there are many forms of life.

Heaven is beyond form.

Is it potential form?

It is potential.

Then, it can become …

What?

Whatever it might have the power to become?

It has the power of potential itself.

What does that mean?

Are you waiting?

Yes.

For what?

For an answer.

Yes.

Category:

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

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The Horizon as a Well of Mind

A spirit teacher shares His understanding of
Hexagram 48 – The Well, from the ancient source
of wisdom that is I Ching.

Wrapping timeless wisdom in simplicity and
mystery, He tells me, helped to ensure
the survival of both the teachings and
the teachers, or at least some of them,
in a world of shifting degrees of hostility
to messages of love and integrity.

The series of sixty-four I Ching hexagrams
expresses the natural and endless
development of situations and experiences
that we each must face and pass beyond
throughout, as well as before and after,
our journey of a human lifetime,

Do they express the principle of cause
and effect?

The necessary sequence of cause and effect
is much more than a principle. It is
a Universal Law.

Is it a predetermined law?

In what way?

In that a seer would know.

Know what?

The future.

Everyone knows the future.

Perhaps to some extent …

To what extent?

We can’t see beyond the horizon.

Why not?

How would it be possible?

It isn’t possible. There is nothing
to see beyond an endless horizon.

How does this relate to a well?

The water in a well never contains
more or less than it is capable of
containing, regardless of how much
is added or withdrawn.

How can a well’s capacity compare
with the horizon?

The horizon or an horizon?

Are wells as the horizon?

No.

Then, what?

Horizons are as wells.

Horizons?

Yes. The horizon of your mind,
as well as that of others, has
an endless potential to expand.

Or to shrink?

Yes.

What determines it’s fate?

Not its destiny?

No. I accept your teaching of endless
potential as my destiny.

Not yours alone. We each and everyone
share the same destiny; each in her
or his own time and way.

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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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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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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Potential Resources are not Reserves

Spirit shares I Ching wisdom.

Today’s I Ching situation is 42 – Increase.
It follows Reduction and leads to Removal.

Wind is over Thunder.
They each influence the other.

Increase following reduction suggests
replenishment of reduced reserves or
resources.

How do they differ?

Reserves and resources?

Yes.

We may still have some reserves on hand,
while resources may refer to potential
sources of supply.

Yes.

What does that mean?

We can only increase whatever we have
the potential to increase.

How does that lead to removal?

Through the Universal Law of Cause
and Effect.

Please explain.

Wisdom suggests that we carefully
consider the potential consequences
of depending upon a potential supply
of whatever from a potential source

A bird in the bush is not in the hand?

Yes.

Then, what is the message for me?

Who is your teacher?

You are.

Am I a potential source of learning
or a secure source?

Secure?

Secure.

You are my teacher while you
choose to be.

And while you choose for me to be?

For me, there is no choice.

Yes.

Category:

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

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Within and without together

Spirit’s I Ching as a way to enlightenment

56 – Travel
Fire over Mountain

Fire moves, or at least has the potential to do so, while mountains are
generally known for their stability. If we travel from and return to a mountain, we can be confident that it will be where it was when we left it.
But, a fire may have moved on and created destruction as it moved.

Travel develops out of Abundance and transforms itself into Wind. or has the potential to do so if we only travel because of restlessness, without a purpose or goal.

Abundance suggests possessing much more than is necessary to satisfy survival needs. Without struggle there is a danger of life becoming meaningless.

Abundance can also provide us with an opportunity to travel, both within and without.

Not either, or?

We necessarily travel both ways at one time.

Category:

applied philosophy to live by, I Ching as a path to enlightenment, Inspirational reading, Understanding life's struggles

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Stress as Exercise

Spirit shares His understanding of Hexagram 53 – Gradual Progress,.

“Gradual Progress follows Mountain (52) in the continuous progression of the hexagrams, and leads to Marrying a Young Woman (54). Wind is over Mountain; yang is over yin, and lines  two and five are in perfect harmony with each other. Yang is on the fifth line of leadership and yin is on the second line, in a centered and balanced support position.

An easy path to follow is no challenge to our physical, emotional, intellectual, or spiritual potential capacities for growth. Physical muscles require exercise in order to expand. Emotional and/or mental stress is a similar process to exercise, and can contribute to emotional, intellectual, and spiritual expansion. Of course, as with physical exercise, too much stress defeats its purpose. A mountain can express an end-of-the-line kind of obstruction, or no more than a challenge to our progress.”

“Is there a personal message for me?”

“Yes. Stop complaining, and keep moving forward and upward. Gradual progress is still progress.”

…………….

Category:

enlightenment, I Ching as a path to enlightenment, Inspirational reading, Understanding life's struggles

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Community is a Valuable Resource

Spirit shares His understanding of Hexagram 14 – Great Possession

“Great Possession follows Association (13)  in the order of the hexagrams, and in the order of our lived experiences, and leads to Humility (5). Fire is over Heaven; yang over yang. The only yin line in this hexagram is on the fifth line of leadership; in a very weak position among five yang.

Community is a valuable resource if the people we choose to associate with express values similar to our own. Even within such a community, there is always a danger when anyone possesses something of great value There are always some others who would, if they could, and they sometimes do, when opportunities seem to allow, pretend friendship with those with great possessions, with  intent to exploit that association for their own benefit, alone.”

“What great possessions are we talking about?”

“We?”

“Then, what great possessions are you talking about?”.

“Great possessions are potential or realized resources and may include one, some, or all of material, emotional, intellectual, or spiritual energies.”

“If this is a personal reading…”

“And it is.”

“Then, what great possession do I have that could or would attract false friends?”

“Yes.+

“I don’t seem to have anything that most everyone else doesn’t have.”

“You have a relationship with me.”

“How could that be taken from me?”

“You could, perhaps, be persuaded that I don’t exist.”

“Is that possible?”

“What?”

“That I could be persuaded that you don’t exist?”

“Yes.”

….

Category:

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

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Spirit explains I Ching 9 – Small Development

Small Development follows Closeness.

 

Spirit explains:

 

Closeness can be measured by distance from someone or something in

More ways than one.

 

Sitting next to someone on a bus is being physically close to

That person, but not in the same way that reading a message

From a loved one who is, perhaps, thousands of miles away,

Can make one feel. An emotional sense of closeness cannot

Be measured in any standardized way.

 

How does such a sense of closeness begin?

 

With small developments. Everything that means anything

To us had a beginning.

 

The message?

 

Treasure and enjoy even seemingly small but pleasurable

Close encounters. They have unlimited potential.

 

Category:

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

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