Number 52 ~ KEEPING STILL, MOUNTAIN
Keeping still. Keeping his back still
So that he no longer feels his body.
He goes into his courtyard
And does not see his people.
No blame.
True quiet means keeping still when the time has come to keep still, and going forward when the time has come to go forward. In this way, rest and movement are in agreement with the demands of the time, and thus there is light in life.
The hexagram signifies the end and the beginning of all movement. The back is named because in the back are located all the nerve fibers that mediate movement. If the movement of these spinal nerves is brought to a standstill, the ego, with its restlessness, disappears. When a man has thus become calm, he may turn to the outside world. He no longer sees in it the struggle and tumult of individual beings, and therefore has true peace of mind, which is needed for understanding the great laws of the universe and for acting in harmony with them. Whoever acts from these deep levels makes no mistakes.
2 comments:
I was stuck by the line "rest and movement are in agreement with the demands of the time, and thus there is light in life." It made me think that we have gotten very far away from this in our modern lives ~ rest and movement are not in agreement and we are rapidly losing the light in life. Sad, really, that we no longer make allowances for the natural rhythm of the essence of living.
This is what is remarkable about these ancient "reminders," such as the I Ching and the Tao Te Ching. They can provide guideposts for moving forward with our lives in a wiser fashion ~ in this case, being aware of the demands of time and therefore balancing "rest" and "movement."
I couldn't agree more with your assessment, Angela. But I do believe that, with conscious effort, we can come closer to the natural rhythm you speak of. I sure hope so.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment!
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