HEXAGRAM 14: ORIGINAL, INTERPRETATION
AND CASES
HEXAGRAM 14 - Ta Yu -
Possession in Great Measure
Above LI THE CLINGING, FLAME
Below CH'IEN THE CREATIVE, HEAVEN
· The fire in heaven above shines far, and
· all things
o stand out in the light and
o become, manifest.
· The weak fifth line occupies the place of honor, and
· all the strong lines are in accord with it.
All things
come to the man who is
·
modest and kind
· in a high position. 1
THE JUDGMENT
POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE.
Supreme success.
The two trigrams indicate that strength and clarity unite.
Possession in great measure
· is determined by fate and
· accords with the time.
How is it possible that the weak line has power
· to hold the strong lines fast and
· to possess them?
It is done by virtue of unselfish modesty.
The time is favorable - a time of
· strength within,
· clarity and culture without.
Power is
expressing itself in a graceful and controlled way.
This brings supreme success and wealth. 2
THE IMAGE
Fire in heaven above: The image of POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE .
Thus the superior man
· curbs evil and
· furthers good, And thereby
· obeys the benevolent will of heaven.
The sun in heaven above,
shedding light over everything on earth,
is the image of possession on a grand scale.
But a possession of this sort must be administered properly.
The sun brings both evil and good into the light of day.
Man
·
must combat and curb the evil, and
·
must favor and promote the good.
Only in
this way does he fulfill the benevolent will of God,
who
desires
·
only good and
· not evil.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
No relationship with what is harmful;
There is no blame in this.
If
· one remains conscious of difficulty,
· One remains without blame.
Great possession
· that is still in its beginnings and
· that has not yet been challenged brings no blame,
since there has been no opportunity to make mistakes.
Yet there are many difficulties to be overcome.
It is only
by remaining conscious of these difficulties
·
that one can keep inwardly free of possible arrogance and wastefulness,
and
·
thus in principle overcome all cause for blame.
Nine in the second place means:
A big wagon for loading.
One may undertake something.
No blame.
Great
possession consists
·
not only in the quantity of goods at one's disposal,
·
but, first and foremost, in their mobility and utility,
for then
·
they can be used in undertakings, and
·
we remain free of embarrassment and mistakes.
The big wagon,
· which will carry a heavy load and
· in which one can journey far,
means that there are at hand able helpers who
· give their support and
· are equal to their task.
One can load great responsibility upon such persons, and
this is necessary in important undertakings.
Nine in the third place means:
A prince offers it to the Son of Heaven.
A petty man cannot do this.
1. A magnanimous, liberal - minded
man
·
should not regard what he possesses as his exclusive personal property,
but
·
should place it at the disposal of the ruler or of the people at
large.
In so doing,
· he takes the right attitude toward his possession,
· which as private property can never endure.
2. A petty man is incapable of this.
He is harmed by great possessions,
because instead of sacrificing them,
he would keep them for himself. 3
Nine in the fourth place means:
He makes a difference
Between himself and his neighbor.
No blame.
This characterizes the position of a man placed among rich and powerful neighbors.
It is a dangerous position.
He
· must look neither to the right nor to the left, and
· must shun envy and the temptation to vie with others.
In this way
he remains free of mistakes. 4
0 Six in the fifth place
means:
He whose truth is accessible, yet dignified,
Has good fortune.
The situation is very favorable.
People are being won
·
not by coercion
·
but by unaffected sincerity,
so that they are attached to us in sincerity and truth.
However, benevolence alone is not sufficient
at the time of POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE.
For insolence might begin to spread.
Insolence must be kept in bounds by dignity;
then good fortune is assured.
Nine at the top means:
He is blessed by heaven.
Good fortune.
Nothing that does not further.
· In the fullness of possession and
· at the height of power,
one remains modest and
gives honor to the sage who stands outside the affairs of the world.
By this means
· one puts oneself under the beneficent influence descending from heaven, and
· all goes well.
Confucius says of this line:
To bless means to help.
·
Heaven helps the man who is devoted;
·
men help the man who is true.
He who
·
walks in truth and
·
is devoted in his thinking, and furthermore
·
reveres the worthy,
o is blessed by heaven. He
o has good fortune, and
o there is nothing that would not further.
1 The meaning of this hexagram parallels the saying of Jesus: "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."
2. It might be supposed that HOLDING TOGETHER (8) would be a more favorable hexagram than POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE, because in the former one strong individual gathers five weak ones around him. But the judgment added in the present hexagram, "Supreme success," is much the more favorable. The reason is that in the eighth hexagram the men held together by the powerful ruler are only simple subordinate persons, while here those who stand as helpers at the side of the mild ruler are strong and able individuals.
3. This offers the same dictum about possessions as that found in the words of the Bible: "Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it" [Luke 17-331]
4.. Another generally accepted translation of the line is as follows: He does not rely on his abundance. No blame. This would mean that the individual avoids mistakes because he possesses as if he possessed nothing.
14 POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE
MANAGERIAL
ISSUE:
The CEO – managing under the possession of
great qualities.
Hexagram 14 describes a CEO who rises to
the highest position, in spite of the fact he is
perceived as the “weakest” of the managers.
Weakness is not meant to represent weakness in character but rather an easy going misdemeanor compared with all the Prima Donnas
that surround him. He represents the
union of Strength and Clarity as well as the expression of unselfish modesty.
The CEO’s qualities are his abilities as a
leader:
All of his fellow
managers willingly follow him because they:
·
Recognize and appreciate his qualities, and
·
Feel he is the chosen one for these times. Heaven grants it to him.
MANAGERIAL
LESSON:
The CEO’s clear vision comes from his
ability to manage with justice and transparency, punishing the poor performers
(quickly and without any animosity) and rewarding the good ones (longer and
with good feelings). He keeps merit as
his north and thus never goes wrong.
This is one of the greatest managerial lessons - whoever rewards merit
and punishes evil will go far. Even the
weakest of the managers can manage a great corporation made up of great
managers if he is humble and keeps merit as his north. The more capable and knowledgeable managers
will return the appreciation and back his policies. This is an ideal situation
for both the CEO and the corporation. If
we add this to the fact this corporation has a great culture, then we clearly
have the elements for success.
The I Ching defines the essence of
management in three simple sentences:
Hexagram 14 Possession in Great Measure
brings Lincoln easily to mind as well as Eisenhower surrounded by Patton,
McArthur ET all. But when it comes to
management applied to business, perhaps the ideal example would be that of
Andrew Carnegie, the creator of Bethlehem Steel, He used to say that his
formula for success was basically his ability to surround himself with men more
capable than himself, and his ability to make them work for him. His formula included in-depth knowledge of
men, a clear vision, a great deal of humility, good character and generosity in
rewarding talent and merit.
INVESTMENT ADVICE:
For the investor, the Possession in Great
Measure is in general a favorable Time-Space to invest.
By itself (no lines) the Hexagram is
excellent because the CEO is humble and because it is Heaven sent.
POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE.
Supreme success.
The two trigrams indicate that strength and
clarity unite. Possession in great
measure is determined by fate and accords with the time. How is it possible that the weak line has
power to hold the strong lines fast and to possess them? It is done by virtue of unselfish
modesty. The time is favorable - a time
of strength within, clarity and culture without. Power is expressing itself in a graceful and
controlled way. This brings supreme
success and wealth.
Ironically, even though Hexagram 14
represents a positive Time-Space to invest; however, there are only two
instances where there is a clear possibility for positive returns.
The following examples are those of corporations under the Possession in
great measure Time-Space:
·
Caterpillar Inc. CAT under CEO
Douglas R. Oberhelman
·
Xilinx Inc. XLNX under CEO Moshe
N. Gavrielov
THE LINES
NINE IN THE
FIRST PLACE
Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing under the possession of great
assets/qualities - at the start of his mandate – getting a break from his
opponents for his mistakes.
Managerial Lesson: Be aware.
Managerial
Warning: At the first stage of the Possession in Great Measure Time-Space, the
CEO possesses excellent qualities but, nevertheless, is only beginning his work
and his skills have not been put to the test.
It is still too early to be attacked by other managers or to make
mistakes. Nevertheless, the final result will be positive because the CEO is humble
and searches for the truth with the only purpose of improving his
corporation.
Managerial
Advice: The Superior CEO is:
·
Mistrustful of establishing any alliance/merger
that might harm the corporation,
·
Aware at all times of his lack of experience. He knows this feeling will force him to be
humble, and it is humility what keeps a CEO from making mistakes.
·
Efficient in allocating the corporate resources.
Investment Advice: Do not
invest.
NINE IN THE
SECOND PLACE
Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing under the possession of great
assets/qualities – delegating tasks to his best managers.
Managerial Lesson: Be encouraging.
Managerial
Warning: At the second stage of the Possession in Great Measure Time-Space, the
CEO is liable to make mistakes in reaching his goals should he fail to have the
following:
In a way this is similar
to the Toyota Production System known as Just-in-Time.
Managerial
Advice: The Superior CEO executes his projects even though they might be
ambitious and varied. In this particular case, his corporation meets the requirements
mentioned above and has plenty of executive talent. This allows the CEO to delegate the various
responsibilities with complete confidence.
All this, added to the CEO’s humility, clear objectives and fervent
desire to reward merits, ensures this CEO will reach his goals
Investment Advice: Do not
invest
NINE IN THE
THIRD PLACE
Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing under the possession of great
qualities – putting the corporate assets to the service of the consumer/world.
Managerial Lesson: Be generous - share.
Managerial
Warning: At the third stage of the Possession in Great Measure Time-Space, the
CEO risks damaging the corporation should he fail to implement an open
architecture.
Managerial
Advice: The Superior CEO follows three basic managerial lessons (the
corporation’s profitability is a result of his ability to follow these rules
properly):
1.
He views the corporation as a provider of goods and
services for the well-being of society.
2.
He views the corporation as an instrument for the
common good and not his own private property.
In this way, he will:
3.
He
realizes that:
All discoveries, all products and its
respective developments must be placed to the service of society. Creativity must be open that others may add
to it.
What is the use of finding the cure for a
disease if the pharmaceutical corporation will only sell it to a chosen
few?
What is the use of creating a product if
the corporation will only produce it in a single particular
way and not grant licenses for others to manufacture it in more
attractive ways?
This is the line of Ford and its refusal to
produce a great variety of cars (only the T Model and black), the line of Sony
and its refusal to share its Betamax technology, the line of Apple and its
refusal to grant licenses agreements to other computer manufacturers.
Every time a corporation refuses to share
its knowledge, someone else will encroach on its property rights.
This reminds us of IBM’s concept: the
corporation that shares its power, will keep it.
Unfortunately in this case, the CEO might
not follow the I Ching’s advice and the results will be negative.
Investment Advice: Do not
invest.
NINE IN THE
FOURTH PLACE
Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing under the possession of great
qualities – keeping away from aggressive and harmful fellow CEOs.
Managerial Lesson: Be cautious.
Managerial
Warning: At the fourth stage of the Possession in Great Measure Time-Space, the
CEO must recognize his fellow CEOs will pursue selfish goals harmful to the
industry.
Managerial
Advice: The Superior CEO is prudent. He
knows he must keep himself away from selfish goals and must take no part in
their fellow CEO’s scheming. He is
neither influenced by the wrong perceptions of his fellow CEOs nor joins them
in any mergers or ventures.
Even though he keeps apart from such
selfish goals, his fellow CEOs might very well damage the industry’s image.
Investment advice: Do not
invest. Look for better alternatives.
SIX IN THE
FIFTH PLACE
Managerial Issue: The CEO –
managing under the possession of great qualities – gaining followers with his
humility.
Managerial Lesson: Be sincere.
Managerial
Warning: At the fifth stage of the Possession in Great Measure Time-Space, the
CEO’s corporation is going through a very favorable financial condition. By showing honest appreciation to the
employees and the clients, the CEO has created a general positive attitude
toward the corporation. The
corporation’s favorable financial conditions reflect this positive
attitude. However, the I Ching warns the
CEO that there is a danger this positive attitude might turn into a negative
attitude where employees and clients will feel contempt for this
corporation.
Managerial
Advice: The Superior CEO maintains his sincerity at all times. He knows that in this alone depends his success.
The CEO’s sincerity translates into a policy of justice: punishing poor
performance and rewarding only merit.
This policy will bring about excellent results for the corporation. The other managers will support his policies
because of his rectitude. Even though it
is natural for his enemies to belittle his achievements, nevertheless, he will
know how to handle them with humility and justice.
Investment Advice: Invest.
NINE IN THE
SIXTH PLACE
Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing under the possession of great
qualities – keeping humble in victory, rewarding the merits of those who
deserve it.
Managerial Lesson: Be humble/generous.
Managerial
Warning: At the sixth stage of the Possession in Great Measure Time-Space, the
corporation has the mandate of Heaven and possession of great
assets/qualities. Under such favorable
conditions, the corporation can accomplish anything it sets out to do. The mandate of Heaven alone has turned the
corporation into a very profitable one.
The I Ching warns the CEO, such Heaven sent
accomplishments demand humility.
Managerial
Advice: The Superior CEO is humble in victory and shares his merits and rewards
with his employees. This is one of the
most difficult things for anyone to do but by keeping humble, the CEO bows to
the will of Heaven. This action will in
turn bestow upon the CEO even more honors and merits. Thus the CEO meets
some of Confucius basic rules for success:
·
if you want the backing of society,
o think in the
common good and not on your own good,
·
if you want the backing of your followers,
o be truthful
and fair when it comes to rewarding them for their merits,
·
if you want the backing of your superiors
o do honor on
to them.
Then, everything will point to success.
Investment advice: Invest.
MANAGERIAL CASES
Caterpillar
Inc. CAT under CEO Douglas R. Oberhelman
D. Oberhelman’s Performance: ROI= 46.82% Annualized
Return= 28.91%
SPY’s
Performance: ROI= 18.11% Annualized
Return= 11.63%
Douglas R. Oberhelman has been CEO of
caterpillar since January 2001. Since
then, his performance has been better than that of the SPY’s. His performance is supported by the fifth
line.
However, because he has been CEO for over a
decade, we asked the Oracle once more about his future Time-Space: it its
Possession in Great Measure.
Points the investor should consider:
1) THE HEXAGRAM
HEXAGRAM 14 - Ta Yu - Possession in Great Measure
The fire in heaven above shines far, and
all things stand out in the light and become, manifest. The weak fifth line occupies the place of
honor, and all the strong lines are in accord with it.
All things come to the man who is modest
and kind in a high position. 1
THE JUDGMENT
POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE.
Supreme success.
The two trigrams indicate that strength and
clarity unite. Possession in great
measure is determined by fate and accords with the time. How is it possible that the weak line has
power to hold the strong lines fast and to possess them? It is done by virtue of unselfish
modesty. The time is favorable - a time
of strength within, clarity and culture without. Power is expressing itself in a graceful and
controlled way. This brings supreme
success and wealth. 2
2) THE ADVICE
Fire in heaven above: The image of
POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE .
Thus the
superior man curbs evil and furthers good,
And thereby obeys the benevolent will of
heaven.
The sun in heaven above, shedding light
over everything on earth, is the image of possession on a grand scale. But a possession of this sort must be
administered properly. The sun brings
both evil and good into the light of day.
Man must combat and curb the evil, and must
favor and promote the good. Only in this
way does he fulfill the benevolent will of God, who desires only good and not
evil.
3) THE LINES:
Nine in the second place
means:
A big wagon for loading.
One may undertake something.
No blame.
Great possession consists not only in the
quantity of goods at one's disposal, but, first and foremost, in their mobility
and utility, for then they can be used in undertakings, and we remain free of
embarrassment and mistakes. The big
wagon, which will carry a heavy load and in which one can journey far, means
that there are at hand able helpers who give their support and are equal to
their task. One can load great
responsibility upon such persons, and this is necessary in important
undertakings.
Nine in the fourth place
means:
He makes a difference
Between himself and his neighbor.
No blame.
This characterizes the position of a man
placed among rich and powerful neighbors.
It is a dangerous position. He
must look neither to the right nor to the left, and
must shun envy and the temptation to vie with others. In this way he remains free of mistakes. 4
0 Six in the fifth place
means:
He whose truth is accessible, yet
dignified,
Has good fortune.
The situation is very favorable. People are being won not by coercion but by
unaffected sincerity, so that they are attached to us in sincerity and
truth. However, benevolence alone is not
sufficient at the time of POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE. For insolence might begin to spread. Insolence must be kept in bounds by dignity;
then good fortune is assured.
4) THE MOVING HEXAGRAM
HEXAGRAM 37 - Chia Jen - The Family (The
Clan)
This hexagram represents the laws obtaining
within the family. The strong line at
the top represents the father, the lowest the son. The strong, line in the fifth place represents
the husband, the yielding second line the wife.
On the other hand, the two strong lines in the fifth and the third place
represent two brothers, and the two weak lines correlated with them in the
fourth and the second place stand for their respective
wives. Thus all
the connections and relationships within the family find their appropriate
expression. Each individual line has the
character according with its place. The
fact that a strong line occupies the sixth place -where a weak line might be
expected - indicates very clearly the strong leadership that must come from the
head of the family. The line is to be
considered here not in its quality as the sixth but in its quality as the top
line. THE FAMILY shows the laws
operative within the household that, transferred to outside life, keep the
state and the world in order. The
influence that goes out from within the family is represented by the symbol of
the wind created by fire.
THE JUDGMENT
THE FAMILY
The perseverance of the woman furthers.
The foundation of the family is the
relationship between husband and wife.
The tie that holds the family together lies in the loyalty and
perseverance of the wife. Her place is
within (second line), while that of the husband is without (fifth line). It is in accord with the great laws of nature
that husband and wife take their proper places.
Within the family a strong authority is needed; this is represented by
the parents. If the father is really a
father and the son a son, if the elder brother fulfills his position, and the
younger fulfills his, if the husband is really a husband and the wife a wife,
then the family is in order. When the
family is in order, all the social relationships of mankind will be in order.
Three of the five social relationships are
to be found within the family - that between father and son, which is the
relation of love, that between husband and wife, which is the relation of
chaste conduct, and that between elder and younger brother, which is the
relation of correctness. The loving
reverence of the son is then carried over to the prince in the form of
faithfulness to duty; the affection and correctness of behavior existing
between the two brothers are extended to a friend in the form of loyalty, and
to a person of superior rank in the form of deference. The family is society in embryo; it is the
native soil on which performance of moral duty is made easy through natural
affection, so that within a small circle a basis of moral practice is created,
and this is later widened to include human relationships in general.
THE IMAGE
Wind comes forth from fire: The image Of
THE FAMILY.
Thus the
superior man has substance in his words
And duration in his way of life.
Heat creates energy: this is signified by
the wind stirred up by the fire and issuing forth from it. This represents influence working from within
outward. The same thing is needed in the
regulation of the family. Here too the
influence on others must proceed from one's own person. In order to be
capable of producing such an influence, one's words must have power, and this
they can have only if they are based on something real, just as flame depends
on its fuel. Words have influence only
when they are pertinent and clearly related to definite circumstances. General discourses and admonitions have no
effect whatsoever. Furthermore, the
words must be supported by one's entire conduct, just as the wind is made
effective by its duration. Only firm and
consistent conduct will make such an impression on others that they can adapt
and conform to it. If words and conduct
are not in accord and not consistent, they will have no effect.
Xilinx Inc.
XLNX under CEO Moshe N. Gavrielov
Moshe Gavrielov’s Performance: ROI= 61.63% Annualized
Return= 14.41%
SPY’s Performance: ROI= (8.63%) Annualized
Return= (2.50%)
Moshe N. Gavrielov has been CEO since
January 2008. Since then, his
performance has been better than that of the SPY’s. His performance should prove to be better as
he has two very positive lines.
Points the investor should consider:
1) THE HEXAGRAM
(Same as Above).
2) THE ADVICE
(Same as Above).
3) THE LINES:
Nine in the fourth place
means:
He makes a difference
Between himself and his neighbor.
No blame.
This characterizes the position of a man
placed among rich and powerful neighbors.
It is a dangerous position. He
must look neither to the right nor to the left, and
must shun envy and the temptation to vie with others. In this way he remains free of mistakes. 4
0 Six in the fifth place
means:
He whose truth is accessible, yet
dignified,
Has good fortune.
The situation is very favorable. People are being won not by coercion but by
unaffected sincerity, so that they are attached to us in sincerity and
truth. However, benevolence alone is not
sufficient at the time of POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE. For insolence might begin to spread. Insolence must be kept in bounds by dignity;
then good fortune is assured.
Nine at the top means:
He is blessed by heaven.
Good fortune.
Nothing that does not further.
In the fullness of possession and at the
height of power, one remains modest and gives honor to the sage who stands
outside the affairs of the world. By
this means one puts oneself under the beneficent influence descending from
heaven, and all goes well.
Confucius says of this line:
To bless means to help. Heaven helps the man who is devoted; men help
the man who is true. He who walks in
truth and is devoted in his thinking, and furthermore reveres the worthy, is
blessed by heaven. He has good fortune,
and there is nothing that would not further.
4) THE MOVING HEXAGRAM
HEXAGRAM 05 – Hsu - Waiting (Nourishment)
All beings have need of nourishment from
above. But the gift of food comes in its
own time, and for this one must wait.
This hexagram shows the clouds in the heavens, giving rain to refresh
all that grows and to provide mankind with food and drink. The rain will come in its own time. We cannot make it come; we have
to wait for it. The idea of
waiting is further suggested by the attributes of the two trigrams - strength
within, danger in front. 2 Strength in the face of danger does not plunge ahead
but bides its time, whereas weakness in the face of danger grows agitated and
has not the patience to wait.
THE JUDGMENT
WAITING.
If you are sincere,
You have light and success.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
It furthers one to cross the great water.
Waiting is not mere empty hoping. It has the inner certainty of reaching the
goal. Such certainty alone gives that
light which leads to success. This leads
to the perseverance that brings good fortune and bestows power to cross the
great water.
One is faced with a danger that has to be overcome.
Weakness and impatience can do nothing.
Only a strong man can stand up to his fate, for his inner security
enables him to endure to the end. This
strength shows itself in uncompromising truthfulness (with himself). It is only when we have the courage to face
things exactly as they are, without any sort of self-deception or illusion,
that a light will develop out of events, by which the path to success may be
recognized. This recognition must be
followed by resolute and persevering action.
For only the man who goes to meet his fate resolutely is equipped to
deal with it adequately. Then he will be
able to cross the great water - that is to say, he will be capable of making
the necessary decision and of surmounting the danger.
THE IMAGE
Clouds rise up to
heaven: The image of WAITING.
Thus the
superior man eats and drinks,
Is joyous and of good cheer.
When clouds rise in the sky, it is a sign
that it will rain. There is nothing to
do but to wait until the rain falls. It
is the same in life when destiny is at work.
We should not worry and seek to shape the future by interfering in
things before the time is ripe. We
should quietly fortify the body with food and drink and the mind with gladness
and good cheer. Fate comes when it will,
and thus we are ready.