Me, Myself, and I Ching

While I was working for JHU this summer, I had the unbelievable good fortune to work with a new friend who is just lovely, and fascinating and inspiring.  He had just retired from two decades as headmaster at a very fancy-pants private school, and was using the JHU gig as his transition out of running his school and into the next phase of his life.  He and I spent more time talking about bhodisattvas and really good restaurants than actually doing our work, hence our month-long gig was super fun and delightful.

This new buddy turned me on to Anita O'Day, for  which I am eternally grateful, and he also gave me a copy of the I Ching. We talked a lot about the similarity between Patanjali's sutras, the Gita, and the Diamond sutras, and he said the I Ching is a similar book of good advice.  I'm down with that. 

In the past week or two I have busted out my new book several times, and have asked several folks for a number between 1 and 64 (the number of hexagrams in the book).  Pick a number, any number!  Lo and behold, folks keep telling me the same number.  Hmmm.  How can I keep getting the same number?  I figured it was just an easy number to choose.  So, I got online and found a random number generator.   Got the same number. 

Turns out, we all avoid 13, and everyone, even the random number generator, picks 3.  Three is a magic number. (If you don't believe me, then revisit School House Rock.)

Here is my hexagram of the week, and quite possibly of my year:

#3 Chun/ Difficulty at the Beginning
If we persevere a great success is at hand.

"The literal translation of 'chun' is 'a blade of grass pushing against an aobstacle as it sprouts out of the earth'.  Recieving this hexagram is a sign that beyond the difficulties and pressures that surround you, a success lies waiting.  In order to bring it fuly into the light, you must be patient and persevere in nonaction."

Oh good lord.  This lesson again.  Please note that I didn't get #35, Chin/ Progress "You progress like the rising sun.  The brighter your virtue, the higher you rise".  Nor did I get #16, Yu/ Enthusiasm "Proper enthusiasm opens every door."  I got #3, the nonaction one.

Well, I'm off to persevere in nonaction.  Maybe I'll take a nap.