The three usually represent a third quality formed by two others - such as sun and earth = life; mother and father = child; negative and positive = reaction. Sometimes represents the solution to opposition. And in Chinese wisdom it is the third point; it is like this:
I am living here in this man. I am an old part of his being that he is only just coming into contact with. This is because he is learning to bow low enough. I am living within this man from an earlier period of history. I am giving him my essence, my life essence. He can draw upon it.
The way of life is strange. A person’s life develops many connections. Sometimes in unlikely ways you may love somebody who is of lesser class, or scorned. Yet that person may link you with aspects of life that are important to know about, and you will be the lesser if you did not understand them, and have sympathy with them.
What I teach is that within each situation there are various factors. There is an area of strength, and there is an area of weakness. There is a male area and a female area. If you understand these things there is no need to fear the situation, because you can move within it and shift as is necessary. You can be weak, or you can be strong. You can withdraw or you can advance. You can use the momentum of what is opposing you, or you can stand up and direct it.
Let us see if we can translate this. In each life situation there is a changing point. There is change, and within that change, if you understand it, there is possibility – there is possibility. There is not something defined, but there is possibility. Within the strength there is weakness. Within the weakness there is strength.
I wish to learn of your wisdom. Help me understand.
In today’s words, in any system there are needs. There are changing points of tension, and in the needs and the tension there are possibilities for change.
What if I could apply that to my life now, perhaps you can help me understand it.
Shing Jaow. In your life there is a point of conflict. It is between what you presently exist and live in and what your desire is. Within that point of tension you could be overthrown. That is your weakness. You could be cast down at that point. Or at that point, if you swing carefully, there can be a transition, a new phase, a new rearrangement of the points of tension and weakness. That is the use of wisdom/insight/strength.
All life is like that. There are never situations in which points of change do not occur.
How can someone assess their present position? How can someone learn to assess their present position, and discover where the point of change is? How can they discover if it is in being strong, or weak, or yielding, in waiting or pushing ahead? How can they see if they should be giving way, standing still, or moving ahead?
I give this to you. It is for you to understand. Everything rests upon a pivot. Everything is finely balanced, otherwise the universe would not exist. But it is a pivot of change, of constant change and nothing ever stands still. Nothing is ever formalised. It is ever shifting.
How do we find, or where do we find, our point of balance in all that?
You need to listen! You need to listen. And in listening not rush to put in your own commentary or point of view. You need to listen. You can never completely know what confronts you because it is never static. It is a constant dynamic flux. But you can see its direction of movement and dance with it if you listen and watch.
Tony as I listen