TWELVE

否

STAGNATION, HELPLESSNESS

CONCERNS: The ascendancy of the material aspects of life, the dominance of the conditioned mind, the seduction of the senses, the real buried by the unreal; a time of obstruction, misfortune and standstill; the separation of heaven and earth.

1. In the midst of hindrance and affliction it is unwise to initiate anything meaningful; concentrate on developing yourself and avoid involvement with narrow -minded people.
2. In the midst of hindrance and affliction, ordinary people compromise their principles; people of inner development identify with the Way and so avoid distortion by their environment.
3. One becomes aware of shameful motivations; this is an intimation of, and a growing sensitivity to, the influence of our higher nature.
4. Those who have maintained their integrity during adversity will be vindicated and rewarded as stable times return.
5. As misfortune gives way to the restoration of peace and prosperity, we must redouble our attention to the task at hand and avoid complacency, for the new order is quite vulnerable during this transition.
6. Everything is cyclical, nothing can permanently wax or wane; as misfortune peaks, good fortune dawns.

COMMENT: If we learn to maintain our balance, centered and still within, we will not be distorted by the world in which we live, no matter how challenging the conditions. This stillness is arrived at by the subsidence of our reactivity and a cultivation of the connection with our souls.