Comments on: Notes on Hexagram 50

By: Jackie

Jackie — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 01:51:07 +0000

Kudos for the share, I truly appreciate it.

By: kit rutland

kit rutland — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:27:37 +0000

Great post. Do you know anything more about the nine vessels of ancient legend?
.-= kit rutland´s last blog ..meditation incense =-.

By: Nandalal Prabhu

Nandalal Prabhu — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 12:05:35 +0000

Ting the Cauldron often reminds me of the Vedic concept of having kirtan before the deities, while in the kitchen take the basic raw ingredients of the material energy of earth, fire earth air water, ether, false ego and metal and transforming those raw ingredients into sumptous, nutritious and most importantly spiritual mercy of God, after it is offered to Him on the altar for about ten minutes of chantings, offers of incense and water, flames, etc, then the food goes back to the kitchen, into the ting, which in their case is a three foot deep prasadam cooking pot, and then its mixed in with the other food and then the Sunday Spiritual Love Feast is ready to be served. And while eating and relishing the prasad, all devotees serving, or helpers ask, is there anything else you would like? Ahhh, yes, those little sweet milk ball things, what were they, ahh burfi, but this food is no longer food as I hear them stipulate to guests. Like Christians having offered wine and bread to Christ for the sake of a communion. Taking the wine and bread is the mercy of God also, and there in the I Ching, quite close, but not exaclty, the similar idea of turning raw simple ingredients, like course grain wheat, sugar, rose water, a few vegies and fruits and nuts and of course the finest, the many varieties of milk made sweets, savouries, and whatever else you could imagine, from yoghurt, cream to cheeses and fresh paneer. Sliced then deep fried, or marinated, crumbed then deep fried and drained, then drained more on paper towels, then served with some delicious apple chutney, or tomato chutney. A feast for the spirits too.

Okay, just stretching my last two brain cells for a thought walk on the keyboard and meditative thoughts as well.

By: Nelson

Nelson — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 13:55:58 +0000

Hilary,

Thanks for writing about the vessel.

Nelson

By: THOMAS

THOMAS — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 03:47:02 +0000

Greetings!

The ding incorporates all; metal(the vessel), fire (to cook), water( what all food : Or nourishment maybe processed in), air (to feed the fire), & wood for the same purpose.

It also incorporates the past, present, & future.
Past: It, itself was dross; just some ore lying about. Present; the contemporary well crafted method of preparing the future nourishment (the ding, & the various ingedients in the stew or soup; all of the finest available; of which both mortals & spirits may partake of!
It is strengthens, nourishes & energizies the body, just as the i-ching so generously does for our psyche & souls.

Peace & generosity follow you always,
Thomas

By: N.Subramani

N.Subramani — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 17:36:47 +0000

Greetings

to me the vessel refers to the process of inner and subtle transformation
and becoming soft from hard internally.An ALCHEMICAL EXPERIENCE
and in term of yoga the churning and boiling inside as a preparation 4 rise of kundalini.

welcome views and understanding of fellow travellers

thks
subramani.N
India

By: N.Subramani

N.Subramani — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 17:33:04 +0000

Greetings.
To me the vessel denotesdormation from one form toenotes the process of transf
To me

By: Taras Balderdash

Taras Balderdash — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 15:52:41 +0000

Yes! Precisely what I mean! By returning the dings, Taiwan would acknowledge that they are an autonomous province, similar to Hong Kong, not a separate nation (one with its own state sacrifices at the imperial level, symbolically). This, of course, is not acceptable to the Guomindang mindset. But history has a way of moving things around, so we’ll see what hashes out in the long run.

May Supreme Avatar Smile Upon You!
Br. Taras

By: Hilary

Hilary — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 14:21:04 +0000

That’s very interesting background, thank you.

Wouldn’t returning ritual vessels to the mainland be a huge gesture acknowledging the Chinese government’s sovereignty? It sounds as though the Ding is still ‘a symbol’.

By: Taras Balderdash

Taras Balderdash — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 14:04:32 +0000

In fact, so important was the role of the Ding vessel in the grand state sacrifices that when the Zhou conquered the Shang they beheaded the ‘makers of dings’. This is particularly interesting in light of the evidence that some of the Shang tortoise shell diviners apparently were recruited by the Zhou to man the divination posts of the new regime. So at least part of one skilled group of artisans was eliminated while the other was destroyed, at least in part.

There is a deep significance to the grand vessels of state, like the original nine vessels of ancient legend (long lost, unfortunately). Sometimes I wonder if the Taiwanese could not buy themselves decades of independence (or at least an uncomfortable state of being a vassal), by returning the numerous ritual vessels they removed from China during their exodus. It would be a gesture of great ritual meaning to return them to the mainland. And it is reasonably safe to do so, now that there is no longer a group of wild-eyed lunatic Red Guards who want to melt the vessels down to make weapons out of them. But it is unlikely to happen, since many in Taiwan still think that someday, somehow, the Guomindang will take back control of Chinese history.