Without coins or yarrow
Someone asked:
“How do I go about developing the talent to access this wisdom faculty without using coins, yarrow stalks, computers and so on?”
It’s an extremely good question, and not one I truly know the answer to, as it’s not a talent I’ve developed.
However, I do think that such an ability can grow through years of faithful, regular use of the coins, yarrow, or computers. Not just going through the motions of consulting, of course, but paying attention to the answers, and allowing oneself to be changed.
October 7th, 2005 at 10:53 pm
There are couple of methods described in the Alfred Huang’s book “The numerology of the I Ching” page 169, 174
October 7th, 2005 at 11:43 pm
Um, you might be referring to the “PLUM FLOWER MIND” yijing.
It’s a way of doing observations and coming up with divinations without a casting method.
Tsung Hua Jou. The Tao of I Ching Way to Divination. Tai Chi Foundation, Piscataway, New Jersey, 1984.
I’m sort of addicted to random casting methods myself, and am in no great hurry to transcend them… but Master Jou’s book is nice.
FC
October 8th, 2005 at 12:04 am
I think my correspondent meant - how to connect with the ‘mind of Yi’ without using either random divination or any kind of system to construct a hexagram. Though I could, of course, be wrong.
October 8th, 2005 at 5:07 am
Use yourself through asking generic questions….
http://members.iimetro.com.au/~lofting/myweb/lofting/icplusProact.html
October 8th, 2005 at 7:30 am
The ‘mind of Yi’ can be found in everything - in every situation, in every object, in every thought. Observe and learn. The Yi is just a reflection of this.
Harmen.
October 8th, 2005 at 8:59 am
In order to connect with the Mind, it should be calm. Calming the Mind is the first step. One can achieve this via Daoist meditation. One way is to lay down on the floor close your eyes, place your arms on the sides with palms toward the floor. Your legs should not be crossed. Breathe gently. Think nothing and if thoughts come do not get drifted by them. There will be a moment where there is a sensation that you are like sleeping yet not asleep. This is the time when the Mind is calm. This whole thing takes like 15-20 minutes. Do not misinterpret as sleeping since it is not the aim. After this 15-20 minutes you will be as fresh and energetic as if you had a great rest and good sleep.
When there is no movement in the Mind, no random thoughts coming and going one has a settled Mind then everything will be clear so Mind can reflect.
The Chinese character for Heart (Xin) has interesting characteristics. Remember the heart is Mind in the Chinese way of thinking and it houses the Shen (Spirit). All the characters representing the organs in the body have the flesh idiogram involved except for the Heart. It has a shape which is like a mirror image of water droplets, reflecting each side. It has also emptines in the idiogram emphasizing the importance of free flowing of things, Blood, Qi and thoughts.
“When our hearts our well regulated our senses are also well regulated” (The Heart Claude laure Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallee p.106)
I agree with Harmen observation is the key and observing without any biases is the most important of all in my opinion. Observing the nature, change of the seasons and noting down the climatic events hopefully opens the Mind so one is connected in all aspects.
October 28th, 2005 at 1:06 pm
What I might have had happen is that
when I have had a dream and written
it down then in a flash another dream
will come just like out of nowhere.
Once it was like time and space got
washed away. It is like a fabric being
torn.
Nelson