01 – determination

“I, I, all I!” – How does it feel when I suddenly find myself at the very center, all by myself, undisturbed by the votes of others? Is it really quiet? Or do I still hear their voices in my head, defending myself in fiery speeches before absent parties? An interesting observation: I justify myself… why? Because I’m not the way I believe that they want me to be? But, here the consolation: awareness is already part of the healing.

Weiterlesen: 01 – determination

10 – treading (conduct)

I was told two job stories these days. Both situations involve encroaching employers. In one case, extra (unpaid) hours are demanded with a flimsy justification; in the other, extra tasks were assigned that require extra work, which is then not paid. The I Ching‘s commentary in both cases is 10 – the treading.

Weiterlesen: 10 – treading (conduct)

13 – fellowship with men

Our mental clarity, our ability to differentiate between important and unimportant, is the pivotal point of this hexagram. Our clarity allows us to analyze a situation and the various aspects it comprises: What are my options in this situation? Which of these options should I choose to achieve best results? What or who will help me, give me strength, promote my growth? What aspects of this situation are blocking me or lead me to a dead end in the long term? Sometimes it is enough to have just mental clarity. Sometimes, however, we must take action for the situation to develop and to gain momentum.

Weiterlesen: 13 – fellowship with men

25 – innocence

無妄 wú wàng – A Japanese friend tells me about the meaning of the Chinese characters in the Chinese name of hexagram 25 – innocence. The first character means “scarifier tooth of the tiger”, the second means “release” or “letting go”. Later, a Chinese friend tells me that both characters are classical, so he cannot read them. This is not surprising: the Japanese adopted the classical Chinese characters and still use them today, while the Chinese have moved on to modern Chinese and therefore cannot read the old characters.

Weiterlesen: 25 – innocence