HEXAGRAM 11: ORIGINAL, INTERPRETATION
AND CASES
HEXAGRAM 11 - T’ai - Peace
Above K'UN THE RECEPTIVE, EARTH
Below CH'IEN THE CREATIVE, HEAVEN
·
The Receptive, which moves downward, stands above;
·
the Creative, which moves upward, is below.
Hence
their influences meet and are in harmony,
so that all living things bloom and prosper.
This hexagram belongs to the first month (February-March), at which time
the forces of nature prepare the new spring.
THE JUDGMENT
PEACE.
· The small departs,
· The great approaches.
Good fortune.
Success.
This hexagram denotes a time in nature when heaven seems to be on earth.
Heaven has placed itself beneath the earth, and so their powers unite in deep harmony.
Then peace and blessing descend upon all living things.
In the world of man it is a time of social harmony;
·
those in high places show favor to the lowly, and
·
the lowly and inferior in their turn are well disposed toward the
highly placed.
There is an end to all feuds.
·
Inside, at the center, in the key position, is the light principle;
·
the dark principle is outside.
Thus
· the light has a powerful influence, while
· the dark is submissive.
In this way each receives its due.
·
When
o the good elements of society
occupy a central position and are in control,
o the evil elements come under
their influence and change for the better.
·
When
o the spirit of heaven rules in
man,
o his animal nature also
§ comes under its influence and
§ takes its appropriate place.
The individual lines
· enter the hexagram from below and
· leave it again at the top.
Here
· the small, weak, and evil elements are about to take their departure, while
· the great, strong, and good elements are moving up.
This brings good fortune and success.
THE IMAGE
Heaven and earth unite: the image Of PEACE.
Thus the ruler
·
Divides and
·
completes
the course of heaven and earth;
He
· furthers and regulates the gifts of heaven and earth, And so
· aids the people.
Heaven and earth are in contact and combine their influences,
producing a time of universal flowering and prosperity.
This stream of energy must be regulated by the ruler of men.
It is done by a process of division.
Thus men
·
divide the uniform flow of time into the seasons, according to the
succession of natural phenomena, and
·
mark off infinite space by the points of the compass.
In this way
nature in its overwhelming profusion of phenomena is
·
bounded and
·
controlled.
On the other hand,
nature must be furthered in her productiveness.
This is done by adjusting the products to
· the right time and
· the right place,
which increases the natural yield.
This
controlling and furthering activity of man in his relation to nature
is the work on nature that rewards him.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
When ribbon grass is pulled up, the sod comes with it.
Each according to his kind.
Undertakings bring good fortune.
In times
of prosperity
every able man called to fill an office draws like-minded people along with him,
just as in pulling up ribbon grass
one always pulls up a bunch of it,
because the stalks are connected by their roots.
In such
times,
when it is
possible to extend influence widely,
the mind
of an able man is
·
set upon going out into life and
·
accomplishing something.
Nine in the second place
means:
· Bearing with the uncultured in gentleness,
· Fording the river with resolution,
· Not neglecting what is distant,
· Not regarding one's companions:
Thus one may manage to walk in the middle.
1. In times of prosperity
it is important above all to possess enough greatness of soul to bear with imperfect people.
For in the hands of a great master no material is unproductive;
he can find use for everything.
2. But this generosity is by no means laxity or weakness.
It is during times of prosperity especially that
we must always be ready to risk even dangerous undertakings, such as the crossing of a river,
if they are necessary.
3. So too we
must not neglect what is distant but
must attend scrupulously to everything.
4. Factionalism and the dominance of cliques are especially to be avoided.
Even if people of like mind come forward together,
they ought not to form a faction by holding together for mutual advantage;
instead, each man should do his duty.
These are four ways in which one can overcome the hidden danger of a gradual slackening that always
· lurks in any time of peace. And
· that is how one finds the middle way for action.
Nine in the third place means:
· No plain not followed by a slope.
· No going not followed by a return.
· He who remains persevering in danger Is without blame.
· Do not complain about this truth;
Enjoy the good fortune you still possess.
Everything on earth is subject to change.
Prosperity
is followed by decline: this is the eternal law on earth.
Evil can
indeed be held in check but not permanently abolished.
It always returns.
This conviction might induce melancholy, but it should not;
it ought only to keep us from falling into illusion when good fortune comes to us.
If we continue mindful of the danger, we remain persevering and make no mistakes.
·
As long as a man's inner nature remains stronger and richer than
anything offered by external fortune,
·
as long as he remains inwardly superior to fate,
fortune will not desert him.
Six in the fourth place means:
He flutters down, not boasting of his wealth,
Together with his neighbor,
Guileless and sincere.
In times
of mutual confidence,
people of
high rank come in close contact with the lowly
·
quite simply and
·
without boasting of their wealth.
This
·
is not due to the force of circumstances but
·
corresponds with their inmost sentiment.
The approach is made quite spontaneously, because it is based on inner conviction.
0 Six in the fifth place means:
The sovereign I
Gives his daughter in marriage.
This brings
blessing And
supreme good fortune.
The sovereign I is T'ang the Completer.
By his decree the imperial princesses,
although higher in rank than their husbands,
had to obey them like all other all wives.
Here too we are shown a truly modest union of high and low that brings happiness and blessings.
Six at the top means:
The wall falls back into the moat.
Use no army now.
Make your commands known within your own town.
Perseverance brings humiliation.
The change alluded to in the middle of the hexagram has begun to take place.
The wall of the town sinks back into the moat from which it was dug.
The hour of doom is at hand.
When
matters have come to this pass,
we should
·
submit to fate and
·
not try to stave it off by violent resistance.
The one recourse left us is to hold our own within our intimate circle.
Should we
persevere in trying to resist the evil in the usual way,
·
our collapse would only be more complete, and
·
humiliation would be the result.
1 . [This refers to Ch'eng T'ang, the first of the Shang rulers, whose reign is thought to have begun in 1766 BC However, modern Chinese scholarship no longer accepts the identification of the Emperor I (1191-1155 B.C., according to tradition) with T’ang, and holds that the daughter mentioned was given to King Wen's father, or perhaps to King Wen himself.]
11 PEACE
MANAGERIAL
ISSUE:
The CEO – managing the corporate peace.
Hexagram 11 represents a time of Heaven sent peace and harmony within the corporation, a time
for good relationships between the CEO and the employees. This gives way to prosperity for the
corporation and thus everything is all right.
When management and labor unite and when each contributes their best,
the consumer benefits and the corporation profits. This is a time of Peace.
This is the springtime for the industry
also. A time for both: when corporations
develop good relations with one another, as well as a time when the stronger
corporations help the weaker ones. Most
suits between the corporations within the industry are settled. The YANG or positive side of the corporation
is in charge, thus even the YIN side will improve.
MANAGERIAL
LESSON:
The Superior CEO presides over this period
of unprecedented harmony by the proper division of all things:
The I Ching
says: “Heaven and Earth are in contact
and combine their influences, producing a time of universal flowering and
prosperity. This stream of energy must
be regulated by the ruler of men. It is
done by a process of division. Thus men divide the uniform flow of time into the seasons,
according to the succession of natural phenomena, and mark off infinite space
by the points of the compass. In this
way nature in its overwhelming profusion of phenomena is bounded and
controlled. On the other hand, nature
must be furthered in her productiveness.
This is done by adjusting the products to the right time and the right
place, which increases the natural yield.
This controlling and furthering activity of man in his relation to
nature is the work on nature that rewards him.”
The I Ching already hints that this CEO
could be a great leader and perhaps a truly great CEO. He will be able to get management and
employees to join together to give the corporation
greater growth.
INVESTMENT ADVICE:
For the investor, the Peace Time–Space is
favorable. This is the proper time to
invest in the corporation because the harmony of the corporation meets with
both the harmony of the economy as well as with the harmony of the
industry.
By itself (no lines), the Hexagram points
to Good Fortune and Success:
PEACE.
The small departs,
The great approaches.
Good fortune.
Success.
This hexagram denotes a time in nature when
heaven seems to be on earth. Heaven has
placed itself beneath the earth, and so their powers unite in deep
harmony. Then peace and blessing descend
upon all living things.
In the world of man
it is a time of social harmony; those in high places show favor to the lowly,
and the lowly and inferior in their turn are well disposed toward the highly
placed. There is an end to all feuds.
Inside, at the center, in the key position,
is the light principle; the dark principle is outside. Thus the light has a
powerful influence, while the dark is submissive. In this way each receives its due. When the good elements of society occupy a
central position and are in control, the evil elements come under their
influence and change for the better.
When the spirit of heaven rules in man, his animal nature also comes
under its influence and takes its appropriate place.
The individual lines enter the hexagram
from below and leave it again at the top.
Here the small, weak, and evil elements are about to take their
departure, while the great, strong, and good elements are moving up. This brings good fortune and success.
Two of the six lines are excellent (the 1st
is Good Fortune and the 5th is Supreme Good
Fortune). The other are
relatively positive which make this hexagram mostly positive.
THE LINES
NINE IN THE
FIRST PLACE
Managerial Issue: The CEO –
managing the corporate peace – bringing in the best professionals to join him
to carry out his project.
Managerial Lesson: Be eliciting.
Managerial Warning: At the first
stage of the Peace Time-Space, the CEO
recognizes he cannot go at it alone if he wants to carry out a project even
when Heaven is on his side.
Managerial
Advice: The Superior CEO does his utmost to bring men of great knowledge and
capacity to create a superior team. He
knows they will come because they trust him.
And their coming will allow the CEO to successfully carry out even the
most difficult projects.
·
The I Ching says: "In times of prosperity every able man called to fill an office
draws like-minded people along with him, 'just as in pulling up ribbon grass
one always pulls up a bunch of it, because the stalks are connected by their
roots. In such times, when it is
possible to extend influence widely, the mind of an able man is set upon going
out into life and accomplishing something.”
Investment Advice: Invest.
NINE IN THE
SECOND PLACE
Managerial Issue: The CEO –
managing the corporate peace – being humble enough to improve poor human
resources yet strong enough to carry out risky projects.
Managerial Lesson: Be balanced.
Managerial
Warning: At the second stage of the Peace Time-Space, the CEO should look for the
“middle way”
Managerial Advice: The Superior
CEO applies four very important managerial lessons:
The I Ching says:
These are four ways in which one can overcome the hidden danger of a gradual
slackening that always lurks in any time of peace. And that is how one finds the middle way for
action:
1.
To be polite and diplomatic with everyone in the
corporation.
2.
To find the proper use for everything and everyone
in the corporation - in a way this is one way to measure return on assets.
3.
To be resolute in carrying out all decisions.
4.
To plan all actions to the minimum detail, taking
into consideration all the relevant elements from the most important to the
least important. The devil is in the
detail. And
5.
To be fair and just at all times
and thus make sure that the good is rewarded and the bad is punished.
These are four fundamental rules of a good
manager. There is a strong possibility
he might be able to successfully execute the right plans given the line says: “Thus one may manage to walk in
the middle.” He will be able to fulfill these four steps. In particular, he might have the strength to
purge the corporation of the bad and lazy employees, who had been tolerated by
the previous inept management
Investment Advice: Invest.
NINE IN THE
THIRD PLACE
Managerial Issue: The CEO –
managing the corporate peace – dealing with the inevitable return of the YIN.
Managerial Lesson: Be persevering.
Managerial Warning: At the third
stage of the Peace Time-Space, the CEO must prepare for the disruption of the
corporate peace, as the YIN forces will eventually and inevitably return. Initially the CEO was able to take out most
of the bad apples left over from the previous management; unfortunately, this
change was only temporary. The bad
habits of the previous management are deeply rooted in the character of the corporation and they will return. So will the previous bad managers.
Managerial
Advice: The Superior CEO is humble. He
recognizes the inevitability of this natural law and accepts both success and
failure as something material and temporary.
He knows that real success is internal (within himself) and not
external. This is part of a natural
cycle like the waves. The Superior CEO
is neither sad nor angry. He recognizes
when nature’s forces are at work and knows no CEO can avoid it. Profitability eventually gives way to
losses. But regardless of the
circumstances of the seasons, he knows he must remain persevering. Heaven always comes to the aid of the CEO who
perseveres.
The line says: “Enjoy
the good fortune you still possess.”
Investment Advice: Invest. Be ready to sell when the Yin Time-Space
arrives.
SIX IN THE
FOURTH PLACE
Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing the corporate peace – reaching
out to meet the YIN side of the corporation/industry.
Managerial Lesson: Be accommodating.
Managerial Warning: At the
fourth stage of the Peace Time-Space, the CEO recognizes that during the time of peace and prosperity he must avoid
“social conflicts”
Managerial Advice: The Superior
CEO reaches out to the YIN side of the corporation/industry, and he does it out
of his own free will and out of principle.
This is a clear situation of harmony in the corporation, yet success is
not clear. The harmony of the
corporation is due to the fact that the CEO has found
a new spontaneous way to reach agreements with the YIN
employees/competitors.
This can be seen in societies in general -
they called it “spreading the wealth” to avoid “social unrest”. They called it socialism. The corporate world is no different from the
political world even though there is a stronger element of merit involved.
Investment Advice: Do not
invest.
SIX IN THE FIFTH
PLACE
Managerial Issue: The talented CEO – managing the corporate peace –
matching high rank with low rank for the sake of success.
Managerial Lesson: Be balanced.
Managerial Warning: At the fifth
stage of the Peace Time-Space, the CEO
must face the risk of not executing a project if he fails to properly match the
team that will execute the project.
Managerial Advice: The Superior
CEO is balanced and therefore properly matches the team members. This could be:
·
The more with the less experienced executives.
·
The more with the less talented executives
·
The higher with the lower ranking executives
Where the more experienced, the more
talented and the higher ranking executives may have to
listen and perhaps even follow the less experienced, the less talented and the
lower ranking executives. This act of
humility creates the necessary environment for the achievement of great goals. For instance, today the younger executives
are teaching the older ones the virtues of the social networks.
Investment Advice: Invest
fully. (Supreme Good Fortune)
SIX IN THE
SIXTH PLACE
Managerial Issue: The CEO –
managing the corporate peace - dealing with a worst case
scenario, with a profit-to-loss change, a YANG to YIN change.
Managerial Lesson: Be stoical.
Managerial Warning: At the sixth
stage of the Peace Time-Space, the CEO
must face the change which will end the Peace, which will end the prosperity,
which will mark the beginning of the YIN cycle.
Managerial Advice: The Superior
CEO preserves the best of the corporation such as its best products and its
best people and waits for a better opportunity.
He knows this is not a time to overthrow the YIN forces that have taken
over the corporation because such action would only bring more harm to whatever
is left of the corporation. He knows
this is a time to accept stoically the changes for the worst. This is a serious situation, but
unfortunately the corporation has been poorly managed for many years. The YIN forces are coming back
and the collapse or bankruptcy is inevitable even though the CEO has done all
that is humanly possible to save it. The
Superior CEO knows it is not wise to throw good money after bad money.
Investment Advice: Do not
invest.