earth under earth, response.
Today’s post concludes this little series of re-posts from last Spring which looked at a few of the Zhouyi’s sixty-four hexagrams (or ‘gua’).
It was originally written as what many consider the most sacred moment of the whole year approached ~ Wesak, the May full moon anniversary of Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death.
In the Northern tradition this Scorpio full moon is Beltane, potent Celtic celebration of fertility and union.
Here’s an image from this time, incongruous tonight as our hatches are still battened down against this winter’s gales and floods:
In honour of the occasion, and of my belief that the Zhouyi can help us to create a Heaven of our one, precious Earth, this post answered the Big Question of how best to serve the world.
The answer, response, was earth under earth.
This guides us above all to be as the Earth Herself, birthing, sheltering, nourishing and nurturing all who live on her without restriction or distinction.
As Stephen Karcher says in his Total I Ching,
“Reflect this through your generosity. Cherish each thing so that its essential quality shines through. Accept it and help it grow.”
In the Zhouyi, just as Heaven is symbolised by the bright radiance of the firey Sun, so the ebb and flow of water and the subtle luminosity of the moon which impels it stands for the Earth.
Time to respond rather than initiate; to be an open, empty vessel.
The first line is changing: this says that when there is hoarfrost underfoot, solid ice is not far off.
Carol K. Anthony’s interpretation is the one which most resonates with me for this divination: she describes hoarfrost as being our suspicious, agitated, faithless inferiors:
“Hoarfrost also refers to falling back on traditional defenses such as fear, doubt, anger, envy, desire, negation, hedging, or alienation. We cling to such defenses because we still harbor distrust that following the true and the good well bring about harmony and justice.”
We’re especially prone to succumbing to such crises of faith when faced with life’s catastrophes, such as a sickness which takes our young child from us - or an earthquake which devastates an already impoverished land.
What Simone Weil describes as the love of God - pure when joy and suffering inspire an equal degree of gratitude - can be fostered by the understanding that the light is always present, even when invisible to us.
This is the case with thunder under earth, return of the light, which is what the first changing line creates: this describes the time of the Winter Solstice.
Just as ‘the darkest hour is just before dawn’, though outwardly all is still bitterly cold, dark and lifeless, on the inner planes the transition has been made to increasing light, warmth and growth.
Here’s some more about this sacred time, for which I’ve used some of my blog post from last Wesak.
Esoteric tradition holds that Buddha, in communion with other ascended masters who guide the world from the subtle planes, descends to Earth with potent blessings for eight precious minutes at the moment of this full moon.
Burning The Darkness, Nicholas Roerich, 1924
Their home is the sacred land of Shambhala, spiritual heart of our earth, where the blueprint for its harmonious unfolding is kept.
Its teaching is known as Kalachakra, and the synthesis between the microcosm and macrocosm which is at its heart is depicted in the Kalachakra mandala, visualised in an intricate meditation.
The frequency with which the Dalai Lama gives the empowerment for this complex practise shows how significant he believes it to be.
“When the correspondences are correctly known and the visualisation is correctly done, the result is the purification of the outer and inner worlds. This is made possible through alignment with the archetypal power of the Kalachakra mandala.”
The Dalai Lama begins the process of dismantling the Kalachakra Sand Mandalaas part of the 33rd Kalachakara Empowerment in Ladakh, July 2014.
A potent way to honour this day is to focus with renewed dedication on one's spiritual aspirations and practise, including simple kindness to others.
The rewards for such efforts are said to be immeasurably magnified not only on the day of the full moon, but throughout the whole of the sacred, merry month of May.
To chant the powerful Great Invocation at this time magnifies its potency:
From the point of Light within the Mind of God
Let light stream forth into the minds of men.
Let Light descend on Earth.
From the point of Love within the Heart of God
Let love stream forth into the hearts of men.
May Christ return to Earth.
From the centre where the Will of God is known
Let purpose guide the little wills of men—
The purpose which the Masters know and serve.
From the centre which we call the race of men
Let the Plan of Love and Light work out
And may it seal the door where evil dwells.
Let Light and Love and Power restore the Plan on Earth.
I have to admit that, though having been taught this many years ago, and resonating with the energy and spirit of the words as a whole, I hadn't used it as a practise, as I got stuck on my resistance to the line
"and may it seal the door where evil dwells."
This, for me, evoked imagery of a cellar door to a dark room full of malevolent, disowned shadow forces who, when someone unsealed the door (as inevitably happens in fairy tales) would burst out,madder and more malevolent than ever.
Writing this blog reminded me that the gift of the Invocation remained unused by me: there had seemed no way around it, as I couldn't put all of my heart into something which didn't feel wholly right ~ and making any change would have felt sacrilegious.
Then I came upon an entreaty, by the spiritual teacher known in esoteric circles simply as the Tibetan, for "a united use of The Great Invocation on the day of The Wesak full moon."
This mentioned that "All whom you can reach in the countries of the world must be instructed and helped to spread the use of the Invocation in their own language, and with the wording that will make it acceptable..."
With this encouragement, I decided to pen a version that evoked no resistance in me - that I could happily use - and came up with this one:
This was my Beltane/Wesak offering that I invoked as the moon became full in the early morning last May.
What would be your most heartfelt, uplifting offering and invocation? I'd love to know.
Have a blessed day ~ and may your pure attention bless our precious world and all who cross your path.
Next week, I have a two-part post to offer you a different perspective on Time.
