Friday, October 21, 2016

I Ching - the Importance of Consulting About the Details (Videos)

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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