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I Ching Meditation 1 : The Energy Model

wck6265

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Simply, I Ching is just an energy model describing how the universe works.

The essence of this model is its yin-yang concept. I Ching states that there are only two types of energy in this universe: yin & yang or -ve & +ve. This yin-yang pair is denoted by a weak line & a strong line respectively in I Ching.

It also defines its universe by using a trigram HEH (Heaven-Earth-Human). These three points are energy sources, each pulsating in a yin-yang manner. And they interact with each other to generate 2 x 2 x 2 = 8 possible energy states. These are the basic building blocks for the entire I Ching structure. I prefer to perceive them as dimensions, as it would mean that it is possible to view things in 8 dimensions.

I Ching describes these 8 basic oracles as 4 pairs of yin-yang forms: heaven-earth, water-fire, thunder-mountain, wind-swamp. The forms aptly describes the quality/nature of each energy state.

The 8 then interact with each other in a yin-yang manner to produce 8 x 8 = 64 possible processes. Each of these processes is captured in I Ching, either as a detailed road map or simply a short description of the interaction. Most importantly it spells out the result one could expect out of the interaction.

The next discussion is on how we could simulate these processes in order to benefit from their promised results, as decribed in the I Ching for the past 5000 years.
 

wck6265

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The title for this thread

I have been struggling to name this thread for days.

I liked the name "The Art Of Change". It is reminiscent of "The Art Of War". Besides, I Ching qualifies fully as an art form .

Firstly, the poetic writing in chinese is simply elegant. Secondly, each process describes a simple but effective method of change. Thirdly, it covers all aspects of our lives; and amazingly the same processes also govern our nature and universe.

I also liked the name "Yi Kung". It rhymes with "Qi Kung".

Qi Kung practises ways to control the flow of chi within us. Whereas, Yi Kung practises ways to contorl changes in our lives.

In fact, this has always been the way I view I Ching. This pespective was driven by a pure desire to take control of my own destiny and an almost a blind belief that I Ching contains the answes to this quest. I was right !

Our awareness has always been defined by the five senses plus a sixth sense. However, I Ching stretches our existence into 8 dimensions. Now, it is up to us to develop our abilities to open up and access these dimensions at will. I Ching calls such a person a superior man.

Then, why "I Ching Meditation" was my eventual choice for the title ?
 
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wck6265

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Why " I Ching Meditation' ?

I have been greedy, very greedy! I tried to master the 64 methods of change all at once !

My very first view of I Ching is that it is a big wheel of fortune. One needs to keep the wheel turning in order to keep our luck flowing. And the path created by the flow is Tao or The Divine Way, our true path in life.

Translating this into action, I actually drew up a very vigorous training schedule :
1. 1 dimension per day with a 8-days circle.
2. 1 yin-yang pairs of oracles per day with a 28-days cycle.

After a few turns, I ended up totally exhausted and more confused than ever. It was a dead end road !

Next I decided to focus on opening up the 8 dimensions and train myself to be a superior man. My skills improved and my understandings deepened but Tao was nowhere in sight. It felt more like training to be a muscle man rather than searching for spiritual answers.

Turning to I Ching for direction, it consistanly pointed to Tai 11 and Pi 12 as the way out. I did just that. I was meditating in Tai 11 and Pi 12 positions on alternate days for a good long year.

Both methods lead us to Tao. Tai 11 naturalizes heaven; whereas Pi 12 shows us how to come alive in heaven.

Everything finally crystallizes - back to square one.

The I Ching learning process is an evolution. The levels of understanding are infinite. Whatever you know now is only a stepping stone for the next level of learning. And I am actually at where I should be - level one.

Since I am going back to year one again, I have decided not walk this long and painful journey alone again. I have chosen to be born again in this I Ching community.

A humble beginning deserves only a humble title. Hence the name "I Ching Meditation".
 
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ginnie

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You made a most vigorous beginning. I don't think you're a beginner anymore.
 

wck6265

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Spiritual Evolution : How It Works

If the oracles were pictured as vehicles, then the evolutional force would be the fuel. One is hardware and the other is software. Both need each other to work.

To activate the software, one needs to stay very focused in driving the interactions, converging on the results the oracle promised.

The driving starts with one single unit of cell action, seeking returns for each ounce of effort put in. A cell is defined as a sequence of moves, that would generate the promised result, when repeated continuously. Good examples of a cell are the well defined strokes in various swimming styles, like breaststroke, front crawl etc. In fact, swimming is one of the best way to unleash the power of some of the oracles.

The sum total of the efforts drives a cycle of of interactions. A cycle takes the shape of a normal curve : warming up - peaking - cooling down.

The warming up phase is for settling down, firming up mental images of the cell, and pumping the cell to generate the evolutional power. As one ascends the normal curve, powered by the pumping action, there will be signs along the way, guiding one towards the right track.

Pumping speed varies with each oracle, even within one session, and from session to session. One could start with any pace, but eventually it will settle down into its own rhythm, that is most suitable for the present state of being.

When the system is heated up, the signs would pop up more frequently. It then erupts like a voclano, once the critical mass is reached. It is like a spasm, a sudden burst of involuntary activity. It comes in waves, sometimes continuously, sometimes in intervals.

Different oracles produce different type of spasms. And different stages of spiritual evolution would produce different levels of spasm, varying in intensity as well as quality.

Then just as suddenly, the flurry of activities would simmer down. It usually ends in a state of serenity.

I have just described an ideal normal curve. In the beginning, one needs more than a few sessions just to pump up a sign, let alone completing a full turn. Even when one could do a turn, the results would usually be far from ideal. Sorry, no shortcut. Time with efforts is the only key that could unlock the spiritual door.

My observation tells me that the intensity and frequency of sessions, but not the duration of a session, that would determine the quality of the cycles. In fact, stretching a session when our psychic tells us otherwise, often generates negative after effects. On the other hand, when one is on a strong run, do go for an extra mile to stretch the spiritual boundary.

Drawing from, and limited by, my own experiences, I Ching meditation could lead us through four stages of spiritual evolution. I shall share these experiences in our next discussion.
 

heylise

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There is an interesting way to see - and write out - the changes between the trigrams. A Dutch I Chinger devised it, Han Boering.

When eg trigram Heaven changes to trigram Water, you can write the Heaven trigram like this:
A changing yang line is old yang: a bigram of two undivided lines
An unchanging line is young yang: an undivided line above a divided line
So from top to bottom you get
---
---

---
- -

---
---

Which is hexagram 10.

So 8 trigrams change into 8 trigrams, which gives 64 hexagrams. Every change has its own image, expressed by a hexagram.

No idea if this appeals to you, but since the 8 images of the trigrams are important to you (and to me too!), it might.
 

wck6265

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The Paths Of Evolution

Stage one is a balancing act. According to the chinese classical medical model, all human disorders are manifestations of yin-yang imbalances of our energy body. Restoring balances would automatically cure all ills. I Ching supports this ancient medical belief. Its processes would not flow, until balances are restored. Each oracle has its own balancing act, but generally they are derivatives of the 8 base oracles.

It ends in a state of calmness, albeit in differnt shades, indicating different state of balances. After a period of regular practices, one could actually bypass stage one; an indication of having reached a balanced state.

Stage two is a regression. It sinks deeply within to release trapped energy. The pumping actions slow down, easing into long deliberate strokes; with each stroke reaching deeper than the last. The releases are spontaneous, rising from deep inside, and followed by involuntary flow of tears.

It ends in a state of subduedness; like sitting silently in a vacuum, contemplating on nothingness.

Stage three sees the emergence of our energy body. I Ching calls it the Dragon. I call it the Divine Self, the pure energy form that we were first born with. The liberation process is most exhilarating. The whole body is breathing, through all pores, from head to toes. Awareness jumps, extending as if to infinity. Energy is boundless, creating an illusion that one could actually fly.

It ends in a state of ecstasy. This is the state of "one with nature" mentioned in Kun 2.

Stage four enters a twilight zone, between being conscious and unconscious. In between the drifting of consciousness, there are flashes of images with pop up messages, but most of time senseless. Then, a blackout. The next moment, one wakes up with a feeling of having a vision, albeit a blurry one.

The assurance of its authenticity, comes from a wholesome feeling; as if one has acquired a complete understanding of a subject. This is the state of "one with universe" mentioned in Qian 1.

A crude way to explain stage four is that, it is a downloading process. Information is picked up from various cosmic sources, and eventually put together during the blackout, by cosmic forces. The raw data is downloaded into our subconscious, for incubation. At the right moment, with the right trigger, the vision would unfold unreservedly and in totality. It works everytime.

I call this evolutional route, HE (Heaven-Earth) path, as it leads us to heaven and earth. Ideally, one should be able to go in and out of these dimensions at will, when fully evolved.

This is only 1/4 of the story. The other three paths are WaFi (water-Fire), TM (Thunder-Mountain) and WinS(Wind-Swamp).

All four paths go through stages one and two. Stages three and four are results generated, by the pairing of the 8 base oracles. They are paired because they can help each other to get better values, in their respective cycles.

HE pairs Kun 2 with Qian 1, as both of them are about returning the energy body to its origins. Kun 2 frees the energy body. Qian 1 liberates it further, by letting it roams freely in the universe. It is all about freedom.

HE frees. WaFi releases potential energy. TM utilizes energy of motion. WinS connects. Completing the 4 paths qualifies one as a superior person.
 
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Tai 11 naturalizes heaven; whereas Pi 12 shows us how to come alive in heaven.

I would say tai IS the heavenly state and 12 is the opposite the hell state.
 

wck6265

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Tai 11 and Pi 12

The interactions between the 8 energy states provide very exciting topics for discussions. They tend to enhance the original functions of their respective base oracles. I wish that one day I will have the opportunity to discuss them in details.

This short posting is just a quick response to this topic.

In Tai 11, the heavenly state is operating in an earthly environment. As such, the earth's power to naturalize is in control. It naturalizes all heavenly happenings. Hence the statement : Tai 11 naturalizes heaven.

In Pi 12, the earthly state is operating in a heavenly environment. As such, all earthly happenings are subjected to the heavenly rules. Hence : Pi 12 shows us how to come alive in heaven.

Again, this perspective is provided by I Ching's Energy Model. It is always good to have more than one view on any subject. I thank you for yours.
 
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wck6265

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simplifying I Ching

Out of the 64 natural processes, there are 8 base oracles and 56 derivatives. The 8 could be viewed as 4 yin-yang pairs; and the 56 as 28 pairs of flip-flops.

The 4 pairs will be listed here as our inherent natural powers, since our present focus on I Ching is about life processes instead of natural processes :

1. Qian 1 : direct access to cosmic resources.
2. Kun 2 : the power to naturalize.
3. Kan 29 : the power to drain trapped emotions.
4. Li 30 : the power to activate an adrenaline rush at will.
5. Zhen 51 : the power to balance.
6. Gen 52 : the power to manipulate energy of motion.
7. Xun 57 : the power to connect to any external energy flows.
8. Dui 58 : the power to extract information from any entities, with or without consent.

The 28 pairs of flip-flops are combinations of the 8 above; and are relatively easy to decode and master, once you have mastered the basic 8.

There is only one basic rule that governs the 28 pairs : they are interacting in a yin-yang manner. Once you could figure out their yin-yang roles, it is quick an easy task to decode.

Another big basic principle we must know is that energy is formless. As such, it could be anything in any form. Another way of putting it : it is whatever you say it is.

It means that we could apply I Ching to practically any field. Some possibilities are :

1. Meditation
2. Physical Exercises
3. Medical
4. Educational
5. Spiritual readings
6. Music

The list could go on. Unfortunately I still got stuck in the meditation field, yearning to try out some other possibilities. Maybe you could help to facilitate the exploration process by trying out some of the possibilities according to your own areas of interest or expertise.

Any takers ?
 
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