40.1.3.5>43 Health benefits of meditation

[ichinglover]

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to start a different thread - less depressive and more productive

I was contemplating good old meditation as a regular practice for easing my depression and chronic stress, so I consulted with the Oracle.

What are the health/beauty benefits of meditation for me...

got 40.1.3.5 > 43

It talkes about forgiveness, ability to handle my problems...Lines 1and 5 are encouranging, 3 sucks as usual...

Overall, I feel it's rather a positive reading...

43 - does it say that I need to be resolute with my practice or that I'll become more resolute as a result of this practice?

What do you think of this reading? All ideas are welcome

 

[Trojina]

looking at it very broadly, like a sentence, you have 'deciding' (43) about a 'release' 40..or one could put it the other way around i guess but as i tend to see the relating hexagram as the context...then the question refers to decisive action taken by you,,,for or regarding liberating yourself (40) from depression.

It looks positive as in the sense that some kind of intent or determination (43) will release you..so its not like you have to just passively wait it out.., as discussed in the other thread you also decide what you will do about how you will conquer the 'devils country' (in previous readings)...lots of things to try from changing conscious thought patterns...to meditation as you ask here.

I guess what i see as helpful here is the very decision to take charge of your own problem as shown by 43. I'm seeing that very attitude as useful to you whatever method you try.

The lines of 40...well 40.1 no mistake in this, and 40.5 emphasizing again how when you take control and handle how you deal with the depression then its a strong signal to others in your life also, and maybe those who you feel restrain or restrict you or get you down won't have such power anymore. There may not be such people but often with depression whats happening in key relationships can play a big part, sometimes others even get some kind of pay off, maybe subconsciously placing you in powerless roles etc.....

Anyway 40.3 can be about trying to do two things at once and not doing either properly....meditation requires a degree of letting go, maybe if you put too much will into it it may be counter productive, but i don't really see line 3 here as a big problem.

Anything that helps you get a sense of being able to manage your depression is good and I'd think meditation practise could help alot as part of the whole approach of deciding to (43) release from (40) depression.

Not that I'm saying its generally as simple as deciding to not to be depressed, just saying some are more prone to it and it helps to have some strategies up your sleeve when it comes along. Meditation as one of those self help strategies looks a good idea to me, but don't strain or push yourself too much, I think thats what the 40.3 may refer to. Don't defeat the object by beating yourself up if you find meditation boring or difficult. Maybe just try a few kinds and do them for short periods, nothing that feels too burdensome...hmm and don't take your burdens with you into the meditation. In 40.3 a man rides in a carriage (which could symbolise the meditation technique) but is still carrying his bags (your troubles) which can halt the progress of the whole thing. So maybe when you decide to meditate, really be clear with yourself you are putting down all your burdens for at least 10 minutes or 5..and you are going in the carriage...you can pick up the burdens when you come back if you like lol..

 

[ichinglover]

Wow, Trojan!

i have to say I always liked your interpretations, this one is really deep!

Thanks a lot, It resonates well with my own intuition

This 40.3 is quite vague, isn't it, there are many ways to look at it, I liked your
speculations in the last paragraph

 

[my_key]

Hi Ichinglover

What are the health/beauty benefits of meditation for me...
Interesting question in that you lump health and beauty together here. It might help you to clarify why why you have these so inextricably linked in this question.

And then there is the aversion to 40.3 where you say that it 'sucks' and that it is 'quite vague'. Trojans post is making a really good link here for you - it's good for you to read this a number of times. Then things may become a bit less vague.

With respect to 40.3 the benefits of meditation for you are that it will allow you to adopt right-minded behaviours that will mean that you will be able to keep the 'robbers' (the gremlins) at bay. The carriage is an enclosed safe space, but if you carry your troubles or your judgements on your back into that space then they will become the robbers. So 40.3 to me only 'sucks' when one is unable to leave the burdens behind either emotionally or judgementally. This is in some respects the barrier to letting go of things, maybe that is one reason for it is so 'sucking' for you. What do you think?

So here's a quick response
What are the health/beauty benefits of meditation for me...
40.1 - Recognise it's tough but it's the right thing to do.
40.3 - .... there's no need to be hard on yourself.
40.5 - Practice makes perfect.

Remember in 40 things are already on the change - you intuitively know this. I like LiSe calling 40 Take the horns. 43 - Breakthrough. So, perhaps, the benefits of meditation for you are that you are in a position to make a breakthough by taking the bull by the horns.

Be Well

Mike

 

[ichinglover]

My_Key, thank you!

Well, once I saw the hexes in this reading, 40 and 43, I interpreted for myself
immediately as a breakthru thru forgiveness, which actually makes a lot of sense
to me as I currently do blame certain people for my "ruined" life

And apparently quite fairly so...

In general, Yi ching seems to reveal the reality of this particular moment, and nothing
beyond it for me personally. I'm still to get an answer that has a broader timespan.

For instance, I once asked if I can have children, and though I now don't remember the exact hex I got, my first thought seeing the hex was that no, there is a problem with your eggs, or there are no eggs, another time I got something like sure, go ahea, I did the reading during the different stages in the menstrual cycle, when there are phases that you can or can't conceive May be I 'm wrong, but it was my impression...

The anwers I get are like a snapshot of whatever is going on at the moment...

But back to 40.3. I said it sucks because it's hard to interpret line 3 here.

You asked what do i think. Well, I take Wilhelm translation and try to apply it to my question.

Six in the third place means:
If a man carries a burden on his back
And nonetheless rides in a carriage,
He thereby encourages robbers to draw near.
Perseverance leads to humiliation.

This refers to a man who has come out of needy circumstances in to comfort
and freedom from want.

Freedom from want sounds like enlightment, the result of meditation to me.

If now, in the manner of an upstart, he tries to take
his ease in comfortable surroundings that do not suit his nature, he thereby
attracts robbers. If he goes on thus he is sure to bring disgrace upon himself.
Confucius says about this line:

Carrying a burden on the back is the business of common man; a carriage is
the appurtenance of a man of rank. Now, when a common man uses the
appurtenance of man of rank, robbers plot to take it away from him. If a man
is insolent toward those above him and hard toward those below him,
robbers plot to attack him. Carelessness in guarding things tempts thieves to
steal. Sumptuous ornaments worn by a maiden are an enticement to rob her
of her virtue.

reading this part I have no intuitive ideas coming up...

Carelessnes in guarding things? Here I'm truly lost, hence my post on this website

 

[my_key]

Confucius can be very confusing
Sometimes our own thoughts can rob us all of the peace we are looking for. For me sometimes when I think too much, I can lose the plot completely......paralysis by analysis.
Or what can be worse is getting all smug because I've found the answer/or perhaps the calmness in meditation and then that feeling of smugness (or similar mind games) takes me off down another path, to a place where my mind gets all busy again.

In these cases perhaps I have been careless in guarding that which I had.

Remember that intuition is strongest when the mind is quietest.

Mike

 

[ichinglover]

"Remember that intuition is strongest when the mind is quietest."

That is precisely the reason I went into meditation in the first place...
To develop, or finally hear, my own intuition as opposed to all the external ideas
that were imposed on me, mostly by my parents thank you very much

For me it's a process of individualization, and in the context line 3 suddenly becomes very clear

Once you become an individual (a comfortable state), guard your identity, especially if you are
in the environment that is hostile

Makes sense?

 

[Trojina]

Well, once I saw the hexes in this reading, 40 and 43, I interpreted for myself
immediately as a breakthru thru forgiveness, which actually makes a lot of sense
to me as I currently do blame certain people for my "ruined" life

And apparently quite fairly so...

In general, Yi ching seems to reveal the reality of this particular moment, and nothing
beyond it for me personally. I'm still to get an answer that has a broader timespan.

For instance, I once asked if I can have children, and though I now don't remember the exact hex I got, my first thought seeing the hex was that no, there is a problem with your eggs, or there are no eggs, another time I got something like sure, go ahea, I did the reading during the different stages in the menstrual cycle, when there are phases that you can or can't conceive May be I 'm wrong, but it was my impression...

The anwers I get are like a snapshot of whatever is going on at the moment...

But back to 40.3. I said it sucks because it's hard to interpret line 3 here.

You asked what do i think. Well, I take Wilhelm translation and try to apply it to my question.

Six in the third place means:
If a man carries a burden on his back
And nonetheless rides in a carriage,
He thereby encourages robbers to draw near.
Perseverance leads to humiliation.

This refers to a man who has come out of needy circumstances in to comfort
and freedom from want.

Freedom from want sounds like enlightment, the result of meditation to me.

If now, in the manner of an upstart, he tries to take
his ease in comfortable surroundings that do not suit his nature, he thereby
attracts robbers. If he goes on thus he is sure to bring disgrace upon himself.
Confucius says about this line:

Carrying a burden on the back is the business of common man; a carriage is
the appurtenance of a man of rank. Now, when a common man uses the
appurtenance of man of rank, robbers plot to take it away from him. If a man
is insolent toward those above him and hard toward those below him,
robbers plot to attack him. Carelessness in guarding things tempts thieves to
steal. Sumptuous ornaments worn by a maiden are an enticement to rob her
of her virtue.

reading this part I have no intuitive ideas coming up...

Carelessnes in guarding things? Here I'm truly lost, hence my post on this website

if you blame people for your 'ruined life then 40.5 is incredibly apt for it shows they will believe in you so much more when you can liberate your own self from them, don't need them.

Theres no point clinging onto Wilhelms commentary word for word, just think about the image of 40.3. What might happen if a very poor looking man is driving a very expensive car for example ? he may attract attention. people (like police lol) may be thinking 'hmm howcome hes got that car ? does it belong to him ? should he have it ? and so on. If he wants to go about his business freely he either needs to look like a rich man who is rightfully driving an expensive car or if he wants to continue carrying his tattered old rucksack and wearing his ragged clothes then he needs to take the bus or walk ( or drive an old banger ) then no one will suspect him of anything...but somehow hes out of place and will get unwanted attention if he drives a very expensive car but does not give the impression that he could possibly really own one. Not a brilliant example as ragged clothes may be incredibly expensive ...but you get the idea....

Take that to your inner world re meditation, all i was saying is that one part of you may sabotage the other if you pressed too hard. You want to free up your mind a bit, but you can't do that if you take all your baggage into the meditation with you then your own thoughts and preoccupations may say 'hey this isn't for real, whats the point of sitting here doing this when theres problems to deal with.' You can't be dealing with the bags in meditation or your inner robbers (or policemen) will pull you up and ask you what you're doing.

Well its one way to look at it but all I'm saying is just take the image of this incongruous situation, a man with baggage riding in a carriage and apply it your own question.

I agree re the answer being a snapshot of the current moment. i think my answers are like that about 75% of the time. My perception is people often take their answer as prediction or advice when it is often just descriptive of where they are now. 51 unchanging for example often comes up when people are quite shook up about something,, but rather than realise 51 shows them as they are right now they often think some terrible future shocking event awaits them. Yes alot of the time Yi tells us where we are right now...which is still very useful to know as we can't know where we are going if we don't know where we are..

oh crossed posts...well yes i think your idea of guarding identity makes sense...or rather guarding how you present your identity

 

[my_key]

For me it's a process of individualization, and in the context line 3 suddenly becomes very clear

Once you become an individual (a comfortable state), guard your identity, especially if you are
in the environment that is hostile

Makes sense?

“The last barrier to self-empowerment is the need for validation from others."
Jose Arguelles

 

[ichinglover]

The need of validation and approval is one of my worst qualities