More on ‘Shan Dao Shui’

It has been a while since I blogged on things Daoist.

One of the cryptic messages from a Quanzhen heavenly immortal, given fifteen years ago, was a challenge for me to do ‘hills pour water’ or ‘Shan Dao Shui’. Refer entry on ‘When you can do hills pour water’ dated October 6, 2005 where readers can learn something about the Image, trigrams and neidan.

In that previous entry, I have indicated that ‘Shan Dao Shui’ referred to Hexagram 39 Qian / Obstruction of the Zhouyi.

The Image:
Water on the mountain: The image of Obstruction. Thus the superior man turns his attention to himself and molds his character.

Difficulties and obstructions throw a man back upon himself. While the inferior man seeks to put the blame on other persons, bewailing his fate, the superior man seeks the error within himself, and through this introspection the external obstacle becomes for him an occasion for inner enrichment and education. [W/B]

With the prevailing difficulties and obstructions in the global financial and stock markets, Yi students and readers can learn some wisdom from the above commentary. For the more discerning, it has something to do with Tao and Heaven.

A deeper interpretation for those who cultivate:

To reach a higher spiritual level and clarity, the superior man meditates, and cultivates his character.

In Obstruction, ‘the southwest furthers’ because he goes and attains the middle – Commentary on the Decision.

If neidan practitioners can understand what is said, good, if not, then it is too deep.

To understand and practise dual cultivation, how to achieve clarity, why the southwest furthers, and where the middle (Zhong) is, will take several years of earnest study and practice. Whether we can the right persons or not, depend on our efforts and cultivation.

Along the Way, a heightened spirituality may help you realize why Heaven is on the side of the good just as Laozi have had indicated.