Longeveron LGVN under Geoff Green

Longeveron LGVN under Geoff Green

 

HEXAGRAM 44 – Kou – Coming to Meet

Above    CH’IEN    THE CREATIVE, HEAVEN

Below    SUN    THE GENTLE, WIND

This hexagram indicates a situation in which the principle of darkness,

after having been eliminated,

furtively and unexpectedly obtrudes again from within and below.

Of its own accord the female principle comes to meet the male.

• It is an unfavorable and dangerous situation, and
  
• we must understand and promptly prevent the possible consequences.
  

The hexagram is linked with the fifth month [June-July],

because at the summer solstice

the principle of darkness gradually becomes ascendant again.

 

THE JUDGMENT

COMING TO MEET.

The maiden is powerful.

One should not marry such a maiden.

The rise of the inferior element is pictured here in the image of

a bold girl who

• lightly surrenders herself and
  
• thus seizes power.
  

This would not be possible if the strong and light-giving element had not in turn come halfway.

• The inferior thing seems so harmless and inviting that
  
  • a man delights in it;
    
• it looks so small and weak that
  
  • he imagines he may dally with it and come to no harm.
    

The inferior man rises only because the superior man

• does not regard him as dangerous and so
  
• lends him power.
  

If

• he were resisted from the first,
  
• he could never gain influence.
  

The time of COMING TO MEET is important in still another way.

Although as a general rule the weak should not come to meet the strong,

there are times when this has great significance.

• When heaven and earth come to meet each other, all creatures prosper;
  
• when a prince and his official come to meet each other, the world is put in order.
  

It is necessary for elements predestined to be joined and mutually dependent

to come to meet one another halfway.

But the coming together must be free of dishonest ulterior motives,

otherwise harm will result.

 

THE IMAGE

Under heaven, wind: The image Of COMING TO MEET.

Thus does the prince act when

• disseminating his commands And
  
• proclaiming them to the four quarters of heaven.
  

The situation here resembles that in hexagram 20, Kuan, CONTEMPLATION (VIEW).

• In the latter the wind blows over the earth,
  
• here it blows under heaven;
  

in both cases it goes everywhere.

There the wind

• is on the earth and
  
• symbolizes the ruler taking note of the conditions in his kingdom;
  

here the wind

• blows from above and
  
• symbolizes the influence exercised by the ruler through his commands.
  

• Heaven is far from the things of earth, but
  
  • it sets them in motion by means of the wind.
    
• The ruler is far from his people, but
  
  • he sets them in motion by means of his commands and decrees.
    

 

THE LINES

 

Six at the beginning means:

It must be checked with a brake of bronze.

Perseverance brings good fortune.

If

• one lets it take its course,
  
• one experiences misfortune.
  

Even a lean pig has it in him to rage around.

If an inferior element has wormed its way in,

it must be energetically checked at once.

• By consistently checking it, bad effects can be avoided.
  
• If it is allowed to take its course, misfortune is bound to result;
  

the insignificance of that which creeps in should not be a temptation to underrate it.

A pig that is still young and lean cannot rage around much,

but after it has eaten its fill and become strong,

its true nature comes out if it has not previously been curbed.

 

Nine in the second place means:

There is a fish in the tank.

No blame.

Does not further guests.

The inferior element

• is not overcome by violence but
  
• is kept under gentle control.
  

Then nothing evil is to be feared.

But care must be taken not to let it come in contact with those further away,

because once free it would unfold its evil aspects unchecked.

 

Nine in the fourth place means:

No fish in the tank.

This leads to misfortune.

Insignificant people must be tolerated in order to keep them well disposed.

• Then we can make use of them if we should need them.
  

If we

• become alienated from them and
  
• do not meet them halfway,
  

they

• turn their backs on us and
  
• are not at our disposal when we need them.
  

But this is our own fault.

 

Nine in the fifth place means:

A melon covered with willow leaves.

Hidden lines.

Then it drops down to one from heaven.

The melon, like the fish, is a symbol of the principle of darkness.

It is sweet but spoils easily and for this reason is protected with a cover of willow leaves.

This is a situation in which

a strong, superior, well-poised man

tolerates and protects the inferiors in his charge.

• He has the firm lines of order and beauty within himself but
  
• he does not lay stress upon them.
  
• He
  
  • does not bother his subordinates with outward show or tiresome admonitions but
    
  • leaves them quite free, putting his trust in the transforming power of a strong and upright personality.
    

And behold!

Fate is favorable.

His inferiors

• respond to his influence and
  
• fall to his disposition like ripe fruit.
  

 

 

MOVING HEXAGRAM

 

 

HEXAGRAM 22 – Pi – Grace

Above    KEN    KEEPING STILL, MOUNTAIN

Below    Li    THE CLINGING, FIRE

This hexagram shows a fire that

• breaks out of the secret depths of the earth and, blazing up,
  
• illuminates and beautifies the mountain, the heavenly heights.
  
• Grace – beauty of form – is necessary in any union
  

if

• it is to be
  
  • well ordered and pleasing
    
• rather than
  
  • disordered and chaotic.
    

 

THE JUDGMENT

GRACE has success.

In small matters

It is favorable to undertake something.

Grace brings success.

However,

• it is not the essential or fundamental thing;
  
• it is only the ornament and must therefore be used
  
  • sparingly and
    
  • only in little things.
    

1. In the lower trigram of fire
   

   a yielding line
   

• comes
  between two strong lines and
  
• makes them beautiful,
  

but

• the strong lines are the essential content and
  
• the weak line is the beautifying form.
  

1. In the upper trigram of the mountain,
   

   the strong line
   

• takes the lead, so that here again
  
• the strong element must be regarded as the decisive factor.
  

1. In nature we see in the sky the strong light of the sun;
   

   the life of the world depends on it.
   

   But this strong, essential thing is
   

• changed and
  
• given pleasing variety by the moon and the stars.
  

1. In human affairs,
   

   aesthetic form comes into being when
   

   traditions exist that, strong and abiding like mountains, are made pleasing
   

   by a lucid beauty.
   

1. By contemplating the forms existing in the heavens
   

   we come to understand time and its changing demands.
   

2. Through contemplation of the forms existing in human society
   

   it becomes possible to shape the world. 1
   

 

THE IMAGE

Fire at the foot of the mountain: The image of GRACE.

Thus does

• the superior man proceed When clearing up current affairs.
  

But

• he dare not decide controversial issues in this way.
  

• The fire, whose light illuminates the mountain and makes it pleasing,
  
  • does not shine far;
    

in the same way,

• beautiful form suffices to brighten and to throw light upon matters of lesser moment,
  
  • but important questions cannot be decided in this way.
    

They require greater earnestness.

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