Perseverance alone does not assure success.
No amount of stalking will lead to game in a field that has none.
(I Ching)
Consequences
Every action has consequences.
The opening of one door means the closing of others. Choices affect things. This cannot be avoided.
The skill is to choose carefully; allowing the greatest degree of latitude
and flexibility.
We must choose appropriately.
Appropriateness can be evaluated by considering how well our decision works
relative to other variables: our surroundings, our situation, other
people...
A good choice will benefit everyone, whilst a poor choice may have unforeseen adverse consequences.
Planning
Choosing involves some degree of foresight but is not really about planning.
A plan is a fixed path. This is not.
The I Ching is more about balancing the variables and taking the best
course of action at a given moment in time.
Should circumstances change, you choose again.
Unlike a plan, you have no fixed base. It is akin to 'thinking on your feet'
except ideally you do not want to think at all.
Awareness, intuition and logic must be balanced in such a manner that the choice seems
to happen by itself.
Not every decision will lead to success.
There are often unexpected obstacles ahead and you must be relaxed and
receptive; ready to improvise, adapt and change without hesitation.
Neutral state
At any given moment you may perform a number of actions.
For the sake of simplicity, we apply the I Ching principle of eight
potential actions at any point in time.
If you are getting ready for one action, you are precluding the other seven.
Focussing on one thing prevents your mind and body from responding
instantaneously to new stimuli.
Only a relaxed, neutral state will afford you the luxury of moving when and
how you want, or perhaps not moving at all.
This neutrality is 'wu chi' - the undivided. It is represented in tai chi
through 'central equilibrium'.
Unattached, you are free.
Choiceless awareness
Ideally, we should reach a condition where the I Ching itself is no
longer necessary.
The aim is to instantaneously weight up the options and make
the best choice from what is available.
Our decisions may not make sense to other people, but are they allowing for
the same variables and considerations?
Everyone is different and people's motives are not always going to coincide.
When your choices become harmonious, you find that situations open up and
you see new opportunities that were not previously apparent.
Krishnamurti spoke of 'choiceless awareness':
This journey I am proposing that we take
together is not to the moon or even to the stars. The distance to the stars is
much less than the distance within ourselves. The discovery of ourselves is
endless, and it requires constant inquiry, a perception which is total, an
awareness in which there is no choice.
This journey is really an opening of the door to the individual in his
relationship with the world.
(Krishnamurti)
Every moment has an
optimal choice; one option that is the perfect one to take.
It is completely in accord with what is happening.
If we can attune to that optimal choice as an ongoing process, then there is no choice -
we just act appropriately moment by moment.
The act of choosing then becomes entirely subconscious; we move
spontaneously and freely.
Further reading
There are countless books available concerning the I Ching and there
are many
good websites.
If you want a more detailed explanation of what the Book of Changes represents and how it operates,
please explore the web...
Page created 2 September 1998