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. |
 |
→ |
 |
  27. Swallowing (yÃ). Mouth CornersAdvise
There is no life without food, but from overly abundant meal more harm than good. This is true both for the physical and spiritual sides of life.
Inital text of I ChingThe Judgement
The Corners of the Mouth. Perseverance brings good fortune. Pay heed to the providing of nourishment and to what a man seeks to fill his own mouth with.
The Image
At the foot of the mountain, thunder: The image of Providing Nourishment. Thus the superior man is careful of his words and temperate in eating and drinking.
- You let your magic tortoise go, and look at me with the corners of your mouth drooping. Misfortune.
- Turning to the summit for nourishment, deviating from the path to seek nourishment from the hill. Continuing to do this brings misfortune.
- Turning away from nourishment. Perseverance brings misfortune. Do not act thus for ten years. Nothing serves to further.
- Turning to the summit for provision of nourishment brings good fortune. Spying about with sharp eyes like a tiger with insatiable craving. No blame.
- Turning away from the path. To remain persevering brings good fortune. One should not cross the great water.
- The source of nourishment. Awareness of danger brings good fortune. It furthers one to cross the great water.
Prediction
Be persistent to happiness. Observe moderation in all things - greed and excess are harmful to everyone. Pay attention to the material, but not at the expense of the spiritual. Do not rely on help from outside; you will have to work at your own risk. Do not try to pick your teeth or bite off more than you can chew.
This hexagram is a picture of an open mouth; above and below are firm lines
of the lips, and between them the opening. Starting with the mouth, through
which we take food for nourishment, the thought leads to nourishment
itself. Nourishment of oneself, specifically of the body, is represented in the
three lower lines, while the three upper lines represent nourishment and
care of others, in a higher, spiritual sense.
THE JUDGMENT
In bestowing care and nourishment, it is important that the right people
should be taken care of and that we should attend to our own nourishment
in the right way. If we wish to know what anyone is like, we have only to
observe on whom he bestows his care and what sides of his own nature he
cultivates and nourishes. Nature nourishes all creatures. The great man
fosters and takes care of superior men, in order to take care of all men
through them. Mencius says about this:
If we wish to know whether anyone is superior or not, we need only observe
what part of his being he regards as especially important. The body has
superior and inferior, important and unimportant parts. We must not injure
important parts for the sake of the unimportant, nor must we injure the
superior parts for the sake of the inferior. He who cultivates the inferior parts
of his nature is an inferior man. He who cultivates the superior parts of his
nature is a superior man.
THE IMAGE
"God comes forth in the sign of the Arousing": when in the spring the life
forces stir again, all things comes into being anew. "He brings to perfection in
the sign of Keeping Still": thus in the early spring, when the seeds fall to
earth, all things are made ready. This is an image of providing nourishment
through movement and tranquillity. The superior man takes it as a pattern
for the nourishment and cultivation of his character. Words are a movement
going form within outward. Eating and drinking are movements from
without inward. Both kinds of movement can be modified by tranquillity.
For tranquillity keeps the words that come out of the mouth from exceeding
proper measure, and keeps the food that goes into the mouth from exceeding
its proper measure. Thus character is cultivated.
1
The magic tortoise is a creature possessed of such supernatural powers that it
lives on air and needs no earthly nourishment. The image means that a man
fitted by nature and position to live freely and independently renounces this
self-reliance and instead looks with envy and discontent at others who are
outwardly in better circumstances. But such base envy only arouses derision
and contempt in those others. This has bad results.
2
Normally a person either provides his own means of nourishment or is
supported in a proper way by those whose duty of privilege it is to provide for
him. If, owing to weakness of spirit, a man cannot support himself, a feeling
of uneasiness comes over him; this is because in shirking the proper way of
obtaining a living, he accepts support as a favor from those in higher place.
This is unworthy, for he is deviating from his true nature. Kept up
indefinitely, this course leads to misfortune.
3
He who seeks nourishment that does not nourish reels from desire to
gratification and in gratification craves desire. Mad pursuit of pleasure for the
satisfaction of the senses never brings one to the goal. One should never (ten
years is a complete cycle of time) follow this path, for nothing good can come
of it.
4
In contrast to the six in the second place, which refers to a man bent
exclusively on his own advantage, this line refers to one occupying a high
position and striving to let his light sine forth. To do this he needs helpers,
because he cannot attain his lofty aim alone. With the greed of a hungry tiger
he is on the lookout for the right people. Since he is not working for himself
but for the good of all, there is no wrong in such zeal.
5
A man may be conscious of a deficiency in himself. He should be
undertaking the nourishment of the people, but he has not the strength to do
it. Thus he must turn from his accustomed path and beg counsel and help
from a man who is spiritually his superior but undistinguished outwardly. If
he maintains this attitude of mind perseveringly, success and good fortune
are his. But he must remain aware of his dependence. He must not put his
own person forward nor attempt great labors, such as crossing the great water.
6
This describes a sage of the highest order, from whom emanate all influences
that provide nourishment for others. Such a position brings with it heavy
responsibility. If he remains conscious of this fact, he has good fortune and
may confidently undertake even great and difficult labors, such as crossing
the great water. These undertakings bring general happiness for him and for
all others.
Barbara Hejslip interpretationTry to look at itself from; whether it seems to you, what you speak too much and eat too much? It is not necessary to gossip about others, this you harm not only to them, but first of all to yourselves. Stop to complain about destiny. Now you do not need to see a doctor. In your life shortly there will be changes, to them be ready.
  62. Small Exceeding (xiǎo guò). Small PreponderanceAdvise
Learn from past mistakes. Learn to meet failures. Do not pay much attention to small insignificant things. «Do not make a mountain out of a molehill.»
Inital text of I ChingThe Judgement
Preponderance of the Small. Success. Perseverance furthers. Small things may be done; great things should not be done. The flying bird brings the message: It is not well to strive upward, it is well to remain below. Great good fortune.
The Image
Thunder on the mountain: The image of Preponderance of the Small. Thus in his conduct the superior man gives preponderance to reverence. In bereavement he gives preponderance to grief. In his expenditures he gives preponderance to thrift.
- The bird meets with misfortune through flying.
- She passes by her ancestor and meets her ancestress. He does not reach his prince and meets the official. No blame.
- If one is not extremely careful, somebody may come up from behind and strike him. Misfortune.
- No blame. He meets him without passing by. Going brings danger. One must be on guard. Do not act. Be constantly persevering.
- Dense clouds, no rain from our western territory. The prince shoots and hits him who is in the cave.
- He passes him by, not meeting him. The flying bird leaves him. Misfortune. This means bad luck and injury.
Prediction
It is time of experience accumulating. Starting your own business, try to avoid extremes. Do not expect quick achievements and profit. You are concentrated on small things and wrapped in own routine. Personal affairs can experience disappointment, professional sphere slack period.
While in the hexagram Ta Kuo, PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT (28), the
strong lines preponderate and are within, inclosed between weak lines at the
top and bottom, the present hexagram has weak lines preponderating, though
here again they are on the outside, the strong lines being within. This indeed
is the basis of the exceptional situation indicated by the hexagram. When
strong lines are outside, we have the hexagram I, PROVIDING
NOURISHMENT (27), or Chung Fu, INNER TRUTH, (61); neither represents
and exceptional state. When strong elements within preponderate, they
necessarily enforce their will. This creates struggle and exceptional conditions
in general. But in the present hexagram it is the weak element that perforce
must mediate with the outside world. If a man occupies a position of
authority for which he is by nature really inadequate, extraordinary prudence
is necessary.
THE JUDGMENT
Exceptional modesty and conscientiousness are sure to be rewarded with
success; however, if a man is not to throw himself away, it is important that
they should not become empty form and subservience but be combined
always with a correct dignity in personal behavior. We must understand the
demands of the time in order to find the necessary offset for its deficiencies
and damages. In any event we must not count on great success, since the
requisite strength is lacking. In this lies the importance of the message that
one should not strive after lofty things but hold to lowly things.
The structure of the hexagram gives rise to the idea that this message is
brought by a bird. In Ta Kuo, PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT (28), the
four strong, heavy lines within, supported only by two weak lines without,
give the image of a sagging ridgepole. Here the supporting weak lines are
both outside and preponderant; this gives the image of a soaring bird. But a
bird should not try to surpass itself and fly into the sun; it should descend to
the earth, where its nest is. In this way it gives the message conveyed by the
hexagram.
THE IMAGE
Thunder on the mountain is different from thunder on the plain. In the
mountains, thunder seems much nearer; outside the mountains, it is less
audible than the thunder of an ordinary storm. Thus the superior man
derives an imperative from this image: he must always fix his eyes more
closely and more directly on duty than does the ordinary man, even though
this might make his behavior seem petty to the outside world. He is
exceptionally conscientious in his actions. In bereavement emotion means
more to him than ceremoniousness. In all his personal expenditures he is
extremely simple and unpretentious. In comparison with the man of the
masses, all this makes him stand out as exceptional. But the essential
significance of his attitude lies in the fact that in external matters he is on the
side of the lowly.
1
A bird ought to remain in the nest until it is fledged. If it tries to fly before
this, it invites misfortune. Extraordinary measures should be resorted to only
when all else fails. At first we ought to put up with traditional ways as long
as possible; otherwise we exhaust ourselves and our energy and still achieve
nothing.
2
Two exceptional situations are instanced here. In the temple of ancestors,
where alternation of generations prevails, the grandson stands on the same
side as the grandfather. Hence his closest relations are with the grandfather.
The present line designates the grandson's wife, who during the sacrifice
passes by the ancestor and goes toward the ancestress. This unusual behavior
is, however, an expression of her modesty. She ventures rather to approach
the ancestress, for she feels related to her by their common sex. Hence here
deviation from the rule is not a mistake.
Another image is that of the official who, in compliance with regulation,
first seeks an audience with his prince. If he is not successful in this, he does
not try to force anything but goes about conscientious fulfillment of his duty,
taking his place among the other officials. This extraordinary restraint is
likewise not a mistake in exceptional times. (The rule is that every official
should first have an audience with the prince by whom he is appointed. Here
the appointment is made by the minister.)
3
At certain times extraordinary caution is absolutely necessary. But it is just in
such life situations that we find upright and strong personalities who,
conscious of being in the right, disdain to hold themselves on guard, because
they consider it petty. Instead, they go their way proud and unconcerned. But
this self-confidence deludes them. There are dangers lurking for which they
are unprepared. Yet such danger is not unavoidable; one can escape it if he
understands that the time demands that he pay especial attention to small
and insignificant thing.
4
Hardness of character is tempered by yielding position so that no mistakes are
made. The situation here calls for extreme caution; one must make no
attempt of one's own initiative to reach the desired end. And if one were to
go on, endeavoring one must be on guard and not act but continue inwardly
to persevere.
5
As a high place is pictured here, the image of a flying bird has become that of
flying clouds. But dense as the clouds are, they race across the sky and give
no rain. Similarly, in exceptional times there may be a born ruler who is
qualified to set the world in order, but who cannot achieve anything or confer
blessing on the people because he stands alone and has no helpers. Is such
times a man must seek out helpers with whose aid he can carry out the task.
But these helpers must be modestly sought out in the retirement to which
they have withdrawn. It is not in the fame nor their great names but their
genuine achievements that are important. Through such modesty the right
man is found, and the exceptional task is carried out in spite of all difficulties.
6
If one overshoots the goal, one cannot hit it. If a bird will not come to its nest
but flies higher and higher, it eventually falls into the hunter's net. He who
in times of extraordinary salience of small things does not know how to call a
halt, but restlessly seeks to press on and on, draws upon himself misfortune
at the hands of gods and men, because he deviates from the order of nature.
Barbara Hejslip interpretationProbably, you will be disappointed in that person whom love, but it is not necessary to perceive all too tragically. It is necessary to tell, that you have missed that happy and best chance which would help execution of your desire. But soon will appear new. The given period suits for distant trips a little, but there is an opportunity considerably to correct for financial business. Do not waste the talents on trifles, do not give to them too much value, it never and nobody goes on advantage.
|
Richard Wilhelm's commentary