General Electric Co GE under CEO Lawrence Culp

 

 

HEXAGRAM 39 – Chien – Obstruction

Above     K’AN    THE ABYSMAL, WATER

Below     KEN    KEEPING STILL, MOUNTAIN

The hexagram pictures

• a dangerous abyss lying before us and
  
• a steep, inaccessible mountain rising behind us.
  

We are surrounded by obstacles;

at the same time,

since the mountain has the attribute of keeping still,

there is implicit a hint as to how we can extricate ourselves.

The hexagram represents obstructions

that appear in the course of time but

that can and should be overcome.

Therefore

all the instruction given is directed to overcoming them.

THE JUDGMENT

OBSTRUCCION.

• The southwest furthers.
  
• The northeast does not further.
  
• It furthers one to see the great man.
  

Perseverance brings good fortune.

The southwest is the region of retreat,

the northeast that of advance.

Here

an individual is confronted by obstacles that

cannot be overcome directly.

In such a situation

it is wise

• to pause in view of the danger and
  
• to retreat.
  

However,

this is merely a preparation for overcoming the obstructions.

One must

• join forces with friends of like mind and
  
• put himself under the leadership of a man equal to the situation:
  

then

one will succeed in removing the obstacles.

This requires the will to persevere

just when

one apparently must do something that leads away from his goal.

This unswerving inner purpose brings good fortune in the end.

An obstruction that lasts only for a time is useful for self-development.

This is the value of adversity.

THE IMAGE

Water on the mountain:

The image of OBSTRUCTION.

Thus the superior man

• turns his attention to himself And
  
• molds his character.
  

Difficulties and obstructions throw a man back upon himself.

While

• the inferior man
  
  • seeks to put the blame on other persons, bewailing his fate,
    
• the superior man
  
  • seeks the error within himself, and
    

  through this introspection
  

• the external obstacle becomes for him an occasion for
  
  • inner enrichment and
    
  • education.
    

THE LINES

Six at the beginning means:

• Going leads to obstructions.
  
• Coming meets with praise.
  

When one encounters an obstruction,

the important thing is to reflect on how best to deal with it.

When threatened with danger,

• one should not strive blindly to go ahead,
  

  for this only leads to complications.
  

The correct thing is, on the contrary,

• to retreat for the time being,
  
  • not in order to give up the struggle
    
  • but to await the right moment for action.
    

Six in the fourth place means:

Going leads to obstructions,

Coming leads to union.

This too describes a situation that

cannot be managed single-handed.

In such a case

the direct way is not the shortest.

If a person were to forge ahead

• on his own strength and
  
• without the necessary preparations,
  

he

• would not find the support he needs and
  
• would realize too late that he has been mistaken in his calculations,
  

  inasmuch as the conditions on which
  

  he hoped he could rely would prove to be inadequate.
  

In this case it is better, therefore,

• to hold back for the time being and
  
• to gather together trustworthy companions
  

  who can be counted upon for help in overcoming the obstructions.
  

Six at the top means:

Going leads to obstructions,

Coming leads to great good fortune.

It furthers one to see the great man.

This refers to

a man who has already left the world and its tumult behind him.

When the time of obstructions arrives,

it might seem that the simplest thing for him to do would be to

• turn his back upon the world and
  
• take refuge in the beyond.
  

But this road is barred to him.

He

• must not seek his own salvation and
  
• abandon the world to its adversity.
  

Duty calls him back once more into the turmoil of life.

Precisely because of his

• experience and
  
• inner freedom,
  

he is able to create something both

• great and
  
• complete
  

that brings good fortune.

And it is favorable to see the great man in alliance with whom

one can achieve the work of rescue.

 

MOVING HEXAGRAM

 

HEXAGRAM 13 – T’ung Jen – Fellowship with Men

Above    CH’IEN    THE CREATIVE, HEAVEN

Below    LI        THE CLINGING, FLAME

The image

• of the upper trigram Ch’ien is heaven, and that
  
• of the lower, Li, is flame.
  

It is the nature of fire to flame up to heaven.

This gives the idea of fellowship.

It is the second line that, by virtue of its central character,

unites the five strong lines around it.

This hexagram forms a complement to Shih, THE ARMY (7).

1. In the latter, danger is within and obedience without –
   

   the character of a warlike army, which, in order to hold together, needs
   

   one strong man among the many who are weak.
   

2. Here, clarity is within and strength without –
   

   the character of a peaceful union of men, which, in order to hold together, needs
   

   one yielding nature among many firm persons.
   

THE JUDGMENT

FELLOWSHIP WITH MEN in the open.

Success.

It furthers one to cross the great water.

The perseverance of the superior man furthers.

True fellowship among men must be based upon a concern that is universal.

It is

not the private interests of the individual that create lasting fellowship among men,

but rather the goals of humanity.

That is why it is said that fellowship with men in the open succeeds.

If unity of this kind prevails,

even difficult and dangerous tasks, such as crossing the great water,

can be accomplished.

But in order to bring about this sort of fellowship,

a persevering and enlightened leader is needed –

a man with

• clear, convincing, and inspiring aims and
  
• the strength to carry them out.
  

• (The inner trigram means clarity;
  
• the outer, strength.)
  

THE IMAGE

Heaven together with fire: The image of FELLOWSHIP WITH MEN.

Thus the superior man

• organizes the clans And
  
• makes distinctions between things.
  

Heaven

• has the same direction of movement as fire,
  
• yet it is different from fire.
  

Just as

• the luminaries in the sky serve for the systematic division and arrangement of time,
  

so

• human society and all things that really belong together must be organically arranged.
  

Fellowship should not be a mere mingling, of individuals or of things –

that would be chaos, not fellowship.

If fellowship is to lead to order, there must be organization within diversity.

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