Spirit shares I Ching Wisdom.

Today’s I Ching situation is 10 – Treading.

Treading follows Small Development and
Leads to Tranquility.

Small Development refers to building
community with others.

This is not possible without each member
understanding and accepting certain rules
of relating to others within the community.

We share responsibilities and work
according to our individual nature and
abilities, and yet everyone requires
as sense of dignity and self respect,
knowing she or he is valued for who
they are and for their contribution
to the harmony and productivity of
the group.

Treading is the outcome of not doing
our own thing but serving our unique
role within the community.

How could one relate to oneself in such
a community?

In what way?

Surely we each need to develop our own
ideas and create our own vision
of what and who we want to become.

It would require an…

Our simple seeker was studying with intent to learn more
about Neo-Confucianism.

How does it differ from reading?

Learning, or seeking to learn, something.

Intentionally?

Yes, and expecting to learn. I am learning
and I am aware that I have learned
something of value, to me, if to no other.

In such a short time?

Yes and no.

Isn’t that my line?

If it fits.

Yes. If what we are studying now is built
upon a solid foundation of earlier studies
then we can absorb our new learning
into an expanding and deeper understanding
of earlier studies.

Formal educations is, or should be,
built on these same principles.

Principles?

Yes.

One step at a time?

It doesn’t work that way.

Why?

Expanding, integrating, and transcending.
How did the concept of transcending
come into your study of Confucianism?

Neo-Confucianism.

Would Confucius be impressed?

He might be horrified.

Perhaps not.

Why do…

Our simple seeker was puzzled with the
seemingly contradictory and mutually
exclusive (from her albeit limited
understanding) terms of evolutionary
Buddhism rolled in together.

What seems to be the problem?

Buddhism and evolution together?

Everything is together.

But, spirituality should be forever.

It is.

But not necessarily as it was
or may yet be?

Exactly.

Then how can anyone …

Which anyone?

This anyone, me. How can I ever understand
something that keeps developing, when it
isn’t what it was and may not be what it is?
I need stability.

There isn’t any.

Then what is there to hold onto?

In what way?

In thinking.

You could try holding onto the concept of
endless change.

That would be easy if I was looking
out of a high window at traffic below.

We are doing just that.

Spirit shares His I Ching wisdom.

Today’s I Ching is 24 – Return.
Earth is over Thunder.

There could be an upheaval?

There has been an upheaval.

What now?

The dust settles and we return to
a more settled way to live.

Who is we?

You and I, and everyone else.

Something is not as it was?

Yes, and something is always as it was.

An endless loop?

Not exactly

Then what?

Life situations develop out of
a limited variety of possibilities,
and then we choose what to accept
as acceptable ways to live,
just as different languages
are formed with a limited number
of sounds, chosen or provided
from a larger but also limited
variety of sounds.

No two languages choose, or are
provided with exactly the same
limited selection of sounds.

But no human sound is not from
the buffet of sounds available?

Exactly.

So, what has that…

Our simple seeker was half asleep when Spirit
began to lecture to her on Freud’s concept of
ego.

Perhaps he didn’t think to use the term of
outer personality.

Ego as personality? That makes sense.

Actually it develops around our essence,
or soul, if you will, and it’s unique
personality.

She tried to focus with her weary mind
on what he was saying, and at the same time
wondered why He would choose such a moment.

Perhaps so your resistance to new ideas …

I don’t resist new ideas, at least not
just for the sake of resisting them.

Then why are you resisting the concept of
an inner or original personality and a mask
or protective energy that interacts between
the inner personality and the outer
enviroment?

Like a coat?

A living coat.

I don’t understand.

What?

Why we would need an outer personality
to protect our essence when…

Spirit shares I Ching wisdom.

I Ching 13 – Association With Others follows
Obstruction and leads to Great Possession.

Obstruction suggests that something is blocking
our way.

Or someone?

It is never someone unless that someone is
our self, and it usually is.

We need help in overcoming whatever seems to
prevent us from following our spiritual path.

What if the community we now associate with
is itself the means of obstructing
our spiritual development.

Isolation is not the answer.

Isn’t meditation a form of isolation?

No.

How is it not?

Meditation is time out to reflect on
the situation and seek higher guidance
to develop awareness.

Develop awareness of what?

Of how to best contribute to our own
spiritual development without
unnecessarily obstructing the
development of others.

Looking at it from that perspective …

That is the only perspective.

Then, we could be obstructing those
who seem to be…