Welcome to the Wisdom from the Tao on Humility.
Take a moment to settle your breath,
To soften your brow,
And ease into this moment.
This engagement that we are moving through now together is a participatory experience.
So gently notice how you respond to various pieces of information,
Imagery or symbols that are mentioned.
Just relax into your very own awareness and let your experience be authentic for you without any need to try or contrive.
So looking at the message in hexagram 15 of the I Ching,
Where it brings together the wisdom from the Tao on the focus of humility.
And here it reminds us that true power lies in modesty,
In knowing one's worth without having to display it,
In feeling one's strength without need for applause.
It teaches the quiet confidence that rests in truth and the harmony that humility brings.
Throughout its references,
This message is quite clear that humility or modesty does not mean to self-erase.
It is about alignment with the Tao,
Acting without ego,
Giving without demand.
For what bends,
Endures,
And what yields,
Leads.
And we see this demonstrated so beautifully in the symbolic hexagram,
Where we have two trigrams primarily of yin lines,
Open lines,
Yielding lines.
And the one yang line is at the top of the bottom trigram.
This is there to remind us of our power,
Our strength,
Our vision,
Our creativity,
Beauty,
Abundance,
And active joy.
The fact that it has two yin lines below and three yin lines above is a gentle reminder to the self that even in those times of success,
Modesty and humility is necessary,
For it provides balance and its quiet strength of these gentle yin qualities.
Ensure that we don't run ahead of ourselves.
Ensure that we rest when we need to.
And also provide the opportunity to lead from the heart center,
Not from the head.
We can understand this deeper meaning by looking at the elements represented in these two trigrams.
Mountain is below and earth,
Which is pure yin,
Is above.
Mountain carries the strength,
While earth is yielding.
So we have strength hidden beneath yielding soil,
Which is a gentle presence that holds great depth.
And when we think of that in terms of leadership,
This could be leadership for others in a great team,
And it can also be leadership of the self.
When one is leading from a place where there is much yielding and flexibility,
Openness,
Willingness to listen,
To receive,
To be present,
This gentle presence provides for those who are being led,
Or for the part of oneself that is being led,
To feel safe,
To also feel relaxed and comfortable to follow.
As you allow this information to settle with you,
Use the breath now to bring balance,
To soften,
To quieten.
And now ask of yourself,
Where can I practice humility?
And then,
How can I serve without seeking reward?
And simply allow the first responses to come through.
Gently watch them,
Notice them,
And then gently release them.
And with the same quietness and gentle disposition,
Consider this verse 66 from the Dada Chang,
Which says,
There is a reason why the great flowing rivers and the ocean can make themselves kings of the myriad mountain streams.
It is because they are well below them.
Thus they are able to make themselves kings of the myriad mountain streams.
For this reason,
If you wish to be above the people,
You must invariably say that you are below them.
If you wish to be ahead of the people,
You must invariably place yourself to follow them up from behind.
For this reason,
The sage takes his place above,
But the people do not feel him to be heavy baggage.
He takes his place in front,
But the people do not consider him an obstruction.
For this reason,
All under heaven enjoy reverencing him,
But never feel cramped or inopportune.
It is because he does not contend with others,
That none under heaven can contend with him.
