Spirit tells me that we each play the Game of Life by a unique set of
Rules that favours ourselves more than anyone else.
Intentionally?
Intentionally what? To play our way? or to play to win?
How can we play Life with someone else’s rules?
We each play by the same rules.
How can the rules be unique and the same?
Because we see them that way?
How else could we play?
With awareness.
Awareness of what?
Life.
How can we learn to be more aware of Life?
By living.
We do.
Yes.
Spirit explains I Ching 22 – Adornment.
Mountain over Fire.
Adornment follows Biting Through.
An adornment is a decoration. It adds value without necessarily serving
A practical purpose of its own. It can be as icing on a cake, gravy on a
Steak, or as precious stones worn around one’s neck, arms, fingers, or
Pinned to hair or clothes. It might also be something that can be set on
A table, to be admired.
Biting Through suggests successfully completing a mission of importance,
To oneself, if to no other. Something needed to be done, and now can be
Celebrated and remembered with an adornment as a reward.
That sounds very nice but what personal message of inspiration can it
Have for me?
Do you possess something that seems to remind you of something else?
Such as?
Perhaps the many small lines on your face.
They only remind me that I am getting older.
Have you earned them?
I think so.
Yes.
Spirit asks me to let Him teach me a better way to live
In my precious world than so-called modern society
Seems to encourage.
Our world is precious, He tells me, and is worthy of
Deep respect, and it is not separate from us in any
Real sense.
We each are the world that we live in, the world that
Lives in us.
Today’s I Ching – 50 – The Cauldron
Fire over Wind. The Cauldron follows Revolution.
Spirit explains: Revolutions are never an end of problems. War does not cause peace.
But, the most violent…?
If they lose…
So, what is the answer?
Life goes on.
But, surely that is not enough.
What more do you want?
A good life.
What is a good life?
Where people help each other.
People have always helped each other.
But, not everyone. So, what is the answer?
Life goes on.
What inspirational message can come from such a picture of life?
A personal one.
What?
Acceptance of an imperfect world.
Spirit tells me that our capacity to understand what is happening round us greatly expands over a lifetime. But, our awareness does not develop without experience and with reflection on that experience, with intent to understand why it happened and what effect it had on our development.
When we recall childhood memories we need to be aware that they are memories of a child, the child we once were. A child recorded, perhaps traumatic experiences, as seen through the eyes of a child. Now, as an adult, we revisit the past and view the situations from the perspective of distance and, hopefully, developed maturity.
In the event of a similar situation experienced today, we might respond quite differently than we did long ago.
A child is usually helpless and frightened in situations beyond her or his control or understanding. The memory of terror, felt as a child, would be possibly missing in our review.
Our personal collection of memories is as a history book. There is usually no continuous, interconnected series of events recorded. And, what we do remember may or may not have contributed, more or less, to our present level of maturity and understanding of our life.
“Then what purpose is served by our memories?”
“They tell us a human story that helps us relate to other human stories, real or fiction.
“And we are more able to feel a connection with other stories because they confirm our own life story?”
“Yes. It’s the collection that is the real story. Our individual stories make sense only as part of a greater one.”
“I think you’re leading me to something.”
“Yes, the awareness that there is only one story.”
A Spirit Teacher explains I Ching 9 – Small Development.
Small Development follows Closeness in the order of life experiences
Represented by the sixty-four hexagrams. The exact number of
Personal life experiences necessarily varies from individual to
Individual, but the reality that each experience develops out of
A previous one, does not.
Closeness expresses a sense of community with people, places, or
Things; a feeling of attachment, connectedness, and relationship.
Closeness, as an awareness of oneness with others, reminds us that
We are not alone. Both seen and unseen energies share our progress
And care for us with unconditional love.
There are times …
Yes, there will always be times of doubt, but they pass, if we let them.
There are times when studying with my Spirit Teacher is less than a
Pleasure. There seems to be such a deep and wide gulf between
The awesome wisdom He would share with me and my shallow
Capacity to absorb it that I must protest.
What do You expect from me? I’m not that bright. Perhaps you want
More than I could ever give.
We know more than you what you are potentially capable of being,
Doing, and giving, and We more than reasonably expect. We know
What we can and what we cannot expect from you or anyone else.
I Ching 18 – Degeneration, follows Following in the order of
Life experiences represented by the hexagrams.
Spirit explains: Degeneration suggests loss of quality or value,
Whether due to neglect, obsolescence, change in fashion, or
Whatever. Society seems almost eager to discard what is not
Shiny and new.
Following expresses faithfulness to traditional lifestyles. This
Preservation of past traditions can create difficulties in
Adjusting to change.
How do we blend progress and tradition? Or, must we choose?
There can be no future without a past. When a branch becomes
Disconnected from its tree then it must be rooted or grafted
Onto another tree that has its roots firmly planted in the earth.
To completely disconnect from our past, if it was possible,
Would endanger our future. The past is the foundation of the
Present and the present is the foundation of the future. Today
Could not exist without yesterday. It’s as simple as that.
Spirit tells me that He is aware of my mixed feelings concerning our
Relationship. He seems to be able to read my mind so there is
Nothing to be gained by my pretending that our relationship is a
Normal one when, in fact, it seems to border on dysfunctional.
Any psychologist worth her or his salt would surely agree with
My assessment.
But, for some strange reason I seem to be addicted to my ‘invisible
Friend’, as some have called Him. Why? God only knows how our
Separate energy systems became interconnected. I don’t know.
Perhaps someday He will tire of my simple mind and look for a more
Challenging one, or one more accepting of His claim to superiority in
All things.
It’s the ‘all things’ that I seem to need to challenge, not His teachings,
Which I highly respect. But, should a Spirit Teacher possess such an ego?
He counters my complaint with a deceivingly simple remark. If I allow myself
To have an ego then He will have one, too.
My spirit teacher asks me what is the difference between us.
I am physical and you are not.
What does it mean to be physical?
It means I am trapped in a physical body.
Is that all?
No. You seem to know and understand much more than I do, but
That might be due to the heavy energy of my physical existence
Limiting my awareness.
Awareness of what?
Awareness of all the information that would help me understand
What life is, what my destiny is, what my role, if any, is, and what
I have done to be stuck in the mud of human society.
Can you accept me as a teacher and guide?
Yes. I do.
Then why do you seem to struggle with accepting my teachings?
I respect you and your teachings, but if your opinions don’t seem
To make sense to me then I suspect that you are testing my
Intelligence.
So, you accept my teaching as superior, only when it seems so to you?
How else?
Yes.
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