The taming power of the small

What the I Ching tells us about the Better Way Charter, plus exciting news about the Better Way Conference

Feb 21, 2023

You may already be aware that the dates for the next Better Way Conference are to be announced today, along with a screening of a short documentary on last year’s conference produced by Oracle Films. Watch the video above to get a taste of what’s to come. Details of tonight’s event are below:

I hope to see many of you at this year’s conference, but if you can’t make it in person, don’t despair, the conference will also be live-streamed, as it was in 2022.

The key output from last year’s conference in Bath, UK, was the Better Way Charter. Because of the way we are controlled and ruled – through division and polarisation – we are not so good at getting along these days, with ourselves, others or our beautiful Earth. The Better Way Charter collates the solutions put forward in each of seven conference panels, refining them to their essence, to guide how we co-operate on our better way journey: free from fear, mischief and jealousy, united by an ethos that keeps us sovereign, responsible, connected and free.

Here they are:

We act in honour and do no harm. We do our best to live by this law, and enact the principles within this charter by it.
We are free beings with free will. We take responsibility for, and control of, our lives, our choices and our health.
We are part of nature. We recognise that the well-being of people and planet are interdependent and we nurture both in equal measure.
Spirituality is integral to our well-being. People are spiritual and we thrive when life has conscious meaning and higher purpose.
We thrive together. We are inclusive and value our diverse, integrated, and collaborative community.
We value different perspectives. We celebrate respectful discussion as the means to ever more refined knowledge, compassion and wisdom.
We use technology with discernment. We recognise technology used respectfully will enhance learning and wisdom to benefit people and planet

Along with these 7 principles comes our very firm position on inalienable rights and freedoms. We do not tolerate:

The violation of people’s inalienable rights and freedoms (ie. freedom of speech, movement, assembly, the right to free and informed consent, the right to body integrity and that everyone is innocent before proven guilty.)
Profit, power and influence coming before the well-being of people and our planet

You can download a flyer of these principles here and they are available in 25 languages.

I invite you to learn these principles and increasingly try to apply them in your everyday life, especially whenever you are beset by uncomfortable feelings of anger, for example, or fear.

When I feel uncomfortable, I run through the principles and ask myself how I can improve my approach to life, and then set about making the adjustments.

This is the way we get out of the mess we’re in – through each of us making the small adjustments necessary to ourselves, in order to co-operate more frequently through kindness and compassion. By trusting our intuition and autonomy, we can engender trust again in our fellow men and women.

The I Ching, an ancient book also called the Book of Changes, has a chapter called ‘The taming power of the small’, which I feel is relevant to our current situation.

Here are some excerpts from this chapter’s concept, which is associated with an image.

“THE IMAGE

The wind drives across the heaven:

The image of THE TAMING POWER OF THE SMALL

Thus the superior man

Refines the outward aspect of his nature.”

“The moment for action on a large scale has not yet arrived…”

“Hence the image is of many clouds, promising moisture and blessing to the land, although as yet no rain falls. The situation is not unfavourable; there is a prospect of ultimate success, but there are still obstacles in the way, and we can merely take preparatory measures…

To carry out our purpose we need firm determination within and gentleness and adaptability in external relations.”

“The wind can indeed drive the clouds together in the sky; yet, being nothing but air, without solid body, it does not produce great or lasting effects. So also an individual, in times when he can produce no great effect in the outer world, can do nothing except refine the expression of his nature in small ways.”

Taken from the Richard Wilhelm translation, with foreword by Carl Jung.

To me, these words speak to me of where we are right now, and where our focus is best placed. What do you think? Do share your insights in the comments below.

The screening of the Better Way documentary with a live Q and A is tonight at 7pm UTC/GMT (2pm EST).

I look forward to seeing you there!

Meanwhile, please do this internal work together with me, so that the power of our collective small efforts can bring the rain, the change, that is so desperately needed. This is how we manifest a better way; this is how we beat the beast; this is how we ultimately find our way home.