Yen Hui

Here ends the road for me with the Taobums. I can be reached at the Inter-Tribal Forum. It's been a slice! Cheers to the Bums and may you always seek the Way! ~ Yen Hui On the Taoist Philosophy of Dispassion, or Emotional Clarity :- "Those who are unable to attain the Tao are those whose minds are not clear and who are still slaves of their emotions." ( Cultivating Stillness: A Taoist Manual for Transforming Body and Mind, p. 55 ) Three Lines from Hexagram 58 on Dispassionate Living :- Nine in the second place means: Sincere joyousness. Good fortune. Remorse disappears. We often find ourselves associating with inferior people in whose company we are tempted by pleasures that are inappropriate for the superior man. To participate in such pleasures would certainly bring remorse, for a superior man can find no real satisfaction in low pleasures. When, recognizing this, a man does not permit his will to swerve, so that he does not find such ways agreeable, not even dubious companions will venture to proffer any base pleasures, because he would not enjoy them. Thus every cause for regret is removed. Six in the third place means: Coming joyousness. Misfortune. True joy must spring from within. But if one is empty within and wholly given over to the world, idle pleasures come streaming in from without. This is what many people welcome as diversion. Those who lack inner stability and therefore need amusement, will always find opportunity of indulgence. They attract external pleasures by the emptiness of their natures. Thus they lose themselves more and more, which of course has bad results. Nine in the fourth place means: Joyousness that is weighed is not at peace. After ridding himself of mistakes a man has joy. Often a man finds himself weighing the choice between various kinds of pleasures, and so long as he has not decided which kind he will choose, the higher or the lower, he has no inner peace. Only when he clearly recognizes that passion brings suffering, can he make up his mind to turn away from the lower pleasures and to strive for the higher. Once this decision is sealed, he finds true joy and peace, and inner conflict is overcome. THREE QUOTES FROM THE TAO TE CHING on Dispassionate Living:- TTC 10 Purifying hidden perception, can you make it flawless? Loving the people, governing the nation, can you be uncontrived? As the gate of heaven opens and closes, can you be impassive? As understanding reaches everywhere, can you be innocent? TTC 03 "The government of sages empties the mind and fills the middle, weakens the ambition and strengthens the bones, always keeping the people innocent and passionless." TTC 01 "Always passionless, thereby observe the subtle." ( Quoted from Cleary's Translation of the TTC )

Well, it looks now as if I'll be here for another week, at least, to tie up some loose ends. After that, let's see what happens Dec 2012. If we're still here, I'll pay ya a quick visit. Maybe there'll be some skilled alchemists on board by then. If not, I'll not be back after that. Peace, bro'!

Well, then, what is the actual definition?

It should've been called "How to Con a Good Bud?" Not a good thing to do, really!

Thanks for an honest reply, but permit me to qualify some things. First, the kind of "sexual thoughts" I was referring to were the emotionally charged kind, normally associated with sexual acts, whether they be solo or with a partner. Secondly, I was referring to "normal" days, when you're feeling healthy and your libido is in high gear. On those particular days, do you ever make a conscious effort, or specific intent to steer away from any and all sexual cravings and activities? Thirdly, a true "celibate," at least according to my thinking, is not one who is forced by circumstance to remain single, but one who intentionally chooses that path, and intentionally abstains from any and all sexual activity; but if s/he should stumble, from time to time, it is not habitual. Rather, it is her/his habitual intent to minimize, if not entirely rid themselves of all sexual cravings. Was that the kind of "celibacy" you practiced? Fourthly, "sexual addiction" means, to me, that your libido is in the one who's in control, or calling the shots; as opposed to "higher" nature governing and controlling the body. The addict is, at least to me, one who absolutely must have her/his "sexual" fix, whenever the urge is upon her/him, and has reached a feverish-like pitch. The "addict" absolutely cannot say "no," under normal, everyday conditions. How do you define "addiction"? At any rate, if I can just switch tracks here, for a quick minute, to persons who are looking for ways to control their libido, and cultivate a "dispassionate" thought-life, they should observe here the direct link between the body's chemistry and diet. Certain foods and supplements are to be avoided, as they react like throwing fuel on a fire. This is especially meant for persons with an over-active libido, and who would like to regain control of it. Of course there is more to that than merely the question of diet, but as you have pointed out, diet plays a huge part in the overall equation, and should not be underestimated.

Sounds like a serious addiction, there; and as we all know, addictions are both unnatural and unhealthy. Just out of curiosity, witch, have you ever tried to go a whole day without any sex, or sexual thoughts?? I know it's none of my business, but since you're in the mood for true confessions, I thought I'd ask the question, just for curiosity's sake.

BCT, if fate is merely some future event, then how can we ever experience it? But if it's a reality that we eventually experience, then fate signifies, in some sense, present time's inner design or configuration, as it has come to be through intent and creative decision. According to the I Ching, our task is to master fate, but that requires understanding. How can we master fate, from moment-to-moment, if we do not understand it, or how it unfolds according to the laws of movement? If we can understand those laws, then we can "pre- calculate" our movements, and harmonize the passage of time, in both its contracting and expanding phases. If the theory of synchronicity, as summarized by Jung, (in that quote from him already posted twice in this thread,) has any truth to it, then the Oracle which we receive, in response to our question, is necessarily a reflection of present time, from the standpoint of its imperceptible existence, during the beginning or early phase of its gradual unfolding. In my previous post, you have a long string of pearls from the I Ching and TTC which spell this out clearly, in some reasonable depth. At any rate, according to those, all beings and forms within the world of the senses, come to exist first in the world of spirit before they ever begin to take physical shape in the world of nature. This is the clear and undeniable teaching of Hexagrams One and Two, where it is stated that "The course of the Creative alters and shapes beings until each attains its true, specific nature, then it keeps them in conformity with the Great Harmony;" and that nature, i.e. the Earth Mother, conforms to the creative impulses of the spirit. These creative impulses exist in the spirit realm long before they begin to appear or take shape in the visible world of the senses. So, from that standpoint, or the standpoint of the spirit world, they already exist, even though they may not have, as yet, begun to unfold and take shape or physical form within the world of nature. So long as these creative impulses have not yet crossed over the gulf, or threshold seperating the worlds of spirit and nature, and begun to take physical shape, then positive changes can still be effected to harmonize the unfolding of time; and to create a state of equilibrium within nature and the world of sense. Whether we like it or not, we exist in the world of nature and the senses, according to our own creating, and we have the power to effect positive changes, in time, but do we have the clarity to do so? We do, if we can but reconnect and harmonize with our primal spirit mind and original nature. I suppose that depends on your philosophy of life, or what you think it means to live properly. According to the I Ching, to live properly means consciously adhering to principle, and the way of nature. Living according to nature means modelling ourselves after Heaven and Earth, which are denoted in Wilhelm's I Ching as the primal images of the Creative and Receptive powers of the universe. Now, it is clearly stated in Hexagram Two that the nature of Earth is to conform to the creative impulses of Heaven, or the spirit world. Conforming to the creative impulses of the spirit mind means living in harmony with the invisible forces of the hidden. As Lao Tzu has written: "Those who in ancient times were competent as masters were one with the invisible forces of the hidden." ( Wilhelm, TTC, 15 ) And in TTC 64, it's also stated that: "One must work on what is not yet there. One must put in order what is not yet confused." If you take the time to investigate this line of thought through the string of pearls offered in my previous post, I think you'll begin to comprehend the philosophy of "knowing the seeds," and its critical relevance to the art of wu-wei, or the way of harmonious non-action. Being one with the invisible forces of the hidden, according to the way of the sages, means doing things while they are still easy and simple to do. Is it not easier to uproot an oak tree, for example, while it's still a seed or seedling, rather than after it has fully grown? According to I Ching teaching, the Oracle is a practical tool or way "to know the seeds" which are the first imperceptible signs of change. Harmonious living requires cultivating an awareness of the signs of the times, and acting in harmony with them, far in advance to their full growth and manifestation; and even creatively manipulating the way these seeds of change gradually progress and unfold. That is the clear and undeniable teaching of the following Hexagram One passage: "The course of the Creative alters and shapes beings until each attains its true, specific nature, then it keeps them in conformity with the Great Harmony." Therefore, to model ourselves after the image of Father Heaven ultimately means harmonizing ourselves with "the course of the Creative," as a co-creator in the art of altering and shaping "beings until each attains its true, specific nature." That ultimately means becoming a vessel of healing and wholeness to a lost world; to creatively assist in gently guiding society back to a primal state of innocence and purity, long lost to civilized society, so-called. Let's look once again at the following passage from Hexagram One, which contains the heart or essence of this teaching, about the practical relevance of "knowing the seeds":- "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. 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." Now, the most important words, for me, are cogently expressed in the last line: "The clouds pass and the rain does its work, and all individual beings flow into their forms." What this image depicts is that the gradual birth, emergence and unfolding of all natural phenomena (shapes, forms, and beings,) strictly conforms to the way of organic growth and fruition, according to a well-defined system of natural laws. Though the term seed is'nt explicitly used in this image, it is clearly implied within the context. All beings and forms first emerge from the spirit as germs of life, which follow an organic pattern of growth and development. The cloud and rains mean nothing and can do nothing without the seed, for the spark of life resides in the seed; yet the seed can't realize its true nature by itself, without the creative participation and life-giving forces of the clouds, rain, and sun-light, which co-operate in the work of awakening the germ of life which lies dormant and hidden deep within the seed; and these forces are the conditions of life provided by the Earth Mother, who organically nurtures that life. From the standpoint of modelling yourself after the Earth Mother, that means becoming a nurturer. Learning to nurture and bring things through to completion. That means providing the right conditions for optimum or peak growth, so that all natural things might completely realize their true nature in good time, and according to an organic pattern of growth. Work out all possible inferences and applications on your own. Thus, what the healer-sage concerns himself with is the nature of these seeds, and the right conditions of life and death. Then may s/he only completely realize her/his own creative potential and true nature. So, then, yes, I am saying that the Oracle helps us to discern the specific trends of events, while they are yet "seeds", and still in the germination phase or seedling stage. These "seeds" are also defined, in the I Ching, as belonging to the class of phenomena know as the "signs of the times," while still in the germinal stage. "Signs of the times" are often visible for a long time before we become aware of them, but the sage is aware of them while they are still seeds, and imperceptible to the ordinary person. Now, I ask you: Is it wise or sage-like to ignore the signs of the times? Or to study and harmonize our creative activity according to those signs? How the I Ching and TTC answer such a question is clearly reflected in my previous post, for those who have taken the time to actually peruse it. Well, once again, if you believe there is any truth to the theory of synchronicity, then the Oracle that one receives, through the casting of the coins, is an accurate depiction of the configuration and inner design of present time; and the current trend of its flow, through the expanding and contraction phases. Again I ask: If our task is, according to Hexagram One, to harmonize the flow of time, and master fate, is it not wise to conceive a way to know the precise configuration of present time; at the beginning of all events, while things are still small and easy to guide in their gradual unfolding? That is the precise purpose of the Oracle: To assist us in the creative activity of life, according to Hexagram One, by revealing the imperceptible configuration and inner design of all movement(s), while still yet in their germinal and seedling phases of gradual unfolding.

FIVE MORE QUOTES FROM THE I CHING 01 - 5. The Creative knows the great beginnings. The Receptive completes the finished things. "Here the principles of the Creative and the Receptive are traced further. The Creative produces the invisible seeds of all development. At first these seeds are purely abstract, therefore with respect to them there can be no action nor acting upon; here it is knowledge that acts creatively. While the Creative acts in the world of the invisible, with spirit and time for its field, the Receptive acts upon matter in space and brings material things to completion. Here the process of generation and birth are traced back to their ultimate metaphysical meanings." ( The Great Treatise, Part 1, Chapter 1 ) 02 - HEXAGRAM 1 => "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." (THE JUDGMENT) 03 - On Creative Thinking: "At the beginning of the world, as at the beginning of thought, there is the decision, the fixing of the point of reference. Theoretically any point of reference is possible, but experience teaches that at the dawn of consciousness one stands already inclosed within definite, prepotent systems of relationships. The problem then is to choose one's point of reference so that it coincides with the point of reference for cosmic events. For only then can the world created by one's decision escape being dashed to pieces against prepotent systems of relationships with which it would otherwise come into conflict." ( The Great Treatise, Part 1, Chap 1 ) 04 - 1. Movement and rest have their definite laws; according to these, firm and yielding lines are differentiated. Events follow definite trends, each according to its nature. "Owing to changes of the sun, moon, and stars, phenomena take form in the heavens. These phenomena obey definite laws. Bound up with them, shapes come into being on earth, in accordance with identical laws. Therefore the processes on earth--blossom and fruit, growth and decay--can be calculated if we know the laws of time. If we know the laws of change, we can precalculate in regard to it, and freedom of action there- upon becomes possible. Changes are the imperceptible tendencies to divergence that, when they have reached a certain point, become visible and bring about transformations." ( The Treatise, Part 1, Chap 1 ) 05 - 4. Therefore they called the closing of the gates the Receptive, and the opening of the gate the Creative. The alternation between the closing and the opening they called change. The going forward and backward without ceasing they called penetration. What manifests itself visibly they called a pattern. That which furthers on going out and coming in, that which all men live by, they called the divine. "In this passage are shown the tao of heaven and the conditions of men as recognized by the holy sages. The closing and the opening of the gates signify the alternation of rest and movement. These are likewise two conditions pertaining to yoga practice that are attainable only through individual training. Penetration is that state in which the individual has attained sovereign mastery in the psychic sphere as well and is able to move forward and backward in time. The next sentences show how the material world arises. First of all there is a pre-existent image, an idea; then a copy of this archetypal image takes shape as a corporeal form. That which regulates this process of imitation is a pattern; and the force that generates these processes is the divine principle. Many parallels to these expositions are to be found in Lao-tse. ( Treatise, Part 1, Ch 11) SEVEN QUOTES FROM THE TAO TE CHING:- TTC 36 What you want to compress you must first allow truly to expand. What you want to weaken you must allow to grow truly strong. What you want to destroy you must first allow truly to flourish. From whomever you want to take away to him you must first truly give. This is called being clear about the invisible. TAO TE CHING 59 In leading Men and in the service of Heaven there is nothing better than 'Limitation'. For only through limitation can one deal with things early on. Through dealing with things early on one redoubles the forces of Life. Through these redoubled forces of Life one rises to every occasion. If we rise to every occasion, no-one knows our limits. If no-one knows our limits we are capable of possessing the world. If one possesses the Mother of the World one gains eternal duration. This is the DAO of the deep root, of the firm ground, of eternal existence and of lasting sight. TTC 16 Return to the root means stillness. Stillness means return to fate. Return to fate means eternity. Cognition of eternity means clarity. TTC 55 To know peace means to be eternal. To know eternity means to be clear. TTC 52 To see the smallest means to be clear. To guard wisdom means to be strong. If one uses one's light in order to return to this clarity one does not endanger one's person. This is called the hull of eternity. TTC 21 Dao brings about all things so chaotically, so darkly. Chaotic and dark are its images. Unfathomable and obscure in it is the seed. This seed is wholly true. In it dwells reliability. TTC 14 One looks for it and does not see it: its name is 'seed'. One listens for it and does not hear it: its name is 'subtle'. One reaches for it and does not feel it: its name is 'small'. The three cannot be separated, therefore, intermingled they form the One. EIGHT FINAL QUOTES FROM THE I CHING:- 06 - HEX 08 => "If the beginning is not right, there is no hope of a right ending." (LINE 6) 07 - HEX 24 => "Everything must be treated tenderly and with care at the beginning, so that the return may lead to a flowering." (THE IMAGE) 08 - HEX 01 => "The course of the Creative alters and shapes beings until each attains its true, specific nature, then it keeps them in conformity with the Great Harmony." (THE JUDGMENT) 09 - HEX 01 => "Things that accord in tone vibrate together. Things that have affinity in their inmost natures seek one another. Water flows to what is wet, fire turns to what is dry. Clouds (the breath of heaven) follow the dragon, wind (the breath of earth) follows the tiger. Thus the sage arises, and all creatures follow him with their eyes. What is born of heaven feels related to what is above. What is born of earth feels related to what is below. Each follows its kind." (LINE 5) 10 - HEX 02 => "Only because nature in its myriad forms corresponds with the myriad impulses of the Creative can it make these impulses real. Nature's richness lies in its power to nourish all living things; its greatness lies in its power to give them beauty and splendor. Thus it prospers all that lives. It is the Creative that begets things, but they are brought to birth by the Receptive. Applied to human affairs, therefore, what the hexagram indicates is action in conformity with the situation. The person in question is not in an independent position, but is acting as an assistant. This means that he must achieve something. It is not his task to try to lead--that would only make him lose the way--but to let himself be led. If he knows how to meet fate with an attitude of acceptance, he is sure to find the right guidance. The superior man lets himself be guided; he does not go ahead blindly, but learns from the situation what is demanded of him and then follows this intimation from fate." (THE JUDGMENT) 11 - HEX 16 => "This describes a person who does not allow himself to be misled by any illusions. While others are letting themselves be dazzled by enthusiasm, he recognizes with perfect clarity the first signs of the time. Thus he neither flatters those above nor neglects those beneath him; he is as firm as a rock. When the first sign of discord appears, he knows the right moment for withdrawing and does not delay even for a day. Perseverance in such conduct will bring good fortune. Confucius says about this line: "To know the seeds, that is divine indeed. In his association with those above him, the superior man does not flatter. In his association with those beneath him, he is not arrogant. For he knows the seeds. The seeds are the first imperceptible beginning of movement, the first trace of good fortune (or misfortune) that shows itself. The superior man perceives the seeds and immediately takes action. He does not wait even a whole day." (LINE TWO) 12 - HEX 03 => "If a man tries to hunt in a strange forest and has no guide, he loses his way. When he finds himself in difficulties he must not try to steal out of them unthinkingly and without guidance. Fate cannot be duped; premature effort, without the necessary guidance, ends in failure and disgrace. Therefore the superior man, discerning the seeds of coming events, prefers to renounce a wish rather than to provoke failure and humiliation by trying to force its fulfillment." (LINE THREE) 13 - HEX 43 => "If an individual is careful and keeps his wits about him, he need not become excited or alarmed. If he is watchful at all times, even before danger is present, he is armed when danger approaches and need not be afraid. The superior man is on his guard against what is not yet in sight and on the alert for what is not yet within hearing; therefore he dwells in the midst of difficulties as though they did not exist." THREE FINAL QUOTES FROM THE TAO TE CHING:- TTC 15 Those who in ancient times were competent as masters were one with the invisible forces of the hidden. TTC 64 What is still calm can easily be grasped. What has not yet emerged can easily be considered. What is still fragile can easily be broken. What is still small can easily be scattered. One must work on what is not yet there. One must put in order what is not yet confused. A tree trunk the size of a fathom grows from a blade as thin as a hair. A tower nine stories high is built from a small heap of earth. A journey of a thousand miles starts in front of your feet. TTC 63 Whosoever practises non-action, occupies himself with not being occupied, finds taste in what does not taste: he sees the great in the small and the much in the little. He repays animosity with Life. Plan what is difficult while it is still easy! Do the great thing while it is still small! Everything heavy on earth begins as something light. Everything great on earth begins as something small. Therefore: if the Man of Calling never does anything great, then he can complete his great deeds. N.B. - All quotes from Lao Tzu were taken from Wilhelm's translation of the Tao Te Ching.

Paul, the subject under discussion is a profoundly mysterious one; as anyone can easily attest to - who has actually made the effort to seriously plumb its depths. On pages 262-263 of Wilhelm's I Ching, it is clearly stated that the Oracle was invented by the ancient sages to arrive "at an understanding of fate." That is the very first thing we must realize. Now, "fate" is there described, (at the very opening of Book Two,) not as a "chart of possibilities," as you say, but as "the ultimate meaning of the world," "as it is," and "how it has come to be so through creative decision (ming)." Let us be clear about this, though: what you and I experience, right now, in present time, is our "fate", according to I Ching teaching. So, then, fate is not some "future" possibility, strictly speaking, as you have stated, but our present "reality," both spiritually and physically. All present time reality has both a physical and spiritual aspect to it. This is the philosophy of yin and yang, as expressed in Hexagrams One and Two. While the spiritual aspect of present time is invisible to the physical eye, it is still very real and present, nonetheless; and is perceived by the mind's spiritual eye, if it has been opened and is receptive to it. The ancient sages who composed the I Ching viewed the spiritual aspect as the tao or inner design of all the changes within the material world of physical forms. This too is clearly intimated in Hexagram One. As we know, all physical reality is continuously changing; and these changes conform to this inner design. The Oracle was invented by the ancients for the purpose of penetrating this hidden or invisible inner design, in order to help us act freely in harmonizing our movements with the continuous flow of time. Observing the Oracle from this standpoint, (and definition of 'fate,') we may see that the Oracle received is not one of endless possibilities. It is actually a revelation of the tao or inner design of present time; that is to say, the spiritual reality which is behind and underlying present time, as it is - and as it unfolds into a new physical reality. It reveals to us the divine seeds, which are, (as I have previously said, based upon the I Ching,) "the first imperceptible signs of change," but imperceptible only to the physical senses. Hexagram Two describes it in terms of the "intimations" of fate. But tuning into these "intimations" requires a profound receptivity to the inner design of spiritual reality. In Chan terms, this means reconnecting and harmoninzing the guest with the host, or the conditioned mind with the original mind. It is very important, though, for us to grasp, right here and now, that present time, in terms of its physical manifestation, is being influenced by the future; that is to say, by an invisible reality existing prior to, and is actually guiding the unfolding and manifestation of physical reality. It's regarded as the future only from the standpoint of it's not yet having crossed over the threshold or reality, from the invisible world into the visible world of physical actuality. From the standpoint of the spirit world, though, it is not the future but something that is very real and present. But while the present is shaped by the future, the future itself is shaped by the power of intention, which is described in the first paragraph above as "creative decision." As previously stated, Carl Jung has commented on this philosophy of inner design, (in his Foreword to the I Ching;) refering to it as the precise "configuration" of present time: "The manner in which the I Ching tends to look upon reality seems to disfavor our causalistic procedures. The moment under actual observation appears to the ancient Chinese view more of a chance hit than a clearly defined result of concurring causal chain processes. The matter of interest seems to be the configuration formed by chance events in the moment of observation, and not at all the hypothetical reasons that seemingly account for the coincidence. While the Western mind carefully sifts, weighs, selects, classifies, isolates, the Chinese picture of the moment encompasses everything down to the minutest nonsensical detail, because all of the ingredients make up the observed moment." With this knowledge, we are able to act freely and effectively harmonize the flow of time. If we view your statement in the above light, then far from there being endless possibilities, every question posed to the Oracle can have only one possible design or configuration, at the present time; for the Oracle reveals the already existing reality or inner design of the spiritual world, which is underlying and guiding the unfolding of physical reality. Now, it is made very clear, in the Treatise, that the only way to act freely and in harmony with present time reality, is to contemplate and grasp its inner design, as it is and as it unfolds. We are talking here about the divine seeds of change; planting, cultivating, harvesting, or even rooting them up early, if necessary. In summary, then, I must repeat that the Art of I Ching Divination is not about charting possibilities, strictly speaking, but entirely about mastering fate, as defined in the opening paragraph above.

Hi Aiwei ~ I'm afraid the above statement is incorrect as well, but I have no time to address it right now. It will have to wait. Thanks!

how wise. you are the new grand pooh-bah and master of disaster!

Charting possibilities has absolutely zero to do with I Ching divination. The above comment only tells me you do not understood the I Ching's teaching concerning "fate", or how to master it. Time does not permit me to explain right now. Perhaps later, if the right conditions prevail. I'll be watching. Nevertheless, if you are familiar with Hexagram One (<=LINK), you should be well-versed in it's teaching about harmonious movment, or movement in harmony with the Tao. But, since time is the basis of all movement, then moving in harmony with the Tao requires harmonizing the passage of "time", or making "time" harmonious. This is clearly implied in the following passages:- THREE QUOTES FROM HEXAGRAM ONE:- 01 - The first hexagram is made up of six unbroken lines. These unbroken lines stand for the primal power, which is light-giving, active, strong, and of the spirit. The hexagram is consistently strong in character, and since it is without weakness, its essence is power or energy. Its image is heaven. Its energy is represented as unrestricted by any fixed conditions in space and is therefore conceived of as motion. Time is regarded as the basis of this motion. Thus the hexagram includes also the power of time and the power of persisting in time, that is, duration. 02 - Applied to the human world, these attributes show the great man the way to notable success: "Because he sees with great clarity and cause and effects, he completes the six steps at the right time and mounts toward heaven on them at the right time, as though on sic dragons." The six steps are the six different positions given in the hexagram, which are represented later by the dragon symbol. Here it is shown that the way to success lies in apprehending and giving actuality to the way of the universe [Tao], which, as a law running through end and beginning, brings about all phenomena in time. Thus each step attained forthwith becomes a preparation for the next. Time is no longer a hindrance but the means of making actual what is potential. 03 - "The course of the Creative alters and shapes beings until each attains its true, specific nature, then it keeps them in conformity with the Great Harmony." [END OF QUOTES] But according to the teaching of Hexagram One, "time" is a creation of the Mind. Thus, in order to make it harmonious requires the cultivation of mindfulness, or the continuous "awareness" of present time. We can also refer to this as "presence of mind." This is also implied in Hexagram One. But in his First Lecture on the I Ching, Wilhelm makes the following statement: "Such attention as is snatched from us while we watch passively is, as a rule, not harmonious. However, by preparing the beginning of the coming day in time, that is, when God comes forth in the sign of the Arousing, it is possible to make the day harmonious." ( Lectures, pp. 15-16 ) And in Hexagram Two, it says this: => "If he knows how to meet fate with an attitude of acceptance, he is sure to find the right guidance. The superior man lets himself be guided; he does not go ahead blindly, but learns from the situation what is demanded of him and then follows this intimation from fate." It's implied in the above statement, that the clear intimations of fate are always present, but in order to discern them, in order to harmonize the flow of time, we must be present as well. This is what I mean by "presence of mind," or being fully "aware" of the present moment. The Ancestors created the Oracle for this precise purpose, that is, to correctly discern and identify these "present" intimations, which the Ancestors referred to as "the seeds" of destiny. The I ching says these "Seeds" are the first "imperceptible" signs of change; and in order to effectively harmonize "time", one must first know "the seeds." Thus, it is said in the I Ching that "to know the seeds is divine indeed."

Yes, I know. The teaching of the I Ching is very clear about that. It says we have the power to master our fate, if we would only reconnect with "The Creative" power inherent within ourselves, (also referred to as our "primal spirit mind",) learn to know the seeds, and master the changes. What it means by the seeds, I'll leave you to discover. But regarding mastering our fate, this is precisely what it says:- The Great Treatise of the I Ching - Part 1 - Chapter 4 4. In it are included the forms and the scope of everything in the heavens and on earth, so that nothing escapes it. In it all things everywhere are completed, so that none is missing. Therefore by means of it we can penetrate the tao of day and night, and so understand it. Therefore the spirit is bound to no one place, nor the Book of Changes to any one form. "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. These categories are laid down in the Book of Changes; hence it enables us to penetrate and understand the movements of the light and the dark, of life and death, of gods and demons. This knowledge makes possible mastery over fate, because fate can be shaped if its laws are known. The reason why we can oppose fate is that reality is always conditioned, and these conditions of time and space limit and determine it. The spirit, however, is not bound by these determinants and can bring them about as its own purposes require." (END OF I CHING QUOTE) So, yes, if we can master our fate, that would mean "we can change what is foretold by the I Jing." That is the very reason why even bother to consult the Oracle. If we learn to trust its counsel, and correctly follow it, we can change what it has fortold, if it warns of misfortune. If it foretells a good fortune, then why would you even want to change it? You would follow its instructions on how to secure that future for yourself. This is called acting and moving in harmony with the Great Way, or the harmonious way of non-contrivance. Now, in his book entitled Zen Wisdom, Chan Master Sheng-yen makes the following statement, which is in complete harmony with the above teaching of the I Ching. To me, they appear almost identical, though it is hard to tell from the Master's words below whether or not he understands the concept of synchronicity, though I suspect he understands it better than I do. He's the Master! Nonetheless, here's what he says:- FROM CHAN MASTER SHENG-YEN'S ZEN WISDOM Student [asks]: "Are causes and conditions controllable? Can I manipulate them to directly control my life?" Master Sheng-yen [replies]: "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) [END OF QUOTE] One aspect of the I Ching's teaching above which is not quite clear in Master Sheng-yen's words, is the precise place of the "primal spirit mind" in this reconstruction of reality. According to the above, the I Ching says that the physical (conditioned) mind is incapable of effecting the changes, and that the change must come from the primal spirit mind, which possesses "The Creative" power that can shape form reality. I would suspect Master Sheng-yen believes that as well, but it is not clear from the above passage that he does. However, he does refer to the Avatamsaka Sutra, which must be taken into consideration; and that Scripture fully corroborates the I Ching's teaching, in that regard, as well as touching the principle of synchronicity, or the similtaneous manifestation and interconnectedness of all phenomena. It is very important for anyone aspiring to master the art of I Ching divination to be clear about synchronicity. In his Foreword to Wilhelm's I Ching, Carl Jung makes the following observations concerning it:- THREE QUOTES FROM JUNG'S FOREWORD TO WILHELM'S I CHING:- 01 - The manner in which the I Ching tends to look upon reality seems to disfavor our causalistic procedures. The moment under actual observation appears to the ancient Chinese view more of a chance hit than a clearly defined result of concurring causal chain processes. The matter of interest seems to be the configuration formed by chance events in the moment of observation, and not at all the hypothetical reasons that seemingly account for the coincidence. While the Western mind carefully sifts, weighs, selects, classifies, isolates, the Chinese picture of the moment encompasses everything down to the minutest nonsensical detail, because all of the ingredients make up the observed moment. 02 - In other words, whoever invented the I Ching was convinced that the hexagram worked out in a certain moment coincided with the latter in quality no less than in time. To him the hexagram was the exponent of the moment in which it was cast -- even more so than the hours of the clock or the divisions of the calendar could be -- inasmuch as the hexagram was understood to be an indicator of the essential situation prevailing in the moment of its origin. 03 - This assumption involves a certain curious principle that I have termed synchronicity, a concept that formulates a point of view diametrically opposed to that of causality. Since the latter is a merely statistical truth and not absolute, it is a sort of working hypothesis of how events evolve one out of another, whereas synchronicity takes the coincidence of events in space and time as meaning some- thing more than mere chance, namely, a peculiar interdependence of objective events among them- selves as well as with the subjective (psychic) states of the observer or observers. The ancient Chinese mind contemplates the cosmos in a way comparable to that of the modern physicist, who cannot deny that his model of the world is a decidedly psychophysical structure. The microphysical event includes the observer just as much as the reality underlying the I Ching comprises subjective, i.e., psychic conditions in the totality of the momentary situation. Just as causality describes the sequence of events, so synchronicity to the Chinese mind deals with the coincidence of events. The causal point of view tells us a dramatic story about how D came into existence: it took its origin from C, which existed before D, and C in its turn had a father, B, etc. The synchronistic view on the other hand tries to produce an equally meaningful picture of coincidence. How does it happen that A', B', C', D', etc., appear all in the same moment and in the same place? It happens in the first place because the physical events A' and B' are of the same quality as the psychic events C' and D', and further because all are the exponents of one and the same momentary situation. The situation is assumed to represent a legible or understandable picture. [END OF QUOTES] Well, that's all I'm prepared to say about it, for the time being, that is. Peace to the Bums!

LINK 2=> Hexagram 15 - The Judgment - In Section 1 of Wilhelm "It is the law of heaven to make fullness empty and to make full what is modest; when the sun is at its zenith, it must, according to the law of heaven, turn toward its setting, and at its nadir it rises toward a new dawn. In obedience to the same law, the moon when it is full begins to wane, and when empty of light it waxes again. This heavenly law works itself out in the fates of men also. It is the law of earth to alter the full and to contribute to the modest. High mountains are worn down by the waters, and the valleys are filled up." LINK 3=> Hexagram 32 - Line 1 - In Section 1 of Wilhelm "Whatever endures can be created only gradually by long-continued work and careful reflection. In the same sense Lao-tse says: "If we wish to compress something, we must first let it fully expand." He who demands too much at once is acting precipitately, and because he attempts too much, he ends by succeeding in nothing." LINK 4=> The Great Treatise - Part 2 - Chapter 5 2. When the sun goes, the moon comes; when the moon goes, the sun comes. Sun and moon alternate; thus light comes into existence. When cold goes, heat comes; when heat goes, cold comes. Cold and heat alternate, and thus the year completes itself. The past contracts. The future expands. Contraction and expansion act upon each other; hereby arises that which furthers. 3. The measuring worm draws itself together when it wants to stretch out. Dragons and snakes hibernate in order to preserve life. Thus the penetration of a germinal thought into the mind promotes the working of the mind. When this working furthers and brings peace to life, it elevates a man's nature. 4. Whatever goes beyond this indeed transcends all knowledge. When a man comprehends the divine and understands the transformations, he lifts his nature to the level of the miraculous.

Not necessarily. If we're talking the I Ching, it paints a slightly different kind of picture, as will appear from the following:- LINK=> The Great Treatise - Part 1 - Chapter 1 <=LINK 2. Therefore the eight trigrams succeed one another by turns, as the firm and the yielding displace each other. "Here cyclic change is explained. It is a rotation of phenomena, each succeeding the other until the starting point is reached again. Examples are furnished by the course of the day and year, and by the phenomena that occur in the organic world during these cycles. Cyclic change, then, is recurrent change in the organic world, whereas sequent change means the progressive [nonrecurrent] change of phenomena produced by causality. "The firm and the yielding displace each other within the eight trigrams. Thus the firm is transformed, melts as it were, and becomes the yielding; the yielding changes, coalesces, as it were, and becomes the firm. In this way the eight trigrams change from one into another in turn, and the regular alternation of phenomena within the year takes its course. But this is the case in all cycles, the life cycle included. What we know as day and night, summer and winter--this, in the life cycle is life and death. "To make more intelligible the nature of cyclic change and the alternations of the trigrams produced by it, their sequence in the Primal Arrangement is shown once again. There are two direction of movement, the one rightward, ascending, the other backward, descending. The former starts form the low point, K'un, the Receptive, earth; the latter starts from the high point. Ch'ien, the Creative, heaven." ( Wilhelm's I Ching, p. 283-284 ) Words are merely words, and therefore limited by nature in what they can convey. However, if we're specifically talking about what the I Ching teaches, then, according to the above passage, all change or movement is either cyclical by nature, or sequential. If it happens organically, that is, according to nature, as you seem to be saying, then the change is cyclical. If one eats only when one is hungry, or waits for the stomach to empty before refilling it, this means waiting for the right time before moving. If one waits for the right time, then it is a natural movement, repeated according to an organic cycle; at least that's my understanding of what the above quotation, from the I Ching, is saying to us. If one is not compelled by externals, that is to say, emotional thoughts, to continue stuffing one's face until one explodes, then one lives an organic lifestyle, according to life's natural rhythms: Never filling the stomach before it is empty, and never sleeping before one is honestly tired; this means waiting for nature to do its thing, without any interference from ourselves, in harmony with its own organic cycles. Furthermore, the above passage says that all recurrent change is cyclical by nature; whereas all other change which is non-recurring is causal in nature, and therefore linear, or sequential as the text states it. How to say it any other way presently escapes me.

SIX QUOTATIONS FROM CHUANG TZU:- 01 - On Sitting Quietly and Letting Intellect Fade Away "I'm gaining ground," said Yen Hui. "What do you mean?" asked Confucius. "I've forgotten Humanity and Duty completely." "Not bad! But that's still not it." A few days later they met again and Yen Hui said, "I'm gaining ground." "What do you mean?" "I've forgotten ritual and music completely." "Not bad! But that's still not it." A few days later they met again and Yen Hui said, "I'm gaining ground." "What do you mean?" "I sit quietly and forget." Confucius shifted around uneasily. "What do you mean 'sit quietly and forget'?" he asked his disciple. "I let the body fall away and the intellect fade. I throw out form, abandon understanding - and then move freely, blending away into the great transformation. That's what I mean by 'sit quietly and forget'." "If you blend away like that, you're free of likes and dislikes," said Confucius. "If you're all transformation, you're free of permanence. So in the end, the true sage here is you. So you won't mind if I follow you from now on, will you?" (From Chapter 6, entitled: 'The Great Ancestral Master' ) 02 - On the Understanding's Divine Ascent "Only a true sage masters true understanding. What does "true sage" mean? The true sages of old never avoided want, never flaunted perfection, never worked at schemes. If you're like that, you can be wrong without remorse and right without conceit. You can scale the heights without trembling in fear, dive into deep water without getting wet, walk into fire without getting burned. This is how understanding can ascend delusion into the heights of Tao." 03 - On Knowing Without Knowing "It is easy to keep from walking; the hard thing is to walk without touching the ground. It is easy to cheat when you work for men, but hard to cheat when you work for Heaven. You have heard of flying with wings, but you have never heard of flying without wings. You have heard of the knowledge that knows, but you have never heard of the knowledge that does not know. Look into that closed room, the empty chamber where brightness is born! Fortune and blessing gather where there is stillness. But if you do not keep still - this is what is called sitting but racing around. Let your ears and eyes communicate with what is inside, and put mind and knowledge on the outside. Then even gods and spirits will come to dwell, not to speak of men! This is the changing of the ten thousand things, the bond of Yu and Shun, the constant practice of Fu Hsi and Chi Ch'u. How much more should it be a rule for lesser men!" 04 - On the Nature of Mental Fasting [Yen Hui said,] "May I ask what the fasting of the mind is?" Confucius said, "Make your will one! Don't listen with your ears, listen with your mind. No, don't listen with your mind, but listen with your spirit. Listening stops with the ears, the mind stops with recognition, but spirit is empty - and waits on all things. The Way gathers in emptiness alone. Emptiness is the fasting of the mind." Yen Hui said, "Before I heard this, I was certain that I was Hui. But now that I have heard it, there is no more Hui. Can this be called emptiness?" "That's all there is to it," said Confucius. "Now I will tell you. You may go and play in his bird cage, but never be moved by fame. If he listens, then sing; if not, keep still. Have no gate, no opening, but make oneness your house and live with what cannot be avoided. Then you will be close to success." 05 - Understand It Before You Forget "Fishing baskets are for catching fish. But when the fish are caught, you forget the baskets. Snares are for catching hares, but when the hares are trapped, you forget the snares. Words are for conveying ideas, but when the ideas are understood, you forget the words. How I'd love to talk with someone who's forgotten all the words!" ( Tao - Finding the Way of Balance and Harmony, pp. 14-15 ) 06 - Ideas Have Value, But Not the Highest Kind "The world thinks the most valuable exhibition of Tao is found in its classic books. But books are only a collection of words. Words are valuable: what is valuable in them is the ideas they convey. But those ideas are a sequence of something else, and that something else can't be conveyed by words. When the world, because of the value it attaches to words, commits those words to books, the thing it so values them for may not deserve to be valued. Because what the world values is'nt what is really valuable." ( Tao - Finding the Way of Balance and Harmony, pp. 14-15 )

HUAINAN TZU SAYS:- "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 )

They realize stillness in movement, and movement in stillness. When you're in harmony with the Tao, and are aware of a flurry of flowery fist(s) in your way, what would you do with those? Move with the grace and power of the Tao, without ever losing your correct center-point. In doing nothing, realized people are capable of doing all things.

That's what he called "reality checking", or the practice of keeping our thoughts grounded in reality. He based that philosophy largely on the following words or teachings of Hexagram 52 and The Treatise:- Hexagram 52 - The Image Mountains standing close together: The image of KEEPING STILL. Thus the superior man Does not permit his thoughts To go beyond his situation. "The heart thinks constantly. This cannot be changed, but the movements of the heart--that is, a man's thoughts--should restrict themselves to the immediate situation. All thinking that goes beyond this only makes the heart sore." 06 - The Great Treatise - Part 2 - Chapter 5 - Continued 2. When the sun goes, the moon comes; when the moon goes, the sun comes. Sun and moon alternate; thus light comes into existence. When cold goes, heat comes; when heat goes, cold comes. Cold and heat alternate, and thus the year completes itself. The past contracts. The future expands. Contraction and expansion act upon each other; hereby arises that which furthers. 3. The measuring worm draws itself together when it wants to stretch out. Dragons and snakes hibernate in order to preserve life. Thus the penetration of a germinal thought into the mind promotes the working of the mind. When this working furthers and brings peace to life, it elevates a man's nature. 4. Whatever goes beyond this indeed transcends all knowledge. When a man comprehends the divine and understands the transformations, he lifts his nature to the level of the miraculous. 07 - Hexagram 52 - The Judgment KEEPING STILL. Keeping his back still So that he no longer feels his body. He goes into his courtyard And does not see his people. No blame. "True quiet means keeping still when the time has come to keep still, and going forward when the time has come to go forward. In this way rest and movement are in agreement with the demands of the time, and thus there is light in life. "The hexagram signifies the end and the beginning of all movement. The back is named because in the back are located all the nerve fibers that mediate movement. If the movement of these spinal nerves is brought to a standstill, the ego, with its restlessness, disappears as it were. When a man has thus become calm, he may turn to the outside world. He no longer sees in it the struggle and tumult of individual beings, and therefore he has that true peace of mind which is needed for understanding the great laws of the universe and for acting in harmony with them. Whoever acts from these deep levels makes no mistakes." Please observe that the above text teaches us that inner peace is a necessary pre-requisite to the attainment of the cosmic intelligence described above as "understanding the great laws of the" Tao. This understanding is firmly rooted and grounded in daily application. Knowledge is solely for application and practice of the Tao, and is abused if improperly used for anything else but. The inner quietude and peace of mind spoken of here comes only by the strict purification of our heart, meaning the elimination of passions - as further confirmed in these six other I Ching passages, immediately below:- Six More Passages from Wilhelm's I Ching 01 - Hexagram 41 - The Image At the foot of the mountain, the lake: The image of DECREASE. Thus the superior man controls his anger And restrains his instincts. "The lake at the foot of the mountain evaporates. In this way it decreases to the benefit of the mountain, which is enriched by its moisture. The mountain stands as the symbol of stubborn strength that can harden into anger. The lake is the symbol of unchecked gaiety that can develop into passionate drives at the expense of the life forces. Therefore decrease is necessary; anger must be decreased by keeping still, the instincts must be curbed by restriction. By this decrease of the lower powers of the psyche, the higher aspects of the soul are enriched." 02 - Hexagram 43 - Line 2 A cry of alarm. Arms at evening and at night. Fear nothing. "Readiness is everything. Resolution is indissolubly bound up with caution. If an individual is careful and keeps his wits about him, he need not become excited or alarmed. If he is watchful at all times, even before danger is present, he is armed when danger approaches and need not be afraid. The superior man is on his guard against what is not yet in sight and on the alert for what is not yet within hearing; therefore he dwells in the midst of difficulties as though they did not exist. If a man develops his character, people submit to him of their own accord. If reason triumphs, the passions withdraw of themselves. To be circumspect and not to forget one's armor is the right way to security." 03 - Hexagram 16 - Line 2 Firm as a rock. Not a whole day. Perseverance brings good fortune. "This describes a person who does not allow himself to be misled by any illusions. While others are letting themselves be dazzled by enthusiasm, he recognizes with perfect clarity the first signs of the time. Thus he neither flatters those above nor neglects those beneath him; he is as firm as a rock. When the first sign of discord appears, he knows the right moment for withdrawing and does not delay even for a day. Perseverance in such conduct will bring good fortune. Confucius says about this line: To know the seeds, that is divine indeed. In his association with those above him, the superior man does not flatter. In his association with those beneath him, he is not arrogant. For he knows the seeds. The seeds are the first imperceptible beginning of movement, the first trace of good fortune (or misfortune) that shows itself. The superior man perceives the seeds and immediately takes action. He does not wait even a whole day. In the Book of Changes it is said: "Firm as a rock. Not a whole day. Perseverance brings good fortune." 04 - Hexagram 46 - Line 5 Perseverance brings good fortune. One pushes upward by steps. "When a man is advancing farther and farther, it is important for him not to become intoxicated by success. Precisely when he experiences great success it is necessary to remain sober and not to try to skip any stages; he must go on slowly, step by step, as though hesitant. Only such calm, steady progress, overleaping nothing, leads to the goal." 05 - Hexagram 16 - Line 1 Enthusiasm that expresses itself Brings misfortune. "A man in an inferior position has aristocratic connections about which he boasts enthusiastically. This arrogance inevitably invites misfortune. Enthusiasm should never be an egotistic emotion; it is justified only when it is a general feeling that unites one with others." 06 - Hexagram 58 - The Image Lakes resting one on the other: The image of THE JOYOUS. Thus the superior man joins with his friends For discussion and practice. "A lake evaporates upward and thus gradually dries up; but when two lakes are joined they do not dry up so readily, for one replenishes the other. It is the same in the field of knowledge. Knowledge should be a refreshing and vitalizing force. It becomes so only through stimulating intercourse with congenial friends with whom one holds discussion and practices application of the truths of life. In this way learning becomes many-sided and takes on a cheerful lightness, whereas there is always something ponderous and one-sided about the learning of the self-taught." I suppose the meaning of "self-taught" depends largely on one's definition of "a teacher". In passage no. six, of the above six quotes, the term "self-taught" denotes not just persons who are'nt closely linked to a completely realized Taoist master, but even those who merely abstain from "stimulating intercourse with congenial friends with whom one holds discussion and practices application of the truths of life." In that light, the term "teacher" seems to have a much broader application, being extended even to disciples of the Way, or practitioners of the Tao who act as a grounding and stabilizing force in our spiritual practice. So, in this light, we may see that the "self-taught" person is not just one who has no "formal" Taoist master to teach them, but one who cares less even for the "refreshing" and "stimulating intercourse" of other sincere Taoists. Such persons are interested only in formal, dry-as-dust abstractions that merely confuse rather than enlighten the heart and quicken the spirit. I feel the term "self-taught" may even apply, though, to any person who claims to practice the Tao without any consideration at all given to the ancient Taoist writings of the sages. There is a certain sense in which the term "self-made" or "self-taught" Taoist applies more to the person who neglects the study of the ancient canonical writings - than to your solo "Intellectualist" who avidly studies the sayings of great Antiquity, but cultivates no practice of keeping company with sincere practitioners of the Tao. It seems to me, in my 'simpleton' way of viewing things, that the completely realized Taoist Masters have left us writings to help those who specifically have not the benefit of their living instruction or that of any other true master, in their our own right and generation. To neglect taking advantage of their ancient writings is described by the I Ching as the attitude of 'Youthful Folly'; which just wants to play around, and avoid at all costs the need to get serious about the disciplined practice of the Tao. In the following and final quote, for now, it is implied that one of the principal reasons for seeking out a "true" teacher of the Way is this critical factor called "discipline." Youthful Folly has no discipline, without which complete realization is entirely unobtainable! Thus, it is an imperative for all those who have no real teacher in the flesh - to oversee their cultivation practice - for them to seek out the close knit ties afforded by a Taoist group of practitioners, as this will help them with their youthful lack of practical discipline. Hexagram 4 - Line 1 To make a fool develop It furthers one to apply discipline. The fetters should be removed. To go on in this way bring humiliation. "Law is the beginning of education. Youth in its inexperience is inclined at first to take everything carelessly and playfully. It must be shown the seriousness of life. A certain measure of taking oneself in hand, brought about by strict discipline, is a good thing. He who plays with life never amounts to anything. However, discipline should not degenerate into drill. Continuous drill has a humiliating effect and cripples a man's powers."

01 - Hexagram 27 - The Image At the foot of the mountain, thunder: The image of PROVIDING NOURISHMENT. Thus the superior man is careful of his words And temperate in eating and drinking. " 'God comes forth in the sign of the Arousing:' when in the spring the life forces stir again, all things come into being anew. 'He brings to perfection in the sign of Keeping Still:' thus in the early spring, when the seeds fall to earth, all things are made ready. This is an image of providing nourishment through movement and tranquillity. The superior man takes it as a pattern for the nourishment and cultivation of his character. Words are a movement going from within outward. Eating and drinking are movements from without inward. Both kinds of movement can be modified by tranquillity. For tranquillity keeps the words that come out of the mouth from exceeding proper measure, and keeps the food that goes into the mouth from exceeding its proper measure. Thus character is cultivated. " 02 - Hexagram 15 - The Judgment "It is the law of heaven to make fullness empty and to make full what is modest; when the sun is at its zenith, it must, according to the law of heaven, turn toward its setting, and at its nadir it rises toward a new dawn. In obedience to the same law, the moon when it is full begins to wane, and when empty of light it waxes again. This heavenly law works itself out in the fates of men also. It is the law of earth to alter the full and to contribute to the modest. High mountains are worn down by the waters, and the valleys are filled up." 03 - Hexagram 32 - Line 1 Seeking duration too hastily brings misfortune persistently. Nothing that would further. "Whatever endures can be created only gradually by long-continued work and careful reflection. In the same sense Lao-tse says: "If we wish to compress something, we must first let it fully expand." He who demands too much at once is acting precipitately, and because he attempts too much, he ends by succeeding in nothing."

In this connection, or regard, he regularly quoted these four passages from the I Ching:- 01 - Hexagram 4 - Line 4 Six in the fourth place means: 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." 02 - Hexagram 52 - The Image Mountains standing close together: The image of KEEPING STILL. Thus the superior man Does not permit his thoughts To go beyond his situation. "The heart thinks constantly. This cannot be changed, but the movements of the heart--that is, a man's thoughts--should restrict themselves to the immediate situation. All thinking that goes beyond this only makes the heart sore." 03 - Hexagram 57 - Line 3 Repeated penetration. Humiliation. "Penetrating reflection must not be pushed too far, lest it cripple the power of decision. After a matter has been thoroughly pondered, it is essential to form a decision and to act. Repeated deliberation brings fresh doubts and scruples, and thereby humiliation, because one shows oneself unable to act." 04 - The Great Treatise - Part 2 - Chapter 5 1. In the Changes it is said: "If a man is agitated in mind, and his thoughts go hither and thither, only those friends on whom he fixes his conscious thoughts will follow." The Master said: What need has nature of thoughts and care? In nature all things return to their common source and are distributed along different paths; through one action, the fruits of a hundred thoughts are realized. What need (has) nature of thought, of care?

Yes, Spectrum, I could not have said it better! Thank you. A teacher once told me that "losing, losing" meant for him, in the light of his own direct experience, learning through or by way of the process of elimination. He basically said that his head was literally full of false imaginings about the nature of reality, and that before he was able to successfully cleanse himself of all these empty imaginings, he had to experimentally work through them one by one, carefully sifting each. The way he did that was fairly simple and uncomplicated, in my eyes, at least: By way of trial and error. He did not allow himself to entertain or maintain thoughts about reality that could not be successfully practiced and applied in real life. If he read something in the classics, he immediately put it into practice. Based on the teaching of Hexagram One, a successful application was taken as a sign he had correctly understood; failed application only meant he had'nt understood. What could not be tested in this manner was discarded by him, almost immediately, as wasted energy. Life is an ever recurring natural cycle of learning and unlearning. We must empty the cup before we can refill it. The purpose of our emptying our cup is to keep refilling it, and when we have unlearned, it is only so that we may learn again, but only this next time, more completely penetrating into the reality or the source of life. Learning and unlearning is a natural life cycle, constantly repeated all throughout life. According to the yin and yang teaching, when unlearning reaches a point of fullness or completion, a transformation must occur. It is only from the standpoint of this emptiness that one finally becomes Receptive to learning again. Penetration into the mystery is a lot like remembering disconnected memories of reality, and reintegrating them back into full consciousness. And then to forget them all over again, that they may complete the cycle and penetrate even further into the underlying reality. But when the forgetting eventually climaxes, and reaches a point of completion, what will then happen? This practice of forgetting is what Chuang Tzu calls mental fasting; but what happens when the fast has been completed? It is eventually broken and eating is temporarily resumed, at least until the next appointed fast comes around, according to the circle of life which is completed in this manner.

Well, to be honest, the above sounds completely opposite to what you first posted; which was that the (art of the) I Ching (by which I suspect you probably meant the art of divination,) grew out of the Tao Te Ching. As previously intimated, it is widely accepted, if not universally so, that among all the sacred Chinese writings predating the Tao Te Ching, the I Ching was Lao Tzu's primary source of inspiration. In light of that fact, would you be so kind as to identify for us the "core" teachings of the I Ching, and demonstrate in which manner they are foreign to the teachings of the Tao Te Ching, or - in your own words - how they are essentially not Taoist. Agreed, though this point was never disputed in the first place. Again, this was not disputed either. Until very recently, the oldest known surviving I Ching was decidedly Confucian in character, and included the Ten Confucian Wings. These Ten Wings are marked, though, by a very clear and distinct Taoist influence; most especially in the case of The Great Treatise itself. Master Hua Ching-Ni appears to attribute this to the influence of Mencius, but I've read in several places that Confucius himself sought out Lao Tzu's guidance. Nevertheless, Master Hua says that ... "Mencius never mentioned the Taoist school in his writings, because he himself absorbed some teaching and practice from the ancient teaching of Tao. So you can see that the other achieved Taoists at that time still managed themselves with coolness and calmness: they stayed at the side and did not become involved with the changing waves of popular Chinese society. " ( Entering the Tao, p. 5) Now, regarding the various layers of the I Ching which predate the Confucian layer, Sinologists universally agree they predate the Tao Te Ching. And I believe the oldest version of the I Ching currently known to us, as the result of a fairly recent archeological find, is of a decidely Taoist character. Well, again, I understand what you're saying, and partly agree, but I'm inclined to state the matter differently, by saying that since both Taoism and Confucianism are firmly rooted in the teachings of the I Ching, as you have pointed out for us, they are essentially spiritual affinities and share the same core values. That is the viewpoint of the Complete Reality School of Taoism, as noted in the four quotes below (two of which are fairly lengthy):- FOUR QUOTES ON THE ESSENTIAL UNITY OF TAOISM AND CONFUCIANISM:- 01 - " The dual cultivation of mind and body forms the foundation of Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian spiritual training. Some say that the Buddhists cultivate mind exclusively, the Taoists cultivate body exclusively, and the Confucians are concerned only with building harmonious social relationships. They think that these paths are incompatible because they don't understand the deep teachings of these three wisdom traditions. "As far as I know, while Buddhists focus on cultivating mind (and recovering original nature), they have secret teachings on cultivating the body. They emphasize cultivating the mind because they believe that it is best for their followers to begin spiritual development by returning to the original mind and letting original nature shine. The Taoists emphasize cultivating the body, but cultivating original mind is essential to their teachings. They focus on cultivating the body because they believe that it is by recovering the original body that the practioner can build a strong foundation for the root of life nd eventually attain original mind. "If you attain the highest level of cultivating the mind but neglect the body, you won't be able to keep original mind for long. If you can't keep the original mind, your cultivation will come to nothing and you won't be able to transcend samsara. If you manage to reach the highest level of cultivating the body but neglect to cultivate the mind, then the true energy of life cannot be held in the body for long. If you can't preserve the body, how can you penetrate the secrets of the celestial, terrestrial, and human realms? "The Buddhists have secret teachings on cultivating mind to attain life, entering the Western realm, and merging with the void. On the other hand, the Taoists have teachings on how to cultivate the body to attain Nirvana and be liberated from suffering in samsara. Buddhism and Taoism both have methods of single and paired cultivation as well as techniques of spirit travel. The Buddhists, after reaching the state of Chan stillness, can send the spirit out of the body through the top of the head. They have techniques that enable yin and yang to copulate and male and female energies to interact. The Taoists also have techniques that reach the same goals. "Consider this statement made by Lu Dongbin (i.e. Patriarch Lu, the Taoist Immortal): 'To cultivate the mind exclusively at the expense of neglecting the body is the first mistake of spiritual practice.' And Zhang Ziyang (i.e. Founder of the Southern Lineage of Complete Reality Taoism) said, 'If you understand original nature, you won't throw away your life energy. And, if you practice the paired method of cultivation, you'll be able to attain the great medicine, prevent the essence of life from dissipating, and become a realized being.' "Attaining a deep state of absolute stillness, emptying the five senses, completing the pill and accomplishing its great return (to the dantien), facing the wall for nine years, attaining omniscience at age sixty, and becoming one with original nature at age seventy - these practices all require cultivating both body and mind. Only when you have completed these stages of spiritual development can you enter the ultimate realm and merge with the void. Both the Buddhists and Taoists agree on this. "Bodhidharma once said, 'The three families - Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism - are built on the same foundations. Don't think that mind and body are unrelated.' Body and mind must both be cultivated jointly, and understanding the natures of qian and kun is the key to everything. "If you understand the teachings of the three paths - Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism - you'll know that they are not contradictory. They may use different techniques, but they all lead to the same goal. A great Taoist teacher once said, 'Let me tell you about the three paths. When separate, they are three; when combined, they are one.' If the Tao does not manifest itself through differentiation, the power of creation and transformation cannot be realized. If after differentiation the aspects of the Tao cannot be merged again, then they cannot return to the one source. Thus, the three paths build three types of foundations. Buddhism specializes in recovering the original mind; Taoism specializes in building the foundation of life; and Confucianism focuses on building a harmonious society. But, without original nature and original life, how can a harmonious society be created? "Many practioners of these three paths don't understand the essence of the teachings. They believe that Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism are contrary paths. They inflate the differences and misrepresent the teachings. They voice their opinions, criticize each other, and stir up conflicts among the Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucian communities. The three spiritual traditions have spawned many illegitimate children who have nothing but negative opinions of each other. These children don't understand that the three different paths lead to the same goal. Unable to see beyond their own perspective, they are convinced that a path different from theirs must be false. Such people need to look into the source of the traditions before they criticize or even talk about other spiritual paths. "In my opinion, there are three approaches but one source and one goal. In one path, life is recovered by cultivating original nature; in the second path, original nature is attained by cultivating life; and in the third, life and original mind are cultivated through building a harmonious society. Although these are three distinct approaches, they all lead to the one undifferentiated source. Ponder this saying: 'When naughty children turn off the lights, people will attack their own family.' " ( Holding Yin, Embracing Yang, pp. 154-156 ) 02 - "There is a Confucian saying, 'Find out truth and fulfill human nature, thereby arriving at the destiny of life; getting to the root of beginnings, returning to ends, knowledge encompasses myriad things.' This is talking about knowing birth and death. What in Taoism is called the study of essence and life is actually the true message of Confucianism, where it is called the study of human nature and destiny. "Furthermore, when the ancient sage chieftain Fu Xi first wrote the I Ching signs, setting up teaching embodying the celestial, using the Tao to develop people, there was no division into three teachings. Therefore it is said, 'The Supreme Celestial has not two ways, sages have not two minds.' "The first line drawn by Fu Xi represents the absolute. When there is one, then there are two; this represents the two modes, one yang, one yin. 'One yin and one yang -- this is called the Tao.' Looking up, gazing at the sky, Fu Xi wrote a line to represent heaven; looking down, examining the earth, he wrote a line to represent earth. In between he wrote a line to represent humankind. "Therefore three solid lines form the trigram HEAVEN, representing the 'three components' -- heaven, earth, and humanity. Two HEAVENS seperated, making three broken lines, form EARTH, representing the six parts -- the members of the body and the directions of space. "So it is said that the Tao establishing heaven is yin and yang, the Tao establishing earth is flexibility and firmness, and the Tao establishing humankind is benevolence and justice. The three components each have two aspects, so six lines form EARTH. "Speaking in terms of the person, the Tao establishing heaven being yin and yang refers to the spirit and energy of the mind; the Tao establishing earth being flexibility and firmness refers to the form and substances of the body; the Tao establishing humankind being benevolence and justice refers to the essence and sense of the will. "Mind, body, and will are represented by the three components of HEAVEN; spirit, energy, essence, sence, form, and substance are represented by the six parts of EARTH. This is what the I Ching means when it says, 'Find it afar in things, find it nearby in the body.' " ( Taoist Classics, Vol. 2, p. 388-389 ) 03 - "Sages say the unique celestial design in one's being permeates the universe, including all philosophies and religions and all things. This is like the Buddhist principle of nonabsoluteness of self, person, being, and soul. It is also like the Taoist teaching of comprehending everything by comprehending one. In all of these there is a pervasive unity." ( Taoist Classics, Vol. 2, p. 395 ) 04 - "When Buddhists speak of true emptiness, Confucians of noncontrivance, and Taoists of spontaneity, all are referring to embracing the fundamental, returning to the origin, and uniting with cosmic space. People with fixations cannot know this Way that is permeated with unity." ( Taoist Classics, Vol. 2, p. 396 ) While it is true that Taoists have been divided over the true value and place of the art of divination in Taoist praxis, it is equally untrue to say the I Ching was not universally recieved by all Taoists as book of divine wisdom. Wang Pi is, perhaps, the best and clearest example of this latter viewpoint. To be honest, though, I'm not entirely sure what you're referring to when you speak of the "categorization" and "compartmentalization" of the I Ching. Despite that particular obscurity, though, it strikes me as though you're basically saying the core teachings of the I Ching are not in harmony with the core teachings of the Tao Te Ching. Such a position, I believe, is completely untenable. But I have an open mind, if you care to try and demonstrate that. If that were true, then it would also seem to imply the "Taoist practices, arts, and medicine," which you say "are strongly influenced by the I-Ching," must "have little to do with the" "the fundamental Taoist morals and ways of living core to the Tao te Ching." Well, I disagree. From what I know, the I Ching is seminal to the philosophy of the Tao Te Ching, not the other way around; though there is no question in my mind that the teachings of the Tao Te Ching have definitely influenced the Taoist interpretation of the I Ching, during the past two and half millennia. I view the Tao Te Ching as a kind of general commentary on the teachings of the I Ching, which in itself can be a very obscure and difficult text to penetrate. A thorough knowledge of the early Taoist classics, such as the Tao Te Ching, first and foremost, backed by Lieh Tzu, Chuang Tzu, and Huainan Tzu, can only help us penetrate the deeper layers and mysteries of the I Ching. I do not dispute the fact that the Tao Te Ching is seminal to Taoist praxis, obviously. In fact, I would go so far as to say every sincere Taoist should make a serious attempt to commit the entire text to memory, and recite passages from it, as part of their daily practice. However, there is no question in my mind that it is youthful folly (cf. Hexagram 4) for anyone sincerely aspiring to learn and practice a trully Taoist way of life, to limit themselves to the study of just one classic text, whether that be the I Ching or otherwise! That was'nt what I meant, but if that is how it came across, then I must apologize. I merely mentioned the I Ching because of its practical use as an Oracle, for tapping into cosmic intelligence. The Tao Te Ching does not afford us the same advantage, in that respect, obviously. Having said that, though, I fully respect that not all Taoists viewed the Oracle in a favorable light, but many did and still do! I've always been amazed by the profound wisdom and insight of the answers I've received from It. However, I'm also able to fully understand a person's reluctance toward using it, since I too was reluctant for years, but no longer. I cannot stress enough the benefits of the proper use of the Oracle, and I stress proper by those Taoists who have not the benefit of the living counsel of a completely realized Taoist master. Within the heart of every human being is the answer to every question they will ever ask. That is what I call "higher nature," "innate wisdom," "cosmic intelligence," and so on; and the Oracle is a time-tested and proven way of tapping into that natural resource. Peace.

Hexagram 48 <=LINK "However men may differ in disposition and in education, the foundations of human nature are the same in everyone. And every human being can draw in the course of his education from the inexhaustible wellspring of the divine in man's nature. But here likewise two dangers threaten: [1] A man may fail in his education to penetrate to the real roots of humanity and remain fixed in convention--a partial education of this sort is as bad as none--or [2] He may suddenly collapse and neglect his self-development."