There were "old" features in your gua (hexagram). It means that you have two hexagrams. The first one — is something that the Book tells you at the moment, the second is something it warns you about. |
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  26. Great Accumulating (dà chù). Great TamingAdvise
In the greatness do not neglect small.
Inital text of I ChingThe Judgement
The Taming Power of the Great. Perseverance furthers. Not eating at home brings good fortune. It furthers one to cross the great water.
The Image
Heaven within the mountain: The image of the Taming Power of the Great. Thus the superior man acquaints himself with many sayings of antiquity and many deeds of the past, in order to strengthen his character thereby.
- Danger is at hand. It furthers one to desist.
- The axletrees are taken from the wagon.
- A good horse that follows others. Awareness of danger, with perseverance, furthers. Practice chariot driving and armed defense daily. It furthers one to have somewhere to go.
- The headboard of a young bull. Great good fortune.
- The tusk of a gelded boar. Good fortune.
- One attains the way of heaven. Success.
Prediction
It is a stage of spiritual rebirth. Reserve of inner energy is great. It is time to act. Work hard. Mind the welfare of others. Go beyond self-interest. Do not be tempted by wealth. Be generous and humble. Learn how to enjoy small things.
The Creative is tamed by Kên, Keeping Still. This produces great power, a
situation in contrast to that of the ninth hexagram, Hsiao Ch'u, THE
TAMING POWER OF THE SMALL, in which the Creative is tamed by the
Gentle alone. There one weak line must tame five strong lines, but here four
strong lines are restrained by two weak lines; in addition to a minister, there
is a prince, and the restraining power therefore is afar stronger.
The hexagram has a threefold meaning, expressing different aspects of the
concept "Holding firm." Heaven within the mountain gives the idea of
holding firm in the sense of holding together; the trigram Kên which holds
the trigram ch'ien still, gives the idea of holding firm in the sense of holding
back; the third idea is that of holding firm in the sense of caring for and
nourishing. This last is suggested by the fact that a strong line at the top,
which is the ruler of the hexagram, is honored and tended as a sage. The third
of these meanings also attaches specifically to this strong line at the top,
which represents the sage.
THE JUDGMENT
To hold firmly to great creative powers and store them up, as set forth in this
hexagram, there is need of a strong, clear-headed man who is honored by the
ruler. The trigram Ch'ein points to strong creative power; Kên indicates
firmness and truth. Both point to light and clarity and to the daily renewal of
character. Only through such daily self-renewal can a man continue at the
height of his powers. Force of habit helps to keep order in quiet times; but in
periods when there is a great storing up of energy, everything depends on the
power of the personality. However, since the worthy are honored, as in the
case of the strong personality entrusted with leadership by the ruler, it is an
advantage not to eat at home but rather to earn one's bread by entering upon
public office. Such a man is in harmony with heaven; therefore even great
and difficult undertakings, such as crossing the great water, succeed.
THE IMAGE
Heaven within the mountain points to hidden treasures. In the words and
deeds of the past there lies hidden a treasure that men may use to strengthen
and elevate their own characters. The way to study the past is not to confine
oneself to mere knowledge of history but, through application of this
knowledge, to give actuality to the past.
1
A man wishes to make vigorous advance, but circumstances present an
obstacle. He sees himself held back firmly. If he should attempt to fore an
advance, it would lead him into misfortune. Therefore it is better for him to
compose himself and to wait until an outlet is offered for release of his
stored-up energies.
2
Here advance is checked just as in the third line of THE TAMING POWER OF
THE SMALL. However, in the later the restraining force is slight; thus a
conflict arises between the propulsive and the restraining movement, as a
result of which the spokes fall out of the wagon wheels, while here the
restraining force is absolutely superior; hence no struggle takes place. One
submits and removes the axletrees from the wagon -in other words, contents
himself with waiting. In this way energy accumulates for a vigorous advance
later on.
3
The way opens; the hindrance has been cleared away. A man is in contact
with a strong will acting in the same direction as his own, and goes forward
like one good horse following another. But danger still threatens, and he
must remain aware of it, or he will be robbed of his firmness. Thus he must
acquire skill on the one hand in what will take him forward, and on the other
in what will protect him against unforeseen attacks. It is good in such a pass
to have a goal toward which to strive.
4
This line and the one following it are the two that tame the forward-pushing
lower lines. Before a bull's horns grow out, a headboard is fastened to its
forehead, so that later when the horns appear they cannot do harm. A good
way to restrain wild force is to forestall it. By so doing one achieves an easy
and great success.
5
Here the restraining of the impetuous forward drive is achieved in an
indirect way. A boar's tusk is in itself dangerous, but if the boar's nature is
altered, the tusk is no longer a menace. Thus also where men are concerned,
wild force should not be combated directly; instead, its roots should be eradicated.
6
The time of obstruction is past. The energy long dammed up by inhibition
forces its way out and achieves great success. This refers to a man who is
honored by the ruler and whose principles now prevail and shape the world.
Barbara Hejslip interpretationIn your destiny there has come "pause", therefore do not trifle forces. Do not relax in alertness, wait for its ending, but do not exchange energy on trifles, soon of it there will be more pleasant and useful application. Your desires will be executed, if the height of their rod is installed truly, and is not too high. Those who has faced the problems similar to yours, will assist you. Be patient, do not try to accelerate force a course of events, the result can appear absolutely opposite.
  45. Clustering (cuì). Gathering TogetherAdvise
Always choose a deal that is real taking into consideration soul and your abilities. Do not start something that does not suit your nature.
Inital text of I ChingThe Judgement
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 Image
Over the earth, the lake: The image of Gathering Together. Thus the superior man renews his weapons in order to meet the unforseen.
- 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.
- Letting oneself be drawn brings good fortune and remains blameless. If one is sincere, it furthers one to bring even a small offering.
- Gathering together amid sighs. Nothing that would further. Going is without blame. Slight humiliation.
- Great good fortune. No blame.
- If in gathering together one has position, this brings no blame. If there are some who are not yet sincerely in the work, sublime and enduring perseverance is needed. Then remorse disappears.
- Lamenting and sighing, floods of tears. No blame.
Prediction
The time is favorable for large new initiatives. Support of powerful people is possible. But there is uncertainty in soul - it is good. Correlate your capabilities with your plans. Do not task beyond your strength - it can crush. Beware of honor not by rank and praise that is not deserved. Do not prevaricate, do not cheat, beware of the same from others. If you make a mistake with the choice of targets, you will have big losses. There is a chance of windfall profit - good luck attends you. Illness is possible.
This hexagram is related in form and meaning to Pi, HOLDING TOGETHER. 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 gather together, whereas in the
former case one strong line (the fifth) stands in the midst of weak lines.
THE JUDGMENT
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 no need of great deeds in the time of GATHERING
TOGETHER.
THE IMAGE
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.
1
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.
2
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.
3
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.
4
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.
5
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 an intensified, unswerving devotion to
duty. In this way secret mistrust will gradually be overcome, and there will be
no occasion for regret.
6
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.
Barbara Hejslip interpretationThis period is very favorable for you. All your business will crown success. A certain invisible force strengthens your relations with people, assists to find new friends and friends, to fasten contacts which in the further anyhow will appear favorable for you. Former works and efforts will be renumerated on merits. You are pursued by the woman, she aspires to block to you a way, to prevent to realization of your intentions, to interfere with your life. Despite of it, your desires will be executed.
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Richard Wilhelm's commentary