May 2010
Greetings!

 I hope this finds you enjoying the May flowers.  We will meet in Waterford at Rose Lodge at 11 a.m. as usual. We have been reading Master Jou’s book TAI CHI CHUAN THE WAY OF REJUVENATION.  Be careful travelling on Saturday, as there will be thunderstorms. The I Ching guides us to be wary of pitfalls during this time. The Abysmal represents danger. The danger is not one that is generated by the cosmos or by our own behavior so much as it is by our immediate environment. I received this reading on Wednesday night and I was rear-ended on my way to my morning class at Hartt on Thursday morning. Drive with especial caution during this time. Do not try to avoid confrontations, but rather meet them with inner and outer abilities of high ethics and principles. Utilize your integrity in dangerous situations and you will come out the better for it.  Be true to you own inner nature. Keep moving through the danger and do not linger in it. Like water you have a certain type of strength and power. Flow through and around the danger and avoid dallying. Don’t let your passions get the better of you. This is the time to be of high value by being an example of your principles. Encounters with danger may become frequent, so we must frequently align ourselves with the Higher Power so that this alignment will be a habit of conscience.  When death brushes us it makes us ponder our worth in the world. The Mystery comes close to us and we are heightened in our awareness. The fine things and simple things in life become apparent to us. New meaning can be established and the love in the life can be cherished and nurtured rather than taken for granted. If you have allowed some evil force to influence you and you have become accustomed to its presence in your life, there may a character defect growing within. The Way is waiting for you to re-establish a connection. Find your feet on the path. It is not a single action that regains your footing in the right direction, but rather a constant and consistent striving towards the light that get you there. Remember it is the little things along the road that make the journey a loving and learning process. Be clear. Do not pretend. Avoid confusion.

“Following what is essential gains us great success,” says the Sage of the I Ching. Remaining loyal to the truth within you and your own innate goodness activates your Higher Power inside you. When one is loyal to their own goodness, then one can be loyal to others and what is just inside them as well. Leading and following are irrevocably linked. To lead truly is to follow, and likewise to follow truly is to lead. Commitment to the process of transformation that we have all embarked upon requires that we become like the horseman who must “throw his heart over the fence” in order to get the horse to “follow” him over it. Horse and rider require each others presence and the comfort of both support and leadership from and towards each other in order to accomplish the great leap.  We must strive to be aware of when egotism rides rampant. We must avoid the pitfall of impatience towards our own achievement or others’ progress. When we learn to truly follow the good within and the truth of the Way then all things come of their own time. Pushing the river just gets us wet and frustrated.
PS: Please remember to RSVP so I can plan for food.  Bring plenty of water for the day and a plate, eating utensils and a mug if you would like a hot beverage.   Thanks.  Debbie

Yours truly,
David Chandler