21.11.12

How does the Warrior, forgive?

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Only a few days prior, I had asked a question myself of the I Ching. I had the pleasure of casting I Ching with yet two other friends in the weeks before, and, having a bit of a difficult time, I thought it was time for a question.

It's strange though... I RARELY ask!! I have long striven to be where I am at today, and I have been concentrating on my study of I Ching. I think this will change soon, as the regular use of I Ching is simply so pleasurable.

My questions tend to be metaphysical in nature, even though they pertain directly to things in my day-to-day.



I cast, #45, Gathering, moving into #25, Fidelity.

          

Fidelity, is also called "no error." And indeed, after one 'gathers,' it is best to make no error, lest what is gathered, gets dropped.

Gathering is marked by 'receptivity within joy,' and Fidelity, by 'the action of thunder within heaven.' Outwardly, the quality of pure yang is pervading my life. Indeed! This has been a most remarkable year of fast paced change, making all aspects of my living congruent with my intuition and best wishing. Externally, I am indeed living my heaven.

Inwardly, I am moving from the yin/receptivity of Earth, to the action of Thunder. This, I find especially interesting....

For my (SOON TO BE PUBLISHED) Book of Gardens, I prostrated to Kuan Yin, the bodhissatva of compassion for the duration the four years of writing it. She is also considered to be the feminine reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara, Buddha of Compassion. Currently, I have been studying the masculine archetypes of Carl Jung... and ... Earth, is yin receptivity, and Thunder is masculine action. ... I have also been thinking of purchasing soon a Buddha for my home space.

What was more poignant to me - and this is probably closer to why I do not consult the I Ching so much - is that I could tell the direction for me to be taking with each formulation of my question: It was difficult to just land on How does a Warrior forgive? I knew on the inside that I just needed to contain, fully, a sense of power and concentration for the things I'm experiencing currently. So I went ahead with the best version of my inside-questioning, knowing I would be given the avenue of study needed.

Gathering is marked by "drawing" - a method of attracting, or cultivating, the correct focus within oneself. Thomas Cleary, in the Tao of Organization, defines it as such:  "...when people seek each other they draw each other in; when they are dependent on each other they part.." 

Which addressed perfectly the issue I was experiencing. A coworker of mine was behaving rather inappropriately - repeatedly - and despite giving all the social cues in the world, as well as direct requests, my personal boundary was being continually challenged. Coming to this question alone took great concentration, to rid me of the sense of violation. Indeed, I gathered myself, to be rid of the arising (gross) co-dependency.

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And of course, a Warrior never needs to forgive if he is of the highest caliber in his class. He makes no error to begin with: the warrior is correct to his own decisions and the warrior code of ethics. I certainly do not see myself apologizing for defending a personal space: what I need "forgive," that is, to let go of, is any opportunity for future coercion - even if it be the mere potential for coercion. Hence, the Gathering need continue, allowing for a disciplined presence.

So the warrior "forgives," by gathering himself to make no error.

It has been a time of excellent growth to actually have this 'problem' enter my life. It asks so much of me, as I pay attention to it. Mostly, to get on with the better things in life, and allow invasiveness to fall upon its own sword.

1 comment:

  1. In "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz, he speaks on the Judge, the Victim, and the Belief System, as being a triumviral cultural parasite - and widely accepted poison - which guides so much of our thinking interpersonally. This one passage in particular relates much to the idea I'm expressing in the above:

    "The warrior is the one who rebels against the invasion of the parasite. The warrior rebels and declares a war. but to be a warrior doesn't mean we always win the war; we may win or we may lose, but we always do our best and at least we have a chance to be free again. Choosing this path gives us, at the very least, the dignity of rebellion, and ensures that we will not be the helpless victim of our own whimsical emotions or the poisonous emotions of others. Even if we succumb to the enemy - the parasite - we will not be among those victims who would not fight back."

    So, No Error, is to ensure one is using the emotional energy of any given moment to produce a beneficial outcome for those involved.

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