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HEXAGRAM 51 – Chen – The Arousing (Shock, Thunder)
Above CHEN THE AROUSING, THUNDER
Below CHEN THE AROUSING, THUNDER
The hexagram Chen represents the eldest son,
who seizes rule with
- energy and
- power.
A yang line
- develops below two yin lines and
- presses upward forcibly.
This movement is so violent that it arouses terror.
It is symbolized by thunder, which
- bursts forth from the earth and by its shock
- causes fear and trembling.
THE JUDGMENT
- Shock brings success.
- Shock comes-oh, oh!
Laughing words-ha, ha!
- The shock terrifies for a hundred miles, And
- he does not let fall the sacrificial spoon and chalice.
The shock that comes from the manifestation of God
within the depths of the earth
makes man afraid,
but this fear of God is good,
for joy and merriment can follow upon it.
When
- a man has learned within his heart what fear and trembling mean,
- he is safeguarded against any terror produced by outside influences.
Let the thunder roll and spread terror a hundred miles around:
- he remains so composed and reverent in spirit
that
- the sacrificial rite is not interrupted.
This is the spirit that must animate leaders and rulers of men –
- a profound inner seriousness from which
- all outer terrors glance off harmlessly.
THE IMAGE
Thunder repeated: the image of SHOCK.
Thus in fear and trembling
The superior man
- sets his life in order And
- examines himself.
The shock of continuing thunder brings
- fear and
- trembling.
The superior man
- is always filled with reverence at the manifestation of God;
he
- sets his life in order and
- searches his heart,
lest it harbor any secret opposition to the will of God.
Thus
- reverence is the foundation of true culture.
THE LINES
Six in the second place means:
Shock comes bringing danger.
A hundred thousand times
You
- lose your treasures And
- must climb the nine hills.
Do not go in pursuit of them.
After seven days you will get them back again.
This pictures a situation in which
- a shock endangers a man and
- he suffers great losses.
Resistance
- would be contrary to the movement of the time and
- for this reason unsuccessful.
Therefore
he must simply
- retreat to heights inaccessible to the threatening forces of danger.
He must
- accept his loss of property without worrying too much about it.
When the time of shock and upheaval
that has robbed him of his possessions has passed,
he
- will get them back again without going in pursuit of them.
Nine in the fourth place means:
Shock is mired.
Movement within the mind depends for its success partly on circumstances.
If there is
- neither a resistance that might be vigorously combated,
- nor yet a yielding that permits of victory –
if, instead,
- everything is tough and inert like mire –
movement is crippled.
Six at the top means:
Shock brings
ruin and
terrified gazing around.
Going ahead brings misfortune.
If it
- has not yet touched one’s own body
But
- has reached one’s neighbor first,
There is no blame.
One’s comrades have something to talk about.
When inner shock is at its height,
it robs a man of
- reflection and
- clarity of vision.
In such a state of shock
it is of course impossible to act with presence of mind.
Then
the right thing is to keep still
until composure and clarity are restored.
But this a man can do only
when he himself is not yet infected by the agitation,
although its disastrous effects are already visible in those around him.
If
- he withdraws from the affair in time,
- he remains free of mistakes and injury.
But his comrades,
who no longer heed any warning,
will in their excitement certainly be displeased with him.
However,
he must not take this into account.
MOVING HEXAGRAM
HEXAGRAM 41 – Sun – Decrease
Above KEN KEEPING STILL, MOUNTAIN
Below TUI THE JOYOUS, LAKE
This hexagram represents
- a decrease of the lower trigram
- in favor of the upper,
because
- the third line, originally strong, has moved up to the top, and
- the top line, originally weak, has replaced it. 1
- What is below is decreased to the benefit of
- what is above.
This is out-and-out decrease.
If
- the foundations of a building are decreased in strength and
- the upper walls are strengthened,
the whole structure loses its stability.
Likewise,
- a decrease in the prosperity of the people
- in favor of the government
is out-and-out decrease.
And
the entire theme of the hexagram is directed to showing how
this shift of wealth can take place
without causing the sources of wealth in
- the nation and
- its lower classes
to fail.
THE JUDGMENT
DECREASE combined with sincerity
Brings about supreme good fortune
Without blame.
- One may be persevering in this.
It furthers one to undertake something.
How is this to be carried out?
- One may use two small bowls for the sacrifice.
Decrease does not under all circumstances mean something bad.
Increase and decrease come in their own time.
What matters here is
- to understand the time and
- not to try to cover up poverty with empty pretense.
If a time of scanty resource brings out an inner truth,
one must not feel ashamed of simplicity.
For simplicity is then the very thing needed to provide inner strength for further undertakings.
Indeed, there need be no concern if the outward beauty of the civilization,
even the elaboration of religious forms,
should have to suffer because of simplicity.
One must draw on the strength of the inner attitude to compensate for what is lacking in externals;
then the power of the content makes up for the simplicity of form.
There is no need of presenting false appearances to God.
Even with slender means, the sentiment of the heart can be expressed. 2
THE IMAGE
At the foot of the mountain, the lake: The image of DECREASE.
Thus the superior man
- controls his anger And
- restrains his instincts.
The lake at the foot of the mountain evaporates.
In this way
it decreases to the benefit of the mountain,
which is enriched by its moisture.
- The mountain stands as the symbol of a stubborn strength that can harden into anger.
-
The lake is the symbol of unchecked gaiety
that can develop into passionate drives at the expense of the life forces.
Therefore decrease is necessary;
- anger must be decreased by keeping still,
- the instincts must be curbed by restriction.
By this decrease of the lower powers of the psyche,
the higher aspects of the soul are enriched.
