CONFLICT
The proper response to conflict, whether it lies within or without us, is disengagement.
Whenever we allow ourselves to be drawn off balance, away from the strength of quiet integrity, we are in conflict. It matters not whether the confrontation is between competing values in one’s own mind or with another person: it is the inner departure from clarity and equanimity that leaves us with feelings of despair and vulnerability. The only remedy is to disengage from the problem and return to quiet contemplation of what is correct.
Conflict provokes strong feelings of doubt, fear, anxiety, and impatience to resolve the situation. If you act under the influence of these inferior emotions, you will severely complicate the misfortune. By following the prescription of the Sage and returning to a position of neutrality, acceptance, and detachment, you are able to meet opposing forces halfway: not recoiling in anger and condemnation, not pressing forward for some unnatural change in things, but waiting calmly in the center until the Higher Power provides the correct solution.
The I Ching teaches us that all conflict is, in the end, inner conflict. When you see it beginning, you are obliged not to pursue it, for this only compounds your own misfortune. If you cannot regain your equanimity on your own, then seek the assistance of a just and impartial person in resolving the difficulty. The only way to live free of conflict is to hold steadfastly to proper principles in all things. Through balance, patience, and devotion to inner truth we rise above every challenge.
FIRST LINE
The best time to resolve a conflict is at the beginning. Disengage your ego, and you meet with good fortune.
SECOND LINE
The excesses of the ego can lead us into slaughter. The superior person maintains his humility and his calm and allows the Sage to work things out.
THIRD LINE
Do not fight with others for center stage. That which is truly valuable is gained through quiet perseverance, modesty, and a sincere devotion to the Sage.
FOURTH LINE
All true progress is made on a path of correctness. If your desire to achieve an end is drawing you off this path, turn back. In returning to conscientiousness you meet with success.
FIFTH LINE
One is wise to turn the conflict over to the jurisdiction of the Sage or a just arbiter. Good fortune obtains.
SIXTH LINE
You may achieve a temporary gain by worrying the matter to its bitter end, but the long-term price you pay for this will be great. It is wiser to simply let it go.
from the I Ching, or Book of Changes: A Guide to Life’s Turning Points, by Brian Browne Walker
David Given Schwarm 