Yi Jing, Oracle of the Moon

241 Heaven or hell

  The mind and the heart are susceptible to influences, both from outside and inside. It takes strength to keep the wrong ones at bay. Being social is a big force of nature but doubting others can be a valuable trait. A strong mind can recognize bad influences, and also hold on to what is good.

242 The fate of true spirits

   Safety is in numbers. As an individual, you should keep a respectful distance from the powers that be. Thinking or acting differently from the norm scares both the masses and the rulers because of its unpredictability. The flock can be herded, not so the individual. Create a safe place for yourself.

243 Knowing the seeds

   The ability to feel the subtle edges of good and bad, of ethical and unnatural, even in the middle of a busy world, is the reason some can turn around timely. When one feels the edge is near, it is easy to do so. When one doesn’t feel it, desire or habit will be too strong to change one’s conduct.

244 One blue expanse

   When everything is calm and smooth and clear, then take extra care not to let anything bad in. It is tempting to forget carefulness when life seems easy. So be severe, or exude authority, or play devil’s advocate when the situation asks for it. But also be nice and social when necessary.

245 The male dao *

   Do your own thing, follow your bliss. Don’t forget though that what you are in your core is just as important as what you make of yourself and your life. Give enough room to your being a man or being a woman, being born assertive or happy to be a follower. Honor your and other’s nature.

246 A bewitching woman

   The world is full of bewitching things. Alcohol, drugs and gambling are known as dangerous, but there are many other things which can enslave or destroy. Food, games, sex, so many things which can be great can also be used in wrong or evil ways. Be aware of everything you allow in your life.

247 Shaken up but not destroyed

   It is a blessing when a disaster almost happens but not quite. One learns its danger and often how to prepare for it, knowing how devastating it can be without having to experience it. The beginning of a fire, the signs of a disease, an unguarded remark, an unlocked door. They are timely warnings.

248 A fortunate empty day

   If you have an open mind, then you notice every opportunity to achieve something. You might not have a plan, but you grasp the moment, the open door, the unexpected gift. It is a talent which makes life much easier and rewarding. You accomplish what nobody expected, least of all you yourself.

249 Adapt to changes

   Fixing what you’re not happy about is more useful than moaning it. But many things are just the way they are and you don’t have much say in them. Better adapt without bothering too much. Who knows how they will be next year, or even tomorrow. Don’t summon trouble which only causes trouble.

250 Daughter big

   Spinning stories is part of the human mind, especially the happy-ever-after kind. Life can be hard or unsatisfactory, hope is always right below the surface. Stories are a welcome distraction and a means to stay hopeful. Don’t drown in them though, and don’t use others as tools to fulfill them.

251 Chills and fever

   If excitement goes on and on, stoking your fire and making you talk endlessly, you harm your mind and body both. They need peace in order to restore. Find balance, don’t run around all the time but alternate with rest. Empty your head, relax your muscles. Life is not only moving but also being.

252 Wake up

   To be calm is good, except when there is too much of it. All things need to be in balance. When you are too calm or calm for too long, things will go wrong. Too much and too little should both always be avoided. Everything needs to be in balance in order to stay right. It makes the entire universe revolve.

253 Prepare well

  Nobody will be exempt from all problems, but those who prepare against them have an easier life. Find the vulnerabilities of your life and think of ways to make them stronger, both for now and for the future. It will pay off as a sound investment. Preparing is easier than mending what went wrong.

254 Firm like three mountains

   Nature equips all creatures with desires, so they will improve relentlessly. It is up to you how far you go. In a natural and balanced way - or limitless, up to the point of harming yourself or others. Even the ability to stay within limits is part of her plan. A balanced species will survive and improve.

255 Lucky star

   Build air castles to your heart’s content, they can be a great source of inspiration. But keep your feet on solid ground as well. You need both to create anything worthwhile. A business, a marriage, children, a work of art, you name it and it needs both the earth and the sky and probably some good luck as well.

256 The source of water *

   If you want to make big changes or mend big problems, then start with the basic requirements. Don’t involve anyone before you know there are actually things which can be done. Nobody should be led onto a path of false hope, especially when the time is difficult and hope is easily raised.

257 A free heart

  It is quite arrogant to think you can criticize nature and universe and everything. It did exist long before you. So, listen to it, to its eternal laws and cycles and feel free and supported by letting its timing lead you. Free is natural, unfree is always a fabrication, by a situation or by your own mind.

258 Jackals and wolves

  There are moments in life when the only thing you can do and have to do, is to single-mindedly defend yourself. To concentrate every thought and every feeling into a way to survive. Why do we love movies where this happens? Maybe as an exercise to train our reaction in a world which doesn’t teach this?

259 Qimen Dunjia divination *

  When there is no certain outcome, then divination can help. The Qimen Dunjia is one of those. Generals used it to decide if a battle was worth fighting, and if the enemy could be defeated. Accept divination as a wonderful way to access a knowledge your rational mind will not allow you to find.

260 A life without purpose

  The easy road is always down. That’s why it is easy. The wheels are not able to do anything else, the driver and the horse have to give them a direction. So sit in the driver’s seat, and use your energy to pull your life in the direction you want it to go. It doesn’t go anywhere by itself. Well, except down.

261 Yin and yang in harmony

  Before you can start anything, even the very first beginning of an idea, you must bring the situation in balance. Your mind, your surroundings, your options, your tools. Every disharmony will reflect itself both in the work and in the result. A creation will always show the way it has been created.

262 Enlightenment

  The understanding of Chan (Zen) is an inner openness, which just has to become visible for you. Enlightenment is not a state of being, it is a threshold between darkness and light. Don’t try to hold on to it but find it again, over and over. It will make you free to follow your own heart.

263 Free fish

  Wherever you are, survive the way this place asks for. Adapt to the possibilities, not taking any habit or opinion for granted. What is right for other people may not be right for you. Finding your own way of acting and thinking will not only improve your life but also enrichen your soul.

264 The will of Heaven

  Nothing happens on its own, everything is connected. Finding these hardly visible threads of affinity is the basis of astrology and many other ways of connecting with fate, spirits, synchronicity, and everything else intangible. They are roadmaps and directions to follow the threads of Indra’s Web.

265 Six ears

  Finding s solution is often not so much a matter of logic and thinking hard, but of perseverance and deliberation. Toss ideas around, listen to every one of them, even when weird. Give it enough time, let thoughts simmer in the back of your brain or sleep on them. And talk, think loud, exchange.

266 Recluse

  Shutting yourself off from bad things can cause them to haunt you. But feeling alone in a difficult situation can do that as well. Find someone to talk to, even a dog or a tree can help. And realize that this is not the ‘truth’, it is your soul which shows you its fears and loneliness in the form of images.

267 The waterclock

  Don’t let anything impose rules on you which are not making you happy. Every creature needs to live its own life, the one its soul craves for. A bird needs to fly, a wolf needs to hunt. If you need solid rules like clocks, then by all means do that. If not, then get away and find your own road.

268 Nature as medicine

  Your mind is far, maybe you lost someone, or maybe lost yourself. Waiting or hoping will not cause a return. Pick up your own life again and live it as it is supposed to be. Live here and now, your wishes and joys and the beauty around you. Nature is a wonderful healer of the mind.

269 The governor of Nanke *

  There are innumerable dreams of riches and fame, but only a very small number will turn into reality. Dreams have a value of their own, they can point to something one needs to do or to realize. The soul tells you a message and it is good to listen and maybe even act on it.

270 Plowing

  Everything which is connected with a larger meaning, like tradition, myth, love or heroism, brings a deep sense of happiness and truth. This is even true for small daily repeating chores, connected with life as a cycle. Each day is a new enactment of the same eternal day, part of the eternal cycle.

271 Ghosts

  Ghosts are sick influences and you need to chase them out of you, or they will harm you. Who can better help you than the sheep, which sounds like yáng in Chinese, the force of light hated by all ghosts. In heaven the Ghost stars and the Golden Sheep dwell next to each other, so rescue is close by.

272 Heaven’s pillars

  You want to achieve something? Then start! And if you want to achieve something great, then start great. It is all about the first step and the size of what you do, not about what you think you can. If you fail, then at least it will be in a grand way. Don’t settle for mediocrity in whatever you do.

273 The tiger’s roar

  Some people have all of it. Courage, dignity, strength and authority. They are born to lead. A leader is not a boss, a leader is chosen without voting or appointing but because he or she inspires people and they choose to follow by their own free will. It is how nature wants it to be.

274 Organized battle

  A battle, any kind of battle, a big enterprise, small personal projects, all of them need strategy in order to succeed. Find the right information, both from others and from yourself. Look at examples and find helpers if necessary. Find out if there are rules or facts or ethics or tricks you need to know.

275 A thatched hut (see story 240)

  Not everyone can live in the human world. Some by choice, others because they simply feel unhappy or in other ways don’t have the qualities for it. Or maybe they have the qualities for more. Don’t let yourself fall down into a sad place, instead move up, get closer to heaven. Find your own honorable place.

276 Coming and going *

  This poem can be about wandering or about friendly contact. In both one needs to know when to be with the other and when to leave alone. A smart stranger or a good friend know when to come and when to go. It needs insight into the other, so exercise your people knowledge. It is not an easy skill.

277 In its element

   A bird needs to fly, a wolf to run. There are also subtle things a creature needs in order to feel right. Some thrive when challenged, others when everything is ordered. Some need fire, others water. Try to find out what you or someone else needs. It is an important cause of finding happiness.

278 Good advice

   Your possessions and safety are yours. But feeling entitled is dangerous for the mind, it tends to make it lazy. It is up to you to keep your life in order. Protect your possessions and stay away from danger. Make friends who can assist. And remember that safety is in numbers.

279 Spring rain

   In spring the rains return and cause all seeds and plants to grow. When a great man or woman comes forth, they do the same. They benefit all around them. Make use of this opportunity and tend to whatever you sow or cultivate. Emulate them or be one of them. Use this influence or spread it around.

280 A raging fire

   Solving a problem is seldom simple and straightforward. Even if you have the tools, you have to find out how to use them. If you get helpers, you have to instruct them. If you find a solution, it is not certain if it will be enough. But if you don’t succeed, you will at least know you gave it your all.

281 A friend who knows the songs

  In an unknown place or among strangers it makes a huge difference when there is a good friend. Even if you still have to cope alone, his or her presence will comfort you and give you confidence. Man is not made to be alone, humans are social animals and having friends is valuable. (see story 96)

282 Your field

   Acknowledge what you have, even if it is not much, and cultivate it to max extent. It will probably bring in more than a larger field which was not cultivated with such devotion. It happens often - what was done with love and hard work wins from what was done with hard work only.

283 Empathy

   Are you sure you have no flaws yourself? Or that you will not have in the future? If all people would treat everyone else the way they want to be treated themselves, the world would be a better place. Since this will never be achieved, you can at least help those who need assistance.

284 Six oxen

   Don’t just rely on luck, she is a fickle goddess. One moment she helps you, the next she abandons you. But maybe she can be nudged a little. While working with strength and endurance will be the right way, things like using lucky numbers, like 6, may invite the capricious goddess to your side.

285 Go out early

   Some people live small and essential, others live with a grand view. Both are right, both have value, one not more than the other. But whatever you do, do it completely. If your road tells you to conquer the world and improve it, then do so with all your power, all your courage and complete commitment.

286 Sunflowers

   Open your house or open your heart and give happiness to others. It will benefit everyone, them as well as you. Having loyal people around you means comfortable safety for you. Someone who cares means a good life for them. People love a life-giving center like sunflowers love the sun.

287 The mysterious gate

   Nature provides all creatures with a deep sense of what they are. Man’s brain has closed this open door and the mind now has to find another entrance. It is the origin of every religion. Zen stayed close to its source, with its simplicity and lack of man-made rules. Find the key which works for you.

288 Profound

   Closing yourself off from what is difficult to understand means you will never develop your mind. It does not matter if you cannot grasp it, it is the attitude and effort which turns you into an open and interesting person. With a receptive mind you will understand many things