Opera Ltd OPRA under CEOs Yahui Zhou and Lin Song

Opera Ltd OPRA under CEOs Yahui Zhou and Lin Song

 

HEXAGRAM 07 – Shih – The Army

Above    K’UN    THE RECEPTIVE, EARTH

Below    K’AN    THE ABYSMAL, WATER

This hexagram is made up of the trigrams

• K’an, water, and
  
• K’un, earth, and thus,
  

it symbolizes the ground water stored up in the earth.

In the same way military strength is stored up in the mass of the people –

• invisible in times of peace but
  
• always ready for use as a source of power.
  

The attributes of the two trigrams are

• danger inside and
  
• obedience outside.
  

This points to the nature of an army,

which at the core is dangerous,

while discipline and obedience must prevail outside.

Of the individual lines,

the one that controls the hexagram is the strong nine in the second place

to which the other lines, all yielding, are subordinate.

This line indicates a commander,

because it stands in the middle of one of the two trigrams.

But since it is in the lower rather than the upper trigram,

it represents not the ruler

but the efficient general,

who maintains obedience in the army by his authority.

 

THE JUDGMENT

THE ARMY.

The army needs perseverance

And a strong man.

Good fortune without blame.

An army is a mass that needs organization in order to become a fighting force.

Without strict discipline nothing can be accomplished, but this discipline must not be achieved by force.

It requires a strong man who

• captures the hearts of the people and
  
• awakens their enthusiasm.
  

In order that he may develop his abilities

he needs the complete confidence of his ruler,

who must entrust him with full responsibility as long as the war lasts.

But war

• is always a dangerous thing and
  
• brings with it destruction and devastation.
  

Therefore it

• should not be resorted to rashly but, like a poisonous drug,
  
• should be used as a last recourse.
  

• The justifying cause of a war, and
  
• clear and intelligible war aims,
  

ought to be explained to the people by an experienced leader.

Unless there is a quite definite war aim to which the people can consciously pledge themselves,

the unity and strength of conviction that lead to victory will not be forth coming.

But the leader must also look to it that

• the passion of war and
  
• the delirium of victory
  

do not give rise to unjust acts that will not meet with general approval.

If justice and perseverance are the basis of action, all goes well.

 

THE IMAGE

In the middle of the earth is water: The image of THE ARMY.

Thus the superior man increases his masses

By generosity toward the people.

Ground water is invisibly present within the earth.

In the same way the military power of a people is invisibly present in the masses.

• When danger threatens, every peasant becomes a soldier;
  
• when the war ends, he goes back to his plow.
  

He who is generous toward the people wins their love, and

a people living under a mild rule becomes strong and powerful.

Only a people economically strong can be important in military power.

Such power must therefore be cultivated

• by improving the economic condition of the people and
  
• by humane government.
  

Only when there is this invisible bond between government and people,

so that the people are sheltered by their government as ground water is sheltered by the earth,

is it possible to wage a victorious war.

 

THE LINES

 

Six at the beginning means:

An army must set forth in proper order.

If the order is not good, misfortune threatens.

At the beginning of a military enterprise, order is imperative.

• A just and valid cause must exist, and
  
• the obedience and coordination of the troops must be well organized,
  

otherwise the result is inevitably failure.

 

 

MOVING HEXAGRAM

 

 

HEXAGRAM 19 – Lin – Approach

Above    K’UN    THE RECEPTIVE, EARTH

Below    TUI    THE JOYOUS, LAKE

The Chinese word Lin has a range of meanings

that is not exhausted by any single word of another language.

The ancient explanations in the Book of Changes give as its

1. first meaning, “becoming great.”
   

• What becomes great are the two strong lines growing into the hexagram from below;
  
• the light-giving power expands with them.
  

1. The meaning is then further extended to include the concept of approach,
   

   especially the approach of
   

• what is strong and highly placed
  
• in relation to what is lower.
  

1. Finally the meaning includes
   

• the attitude of condescension of a man in high position toward the people,
  
• and in general the setting to work on affairs.
  

This hexagram is linked with the twelfth month (January-February),

when, after the winter solstice,

the light power begins to ascend again.

 

THE JUDGMENT

APPROACH has supreme success.

Perseverance furthers.

When the eighth month comes,

There will be misfortune.

The hexagram as a whole points to a time of joyous, hopeful progress.

Spring is approaching.

Joy and forbearance bring high and low nearer together.

Success is certain.

But we must work with determination and perseverance

to make full use of the propitiousness of the time.

And one thing more: spring does not last forever.

In the eighth month the aspects are reversed.

Then only two strong, light lines are left; these

• do not advance but
  
• are in retreat (see next hexagram).
  

We must take heed of this change in good time.

If

• we meet evil before it becomes reality –
  

  before it has even begun to stir –
  

• we can master it.
  

 

THE IMAGE

The earth above the lake: The image of APPROACH.

Thus the superior man

• is inexhaustible In his will to teach, And
  
• without limits In his tolerance and protection of the people.
  

The earth borders upon the lake from above 1.

This symbolizes the approach and condescension of the man of higher position

to those beneath him.

The two parts of the image indicate what his attitude toward these people will be.

• Just as the lake is inexhaustible in depth,
  
  • so the sage is inexhaustible in his readiness to teach mankind,
    

and

• just as the earth is boundlessly wide, sustaining and caring for all creatures on it,
  
  • so the sage sustains and cares for all people and excludes no part of humanity.
    

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