Yen Hui

"Taoist internal alchemy teaches us to accumulate yang fire in the morning and expell yin energy in the evening. If you do not know the methods of accumulating yang fire and expelling yin energy, then you must let go of the material world and accumulate good deeds to move the lords of heaven. You must find an enlightened teacher to show you your original nature and instruct you in the methods of accumulating yang fire and expelling yin energy. Original nature and the Way of Heaven are not simply understood when heard. The teachings are given orally but must be received by the heart." (Ms. Wong's Cultivating Stillness, 1992 Shambhala Edition, p. 56)

Cleary's Translation of Tao Te Ching, Chapter/Section 48:- For learning you gain daily; for the Way you lose daily. Losing and losing, thus you reach noncontrivance; be uncontrived, and nothing is not done. Taking the world is always done by not making anything of it. For when something is made of it, that is not enough to take the world. ( Cleary's Translation @ http://home.pages.at/onkellotus/TTK/Englis..._TTK.html#Kap48 ) According to Chapter 48, you can take football, but just don't make anything of it. But if you make something of it, anyway, use it for practicing the Tao. Avoid all addictions. If and when football becomes an addiction, I would say it's time to retreat. You must learn how to practice non-contrivance, by flowing with the Tao. When you can "completely realize" your true nature in "the game" of football, you will have realized the nature of football as well. You will then be free. But we don't need football, in reality, to find freedom! Football is an aggressive and very physical path, so will require more effort or discipline in the emotional department than a less aggressive one. That means more emotional work, or having to work through more negative emotions and emotional blocks. Do not allow football to obstruct your chi flow by becoming an emotional prison, or torture chamber. Learn to practice the way of non-attachment at all times; whether playing football or engaged in any other mundane activity. But non-attachment is not an excuse for laziness, or for not practicing your form and technique to perfection, or to the point of flawless execution! Practice! The Tao can be realized in football, no less than in the Fist-Arts. But your approach to the game must be fundamentally different than the "average" player's. As soaring crane says, it's not about winning and losing. So what do you do, then, when "the team" celebrates their victories? Do you join the festivities? Would your participation give the wrong impression to others, that, perhaps it really is about winning and losing? Just remember one thing: actions communicate. Your life is a reflection, and it should reflect and attract the Tao; which agrees with the path of concealment! The idea is to keep it "real" at all times, which is to say, to "practice the Tao." If you can't do that, while playing fotball, or at least make that your "focus" and "intent", then it's time to "re-focus" or "re-group". Practicing the Tao means not being influenced by externals, in a negative direction. And that means not being negatively influenced by our associates. If we chose to be part of society, then we must associate with those who do not obstruct our Path to becoming 'real people'; fully integrated human beings, that is. But I meant "re-group" mainly in terms of priorities, and complete realization of the Tao tops the list! But since deviation from the correct path is an ongoing concern, vigilance is the order of the day! Imagery is very powerful. It can be used to free you or imprison you. Therefore, it is not something to play with. We need to use it responsibly, or "consciously" or in a fully awakened state. Distraction has its practical use and abuse, like everything else. When it keeps you from the Tao, then it's abuse. Abuses must be eliminated. Inner quiet and stillness is your true nature. You (we) must realize this at all times. Eventually, with practice and realization, our direct experience of reality will acquire depth! And the greater the root, the stronger the tree, and the further it can extend itself. Keep it balanced and harmonious, if you can; but if you can't, then the solution is quite simple, in my eyes: Quit!! 23 MORE QUOTES FROM THE HUAI NAN MASTERS 01 - Sages do not use people for their own personal ends; they do not let their desires disturb harmony. Therefore, when they are happy, they do not rejoice too much, and when they are sad, they do not grieve too much. ( Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 409) 02 - Sadness, happiness, and ill-temper make sickness accumulate. When there are many likes and dislikes, calamity follows along. (Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 392) 03 - Likes and dislikes are excesses of the mind. Habitual desires are a burden on human nature. (Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 392) 04 - "If you are not satisfied with yourself, even if you have a whole continent for your house with all its people for your servants, this will not be enough to support you." (Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 375) 05 - "Those who can reach the point where they take no pleasure in anything find that they can now enjoy everything. Since there is nothing they do not enjoy, their happiness is supreme." (Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 376) 06 - "What I call happiness is when people appeciate what they have. People who appreciate what they have do not consider extravagance enjoyable and do not consider frugality a sorry state." ( Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 375) 07 - "Take the world lightly, and your spirit will not be burdened. Consider everything minor, and your mind will not be confused . Regard death and life as equal, and your heart will not be afraid." ( Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 374) 08 - When people are caught up in the world, they are materially bound and spiritually drained. Therefore, they unavoidably suffer ailments from depletion. (Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 379) 09 - Habitual desires deplete people's energy; likes and dislikes strain people's minds. If you don't get rid of them quickly, your will and energy will diminish day by day. (Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 375) 10 - When the essential vitality is lost within, and speech and action look to externals, then one cannot avoid being a personal servant of things. When people are ostentatious in speech and devious in action, this is because their vitality is seeking externals. Their vitality runs low and wears out, while their actions have no consummation, so mental confusion clouds their spirits, and this confusion shakes them to the roots. The principles by which they live are inconstant, and they are outwardly infatuated with vulgarities. They bungle their decisions, while inwardly beclouding their clarity. Therefore, they hesitate all their lives and never get a moments peace. (Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 388) 11 - When the mind neither sorrows nor delights, that is supreme attainment of virtue. To succeed without changing is the supreme attainment of calm. To be unburdened by habitual desires is the supreme attainment of emptiness. To have no likes and dislikes is the supreme attainment of equanimity. Not getting mixed up with things is the supreme attainment of purity. Those who can accomplish these five things reach spiritual illumination. Those who reach spiritual illumination are those who attain the inward. Therefore, when you master the outward by means of the inward, all affairs are unspoiled. If you can attain this within, then you can develop it outwardly. (Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 390-391) 12 - When people are calm, this is their celestial nature; to act on being moved is the capacity of this nature. When the spirit responds to things that come up, this is the action of cognition; when cognition and objects come into contact, like and dislike arise. When likes and dislikes are formalized, and cognition is lured outside, unable to return to itself, the celestial pattern is obliterated. Therefore, those who arrive at the Tao do not replace the celestial with the human. Externally they change along with things, but internally they do not lose their true state. (Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 400) 13 - Outwardly go along with the flow, while inwardly keeping your true nature. Then your eyes and ears will not be dazzled, and your thoughts will not be confused, while the spirit within you will expand greatly to roam in the realm of absolute purity. (Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 383) 14 - Attainment of the Tao is certain and does not depend on the flow of things. I do not let the changes of a given time determine the way I master myself. What I call self-mastery means that my nature and life abide where they are secure. (Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 383) 15 - When desires do not emerge within and perversions do not enter from without, this is called security. When there is inward and outward security, everything is moderate; everything can be accomplished. (Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 385) 16 - The vital spirit belongs to heaven; the physical body belongs to earth. When the vital spirit goes home, and the physical body returns to its origin, where then is the self? (Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 381) 17 - When you penetrate psychology, you realize that habitual desires, likes and dislikes, are external. (Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 375) 18 - "If you consider externals important, you will be inwardly stifled by this. People chasing game do not see the mountains. When your desires are externalized, then your light is obscured." ( Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 397) 19 - When outside and inside do not match, yet you want to make connections with things, you cover your mystic light and seek knowledge through your eyes and ears. This is giving up illumination, so the way is dark. This is called losing the Way. (Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 388) 20 - Those who rely on intelligence without the Way will surely be endangered; those who employ talent unscientifically will surely be frustrated. There are those who perish because of having many desires, but there has never been anyone imperiled by being desireless. There are those who cause disorder by their desire to govern, but no one has ever suffered loss by preservation of the constant. (Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 376) 21 - If you want to abandon learning to follow nature, this is like leaving the boat and trying to walk over the water. When a fine sword first comes out of the mold, it cannot cut or pierce until it is sharpened. When a fine mirror first comes out of the mold, it cannot reflect clearly until it is ground and polished. Learning is also a way to sharpen and polish people. Those who say learning is useless are mistaken in their argument. (Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 398) 22 - Those who know how to learn are like axles of a car: the center of the hub does not itself move, but with it they go a thousand miles, beginning again when they finish, operating an inexhaustible resource. Those who do not know how to learn are as though lost: tell them the cardinal directions, and they misunderstand; listening from their own point of view, they are disoriented and therefore fail to get the gist of the whole matter. (Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 374) 23 - When the spirit controls the body, the body obeys; when the body overrules the spirit, the spirit is exhausted. Although intelligence is useful, it needs to be returned to the spirit. This is called the Great Harmony. (Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 396)

Illustrious Taoist Ancestor Lu says:- 1 - It is imperative to study the Great Way, for if you do not study the Great Way you cannot escape these three calamities and will lose your three treasures. So it is only people of understanding who know this and therefore go in search of elevated Real People who will teach them the Great Way so that they can be forever free from the three calamities. (The Spirit of Tao, p. 88) 2 - It is necessary, however, to seek the guidance of elevated Real People. If you do not meet Real People who can point out the refinements and subtleties, you will not understand the Great Way. In that case, whatever you understand will still be superficial, and you will ultimately fail to attain the mysterious profundities. If you do not attain the profundities, how can you understand the Great Way? So we know that the Great Way requires us to seek true transmission. This true transmission is received individually from a teacher. (The Spirit of Tao, p. 91) 3 - The Way of the sages is great indeed: open and free, responding to cause, pure and serene. What is the use of different doctrines? Arbitrary indulgence in fuss and confusion makes the obstacle of doubt, by which people impede themselves. What a pity that they do not understand and wind up subject to pernicious influences. It is necessary for practioners to learn from genuine teachers; don't be confused by false doctrines, and don't take to sidetracks. (The Spirit of Tao, p. 123)

I find myself wondering about the basic accuracy of the main premise. Do the masters of the Far East really demand absolute secrecy? And if they really do, is it really nothing more than self-indulgence on their part? I wonder. What's important to remember here, though, (I feel,) is that Castaneda could not have awakened or ascended on his own, without Don Juan's direction; and the same applies to Don Juan himself. Both needed a real teacher to help awaken and develop themselves into what they became. This holds true for everyone, as a general rule. However, our present time is characterized by the "darkening of the light", and real people or truly enlightened warriors of the 'Duan Juan' cast are difficult at best to locate and hook up with. In this case, we are forced to look inward and attempt to reconnect with our own cosmic intelligence. The Divine Oracle is highly beneficial in this regard, and should be called upon often in one's spiritual work of practicing the Tao.

As an after-thought to my previous reply, it occurred to me that posting the following quotes (from Cleary's translation of the Huainanzi) might cast some light on the matter:- FIVE QUOTES FROM THE MASTERS OF HAUI NAN 01 - Insanity and sanity wound each other; greed and nature hurt each other. They cannot co-exist; when one governs, the other wastes away. Therefore, sages reduce desire and follow nature. ( Taoist Classics, Vol. 1, p. 406) 02 - Sages overcome mind; ordinary people overcome greed. Ideal people act sanely; petty people act insanely. Sanity means inward comfort with nature, outward accord with duty, reasonable action, and nonentanglement. Insanity means addiction to sensuality and emotional impulsiveness heedless of subsequent problems. (ibid, p. 405) 03 - The eyes, ears, and palate do not know what to take and what to leave; when the mind governs them, they each find their proper place. Seen from this point of view, it is evident that desire cannot be overcome; yet it can be done to the point where insanity does not occur, by any who master themselves and develop their nature, regulate sexual activity and moderate their dining, make their emotions gentle, and act and rest appropriately, causing this all to be in themselves. (ibid, p. 385) 04 - Sages examine the changes of movement and rest, make the measures of receiving and giving appropriate, make feelings of like and dislike reasonable, and harmonize the degrees of joy and anger. When movement and rest are right, no trouble is encountered. When receiving and giving are appropriate, no blame is incurred. When likes and dislikes are reasonable, no anxiety comes near. When joy and anger are in measure, no enmity invades. Therefore, people who arrive at the Way do not take wrongful gain yet do not reject good fortune. They do not throw away what they have and do not seek what is not theirs. When one is always full, there is an overflow; when one is always empty, one is easily satisfied. (ibid, p. 394) 05 - Those who do not know the Way give up what they already have to seek what they have not yet got. They fret and worry, which leads them into being selfish and devious. Therefore, when fortune comes they rejoice, and when trouble comes they are afraid. Their spirits toil at planning and scheming; their intellects labor over their affairs. Troubles and blessings sprout and grow, but people may live their whole lives without conscience, resenting others for what they themselves have created. If they are not happy, they are anxious and have never tasted peace within; they are not masters of what they have in their hands. This is called the birth of madness. (ibidp. 395) In the spirit of the Tao, Yen Hui

Motives are important in determining what is beneficial or not. This one thing is sure, though: if you cannot practice the Tao while playing football, then playing football is basically "taboo" for you; at least until when football stops obstructing your practice of the Tao. Practicing the Tao is not a game, in the sense that it's a Way of Life, and something we strive to accomplish 24x7. If your goal is the complete realization of innate human potential, then you have to "play" by the correct rules of engagement.

The MacKenzie Brothers are just a couple of "hosers", for sure, but I love 'em both - and their 'Strange Brew' especially! Have you seen the 'Trailor Park Boys' yet?

Daniel Reid's Tao of Detox is another great text! I also recommend the revolutionary writings of (the German nutritionist) Arnold Ehret; especially his Mucusless-Diet Healing System and Rational Fasting books. A few excerpts from The Mucusless-Diet can be found online at the link below:- 1 - The Proper Study of Mankind http://www.arnoldehret.org/catalog/wrapper...n_spiritual.php 2 - Mucusless-Diet Healing System http://www.arnoldehret.org/catalog/wrapper...le=mucdiet1.php 3 - Rational Fasting - the Preface http://www.arnoldehret.org/catalog/wrapper...ting_hirsch.php 4 - Rational Fasting - the Introduction http://www.arnoldehret.org/catalog/wrapper...ler_fasting.php Ehret was a man "way ahead of his times," literally speaking, and well worth a careful perusal!! Spring is supposed to arrive early this year, but you'd never know it by the extended weather forecast here. Nevertheless, a good cleanse exerts a strong attraction over me right now, so it looks like I'm in for the ride.

Not sure, myself, about Spectrum's meaning, but the expression -"Beauty A"- reminded me of the well-known Canadian slang term, "eh". It is a peculiar slang expression that will puzzle most of the world, and the Yankie Doodles (Americans ) constantly make fun of it. It is common to hear Canadians say, "Beauty, eh?" which is like saying, "Is'nt it beautiful!" As I say, I'm not sure if that was Spectrum's thinking, but that's how his term -"Beauty A"- came across to me; like saying, "Is'nt it beautiful!"

You have inadvertently hit upon the main point of contention or division between the Northern and Southern sects of Complete Reality Taoism. Both sects practiced the cultivation of essence and life, that is, mind and body; but the Northern School (i.e. the Dragon Sect) taught that the mind essence should be cultivated first; whereas the Southern Sect taught that the body should be cultivated first, as preparation for more advanced methods in refining the mind. The path of dual cultivation, or of simultaneously cultivating mind and body, eventually emerged from this division; and is referred to in Hexagram 30: "Clarity of mind is rooted in life but can also consume it. Everything depends upon how the clarity functions." (cf - Line 4 @ http://www.geocities.com/clearlight610/chou_i/h30.html ) The idea of life being dependent on the function of inherent clarity is expounded at large for us in these words: On the Twin Cultivation of Essence and Life Master Zhang Ziyang said, "If you start with essence, it's hard to apply it in practice; if you start with life, there's a concrete way of approach. Even if the achievement is one, nevertheless there is something better about starting with esence." Li Qing-an said, "The best people have already planted roots of virtue and have inborn knowledge; once they directly comprehend essence, they naturally comprehend life." Essence and life are one matter. The reason people die is that the body and spirit separate. The reason the sense organs are useless after death, even though they are still there, is no spirit to manage them. Obviously the spirit is the manager of the body; when the spirit departs, energy dissipates, so how could life exist outside of essence? If you divide them into two for twin cultivation, differentiating them into prior and latter, that is not quite right. Why? When you cultivate essence, life is therein. As the Celestial Master of Open Serenity said, "When spirit is restored to the body, energy returns of itself." No one has been able to accomplish intercourse to produce the elixir without being outwardly nonresistant and serene. Indeed, first refining vitality into energy - thus cultivating stabilization and liberation from the matrix - is roundabout and difficult to achieve fully. If you can realize the body of reality, why worry that the physical body will not be sublimated? The three passes from effort to effortlessness constitute the gradual method; cultivating the upper pass so as to include the lower two passes is the sudden method. Now you should directly practice refinement of spirit back into emptiness: when you reach the state of utter emptiness and silence, vitality spontaneously evolves into energy, and energy spontaneously evolves into spirit. The handle is in your grip; your destiny is up to you! This is penetrating the three barriers with one shot. This is the simplest and easiest, most direct and quick; those on the Way should thoroughly appreciate this. ( Taoist Classics, Volume 2, pp. 550-551 ) Now, the secret "oral" teachings of Internal Alchemy are embedded within the 64 Hexagrams of the I Ching. Consequently, I would advise developing a close acquaintance with the I Ching. It holds the hidden secrets of all alchemical principles and teachings, inherent within the mind itself. The I Ching refers to our higher nature as the Mind of Tao; the Body of Wisdom inherent within the human heart-mind. In Hexagram 48, it (i.e. the heart-mind) is referred to as "The Well" (cf. @ http://www.geocities.com/clearlight610/chou_i/h48.html ) and in Hexagram 61, as the "Inner Truth". Thus, according to this, each of us possesses a well of divine wisdom. The mystery is in how to effectively access or penetrate it! The ancient method of penetration is disclosed for us in the Great Treatise, which expounds the Fourfold Tao of the Holy Sages in these basic terms:- 1. The Book of Changes contains a fourfold tao of the holy sages. In speaking, we should be guided by its judgments; in action, we should be guided by its changes; in making objects, we should be guided by its images; in seeking an oracle, we should be guided by its pronouncements. 5. The Changes are what has enabled the holy sages to reach all depths and to grasp the seeds of all things. (cf. @ http://www.geocities.com/clearlight610/cho...n_pt1_ch10.html ) And Chapter 8 of Part Two says this:- 1. The Changes is a book From which one may not hold aloof. Its tao is forever changing-- Alternation, movement without rest, Flowing through the six empty places; Rising and sinking without fixed law, Firm and yielding transform each other. They cannot be confined within a rule; It is only change that is at work here. 2. They move inward and outward according to fixed rhythms. Without or within, they teach caution. 3. They also show care and sorrow and their causes. Though you have no teacher, Approach them as you would your parents. 4. First take up the words, Ponder their meaning, Then the fixed rules reveal themselves. But if you are not the right man, The meaning will not manifest itself to you. (cf. @ http://www.geocities.com/clearlight610/cho...an_pt2_ch8.html ) So, then, according to the above teachings, though you have no teacher, that is to say, are not linked to the Great Tradition, through a completely realized person, yet are you to regularly take up the Changes, which is to say, consult the Divine Oracle, and ponder deeply its words! "The Changes are what has enabled the holy sages to reach all depths and to grasp the seeds of all things." It is by the Changes that the holy sages came to understand their own inherent natures and to penetrate the eternal laws of internal alchemy. However, the Treatise quotes Confucius as saying that: "Through one action, the fruits of a hundred thoughts are realized." (cf. @ http://www.geocities.com/clearlight610/cho...an_pt2_ch5.html ) As important as the contemplative act is, the emphasis must always be placed upon the practical application of the Oracle's teachings in our daily life. It is in this manner that mind essence or clarity is cultivated, and therein immortality itself!

See a Brief Bio on Xu Mingtang @ http://www.zyqigong.com/organization.htm

Master Frantzis is one such person and has much to offer; and has certified a number of Instructors in England. It is reasonable to think that this group will only grow, if time permits, and that Frantzis will be periodically giving Seminars in England. Plug into that group and my guess is that you'll get to meet the man in person, soon enough. Perhaps that will lead to something beneficial for you, in regard to further advanced studies. If you have'nt heard about him yet, then I'd recommend you purchase a copy of his book entitled: Opening Your Energy Gates. It provides a detailed account of his background. 1 - England Instructors @ http://www.energyarts.com/cms/index.php?id=183 2 - B.K. Frantzis @ http://www.whitemountain-tao.com/html/bkf.html 3 - Mantak Chia @ http://www.universal-tao.com/ Master Chia is doing a World Tour this year, and it would'nt surprise me to find out he'll be in England, if he has'nt been there already. I'd be there for that, if I were you; and I'm sure he has a large group of followers there, and Certified Instructors as well. If you ever desire to study with Chia personally, you need to travel through the network. Want to meet a "good" teacher? Then when Chia, Frantzis, or any person of that calibre, is planning to be in your backyard, (figuratively speaking,) make it a point to be there for it, if at all possible. Their internal power attracts and draws the right people out into the light!!

Master Ko Hung says the following:- 01 - "Genii (i.e. Immortals) can be recognized only if they have square eyes as did Chiao Hsien, ears rising from the top of their heads as did Ang Su, ride a dragon as did Ma-shih Huang, or drive a White Crane like Wang Ch'iao; when they are scale-bodied or serpent-headed, carried in a golden chariot, or clothed in feathers. If no such sign is apparent, however, they can be recognized only by those with profound vision, and heard only by those with penetrating hearing." ( Alchemy, Medicine, and Immortality, p. 39 ) 02 - "He (the Immortal) treads upon raging fire, but is not scorched; he walks the dark waves with floating step. Beating his wings he moves through the limpid void, riding the clouds with the winds for his steeds; he peeps upward and rises to the Celestial Pole or, peering downward, he comes to earth and rests in the K'un-lun mountains." ( Alchemy, Medicine, and Immortality, p. 38-39 ) Comments are more than welcome! In the spirit of Tao, Yen Hui

FOUR RELEVANT LINKS OF GREAT INTEREST! :- 1 - Huai-nan-Tzu on the History of the Great Light @ http://www.sacred-texts.com/tao/ttx/ttx09.htm 2 - Lieh Tzu on the Yellow Emperor @ http://www.sacred-texts.com/tao/tt/tt05.htm 3 - The Original Tao @ http://kirkland.myweb.uga.edu/rk/pdf/pubs/HYGIENE.pdf HTML Version => http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:PLasHn...;cd=6&gl=ca 4 - The Nei-Yeh Text @ http://forum.healingdao.com/general/message/2263%5C

hi there Blissful ~ I know the feeling, only too well. It's a good idea, though, not to be too concerned about advanced practices at your level, as that's merely a distraction. When you're actually ready for the really "interesting" stuff, it would not surprise me at all to learn that you eventually found It! Most of these high level teachers practice the art of self-concealment, and maintain a very low public profile; by which I mean they could be literally right in front of your nose, and you'd never know it! Lower level instructors in the energetic arts are like the lower rungs in a ladder. You need them! A few high level instructors have outed themselves, and these are easy to find, and study with, if you're the right person. And in the event you ever learn all they have to offer, they're the ones who can introduce you to the next level of master(s). When you've exhausted the resources currently open to you, then something else will present itself to you. That is the nature and function of the Law of Attraction! Walk on ~ in the spirit of Tao! Yen Hui

Here's a few interesting places online, that I've stumbled upon:- 01 - I Ching Wisdom http://www.ichingwisdom.com/IChingWisdom/index.html 02 - I Ching: Structure, Origin, and Interpretations - Chapter 2 @ http://www.redwingbooks.com/html/catalog/d...ChiHanHac_E.pdf 03 - A Critical Survey of I Ching Books - A discussion of the different I Ching versions. @ http://www.biroco.com/yijing/survey.htm 04 - On the Neo-Taoism of Wang Pi - Sheds light on the Wang Pi / R.J. Lynn I Ching. @ http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Philosophy/Taichi/neo-taoism.html 05 - On Divination and Sacrifice in Song Dynasty Neo-Confucianism @ http://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/Fac/...ng/Divining.htm 06 - An Archive of Yijing Scans from Chinese and Other Sources @ http://biroco.com/yijing/scan.htm This link provides some circular diagrams. For an excellent treatment of such diagrams, check out Thomas Cleary's book of I Ching Mandalas. This link also provides a highly interesting article by Aurthur Waley. 07 - On Leibniz, the I Ching, and Chu Hsi's Circular Diagram @ http://www.69yinyang.com/ICscience/digital11.html 08 - The End of the River - Another Look at McKenna's Timewave Theory! @ http://www.serendipity.li/twz/gyrus/river.htm

Hi there Taomeow and "fellow" Wayfarers ~ As some of you know, this thread was begun in the Lobby, but I ran into a time problem. I needed to divert my attention away from it to concentrate on some legal matters which required me to make a long, detailed written submission, with about 50 supporting documents. It was very tedious business, I assure you. Following that, my family and I took a short breather and went out on the road for a few days. At any rate, I'm back to looking at this thread again. When I posted the above quotes, I was hoping others might comment on Master Ko Hung's description of the immortals. Does it not strike any of you as just a little odd? If he is speaking literally, then these immortals don't sound quite human. From the "literal" perspective, they sound more like ET "hybrids" at best! If any of you know of other similar descriptions, please feel free to post them in this thread. However, our main focus here is "the Original Tao". Now, Taomeow has raised some question with regard to the Buddhist view of "the law of attraction". If any of you Wayfarers wish to comment, please feel free. In the meantime, this is where I basically stand on that one. As I have gathered, Buddhism believes in the "Dharma", and teaches that all dharmas originate and flow from the Mind. Buddhism believes in the dharma (law) of cause and effect, or the law of interdependent co-arising, in regard to phenomena. Now, I see an inherent (necessary) connection between karma, or the law of cause and effect, and 'the law of attraction'. In that regard, it is beneficial to take a quick look at Master Chih-hsu Ou-i's (1599-1655) Buddhist I Ching, and his exposition of Hexagrams 1 and 31:- In regard to Hexagram 1, Master Chih-hsu Ou-i (1599-1655) says the following:- "Strength in doing evil results in hellish, animalistic, or ghostlike existence. Strength in doing good results in power, social order, or heavenly states of mind. When cultivation of meditation is added to strength in the best ways of doing good, this results in existence on the plane of pure form, or even formlessness. "Strength in the best ways of doing good, added to understanding of human suffering and the process of conditioning, plus action to free oneself from bondage, results in personal liberation. "Those who are strong in the highest virtues, and are able to liberate others as well as themselves, are called enlightening beings. "Those who are strong in the highest virtues, and realize that virtues are identical with the realm of reality and buddhahood, will complete unsurpassed enlightenment. "Thus all realms of existence are results of the success of creation. Some are bad, some are good. Even some good states are still contaminated; only the liberated are uncontaminated. But even the personally liberated are wrong if they become complacent. "When it comes to helping others and self together, expedient means dealing with either affirmation or negation are not ultimately correct, but should give way to the perfect central balance of the realm of the enlightened. "Yet to define center and extremes as disparate is still not correct. One should realize that everything is poised between being and non-being. This is why the admonition 'beneficial if correct' should be given to people who act with strength." In regard to Hexagram 31, Master Chih-hsu Ou-i (1599-1655) says the following:- "These two (i.e concentration and insight) are subject and object to one another, sensitively responding to one another; hence the name sensing. "In Buddhism, this is the interaction of the enlightened and the unenlightened. In contemplating mind, this is the mutual activation of objects and knowledge. The Overall Judgment. "Sensing is sensitive; the flexible above, the firm below, the two energies sense and respond so as to form a couple ... etc. When heaven and earth sense, myriad beings are born; sages sense people's minds, and the world is at peace. Observe what is sensed, and the feelings of heaven, earth, and myriad beings can be seen. Ou-i also says that:- "Whether in worldly or transmundane matters, things are accomplished by sensing; so it is thereby possible to see the feelings of heaven and earth, and myriad beings." OK, then, this is what I glean from the above: Ou-i teaches that Buddhism believes that multiple realms exist; but are "poised between being and non-being." Consequently, he says that the expedient methods of dealing with them, (whether by way of affirmation or negation,) must be properly poised as well, and this work he calls "practicing the Tao." In Taoist terms, it is the work of balance and harmony. Complacency in this practice, he says, is incorrect, whether or not you are an enlightened being. It is interesting to note, as well, that Ou-i asserts that these realms are the result of "the success of creation;" and strictly conform to the law of cause and effect. Creating realms and things is not necessarily wrong, if one understands the nature of "human suffering and the process of conditioning." Expedient methods (or means) were prescribed precisely for this creative activity which he refers to as "practicing the Tao." These means are relative, and non-absolute by nature. The way of negation, or no-mind, must be harmonized with its opposite, that is, the way of affirmation and, generally, the existence of all dharmas. Turning now to 'the law of attraction', Ou-i says, in summary form, that Hexagram 31 (which he defines as the principle of "sensing", and Wilhelm "influence",) signifies the "mutual activation" of "two energies". This strikes me as another way of describing 'the law of attraction'. These two energies, he says, both sense and respond to one another, to form "a couple". While he does not use the word attachment, specifically, my sense of him is that he would probably define attachment as a natural phenomena that must be properly poised, or kept in balance, with non-attachment. "Whether in worldly or transmundane matters," he says, " things are accomplished by sensing." This is a very remarkable or significant statement! He is basically saying that this principle of sensing, or mututal activation, extends to all realms of existence! And is the means by which "things are accomplished", that is, by which the realms themselves come to exist! "When heaven and earth sense," he says, "myriad beings are born." That is, myriad realms come into existence. "Observe what is sensed," he says, "and the feelings of heaven, earth, and myriad beings can be seen." This is what Wilhelm says, in essence. Ou-i asserts that both heaven and earth feel and respond to each other. It is a mutual activity, naturally occurring without any conscious effort. It goes without saying that the "feeling" to which Ou-i is referring, (in regard to sentient beings,) is an intuitive sensibility or awareness, and not some sort of emotional affliction. In this vein (or connection), I'd like to share a passage from Chan Master Sheng-yen's Zen Wisdom:- Student: "Are causes and conditions controllable? Can I manipulate them to directly control my life?" Master Sheng-yen: "The Avatamsaka Sutra states that all dharmas are created by the mind. If our minds change, then causes and conditions also change. Whichever direction our minds move, so do causes and conditions. If our attitudes change, then what we perceive also changes. If we do not make an effort to change our lives and minds, then we will be influenced by the course of events we have already set into motion. If we adopt Buddhadharma into our worldview, then causes and conditions will shift direction, and events in our lives will change." (p. 39) This fully accords with the Chan teaching of Bodhidharma, as transmitted to us in these words:- "If someone is determined to reach enlightenment, what is the most essential method he can practice? The most essential method, which includes all other methods, is beholding the mind. But how can one method include all others? The mind is the root from which all things grow. If you can understand the mind, everything else is included." (Bodhidharma's Breakthrough Sermon, Red Pine's 1989 translation, p. 77) And this is, in fact, what The Great Treatise of the I Ching says, as clearly apparent from these words:- "Somewhere it is written that every Chinese wears a Confucian thinking cap, a Taoist robe, and Buddhist sandles." This quote is from the backcover of a wonderful book entitled, Watching the Tree, by Adeline Yen Mah. It describes the holistic nature of the indigenous Chinese mind, in its approach to the three Great Traditions. With regard to the raising and education of children, I confess to being unaware of the differences between Confucianism and Taoism. However, regarding the Confucian practice of filial piety, I'm reluctant, to say the least, to believe it somehow promotes or condones child abuse, any more than it condones children abusing their elderly parents! Now, Ms. Mah makes a few interesting observations on the subject, which I've attempted to comment upon below. She says: "Peace in the state begins with order in the family," according to the Confucian philosophy of filial piety. "The people who love and respect their parents would never dare to show hatred and disrespect to others." (p. 54) She is quoting from the Classic of Filial Piety. It goes without saying, therefore, that "people who love and respect their parents would never dare to show hatred and disrespect to" their own children! Furthermore, "no father should be called a father unless he acts like one," she asserts: "Reality and function, name and actuality, must correspond. So must action and words." (p. 52) Quoting her own grandmother, Ms. Mah says: "The body and hair and skin are received from the parents and may not be injured: this is the beginning of filial piety. To do the right thing and walk according to the right morals, thus leaving a good name in posterity, in order to glorify one's ancestors, this is the culmination of filial piety. Filial piety begins with serving one's parents, leads to serving one's king and ends in establishing one's character." (p. 55) In another place, she says: "A ruler who failed to live up to the mandate of Heaven because of personal amorality and corruption should abdicate in favor of a virtuous man; if necessary, he should be overthrown by revolution." (p. 51) The words "overthrown by revolution" allude to Hexagram 49. Now, Ms. Mah's grandmother taught her that "Filial piety begins with serving one's parents, leads to serving one's king and ends in establishing one's character." (p. 55) However, if there are times when a revolution against the king can be justified, without deviation from the principle of filial piety, then failure to do so is harmful to character. But if a revolution against the king is justified, then it also can be justified, under the right conditions, against the king and queen of the family, that is, against one's own parents; if they do not "live up to the mandate of Heaven because of personal amorality and corruption;" and most especially if they are "unfilial", that is, abusive to their children! According to the logic of Ms. Mah's own grandmother, to abuse your own children is, in essence, to abuse your own self, and your parents! Why? "The body and hair and skin are received from the parents and may not be injured," she says. But "the body and hair and skin" of our children is "the body and hair and skin" we received from our parents. Consequently, child abuse is highly "unfilial" and manifests a complete absence of filial piety! In light of the above reflections, it is very difficult (at best) for me, as I say, to see how filial piety could be made to teach that children must honor and obey abusive parents! The Confucian philosophy of justice would seem to teach otherwise. Well, I see what you're saying, but I'm not sure you've successfully made your case. At any rate, Master Ou-i has referred to the expedient means of the Buddha, by which I understand the 10,000 teachings which all lead to the Buddhist Nirvana. And none of these, he says, are absolute in themselves, but tailored to fit a certain type of need or temperment of mind. From the perspective of the Avatamsaka Sutra, both Taoism and Confucianism are expedient means as well, equally utilized by Bodhisattvas, in their "creative" activities. "The Confucian sages say: 'See not that which you abstain from; hear not that which stirs up your fears.' The Buddhists teach that there should be no thought in the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body; no color, no sound, no fragrance, no taste, and no touch. The Taoists say that forms are elusive. The three religions teach the same principles. Act according to the three teachings and you will be free of craving." ( from Eva Wong's Cultivating Stillness, p. 56)

The complete realization of Tao and harmony with the Great Way!

Not sure, yet. I'll have a better idea after I take the tour. The property can be viewed online @ =>> http://www.mls.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx?vd=...pertyID=5216979 <<= Regarding your acquaintance who's going into huge debt, in preparation for "the shift", he is taking a big risk for sure; but if "the shift" happens, as he anticipates it might, then there's a very good chance the world banking system will collapse, and all existing debts will be wiped clean! And it's not likely there will be too many people in a position to buy property afterward, so even if the bank holding his mortgage survives, I doubt it's going to try and repossess any homes. What kind of market value will they have after "the shift"? Paper money will be worthless, and probably the only thing that will have any purchasing power will be precious metals and stones! Most people will need to learn how to literally survive from hand-to-mouth. But that's another big issue in itself!

Hi there soaring ~ I use to own a copy of Lynn's translation of Wang Pi's I Ching, until one day I sold my entire Library. It's a good version, for sure, and Wilhelm refers to it in the Intro to his own I Ching; and although it was not the version upon which he based his own, he does speak very highly of it, as though it exerted a considerable influence over him. Well, I suppose there's some comfort in that; thanks! I'm curious, though, if this means you have examined the theory of the McKenna brothers, and judge it to be inconclusive at best? It is not based on 'divination', or any kind of interpretation of the Lines, but upon numerical data and hard calculations! Regarding these Lines, perhaps I should fill you all in a little more concerning my recent history leading up to my asking the Oracle this question. I have been feeling for some time now that a possible natural disaster of international (if not Global) proportions might be "just around the corner", as they say, and whether or not I should start preparing for it. Consequently, I have been contemplating deeply, for quite a while, moving to "the outskirts" in waiting for it. I presently live in a small city, located 1 hour north of Toronto, Canada; and last Thursday and Friday, I spent the whole day thinking about this move. There is a house with 8 acres of land, located 1.25 hours north of me, presently on the market for under $190,000.00; and I was stewing for 2 days about whether or not I should make a move on it. That property is about 2.25 hours north of Toronto, and very remote. It's a beautiful property, but located quite away from most of the employment in this Province. This period of deep and prolonged contemplation finally culminated in my asking the Oracle this question. Now, look at the above lines in the light of what I've just shared. Hex.5-Line 1 says, "Waiting on the outskirts, it is worthwhile to try to be constant." This Line is changing to Hex. 57-Line1, which says, "Be as stedfast as a soldier" when "one's purpose is wavering." Now, these words immediately give rise in my mind to my purchase of a property so far away from the main centers of business and commerce, that it might cause me to ultimately waver in my decision to keep it. If I have to drive 1-2 hours just to get to work, and then another 1-2 in order to get home, will I have the resolve to hang-in there as long as it takes? Or will I cave in and sell it before the awaited time? This is just one question that immediately comes to mind. It is still for sale, and I'm supposed to get a tour of the inside of the house today.

... you need to read the 5th link, front to back~to see what I mean! While Blavatsky's Secret Doctrine predates Bardon, I'm inclined to regard it, nontheless, as essential reading, for the 'hermetically' inclined. See an Online Copy @ http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/sd/sd-hp.htm

Yes, I have read them, but have you? At this link (webpage above), you'll find an article entitled, Who Was Franz Bardon? @ http://www.geocities.com/franzbardon/timscott.html Some of the items of interest covered in this article are:- Bardon's Life and Work Arrest & Imprisonment by the 3rd Reich Arrest and Death The Fraternity of Saturn Franz Bardon's Writings His Sources Bardon's Theories: The Magickal Universe The Four Elements Preparation of the Student Outline of Bardon's Magickal Curriculum An Amazing Book on Communicating with Spirits Bardon's Unique Qabalistic System At this link (webpage above), you will discover the following article:- The Bardon Kabbalistic System The system set out by Franz Bardon in The Key to the True Quabbalah, is vastly different from any known Hebraic interpretation, yet it is similar in many ways to Taoist Yoga. Bardon sets out a complete course of training. He removes the scriptural background that is so prevalent in all other commentaries. He leaves us with a system that can be used by anyone, not just devout Jews. This is not to say that the system is easy, it is just accessible to a wider variety of people. The same could be said for Taoist Yoga, although its background is Chinese, its teachings are available to everyone. The Bardon system is a Western Kabbalistic one. Bardon was German and his books were originally written in German. He seems to be much better known to European Kabbalists then to those in England or America. His book on Kabbalah is an intensive course of training using the letters of the alphabet as its basis. This is the German alphabet which includes letters such as Ch, Oe and Sh which do not exist as independent letters in the English alphabet. Some mirror phonetic translations of Hebrew letters such as Cheth and Shin (Ch and Sh). However, there are obvious accretions to the system, if it is in fact based on ancient Sepher Yetzirah sources. For instance, color plays a major part in Bardon's system. Each letter is assigned a color in the first step of the practice. Yet the Sepher Yetzirah never mentions color. However Aryeh Kaplan states at page 1 74 of his SepherYetzirah that a tradition of color for the planets and the Sepheroth can be found in The Zohar that follows the order found in one version of the Sepher Yetzirah. Hebrew Kabbalists often meditated on the color assigned to the Sepheroth. Exactly when the colors were assigned to each letter is unknown. Color is a most obvious connection and being able to visualize a letter in a particular color is an excellent meditational device. All the Western Kabbalistic schools had color correspondences for the letters and the Sepheroth. It is a basic tool for building a meditation or ritual. The Taoists assigned colors to the five elements and in turn to the internal organs. The Taoist universe contained colors for the Earth, the planets and the stars. On the whole, though, color is less important to the Taoists or the Hebrew Kabbalists, where it functions more as an aid to practice, than it is to the Western Kabbalist where its function is essential. In Bardon's system the practitioner first learns to assign colors to the individual letters of the alphabet, for instance A is light blue, B is light violet, and C is red. A series of four different exercises with the color and the letter are performed. First the student learns to "see" the color in his whole body. Next each letter is assigned to one of the four elements. Mirroring the Sepher Yetzirah and the Three Mother Letters, those letters assigned to the fire element are visualized in the head, those assigned to air are visualized in the chest, and those to water in the abdomen. Bardon works with the earth element as the fourth element. Letters assigned to earth are practiced from the coccyx (tail bone) down to the soles of the feet. The next series of exercises assigns each letter and color to a particular body part. These in large part follow the correspondences in the short version of the Sepher Yetzirah. All of these exercises use the visualizing abilities of the student. Next the student learns to "pronounce" the letters. Each letter is sounded at a particular note on the music scale. So that A is sounded in the pitch of note G, B in note A, C in note D, and so on. Basically the exercise proceeds so that the student combines both the sound of the letter and the color and repeats the previous exercise of hearing the note and seeing the color of each letter in 1) his whole body, 2) in its proper elemental region (head, chest, abdomen, or legs), and 3) in its corresponding organ. The third step in Bardon's Kabbalistic training begins with learning to associate each letter with a certain feeling. This is based on its elemental correspondence. Thus, the letter A, which corresponds with the air element, is experienced as a feeling of ease or lightness. The letter B, which corresponds with the earth element, is experienced as a feeling of weight. Likewise, a letter that corresponds with the fire element would be experienced as a feeling of warmth and a water element letter with a feeling of chill. Once this is learned, the student now combines all the exercises and simultaneously sees the letter's color, hears it at its correct pitch, and feels it at its proper element (heat, chill, weightiness, or lightness). Bardon calls this Tri polar or Tri elemental pronunciation. It is not until this Tri polar pronunciation is mastered that the student is able to actually use the letters creatively (as a Kabbalist). Obviously, Bardon's system is very complex. The training outlined above actually revolves around the Three Mother Elements. All visualizing exercises are within the province of the Fire element, all auditory exercises are subject to the Air element and the feeling exercises are subject to the Water element. In effect, almost the entire course of study is based on the elements. Bardon has one short chapter on the principles of the ten Sepheroth, but there are no exercises given specifically for them Once a student has reached the point where he can use any letter in a tri polar manner, he no longer is a student but has truly become a Kabbalist. He is literally a force of nature, he can control the elements and the letters that God used to create and form the universe. He is the Master of the Word. The Sepher Yetzirah has been translated as either the Book of Formation or The Book of Creation. Bardon gives us a method to apply these terms literally so that the Sepher Yetzirah is seen not as some ancient philosophy, but as a vibrant system of true creative knowledge. Unfortunately, Franz Bardon died before he could write a planned book on alchemy. As he would have said, it was the Will of Divine Providence. Few Western Kabbalists have ever heard of him. But, more than anyone else I have ever encountered, he provided a true bridge between the Hebrew and Western Kabbalah and Taoist Yoga. (End of Website Article) I recommended the above web-link because it claims there that Bardon is the reincarnation of Lao Tzu! Read it right below his portrait! It also lists, near the bottom of the page, his writings. However, this 5th link here explains a little better, perhaps, just who Bardon really is, and his true significance: 5 => http://www.glassbeadgame.com/magic.htm ~ Put it this way:- If I was seriously interested in checking out Western Hermeticism, I'd begin and end with Bardon. He's the man!

That is a good question, but the short answer to it is no. The world I was asking about included all nations and peoples. I was thinking about a possible world cataclysm that could reduce mankind to huner-gatherers again; perhaps even bring global extinction, but I specified nothing regarding the manner in which might happen. On the other hand, I was also open to the possibility "the end" might actually mean the dawn of a truly "new" age of world-wide enlightenment. However, the Oracle I received seems to indicate I will lose something, but not much, if I play my cards right. If I screw-up, I stand to lose everything, including my property, resources, and tools; though I escape with my life. Tools seems to refer a domestic lifestyle. Dwelling in a cave with no tools seems to imply a type of hunter- gatherer existence.

Hi there Pat! ~ Thanks for sharing your Oracle with us, and wow! It's a powerful one, to be sure, and resonates deeply within me! As indicated above, I originally consulted the Wilhelm/Baynes edition. Wilhelm was profoundly influenced by the work of Cheng Yi, a widely influential Song Dynasty Neo-Confucian sage. Cleary's translation of the I Ching entitled, The Tao of Organization, is based on Cheng Yi's version, and incorporates much of it within the text. Shambhala later published a pocket-sized version of it, which I possess; so I consulted it next, after Wilhelm's, and this is what it says:- Hex. 5 - Overall Judgment. Waiting is necessary; when danger lies ahead, that is. When strength is robust and not trapped, its justice is not thwarted and its duty is not frustrated. When waiting is truthful, it is gloriously successful; be truthfully stedfast, and you will be lucky; this means you will take your place in the order of Nature by way of correct balance. That it is profitable to cross great rivers means that progressive action will accomplish something. (p. 11) And as you may recall, Lines 1 and 6 were in transition, yielding Hexagram 57:- Hex. 57 - Overall Judgment. Double conformity is used to express repetition of directions. Strength conforms to balance and correctness, so what is willed is carried out in action. The weak all go along with the strong, so this is why the small succeed, profiting by having somewhere to go, and profiting from seeing great people. (p. 127-128) Since Lines 1 and 6 of Hex. 5 are becoming Lines 1 and 6 of Hex. 57, I've included both sets below:- Hex. 5, Line 1 - "Waiting on the outskirts, it is worthwhile to try to be constant, so that you may be faultless. Image. Waiting on the outskirts means not having gotten into difficult and problematic activities. It is worthwhile to try to be constant, so that you may be faultless, ... assuming that you have not already become abnormal." (p. 12) Hex. 57, Line 1 - "When going forward and backward, it is helpful to be as stedfast as a soldier. Image. Going forward and backward means one's purpose is wavering. It is helpful to be as stedfast as a soldier, meaning that one's purpose is settled." (p. 128) Hex. 5, Line 6 - "Going into a cave, there are three unhurried guests coming. Respect them and you will eventually have good luck. Image. When three unhurried guests come, be respectful to them, and you will be lucky in the end. Even if you do not attain status or position, you will not have lost much." (p. 13) Hex. 57, Line 6 - "When conformity is more lowly than normal, you lose your resources and tools, so it is unlucky even if you are stedfast. Image. If conformity is more lowly than normal, one is helpless in a position of leadership; the loss of one's resources and tools is indeed bad luck." (p. 129) The Wilhelm version of Hex. 57-Line 6 says: "Penetration under the bed. He loses his property and his axe. Perseverance brings misfortune." Hi there soaring crane ~ Thanks for the input. Just to clarify things a little, though, regarding my question to the Oracle, I did not ask It if the world would explode in 5 years. I asked It if "this world, in which I presently live," will "come to an end in December 2012?" There's a big difference between the two, if you ask me. At any rate, I ask you to read the above Oracle carefully and tell me if it strikes you as a "misleading or even sarcastic answer" to my question. It starts out talking about the danger that "lies ahead" and how that if my waiting is stedfast, correct and balanced, that I will take my place "in the order of Nature." In Hex. 5-Line 1, it talks about waiting on the outskirts for this impending danger, and in Hex. 5-Line 6, it talks about going into a cave. In Hex. 57-Line 6, it talks about possibly losing my resources and tools. The way it seems to read is that mankind, in general, perhaps myself included, will survive, but be reduced to "the hunter and gatherer" status of primitive man. Now, does that necessarily strike you as "misleading or even sarcastic"? In the spirit of Tao, Yen Hui

Hello Everyone! Thank you all for your participation and for offering much food for thought! Just after starting this thread, I went on a 3 day family road-trip out of town, and arrived back at dinner time yesterday. I spent most of the evening contemplating the discussion and I wish I had the time to reply to everything. However, perhaps I can address most of it over a period of a few days, time and opportunity permitting. I'll try my best, but can't make any promises, as I already have another thread on hold that I've been itching to get back to as well! Michael! ~ You sound like a Pragmatist, for which reason I highly recommend you check out Carl Jung's Foreword to Wilhelm's I Ching. There's an online copy @ http://www.iging.com/intro/foreword.htm ~ There's also a copy of the Ta Chuan (or Great Treatise) online @ http://www.geocities.com/clearlight610/chou_i/chou_i.html ~ I highly recommend you read them both very carefully, more than once! You will notice that the Ta Chuan (i.e. Treatise) forms part of Book Two (of Three) in Wilhelm's I Ching. All of Books One and Two are available at the same website which hosts The Treatise. I've been unable to locate Book Three online, which contains the remainder of the Confucian Appendixes (Wings). However, if you will give Jung's Foreword a close reading, I think you'll discover that it addresses several of your concerns and objections. Here are a few excerpts from it, posted for your convenience:- QUOTES FROM JUNG'S FOREWORD:- 01 - "He (R. Wilhelm) had over a period of many years put the peculiar technique of the Oracle into practice . His grasp of the living meaning of the text gives his version of the I Ching a depth of perspective that an exclusively academic knowledge of Chinese philosophy could never provide." (p. xxi-xxii) 02 - "For more than thirty years I have interested myself in this oracle technique, or method of exploring the unconscious, for it has seemed to me of uncommon significance." (p. xxii) 03 - "The method of the I Ching does indeed take into account the hidden individual quality in things and men, and in one's own unconscious self." (p. xxviii) 04 - "If the I Ching is not accepted by the conscious, at least the unconscious meets it halfway, and the I Ching is more closely connected with the unconscious than with the rational attitude of consciousness." (p. xxxii) 05 - It is "a psychological procedure that has been carried out time and again throughout the millennia of Chinese civilization, representing to a Confucius or a Lao-tse both a supreme expression of spiritual authority and a philosophical enigma." (p. xxvi) 06 - "It is by no means easy to feel one's way into such a remote and mysterious mentality as that underlying the I Ching. One cannot easily disregard such great minds as Confucius and Lao-tse, if one is at all able to appreciate the quality of the thoughts they represent; much less can one overlook the fact that the I Ching was their main source of inspiration." (p. xxxv) 07 - "According to the old tradition, it is 'spiritual agencies' acting in a mysterious way, that make the yarrow stalks give a meaningful answer. These powers form, as it were, the living soul of the Book. As the latter is thus a sort of animated being, the tradition assumes that one can put questions to the I Ching and expect to receive intelligent answers." (p. xxv-xxvi) 08 - "It (i.e. the Oracle) conceives of itself as a cult utensil serving to provide spiritual nourishment for the unconscious elements or forces ('spiritual agencies') that have been projected as gods - in other words, to give these forces the attention they need in order to play their part in the life of the individual. Indeed, this is the original meaning of the word religio - a careful observation and taking account of (from relegere) the numinous." (p. xxviii) 09 - "The I Ching insists upon self-knowledge throughout. The method by which this is to be achieved is open to every kind of misuse, and is therefore not for the frivolous-minded and immature; nor is it for intellectualists and rationalists. It is appropriate only for thoughtful and reflective people who like to think about what they do and what happens to them - a predilection not to be confused with the morbid brooding of the hypochondriac." (p. xxxiii) 10 - "My position in these matters is pragmatic, and the great disciplines that have taught me the practical usefulness of this viewpoint are psychotherapy and medical psychology." (p. xxxiv) 11 - "Even to the most biased eye it is obvious that this book represents one long admonition to careful scrutiny of one's own character, attitude, and motives." (p. xxxiv) 12 - "If by means of this demonstration I have succeeded in elucidating the psychological phenomenology of the I Ching, I shall have carried out my purpose. As to the thousands of questions, doubts, and criticisms that this singular book stirs up - I cannot answer these. The I Ching does not offer itself with proofs and results; it does not vaunt itself, nor is it easy to approach. Like a part of nature, it waits until it is discovered. It offers neither facts nor power, but for lovers of self- knowledge, of wisdom - if there be such - it seems to be the right book." (p. xxxix) A BRIEF OBSERVATION ON THE ABOVE QUOTES:- From the above pasSages, we can see that Jung's approach to the I Ching was singularly pragmatic in nature. Apart from his theory of 'synchronicity', he did not allow himself to get bogged down in the deeper questions concerning the underlying mysteries. He distinguishes his own contemporary approach from the "old tradition", explaining that the "spiritual agencies" (i.e. gods and demons) merely represent for him "the unconscious elements" or projections from within our own mind. These are also described by him as 'universal archetypes' which concept factors significantly into The Treatise itself, in terms of the "the archetypal images that underlie the phenomenal world." (cf. @ http://www.geocities.com/clearlight610/cho...an_pt1_ch8.html ); a theory that is immediately broached in Hexagram One, according to the following terms:- 13 - "The specific meanings of the four attributes became the subject of speculation at an early date. The Chinese word here rendered by 'sublime' means literally 'head,' 'origin,' 'great.' This is why Confucius says in explaining it: 'Great indeed is the generating power of the Creative; all beings owe their beginning to it. This power permeates all heaven.' For this attribute inheres in the other three as well. "The beginning of all things lies still in the beyond in the form of ideas that have yet to become real. But the Creative furthermore has power to lend form to these archetypes of ideas. This is indicated in the word success, and the process is represented by an image from nature: 'The clouds pass and the rain does its work, and all individual beings flow into their forms.' " (cf. @ http://www.geocities.com/clearlight610/chou_i/h1.html ) In this vein (or connection), The Great Treatise states the following:- 14 - "We are shown here how the individual can attain mastery over fate by means of the Book of Changes. Its principles contain the categories of all that is--literally, the molds and the scope of all transformations. These categories are in the mind of man; everything, all that happens and everything that undergoes transformation, must obey the laws prescribed by the mind of man. Not until these categories become operative do things become things." ( @ http://www.geocities.com/clearlight610/cho...an_pt1_ch4.html ) Regarding "the psychological basis of the Oracle", The Treatise offers the following explanation:- 15 - "The person consulting the oracle formulates his problem precisely in words and regardless of whether it concerns something distant or near, secret or profound, he receives--as though it were AN ECHO--the appropriate oracle, which enables him to know the future. This rests on the assumption that the conscious and supraconscious enter into relationship. The conscious process stops with the formulation of the question. The unconscious process begins with the division of the yarrow stalks, and when we compare the result of this division with the text of the book, we obtain the oracle." (cf. @ http://www.geocities.com/clearlight610/cho...n_pt1_ch10.html ) And in the following passage, The Treatise comments on the I Ching's "theory of the power of the unconscious":- 16 - "In this explanation of the nine in the fourth place in Hexagram 31, Hsien, INFLUENCE (Bk. III), a theory of the power of the unconscious is given. Conscious influences are always merely limited ones, because they are brought about by intention. Nature knows no intentions; this is why everything in nature is so great. It is owing to the underlying unity of nature that all it's thousand ways lead to a goal so perfect that is seems to have been planned beforehand down to the last detail. "Then, in connection with the course of the day and the year, we are shown how past and future flow into each other, how contraction and expansion are the two movements through which the past prepares the future and the future unfolds the past. "In the two succeeding sections the same thought is applied to man who, through supreme concentration, so intensifies and strengthens his inner being that mysterious autonomous currents of power emanate from him: thus the effects he creates proceed from his unconscious and mysteriously affect the unconscious in others, attaining such breadth and depth of influence that they transcend the individual sphere and enter the realm of cosmic phenomena." (cf. @ http://www.geocities.com/clearlight610/cho...an_pt2_ch5.html ) Returning to Jung's Foreword, his view of the I Ching was contemporary in almost every respect. As indicated, he utilized it in his medical practise for 30 years, with phenomenal success! The Foreword, provides us with a wonderful working example of his method, and recommends that we approach the Oracle with an open mind. It should go without saying that the closed mind will get nowhere with it; obviously! If approached with humility and sincerity of mind, the insightful wisdom of the Oracle is sure to amaze you! Jung addresses the issue of "unintelligently" repeating the same question, which is also implicitly addressed throughout the I Ching; as, for example, in the few passages quoted below for your convenience:- 17 - "The Creative is decided and therefore shows to men the easy. The Receptive is yielding and therefore shows to men the simple. The(se) two fundamental principles move according to the requirements of the time, so that they are continuously undergoing change. But the nature of their movements is uniform and consistent. The Creative is always strong, decided, real, hence it meets with no difficulties. It always remains true to itself; hence its effortlessness. Difficulties always indicate vacillation and lack of clarity. In the same way it is the nature of the Receptive to be consistently yielding, to follow the line of least resistance, and therefore to be simple. Complications arise only from an inner conflict of motives." ( @ http://www.geocities.com/clearlight610/cho...an_pt2_ch1.html ) 18 - "Every mood of the heart influences us to movement. What the heart desires, the thighs run after without a moment's hesitation; they hold to the heart, which they follow. In the life of man, however, acting on the spur of every caprice is wrong and if continued leads to humiliation." (cf. Line 3 @ http://www.geocities.com/clearlight610/chou_i/h31.html ) 19 - "If a man remains at the mercy of moods of hope or fear aroused by the outer world, he loses his inner consistency of character. Such inconsistency invariably leads to distressing experiences. These humiliations often come from an unforeseen quarter. Such experiences are not merely effects produced by the external world, but logical consequences evoked by his own nature." (cf. Line 3 @ http://www.geocities.com/clearlight610/chou_i/h32.html ) 20 - "The words of a man who plans a revolt are confused. The words of a man who entertains doubt in his inmost heart are ramified. The words of men of good fortune are few. Excited men use many words. Slanderers of good men are roundabout in their words. The words of a man who has lost his standpoint are twisted." (@ http://www.geocities.com/clearlight610/cho...n_pt2_ch12.html ) 21 - "The mountain rises up under heaven, but owing to its nature it finally comes to a stop. Heaven on the other hand retreats upward before it into the distance and remains out of reach. This symbolizes the behavior of the superior man toward a climbing inferior; he retreats into his own thoughts as the inferior man comes forward. He does not hate him, for hatred is a form of subjective involvement by which we are bound to the hated object. The superior man shows strength (heaven) in that he brings the inferior man to a standstill (mountain) by his dignified reserve." (cf. The Image @ http://www.geocities.com/clearlight610/chou_i/h33.html ) 22 - "A teacher's answer to the question of a pupil ought to be clear and definite like that expected from an oracle; thereupon it ought to be accepted as a key for resolution of doubts and a basis for decision. If mistrustful or unintelligent questioning is kept up, it serves only to annoy the teacher (i.e. Oracle). He does well to ignore it in silence, just as the oracle gives one answer only and refuses to be tempted by questions implying doubt." (cf. The Judgment @ http://www.geocities.com/clearlight610/chou_i/h4.html ) "Entangled folly bring humiliation. For youthful folly it is the most hopeless thing to entangle itself in empty imaginings. The more obstinately it clings to such unreal fantasies, the more certainly will humiliation overtake it. Often the teacher, when confronted with such entangled folly, has no other course but to leave the fool to himself for a time, not sparing him the humiliation that results. This is frequently the only means of rescue." (cf. Line 4 @ http://www.geocities.com/clearlight610/chou_i/h4.html ) Furthermore, it is clearly stated in The Treatise that the ancient sages, predating Confucius, never did anything of significance without first consulting the Divine Oracle; and that it was only by the guidance and insight of the Oracle that they were able to purify their hearts and completely realize their innate human capacities! Now, the few passages, quoted immediately above, express, in essence, the manner in which the Oracle offers its wise and deeply insightful guidance. In closing, I must reiterate that all "complications arise only from an inner conflict of motives." In the spirit of Tao, Yen Hui