I have been thinking about George Mueller a nineteeth century Christian philanthropist who famously never asked for a single donation or public funds and yet managed to build orphanages all over England so I asked I Ching 'How does the shaman survive?' and got 55.6 to 30 as my answer. . Would love to hear what your thoughts are on this and what advice do you think this is for a 21st century social entrepreneur who wants to stay in The Flow.

Many thanks
Makeda

I think the question is too general...it depends on the individual shaman and being shamans they won't have a rule book on how to survive. If you work as a shaman, whatever that means (?) why wouldn't you ask for payment if you performed a service for someone.

I think your answer is purely personal and advises you to stop making excuses for not going ahead and doing what you want or propose to do. That may include excuses about not wanting to ask for payment. Well they may not be excuses exactly but in 55.6 one stays isolated and idle(in mourning) when it is really necessary to go out.

Why are you asking the question on behalf of all shamans. In what sense do you use the word 'shaman' ? I never know what people mean by it.,,,

In addition to trojan's points, I don't think your question is really based on "survival"

well thanks for taking the time to answer...

To be clear my question was absolutely about 'survival' and wasn't about whether I or anyone else should be paid for services rendered- that is why I gave the context of George Mueller's lifework.

I use the word 'shaman' in the broadest sense of 'one connected to and communicating with the spirit world' or 'the deepest part of his/her inner being' (in the non-religious sense)

I am not and never have 'worked as a shaman' - not even sure what that would look like - and am already employed and have no problems asking for and receiving payment from my clients...so the answer is not personal to me.

I was not asking on behalf of 'all' shamans' - in the same way that I wouldn't be asking for all astronauts if I posed a question about ...astronauts.

I was asking how it is possible for a person who relies totally on flow and connection with Spirit without relying on or cavassing for funding/ monetary gifts/ business plans to create projects that on the surface would need all those things to flourish - and I have read of such people and admire their work greatly. So I asked the question as a beginning of a discussion with the I Ching and was just interested to hear what others thought about it or had learned for themselves.

How does the shaman survive?
55.6 > 30

Be not sad.
Be like the sun at midday.

By being led by an inner light and in line 6 by being willing to stand alone.

I know several, and a number of them are taking PhD's in medicine, neuroscience and molecular biology. Some people make the mistake of thinking that they aren't evolving with the rest of us and don't think to ask whether they might still be a little ahead of the curve.

This answer brought two things in mind; the first, that perhaps you have a narrow idea of what a shaman is, so you need to get out of your box/house/etc, or, that someone doing shamanic work doesn't do so in a closed circuit mode, they get out of their comfort zone to make a difference and they create beyond their own area of activity, a web of relations to further progress the effects of their work . . In that sense I like what Brad wrote - although I haven't met any 'shamans' per se, I have met people whose effect is similar to what I understand a shaman does and they seemed deeply and actively engaged with all aspects of the world around them . .

sibelleqow said:

I have been thinking about George Mueller a nineteeth century Christian philanthropist who famously never asked for a single donation or public funds and yet managed to build orphanages all over England so I asked I Ching 'How does the shaman survive?' and got 55.6 to 30 as my answer. . Would love to hear what your thoughts are on this and what advice do you think this is for a 21st century social entrepreneur who wants to stay in The Flow.

Many thanks
Makeda

Click to expand...

If you're a 21st century philanthropist who would like to start an orphanage for unloved vintage guitars, I'll volunteer my living room space.

Your title interests me. I internally translate it as: how does one follow what their heart truly seeks, their ideals, and still manage to survive practically, economically? Is there really such thing as providence?

I read your answer as a resounding (ha, wanted to use that word) yes! For sure, your light can shine and a way will appear if your mind and heart are set on on these things. It is the personal sacrifices which you may not be prepared for. Line 6 is an unpopular and lonely place to be. But if you can live with it, God bless!

PS: Shaman is just a word, just as the koan referred to below is just a koan, and there is no particular thing called Shaman. I think this is more or less the implication Sibelleqow intended, i.e. in the broadest sense.