I approach
consulting the I Ching from my unique perspective that I have developed over
30+ years of using it and 20+ years of giving thousands of consultations. To be sure, it is different. My students
benefit from this approach and to me, that is the most rewarding. I am also
able to couple my knowledge and experience as a Mental Health Professional,
combining what I have learned about Mental Health into the readings. I see the I Ching (Yi Jing) as a pocket
counselor that offers you guidance in the situations you ask it about. My goal
as an educator is to help my students gain access to their Inner Knowing in the
most profound way. To me, the best way
to do that, is to ask questions that will give them answers that make
sense. It's challenging, and we work
hard but the reward is immeasurable.
When consulting the
I Ching, it is always best to ask a general question. This general questions
opens the conversation between you and the I Ching Oracle. But, like any sage, the I Ching will address
your question with a parable that may or may not be understood in real time.
Therefore, I strongly encourage my students to go a bit further and develop
their conversation with the Oracle by asking supportive questions and/or more
questions about the details in the situation.
There are no quick
fixes with the I Ching. Remember you are communicating with a Sage, that is,
the Inner Knowing, the Inner Wisdom, that is within you but you may not be able
to reach directly which is why you are using the Oracle.
The initial general
question would be. Please comment on…..
Example: Please
comment on me working at the University of PA in the capacity of an Adjunct
professor.
That's the general
questions and this opens the conversation.
In most cases folks
have already made up their minds to take a certain job, start a certain
business, pursue a certain career, attend a certain institution of higher
learning, marry a certain person. These
decisions are made BEFORE consulting the
I Ching and particularly in the societal construct where asking the Oracle for
advise seldom takes place.
In Ancient times,
serious decisions about participating in activities that would strongly impact
on your life, would be preceded by a consultation with the elders. This process
has gone by the way side with the advent of "individualism" and the
so called "freedom of choice." However, in making these decisions we
may not realize that we are entering an arena where several other "choices
and decisions" have already been made that may impact on how one is able
to navigate through the situation. The I
Ching responses are predicated on its desire to counsel and guide you in the
situations you come upon. The Tao, or
the mean, or the balance is fundamental to its counsel. It will advise you on
how to accomplish this in your pursuits and activities. It will modify your
extremes and challenge your biases. It is there as a personal development
tool. Therefore it will communicate with
you in a unique way as you are on your own unique journey through life.
So, in the instance
of wanting to teach at a particular university, what must be taken into account
is the institution itself. Mind you, it is a business and has its own operating
procedures. Other particulars will include
but are not exclusive to: job interview, department, the student body, the work
load, the co-workers, the staff, the salary, the distance one may need to
travel, the work schedule, the benefits, the curriculum, etc., etc., etc.
When you ask a
general question all these things are considered when the Oracle responds. It
will encompass these topics and many more in the answer it gives.
What is most
helpful, I have found, is for the individual to continue to consult with more
specific questions about the details of a situation. Reflecting upon the
initial response from the Oracle, the additional questions about the details
make the initial response make more sense.
Using this method,
the Oracle will give its responses in the manner that will allow you to come to
your own conclusions about whether or not you want to take the position. It
will map it out for you in such a way that you will find yourself determining what
is the best course of action rather than you relying on the I Ching to tell you
to do this or that. If in doubt, your FINAL question would be to ask.
"Please comment
on the advisability of me taking this job."
Everything is
energy. There are seen and mostly unseen
forces at play in any situation. Having this conversation with the Oracle gives
you a bird's eye view of the situation you wish to enter and then you are able
to make an informed decision based on the merit that the Oracle has outlined
for you. Again, there are no quick
fixes. If you rush in an attempt to get an answer from the Oracle so you can
quickly go your way, the Oracle will communicate with you but it will do so in
such a way that you will have to slow down and take your time to even begin to
understand what it just said to you. Just like you would not rush into a room
full of elders and start barraging them with a host of questions, it is best to
be centered and calm when approaching the I Ching Oracle. So you collect yourself, clear your mind and
your schedule, sit down, write out your questions. The elders/Ancestors are asking you to
approach them respectfully, watch your manners and speak purposefully to the
Oracle.
Since we are talking
about taking a job at the University, let's take a look at the work
environment.
Please comment on
the nature of the work environment the University offers its employees.
This question will
give you some insight into how the University's administration interacts with
its staff overall.
To get more specific
you may want to ask:
Please comment on
the nature of the work environment the Department of Education at the
University of PA offers its employees.
This narrows it down
to the work place that you will be directly employed in.
You see…? Just looking at this situation could be the
turning point on your decision to take the job or not.
And there is much
more. A reading of this magnitude may take more than one sitting before you can
come to a conclusion as to whether or not you decide to take the position.
Remember, just because it is offered to you does not mean you are obligated to
take it!
I will be making
more videos on how to query the Oracle but for now, take a listen to one of my
students who discovers how important it is to ask about the details of a
situation.
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