McDonald’s MCD under Steve Easterbrook

McDonald’s MCD under Steve Easterbrook

 

 

 

 

HEXAGRAM 54 – Kuei Mei – The Marrying Maiden

Above    Chen    THE AROUSING, THUNDER

Below    TUI    THE JOYOUS, LAKE

Above we have

• Chen, the eldest son, and below,
  
• Tui, the youngest daughter.
  

• The man leads and
  
• the girl follows him in gladness.
  

The picture is that of the entrance of the girl into her husband’s house.

In all, there are four hexagrams depicting

the relationship between husband and wife.

1. Hsien, INFLUENCE (31), describes
   

   the attraction that a young couple has for each other;
   

2. Heng, DURATION (32),
   

   portrays the permanent relationships of marriage;
   

3. Chien, DEVELOPMENT (53),
   

   reflects the protracted, ceremonious procedures attending the arrangement of a proper marriage; finally,
   

4. Kuei Mei, THE MARRYING MAIDEN,
   

   shows a young girl under the guidance of an older man who marries her. (1)
   

THE JUDGMENT

THE MARRYING MAIDEN.

Undertakings bring misfortune.

Nothing that would further.

A girl who

• is taken into the family,
  
• but not as the chief wife,
  

must behave with special caution and reserve.

She must not take it upon herself to supplant the mistress of the house,

for that would

• mean disorder and
  
• lead to untenable relationships.
  

The same is true of all voluntary relationships between human beings.

While

legally regulated relationships

• evince a fixed connection between
  
  • duties and
    
  • rights,
    

relationships based on personal inclination

• depend in the long run entirely on tactful reserve.
  

Affection as the essential principle of relatedness

is of the greatest importance in all relationships in the world.

For

the union of heaven and earth is the origin of the whole of nature.

Among human beings likewise,

spontaneous affection is the all-inclusive principle of union.

THE IMAGE

Thunder over the lake: The image of THE MARRYING MAIDEN.

Thus

the superior man

Understands the transitory

In the light of the eternity of the end.

Thunder stirs the water of the lake,

which follows it in shimmering waves.

This symbolizes the girl who follows the man of her choice.

But

every relationship between individuals

• bears within it the danger that wrong turns may be taken,
  
• leading to endless misunderstandings and disagreements.
  

Therefore

it is necessary constantly to remain mindful of the end.

If

• we permit ourselves to drift along,
  
  • we come together and
    
  • are parted again as the day may determine.
    

If on the other hand

• a man fixes his mind on an end that endures,
  
  • he will succeed in avoiding the reefs
    

    that confront the closer relationships of people.
    

THE LINES

Nine in the second place means:

A one-eyed man who is able to see.

The perseverance of a solitary man furthers.

Here the situation is that of

a girl married to a man who has disappointed her.

Man and wife ought to work together like a pair of eyes.

Here

the girl is left behind in loneliness;

the man of her choice

• either has become unfaithful
  
• or has died.
  

But

she does not lose the inner light of loyalty.

Though the other eye is gone,

she maintains her loyalty even in loneliness.

Nine in the fourth place means:

The marrying maiden draws out the allotted time.

A late marriage comes in due course.

The girl is virtuous.

She

• does not wish to throw herself away, and
  
• allows the customary time for marriage to slip by.
  

However, there is no harm in this;

she

• is rewarded for her purity and, even though belatedly,
  
• finds the husband intended for her.
  

MOVING HEXAGRAM

HEXAGRAM 24 – Fu – Return (The Turning Point)

Above    K’UN    THE RECEPTIVE, EARTH

Below    CHEN    THE AROUSING, THUNDER

The idea of a turning point arises from

the fact that

• after the dark lines have pushed all of the light lines upward and out of the hexagram,
  
• another light line enters the hexagram from below.
  

The time of darkness is past.

The winter solstice brings the victory of light.

This hexagram is linked with the eleventh month,

the month of the solstice (December-January).

THE JUDGMENT

RETURN. Success.

• Going out and coming in without error.
  
• Friends come without blame.
  
• To and fro goes the way.
  
• On the seventh day comes return.
  
• It furthers one to have somewhere to go.
  

After a time of decay comes the turning point.

The powerful light that has been banished returns.

There is movement, but

it is not brought about by force.

The upper trigram K’un is characterized by devotion;

thus the movement is natural,
arising spontaneously.

For this reason the transformation of the old becomes easy.

• The old is discarded and
  
• the new is introduced.
  

Both measures accord with the time;

therefore no harm results.

Societies of people sharing the same views are formed.

But since these groups

• come together in full public knowledge and
  
• are in harmony with the time,
  

• all selfish separatist tendencies are excluded, and
  
• no mistake is made.
  

The idea of RETURN is based on the course of nature.

• The movement is cyclic, and
  
• the course completes itself.
  

Therefore

it is not necessary to hasten anything artificially.

Everything comes of itself at the appointed time.

This is the meaning of heaven and earth.

All movements are accomplished in six stages, and

the seventh brings return.

Thus

• the Winter solstice, with which the decline of the year begins,
  
  • comes in the seventh month after the summer solstice;
    

so too

• sunrise
  
  • comes in the seventh double hour after sunset.
    

Therefore

seven is the number of the young light, and

it arises when six, the number of the great darkness, is increased by one.

In this way

the state of rest gives place to movement.

THE IMAGE

Thunder within the earth: The image of THE TURNING POINT.

Thus

• the kings of antiquity closed the passes At the time of solstice.
  
• Merchants and strangers did not go about, And
  
• the ruler Did not travel through the provinces.
  

The winter solstice has always been celebrated in China as the resting time of the year –

a custom that survives in the time of rest observed at the new year.

In winter the life energy, symbolized by thunder, the Arousing is still underground.

Movement is just at its beginning;

therefore

it must be strengthened by rest,

so that it will not be dissipated by being used prematurely.

This principle, i.e., of allowing energy that is renewing itself to be reinforced by rest,

applies to all similar situations.

• The return of health after illness,
  
• the return of understanding after an estrangement:
  

everything must be treated tenderly and with care at the beginning,

so that the return may lead to a flowering.

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