A very well known spiritual teacher will be speaking at a relatively small gathering in about a week. There will be just about 500 people attending the event is in the middle of nowhere and far from my home. To attend I would have to buy airline tickets on short notice and visit a part of the US I have no interest in. I also have work at home and some family cares.

I feel drawn to see this man in person, but I know that I could travel 3000 miles and end up just watching him on closed circuit TV in a parking lot at the center. For all that effort I might just as well stay home and see clips on You Tube.

And yet, I obviously feel drawn here...I had dropped the idea of the trip but just this overcaffeinated morning I respectfully consulted the I Ching. It seems like the result is speaking to my question, but as usual, I feel I can read it either way.

Grateful for any insights from the board. Thanks, S

don't go, it's a classical taoist trick: go to an uninteresting place, ask a lot of offerings to be made, e.g. 400 catties gold, and show great nothingness. Never can say you did not learn your lessen afterwerds.....
Better send your money to me, I also live in an uninteresting place and need money.

That is really funny Bert! Strangely, I wish that they were asking for money, but they aren't. If I was told donate this much and get a good seat, or this much and meet the teacher, I would gladly do it, because then I know the trip would be worth the trouble. I think money may really not be the motivation with these folks.

FWIW i don't think i would go with that reading...22 is the relating hexagram, 38 primary, you know to me looks very much like a hall of mirrors. I'm seeing 38 as all sorts of divergent images in the mirror of 22.. well 22 can be the shadows of the fire on the mountain...all reflections. But then even disappointing experiences are still experiences if you want to have them...I guess its still all down to you

s beck said:

I had dropped the idea of the trip but just this overcaffeinated morning I respectfully consulted the I Ching. It seems like the result is speaking to my question, but as usual, I feel I can read it either way.

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Based on the perspective that you've already dropped the idea of going, I think the Yijing is offering a kind gesture, reminding you that your lord/teacher is ever-present in you.

jilt said:

don't go, it's a classical taoist trick: go to an uninteresting place, ask a lot of offerings to be made, e.g. 400 catties gold, and show great nothingness. Never can say you did not learn your lessen afterwerds.....
Better send your money to me, I also live in an uninteresting place and need money.

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Do you know the US conversion rate?

Now you have me thinking, maybe I could set up a stand at the weekend flea markets, and sell Taoist nothingness, $5. I already use a "will think for food." sign at freeway entrances, with little success. Maybe I should combine them with a "no think for no food" sign, but that is counter productive to eating. A "no message message"? Hm, or a Taoist radio station - "all nothing, none of the time."

Thank you, meng. I think that is very likely, and I think the teacher in question would likely say something very like it.

Meeting the Great Teacher Hex 38.2.3.4

Well, I'm the stranger in a strange land(clarity.com) and all lines indicate not only your desire to see this man but there is a definite calling as well.
The 2nd line indicating how difficult to see this teacher is and the fact that you can only do it by chance and in an unusual place at that.
3rd line indicates all the hassles that will be needed to be overcome in order to get to see him, people will moan and groan at you, ticket problems, airport delays etc but once you get there all will be well.
4th line Could it indicate that you will actually get to talk with the teacher but not only that but find many new friends as well?

Hex 22 says that going or not going is not a matter of great urgency or life or death but you will indeed find beauty in the teacher's words of wisdom, perhaps they will indeed bring light to your soul if you go.

Difficult but enlightening, perhaps a chance that should be taken as it is favourable to go.

Adornment

s beck said:

A very well known spiritual teacher will be speaking at a relatively small gathering in about a week. It seems like the result is speaking to my question, but as usual, I feel I can read it either way.

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H38 is all the opposition/divergence both within you and externally. Lines 2 and 4 indicate the meeting with the man, and possibly meeting like minded people in Line 4. Line 3, as Willowfox said, is probably all the travel and other hassles.

Line 4 makes me think that if this spiritual practice were something important to you, then the meeting of a like minded person or people will "help you overcome your difficulties and achieve much" (Balkin). Still, those difficulties could just be difficulties of the trip, not necessarily life/spiritual difficulties.

What interests me is that all this leads to H22, and how to take H22. If we say that say H22 is how you are relating to all this, then is it merely that meeting the teacher is an adornment, a beautification of you? A story you can tell, like someone wearing an exotic piece of jewelry which begs the question of how it was acquired.

Or do we see this as a genuine attempt to adorn the soul, make the external better by manifesting your time and energy in pursuit of the spiritual?

The judgment says: "In small matters, it is beneficial to undertake something." You say that if you were to meet the teacher, the trip would be worth it. Ask yourself why, what you would gain from the trip that you would not get from Youtube. A story to tell, or is there a deeper spiritual need?

Tiger

Willow and Tiger,
Thank you for your thoughts and comments. You describe exactly where I am on this. I want to read the hexagram in the way that Willow does, an adventure that will be worth it. Perhaps the outer manifestation of a connection that already exists. And Tiger, your comments about Hex 22 and my motivation cut right to the bone with me, "a story you can tell," "an exotic piece of jewelry." That is absolutely my fear that I'm spiritual "tuft-hunting." If the connection is there and real, what about the possibility of an in-person meeting will make it more real? An interesting question to wrestle with.

s beck said:

"a story you can tell," "an exotic piece of jewelry." That is absolutely my fear that I'm spiritual "tuft-hunting." If the connection is there and real, what about the possibility of an in-person meeting will make it more real? An interesting question to wrestle with.

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I remember going to a very special event years ago, it had nothing to do with "a story I can tell" or "tuft hunting", It was something very personal and very memorable, something that I have no intention of sharing because others would never understand my feelings at that time. But I am so glad that I made the effort to go.

some more considerations

I was writing some more things about hex 38 and the desire to go to the wise man: I am not saying you should not go, but this desire is an expression of oppostion I think?

anyway, this is -somewhat edited- wat I wrote on paper in my studio about it:

Now wait for a moment please,
well, yi is saying hold on,
(isn't that what asking is all about?)
you are creating an apotheosis-moment
with this thought-structure.
That is a situation, a building made from opposites,
to create relations.
Opposition is one way of looking at things,
but it is a crude and bad way to create relations.
It is not a wise way to act on,
because things get stretched and later stirred,
the mirror might break....
Opposition is not a wise way to act on.

So,
how much do you want to stir,
how much strain does it take on resources (not only yours),
income,
holidays,
responsibilities?
How much will the flame reflect your smile in you?
Offerings to the gods of transportation,
the deprivations you have to take for decent lodgings?

Sturm and drang?
Maybe just an image on you tv-screen?

The image of opposition:
images that promise solution, redemption, illumination,
but all out of separation.
That original separation is the loneliness you feel and basically want to solve.


So it juxtaposed,
well, then again, maybe.
In juxtaposition you can't do great things,
maybe,
but that doesn't take away that the situation of juxtaposition
gives the opportunity to see how processes are formed.
Please take some distance
and look at the calling in you,
see it as part of your inner world,
but in that world that calling is opposing all the other things.
a bright future against a nasty past,
juxtaposing me against you,
us and them,
I, You, He, She, We, You, Them and the ten-thousand things.

So,
dao opposing dullness?
How can dao oppose when everything is dao?
It is wise to step back
and observing you to transform some oppositions.
To be the wise
and see the sun reflecting in swampy waters,
the ideals that pull us through the mud,
realising here, now,
realising I am not my mother, father, brother, sister.
I distinguish myself because of my ideal is true
(and yours are fake?)

All people have strong ideals,
I have, you have, he she has, we have, you have
also the have nots,

Even all the other affectively collated relations have ideals, you might be surprised,
even your worst enemy has ideals.

Just stay back and observe how people distinguish themselves

Then you learn about separation, about desire and projection.
then you see you-re just part of the dance.

Hey,
you're only looking at strongly distinguishing features
and discard the resemblance's: in this timeframe the distinguishing features are dominant, the resemblance is what you don't connect with, what seems to set back, everything you want to avoid.

The workings of projections become clear:
things we don't like we see in in the other,
peak-experiences make us feel better then the other and the identification with that experience makes us separate from the other.
But the other also has peaks and insights, so to say.

the last thing I want to say about "wise man in dull surrounding": nice opposition, the light shines more bright when the surrounding is dull.

Thank you all.

Wonderful community and thinkers here. I am really grateful. Sadly, as it turns out, the teacher in question was forced to cancel the appearance in question due to ill health. Please join me in including him in your prayers or meditations.

s beck said:

Wonderful community and thinkers here. I am really grateful. Sadly, as it turns out, the teacher in question was forced to cancel the appearance in question due to ill health. Please join me in including him in your prayers or meditations.

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Next time, don't ask just go as your answer suggests that oneday you will meet.