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Posts tagged ‘purpose’

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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Rainbows are for Dreamers

A spirit teacher shares His understanding
of timeless wisdom contained within
I Ching 12 – Obstruction.

The trigram Heaven (complete yang) is above
Earth (complete yin), providing each line
with a complement; perfect harmony.

The I Ching path through life experiences
moves from Tranquility (11) to Obstruction
and then to Association with Others (13)

Yesterday becomes today, and then tomorrow.
Past becomes present and then future.

Or, does the future become the present and
then the past?

Yes.

Looking forward we could liken that thought
to planning, creating, and then enjoying.

You seem to envision enjoyment.

The other end of the rainbow.

Rainbows are for dreamers.

Perhaps we’re all dreamers.

Yes, but not all dreamers with a vision
also possess intention, purpose, and a goal.

Category:

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

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Moving Forward

A spirit teacher shares His understanding of timeless wisdom
concealed within the I Ching Hexagram 35 – Advance.

Hexagram 35 is composed of two trigrams; Fire and Earth.
Fire is over Earth. Fire and Earth each possess yin energy.

Advance develops from Great Power (34) and contributes to
the emergence of Damage to Illumination (36).

We create greater power by exercising lesser power.

The power to do what?

Yes. Without purpose, even great power is vulnerable.

To what?

To inspire others with power and purpose to use their power
to reduce our own.

The message?

Hold on to the power of thought that you have as long as
it makes sense to you.

But, there are times when your ideas seem to make at least
as much sense to me as my own do. What then?

Let them work it out.

Category:

A spirit teacher shares His I Ching Wisdom, applied philosophy to live by, higher education, Universal laws apply even today

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We Choose the Rules

A spirit teacher shares His understanding of timeless wisdom
concealed within the I Ching hexagram 7 – The Army.

The Army necessarily develops out of Contention (6) and then
establishes a foundation for Closeness (8). Earth is above
and water is below.

Why is Water yang when Lake is yin?

Is feminism rising?

Perhaps, but it is curious, since in essence they each are
water.

Lake is usually more submissive and receptive than is the
free-flowing water of rivers. Now, can we return to discussing
The Army?

Please do.

As today follows yesterday into the past, so The Army follows
Contention; and as today reaches toward tomorrow, so does
The Army reach toward Closeness.

I can understand The Army and Contention acting on each other,
but what possible relationship can The Army have with Closeness?

When reason alone fails to solve contention, then power is a
necessary organizing force. It serves a good purpose if it can
bring together contentious groups of people. Then it contributes
to a sense of closeness.

Okay, I can accept that, but how does it relate to me?

Who is contentious?

Perhaps I justifiably am, at times.

Who is The Army?

I don’t know.

Is The Army as a referee in this instance?

That’s possible, but not all referees play by the same rules.

What rules do I play by?

You seem to play by rules of your own choosing.

Yes, and so do you.

Category:

A spirit teacher shares His I Ching Wisdom, applied philosophy to live by, higher education, I Ching as a path to enlightenment, initiation

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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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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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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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The Road Ahead is Only in Your Mind

Spirit explains the I Ching hexagram 61 – Sincerity.

Sincerity follows Discipline in the sequential order
of events and situations experienced along the I Ching
Way to enlightenment.

When discipline and sincerity travel together within
the mind of the seeker of wisdom and truth, then
progress is certain.

What if they’re both going down the wrong road?

Then, progress is still assured.

Then, discipline and sincerity are not sufficient
to progress in the desired direction?

Yes, they are not.

What else is required?

Awareness.

Of what?

Not of what?

Where?

Yes.

Then, a map and a guide are required?

Yes.

My mind would resist.

Why?

A certain sense of personal responsibility for choices
of directions taken or forms of discipline accepted
and followed would require me to question myself and
any teacher, regardless of how much I might admire her
or him.

Yes, and that is as it should be.

Then, why do I regret not being able to completely
accept your way as my own.

My way should never be accepted as your way.

Why?

It would not be unique.

Must it be?

Yes.

Then, how can all ways merge into one and still
remain unique?

They merge into the one that is beyond uniqueness.

How can anything be beyond uniqueness?

We each are a unique aspect of Life and each are
contained within Life.

Then, what is the purpose of my struggle along
a unique way if I am already within what would be
the destination of my unique way?

A simple purpose; to develop awareness of what you are.

And then?

And then to expand your awareness.

To include what?

To include the awareness of all otherwise unique
aspects of Life.

Otherwise unique aspects?

Yes. They are only unique until you absorb their
awareness into your own.

Then your way becomes mine?

Yes.

It looks like a long road ahead.

Yes, but that’s just the bad news.

There’s good news?

Yes. The road ahead is only in your mind.

Dear readers, if you enjoy witnessing my struggle with Spirit on this blog, we invite you to join us
at jeanw5.wordpress.com where Spirit shares more of his wisdom in a different format.

Category:

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

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The Value of Signs of Aging

Spirit shares His understanding of the timeless wisdom of I Ching, as expressed in Hexagram 22 – Adornment.  Mountain is over Fire; yin is over yang. Adornment follows Biting Through (21) in the natural order of  progression of the hexagrams and leads to Striping Away (23).

“An adornment is a decoration. It adds value without necessarily serving a practical purpose of its own. It can be as icing on a cake, or gravy on steak, or as precious stones worn around one’s neck, arms, fingers, or pinned to hair or clothes. It might also be something that can be set on a table, to be admired.

Biting Through suggests successfully completing a mission of importance, to oneself, if to no other. Something needed to be done, and now can be celebrated and remembered with an adornment as a reward.”

“That sounds very nice, but what personal message of inspiration can it have for me?”

“Do you possess something that seems to remind you of something else?”

“Such as?”

“Perhaps the many small lines on your face.”

“They only remind me that I’m getting older.”

“Have you earned them?”

“I think so.”

“Yes.”

……………

Category:

A wide (33%) middle way., applied philosophy to live by, enlightenment

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