|
6 |
|
H |
H |
T |
|
3 |
3 |
2 |
|
8 |
|
5 |
|
H |
T |
T |
|
3 |
2 |
2 |
|
7 |
|
4 |
|
H |
T |
T |
|
3 |
2 |
2 |
|
7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
|
H |
H |
T |
|
3 |
3 |
2 |
|
8 |
|
2 |
|
H |
H |
H |
|
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
9 |
|
1 |
|
T |
T |
T |
|
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
6 |
HEXAGRAM 47 – K’un – Oppression (Exhaustion)
Above TUI THE JOYOUS, LAKE
Below K’AN THE ABYSMAL, WATER
- The lake is above, water below; the lake is empty, dried up. (1)
Exhaustion is expressed in yet another way:
-
at the top, a dark line is holding down two light lines;
below, a light line is hemmed in between two dark ones.
-
The upper trigram belongs to the principle of darkness,
the lower to the principle of light.
Thus everywhere superior men are oppressed and held in restraint by inferior men.
THE JUDGMENT
OPPRESSION.
Success.
Perseverance.
The great man brings about good fortune.
No blame.
When one has something to say,
It is not believed.
- Times of adversity are the reverse of times of success,
but
- they can lead to success if they befall the right man.
When
a strong man meets with adversity,
- he remains cheerful despite all danger,
and
- this cheerfulness is the source of later successes;
it is that stability which is stronger than fate.
He who
- lets his spirit be broken by exhaustion certainly
- has no success.
But
if adversity only bends a man,
- it creates in him a power to react that is bound in time to manifest itself.
No inferior man is capable of this.
Only the great man
- brings about good fortune
and
- remains blameless.
It is true that for the time being outward influence is denied him,
because his words have no effect.
Therefore in times of adversity
it is important to be
- strong within
and
- sparing of words.
THE IMAGE
There is no water in the lake:
Thus
the superior man
stakes his life
On following his will.
When the water has flowed out below,
the lake must
- dry up
and
- become exhausted.
That is fate.
This symbolizes an adverse fate in human life.
In such times there is nothing a man can do
but
- acquiesce in his fate
and
- remain true to himself.
This concerns the deepest stratum of his being,
for this alone is superior to all external fate.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
One
- sits oppressed under a bare tree
And
- strays into a gloomy valley.
For three years one sees nothing.
When adversity befalls a man,
it is important above all things for him
- to be strong
and
- to overcome the trouble inwardly.
If
he is weak,
- the trouble overwhelms him.
Instead of proceeding on his way,
he
- remains sitting under a bare tree
and
- falls ever more deeply into gloom and melancholy.
This makes the situation only more and more hopeless.
Such an attitude comes from an inner delusion
that
he must by all means overcome.
Nine in the second place means:
One is oppressed while at meat and drink.
The man with the scarlet knee bands is just coming.
It furthers one to offer sacrifice.
To set forth brings misfortune.
No blame.
This pictures a state of inner oppression.
Externally, all is well,
one has meat and drink.
But
one
- is exhausted by the commonplaces of life,
and
- there seems to be no way of escape.
Then help comes from a high place.
A prince – in ancient China princes wore scarlet knee bands –
is in search of able helpers.
But there are still obstructions to be overcome.
Therefore it is important to meet these obstructions in the invisible realm by
- offerings
and
- prayer.
To set forth without being prepared would be disastrous,
though not morally wrong.
Here a disagreeable situation must be overcome by patience of spirit.
MOVING HEXAGRAM
HEXAGRAM 17 – Sui – Following
Above TUI THE JOYOUS, LAKE
Below CHEN THE AROUSING, THUNDER
The trigram Tui, the Joyous, whose attribute is gladness, is above;
Chen, the Arousing, which has the attribute of movement, is below.
Joy in movement induces following.
The Joyous is the youngest daughter, while
the Arousing is the eldest son.
An older man
- defers to a young girl and
- shows her consideration.
By this he moves her to follow him.
THE JUDGMENT
FOLLOWING has supreme success.
Perseverance furthers.
No blame.
In order to obtain a following one must first know how to adapt oneself.
If a man would rule he must first learn to serve,
for only in this way does he secure from those below him the joyous assent
that is necessary if they are to follow him.
If he has to obtain a following
- by force or cunning,
- by conspiracy or
- by creating factions,
he invariably arouses resistance, which obstructs willing adherence.
But even joyous movement can lead to evil consequences,
hence the added stipulation,
“Perseverance furthers”-that is, consistency in doing right – together with “No blame.”
- Just as we should not ask others to follow us unless this condition is fulfilled,
- so it is only under this condition that we can in turn follow others without coming to harm.
The thought of obtaining a following through adaptation to the demands of the time is a great and significant idea;
this is why the appended judgment is so favorable.
THE IMAGE
Thunder in the middle of the lake: The image of FOLLOWING.
Thus the superior man at nightfall
Goes indoors for rest and recuperation.
In the autumn electricity withdraws into the earth again and rests.
Here it is the thunder in the middle of the lake that serves as the image –
- thunder in its winter rest,
- not thunder in motion.
The idea of following in the sense of adaptation to the demands of the time
grows out of this image.
Thunder in the middle of the lake indicates times of
- darkness and
- rest.
Similarly, a superior man, after being tirelessly active all day,
allows himself rest and recuperation at night.
No situation can become favorable until one
- is able to adapt to it and
- does not wear himself out with mistaken resistance.
