HEXAGRAM 45: ORIGINAL, INTERPRETATION AND CASES

HEXAGRAM 45 - Ts'ui - Gathering Together (Massing)

Above Tui THE JOYOUS, LAKE

Below K'UN THE RECEPTIVE, EARTH

This hexagram is related in form and meaning to Pi, HOLDING TOGETHER (8).

· In the latter, water is over the earth;

· here a lake is over the earth.

But since the lake is a place where water collects,

the idea of gathering together is even more strongly expressed here than in the other hexagram.

The same idea also arises from the fact that

· in the present case it is two strong lines (the fourth and the fifth) that

o bring about the gathering together,

whereas

· in the former case one strong line (the fifth)

o stands in the midst of weak lines.

THE JUDGMENT

GATHERING TOGETHER.

Success.

The king approaches his temple.

It furthers one to see the great man.

This brings success.

Perseverance furthers.

To bring great offerings creates good fortune.

It furthers one to undertake something,

The gathering together of people in large communities is

· either a natural occurrence, as in the case of the family,

· or an artificial one, as in the case of the state.

The family gathers about the father as its head.

The perpetuation of this gathering in groups is achieved through the sacrifice to the ancestors,

at which the whole clan is gathered together.

Through the collective piety of the living members of the family,

· the ancestors become so integrated in the spiritual life of the family that

· it cannot be dispersed or dissolved.

1. Where men are to be gathered together,

religious forces are needed.

2. But there must also be a human leader to serve as the center of the group.

In order to be able to bring others together,

this leader must first of all be collected within himself.

Only collective moral force can unite the world.

· Such great times of unification will leave great achievements behind them.

This is the significance of the great offerings that are made.

· In the secular sphere likewise there is need of great deeds

in the time of GATHERING TOGETHER.

THE IMAGE

Over the earth, the lake: The image Of GATHERING TOGETHER.

Thus the superior man renews his weapons In order to meet the unforeseen.

If the water in the lake gathers until it rises above the earth,

· there is danger of a break-through.

Precautions must be taken to prevent this.

Similarly

· where men gather together in great numbers, strife is likely to arise;

· where possessions are collected, robbery is likely to occur.

Thus in the time of GATHERING TOGETHER

we must arm promptly to ward off the unexpected.

Human woes usually come as a result of unexpected events against which we are not forearmed.

If we are prepared, they can be prevented.

THE LINES

Six at the beginning means:

If you are sincere, but not to the end, There will

· sometimes be confusion,

· sometimes gathering together.

If you call out,

· Then after one grasp of the hand you can laugh again.

Regret not.

Going is without blame.

The situation is this:

People desire to gather around a leader to whom they look up.

But they are in a large group, by which they allow themselves to be influenced,

so that

· they waver in their decision.

Thus

· they lack a firm center around which to gather.

But

· if expression is given to this need, and

· if they call for help,

one grasp of the hand from the leader is enough to turn away all distress.

Therefore

· they must not allow themselves to be led astray.

It is undoubtedly right that

· they should attach themselves to this leader.

Six in the second place means:

Letting oneself be drawn

· Brings good fortune and

· remains blameless.

If one is sincere,

It furthers one to bring even a small offering.

In the time of GATHERING TOGETHER,

we should make no arbitrary choice of the way.

There are secret forces at work, leading together those who belong together.

We must yield to this attraction; then

we make no mistakes.

Where inner relationships exist,

no great preparations and formalities are necessary.

People understand one another forthwith,

just as

the Divinity graciously accepts a small offering if it comes from the heart.

Six in the third place means:

Gathering together amid sighs.

Nothing that would further.

Going is without blame.

Slight humiliation.

Often a man feels an urge to unite with others,

but the individuals around him have already formed themselves into a group, so that he remains isolated.

The whole situation proves untenable.

Then he ought to choose the way of progress,

resolutely allying himself with a man who

· stands nearer to the center of the group, and

· can help him to gain admission to the closed circle.

This is not a mistake,

even though at first his position as an outsider is somewhat humiliating.

Nine in the fourth place means:

Great good fortune.

No blame.

This describes a man who gathers people around him in the name of his ruler.

Since he

· is not striving for any special advantages for himself

· but is working unselfishly to bring about general unity,

· his work is crowned with success, and

· everything becomes as it should be.

Nine in the fifth place means:

· If in gathering together one has position,

o This brings no blame.

· If there are some who are not yet sincerely in the work,

o Sublime and enduring perseverance is needed.

Then remorse disappears.

When people spontaneously gather around a man, it is only a good.

It gives him a certain influence that can be altogether useful.

But of course there is also the possibility that many may gather around him

· not because of a feeling of confidence

· but merely because of his influential position.

This is certainly to be regretted.

The only means of dealing with such people is to gain their confidence through

· steadfastness and

· intensified, unswerving devotion to duty.

In this way

· secret mistrust will gradually be overcome, and

· there will be no occasion for regret.

Six at the top means:

Lamenting and sighing, floods of tears.

No blame.

It may happen that an individual would like to ally himself with another,

but his good intentions are misunderstood.

Then he becomes sad and laments.

But this is the right course.

For it may cause the other person to come to his senses,

so that the alliance that has been sought and so painfully missed is after all achieved.

45 GATHERING TOGETHER

MANAGERIAL ISSUE:

The CEO – managing to Gather Together all the corporate forces (customers, employees, shareholders) for a common purpose.

Hexagram 45 represents the gathering together of all the corporate forces such the joining together of both the CEO and the employees. The Superior CEO knows it is natural for everyone in the corporation to gather around him, in the same way a family gathers around its patriarch.

MANAGERIAL LESSON:

The Superior CEO:

1) Pays homage to the living as well as the dead. He gathers the employees regularly to pay homage to those who ran the corporation in the past. Together, they honor the men who were behind the success of the corporation. As an example, the new chairman of Coca Cola should gather the employees to pay tribute to Goizueta and all those responsible for the corporation’s success before his time. That is, to pay tribute to what Mr. Goizueta stood for, for his firm beliefs in the developing of talent and for his emphasis in the human side of the corporation.

By paying homage to those who ran the corporation in the past, the CEO pays homage to the principles by which the corporation became successful, and to the ideals that made the corporation what it is today.

There is a spiritual element in this advice, which the CEO should take very seriously.

· The I Ching says: “Through the collective piety of the living members of the family, the ancestors become so integrated in the spiritual life of the family that it cannot be dispersed or dissolved.”

In effect, by paying homage to the previous CEOs and to the most outstanding employees who passed away, or to “honor our dead”; the present employees gather the protective guardianship of their spirits unto themselves.

The Catholic Church has always successfully practiced this policy. By paying homage to all their martyrs, especially to the ones buried under the Vatican and the Roman Coliseum, it calls upon their spirits to protect the Catholic Church from its enemies.

2) Sets up a corporate mission. A corporation is made up of a group of individuals, and as any group of individuals they require both a common corporate mission as a general guiding principle, as well as a leader or CEO to keep them together as a group. The corporate mission will give the employees a common focus, which they can share, while the CEO will give them the guiding force to accomplish their mission and provide the mission with a human face. It is the CEO together with the employees who must define, proclaim, and see to it that the mission is accomplished. Such a CEO must be a firm believer in what the corporation preaches; he must have all the qualities of a leader, must be a centered person, humble and willing to listen. Only a common corporate mission can unite a group of employees to become an ongoing corporation. Microsoft, Dell, Apple, Oracle and others come to mind.

When the employees meet at their regular conventions, it should not be just to throw a party. The annual convention should serve to reaffirm their belief in their mission as a corporation, and to honor their previous leaders. In this way the employees reinforce the bond between the past and the present. It will also prepare them for the future, a future, which is always uncertain and full of risks. Can any corporation face such uncertainties without any beliefs, without any sense of mission, without any reverence for their previous leaders who brought them to where they are today? These continuous gatherings to reaffirm their missions and to honor those who made it all possible in the past will keep the corporation profitable for many years to come.

3) Prepares for all the unexpected that may result from the Gathering Together of men. (Hexagram 45 properly represents the corporation as a Gathering Together of individuals).

a) To expect and prepare for disagreements and fights to occur amongst the various corporate divisions. Whenever a large number of employees get together, disagreements will naturally appear.

b) To beware of bickering and jealousy amongst his top executives. The very nature of a corporation creates a competitive environment, which rewards the most aggressive. This type of environment will surely create all kinds of negative feelings amongst those who cannot reach the corporation’s higher goals.

c) To improve the corporate atmosphere. The Superior CEO frequently gathers together his executives and the rest of the employees under a friendly atmosphere. These frequent gatherings are honest and friendly. He knows that only in this way can he both bring out in the open any disagreement and freely discuss the best ways to resolve their differences.

d) To prepare for the greatest folly of all - doing nothing to change the course of events, even after being properly warned. The Superior CEO is always ready for any change both expected as well as unexpected to meet any challenge, especially if he has been properly advised as to the approaching dangers.

INVESTMENT ADVICE:

For the investor, the Gathering Together Time-Space does not represent in general terms a positive environment for investing.

By itself (no lines) the Gathering Together Time-Space points to the possibility of success provided the CEO has the moral force to unite the employees as well as the customers.

GATHERING TOGETHER.

Success.

The king approaches his temple.

It furthers one to see the great man.

This brings success.

Perseverance furthers.

To bring great offerings creates good fortune.

It furthers one to undertake something,

The gathering together of people in large communities is either a natural occurrence, as in the case of the family, or an artificial one, as in the case of the state. The family gathers about the father as its head. The perpetuation of this gathering in groups is achieved through the sacrifice to the ancestors, at which the whole clan is gathered together. Through the collective piety of the living members of the family, the ancestors become so integrated in the spiritual life of the family that it cannot be dispersed or dissolved.

Where men are to be gathered together, religious forces are needed. But there must also be a human leader to serve as the center of the group. In order to be able to bring others together, this leader must first of all be collected within himself. Only collective moral force can unite the world. Such great times of unification will leave great achievements behind them. This is the significance of the great offerings that are made. In the secular sphere likewise there is need of great deeds in the time of GATHERING TOGETHER.

Out of the six lines, only two are positive. That is, only in two occasions the CEO manages to properly execute the Gathering Together and that is because of fortuitous events.

The following cases are those of corporations under the Gathering Together Time-Space:

· Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT under CEO Mike Duke

· Adobe Systems Inc. ADBE under CEO Shantanu Narayen

(Read at the end of the Hexagram)

THE LINES:

SIX IN THE FIRST PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing to Gather Together all the corporate forces (customers, employees, shareholders) for a common purpose – Gathering employees of another corporation.

Managerial Lesson: Be a leader.

Managerial Warning: At the first stage of the Gathering Together Time-Space, the CEO faces two possible conditions:

1. a group of employees of another corporation (perhaps a lower ranked one) in the industry believe they can be much more effective by joining a leader such as himself. Nevertheless, they are reluctant to approach him because the rest of the employees have not yet seen the value of it.

2. a group of employees of his own corporation believe they can be much more effective by joining the CEO of another corporation. However, they are reluctant to approach him because the rest of the employees have not yet seen the value of it.

Both conditions mean that a lack of leadership in the Gathering Together of the employees will make them look for another leader in another corporation.

Managerial Advice: the Superior CEO is open and fair.

1. In the first case, he is open to anyone group of employees of another corporation who might have a great idea and want to join him to execute the idea.

2. In the second case, he will do everything within reason to keep his employees. But if they want to leave, he does not stand in the way.

The I Ching recommends the employees should certainly call on the CEO of the company they wish to join and let him know their wishes. If their idea is good, no doubt the CEO will accept them. There are many examples of this in the corporate world, including the case of Avis and Hospitality. The great majority of the owners and employees of Avis felt they would be much better off with Hospitality, but it was up to them to call on the CEO of the leading corporation and propose the deal. The I Ching encourages any group of employees who feel they might be better off with another corporation to call on the CEO and propose a deal to him. Why should it always be up to the party taking over to do the initial approach?

Think of how Tony Fadell approached Steven Jobs to propose the idea of the iPod after Real Networks and Phillips had turned Fadell down.

Investment Advice: Do not invest.

SIX IN THE SECOND PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing to Gather Together all the corporate forces (customers, employees, shareholders) for a common purpose - answering the mandate of Heaven.

Managerial Lesson: Be responsive.

Managerial Warning: At the second stage of the Gathering Together Time-Space, the CEO finds he has been asked to lead a corporation, as a way of Gathering Together with a group. This is a matter of fate. This is probably a corporation that is in serious need of a leader to improve its performance.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO recognizes a Heaven sent opportunity. He accepts this offer as a unique one or literally as a Heaven sent opportunity to both: turn the corporation around and further his reputation in the corporate world.

· The I Ching says: “There are secret forces at work, leading together those who belong together.”

Indeed: “What God has put together, let no man put asunder”.

The Superior CEO is humble and recognizes that:

Where a spiritual understanding exists there is no need for grand plans nor for any corporate etiquette.
This is a time for great communication between the CEO and the employees. They both would appear to have a single mind, a single purpose. This communication in turn will lead to mutual trust.

Investment Advice: Invest. The I Ching says: “letting oneself be drawn Brings good fortune“. The wise investor will recognize this Heaven sent opportunity and make the most of it.

SIX IN THE THIRD PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing to Gather Together all the corporate forces (customers, employees, shareholders) for a common purpose - even if he might be late.

Managerial Lesson: Be resolute.

Managerial Warning: At the third stage of the Gathering Together Time-Space, the CEO sees a good opportunity and wishes to join the corporation; however, this might be a lost cause because the employees have already organized themselves but without a real leader.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO is humble and persevering. He will make the approach if he sees a solid opportunity to join the corporation and make it profitable. He puts aside any sense of pride.

Just as in the first line the I Ching advises the group of employees to approach the CEO; in this case the I Ching advises the CEO to approach the corporation and propose to lead them.

The Superior CEO to be seeks the help of one of the top executives, one who is close to the Board of Directors and asks for his support and an introduction to the Board of Directors, even if there is only a small possibility for success.

Investment Advice: Do not invest.

NINE IN THE FOURTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing to Gather Together all the corporate forces (customers, employees, shareholders) for a common purpose - for the sake of the corporation.

Managerial Lesson: Be just.

Managerial Warning: At the fourth stage of the Gathering Together Time-Space, the CEO Gathers Together the best not for his own personal sake, but rather for the corporate cause and a superior ideal.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO is humble, a rare quality in humans in general and even less so in a CEO. He knows that if he acts for the good of the employees, shareholders and customers, he will find balance within.

This is the one of the greatest lessons for the CEO: to make the corporation profitable for all the parties and not just for the shareholders only. This is the true mark of a great CEO and the guarantee of an assured presence of the corporation in the market for many years to come.

Investment Advice: Invest. The I Ching says: “Great Good Fortune”.

NINE IN THE FIFTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing to Gather Together all the corporate forces (customers, employees, shareholders) for a common purpose - in spite of their ulterior motives.

Managerial Lesson: Be humble.

Managerial Warning: At the fifth stage of the Gathering Together Time-Space, the CEO is called upon by a corporation to lead them. Yet there are some ulterior motives behind their offer. In effect, this CEO is not wanted because the employees feel any regard for his abilities but rather because of his fame, as if he were a rock star. It is as if the employees of Chrysler had called upon Lee Iacocca to lead them, but only because of his reputation and ability to get some loans from Congress and not because of his talents and experience in the automobile industry.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO is humble, He knows that if the employees chose him due to some ulterior motives, then it is OK in all humility to go along with their offer. He lets their actions be a reflection upon them rather than upon himself. He knows that to start with, he already has their backing, even if it is for the wrong reasons. This backing in itself provides him with some clout. No doubt his capacity, qualities and expertise will eventually turn the employees around and make them accept the CEO as his natural leader. Employees of any corporation will require their CEO or any leader earn their respect. So do investors. The Superior CEO knows, he must prove his tenacity in the everyday scenarios, especially when the CEO is not an inbred corporate man.

Investment Advice: Do not invest. In spite of the fact he wins them over, this overall situation is not profitable, thus it is best not to invest.

SIX IN THE SIXTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing to Gather Together all the corporate forces (customers, employees, shareholders) for a common purpose - in spite of suspicions.

Managerial Lesson: Be patient.

Managerial Warning: At the sixth stage of the Gathering Together Time-Space, the CEO (or the employees of a corporation) would like to get together with a group of employees to form a new team, to create a new corporate spirit and to turn the corporation around. In this particular case, however, whatever proposal each party has to offer, will not be appreciated by the other party - in the beginning at least.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO understands the importance of being patient. He knows suspicions will lead to a period of poor performance because of the lack of harmony in the corporation; however, he also knows that in time, both parties will come to recognize both the merits of joining forces and the profitability they can achieve if they were to work together. He knows that after incurring in losses, they will come together at last.

Investment Advice: Do not invest

MANAGERIAL CASES

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. WMT under CEO Mike Duke

Mike Duke’s Performance: ROI= 4.41% Annualized Return= 1.67%

SPY’s Performance: ROI= 34.13% Annualized Return= 11.92%

Mike Duke became CEO of Wal-Mart in February of 2009. Even though his performance appears as worst that the SPY’s, it is relative. Walmart never suffered the dramatic drop the SPY suffered and therefore did not have to recover as dramatically as the SPY recovered from the beginning of 2009 on.

Mike Duke’s Performance: ROI= (5.05%) Annualized Return= (7.19%)

SPY’s Performance: ROI= (8.17%) Annualized Return= (11.61%)

His performance above from the beginning of 2011, shows he is holding his own against a strong market correction and an expected recession for 2011.

There are, however, two important points that should concern the investor:

· The line in the second place points to his good fortune and the notion that he will begin to improve his performance.

· The line at the top: Lamenting and sighing, floods of tears. No blame. Points to difficult conditions which he will encounter later on. And

· The Moving hexagram is HEXAGRAM 06 – Sung - Conflict

Both points underline the difficult times that lie ahead for the Walmart – Mike Duke Time-Space.

Points the investor should consider:

1) THE HEXAGRAM

HEXAGRAM 45 - Ts'ui - Gathering Together (Massing)

This hexagram is related in form and meaning to Pi, HOLDING TOGETHER (8). In the latter, water is over the earth; here a lake is over the earth. But since the lake is a place where water collects, the idea of gathering together is even more strongly expressed here than in the other hexagram. The same idea also arises from the fact that in the present case it is two strong lines (the fourth and the fifth) that bring about the gathering together, whereas in the former case one strong line (the fifth) stands in the midst of weak lines.

THE JUDGMENT

GATHERING TOGETHER.

Success.

The king approaches his temple.

It furthers one to see the great man.

This brings success.

Perseverance furthers.

To bring great offerings creates good fortune.

It furthers one to undertake something,

2) THE ADVICE

Over the earth, the lake: The image Of GATHERING TOGETHER.

Thus the superior man renews his weapons In order to meet the unforeseen.

If the water in the lake gathers until it rises above the earth, there is danger of a break-through. Precautions must be taken to prevent this. Similarly where men gather together in great numbers, strife is likely to arise; where possessions are collected, robbery is likely to occur. Thus in the time of GATHERING TOGETHER we must arm promptly to ward off the unexpected. Human woes usually come as a result of unexpected events against which we are not forearmed. If we are prepared, they can be prevented.

3) THE LINES:

Six in the second place means:

Letting oneself be drawn

Brings good fortune and remains blameless.

If one is sincere,

It furthers one to bring even a small offering.

In the time of GATHERING TOGETHER, we should make no arbitrary choice of the way. There are secret forces at work, leading together those who belong together. We must yield to this attraction; then we make no mistakes. Where inner relationships exist, no great preparations and formalities are necessary. People understand one another forthwith, just as the Divinity graciously accepts a small offering if it comes from the heart.

Six at the top means:

Lamenting and sighing, floods of tears.

No blame.

It may happen that an individual would like to ally himself with another, but his good intentions are misunderstood. Then he becomes sad and laments. But this is the right course. For it may cause the other person to come to his senses, so that the alliance that has been sought and so painfully missed is after all achieved.

4) THE MOVING HEXAGRAM

HEXAGRAM 06 – Sung - Conflict

The upper trigram, whose image is heaven, has an upward movement; the lower trigram, water, in accordance with its nature, tends downward. Thus the two halves move away from each other, giving rise to the idea of conflict.

The attribute of the Creative is strength that of the abysmal is danger, guile. Where cunning has force before it, there is conflict.

A third indication of conflict, in terms of character, is presented by the combination of deep cunning within and fixed determination outwardly. A person of this character will certainly be quarrelsome.

THE JUDGMENT

CONFLICT. You are sincere

And are being obstructed.

A cautious halt halfway brings good fortune.

Going through to the end brings misfortune.

It furthers one to see the great man.

It does not further one to cross the great water.

Conflict develops when one feels himself to be in the right and runs into opposition. If one is not convinced of being in the right, opposition leads to craftiness or high-handed encroachment but not to open conflict.

If a man is entangled in a conflict, his only salvation lies in being so clear-headed and inwardly strong that he is always ready to come to terms by meeting the opponent halfway. To carry on the conflict to the bitter end has evil effects even when one is in the right, because the enmity is then perpetuated. It is important to see the great man, that is, an impartial man whose authority is great enough to terminate the conflict amicably or assure a just decision.

In times of strife, crossing the great water is to be avoided, that is, dangerous enterprises are not to be begun, because in order to be successful they require concerted unity of forces. Conflict within weakens the power to conquer danger without.

THE IMAGE

Heaven and water go their opposite ways: The image of Conflict.

Thus in all his transactions the superior man

Carefully considers the beginning.

The image indicates that the causes of conflict are latent in the opposing tendencies of the two trigram. Once these opposing tendencies appear, conflict is inevitable. To avoid it, therefore, everything must be taken carefully into consideration in the very beginning. If rights and duties are exactly defined, or if, in a group, the spiritual trends of the individuals harmonize, the cause of conflict is removed in advance.

Adobe Systems Inc. ADBE under CEO Shantanu Narayen

Shantanu Narayen’s Performance: ROI= (43.20%) Annualized Return= (13.91%)

SPY’s Performance: ROI= (22.69%) Annualized Return= ( 6.58%)

Shantanu Narayen became CEO of Adobe in December of 2007. Even though since then, his performance has been much worst that the SPY’s, we have to divide his performance in two parts:

· The first part applies to the second line (Good Fortune). That is, he became CEO a few months before the crash of 2008 and he did manage to lead a recovery which was much better than the SPY’s.

· The second part applies to what comes after the second line. That is, since April of 2010, when his performance has been much below that of the SPY.

Going forward, there are two important points that should concern the investor:

· The line in the second place: Letting oneself be drawn Brings good fortune and remains blameless. If one is sincere, It furthers one to bring even a small offering. Is probably completed because he has been CEO for close to 7 years.

· The Moving hexagram is HEXAGRAM 47 - K'un - Oppression (Exhaustion)

Both points underline the difficult times that lie ahead for the Adobe - Shantanu Narayen Time-Space.

Points the investor should consider:

1) THE HEXAGRAM

(Same as Above).

2) THE ADVICE

(Same as Above).

3) THE LINES:

Six in the second place means:

Letting oneself be drawn

Brings good fortune and remains blameless.

If one is sincere,

It furthers one to bring even a small offering.

4) THE MOVING HEXAGRAM

HEXAGRAM 47 - K'un - Oppression (Exhaustion)

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.