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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  44. Coupling (gòu). Coming to MeetAdvise
If there is only fun in your life – become concerned, if everything flows smoothly - expect trouble; desires which can be met in full - too much temptation. Deals with his conscience never lead to good.
Inital text of I ChingThe Judgement
Coming to Meet. The maiden is powerful. One should not marry such a maiden.
The Image
Under heaven, wind: The image of Coming to Meet. Thus does the prince act when disseminating his commands and proclaiming them to the four quarters of heaven.
- It must be checked with a brake of bronze. Perseverance brings good fortune. If one lets it take its course, one experiences misfortune. Even a lean pig has it in him to rage around.
- There is a fish in the tank. No blame. Does not further guests.
- There is no skin on his thighs, and walking comes hard. If one is mindful of the danger, no great mistake is made.
- No fish in the tank. This leads to misfortune.
- A melon covered with willow leaves. Hidden lines. Then it drops down to one from heaven.
- He comes to meet with his horns. Humiliation. No blame.
Prediction
From the outside – it is time of success in everything. But appearances are often deceptive. The period of activity of dark spirits inside and outside of us has begun. Do not enter into alliance with them and do not go for a compromise – there will be no understanding and the right direction will be lost. Beware of his virtue and do not be fooled. Stop your business for a moment – it is inappropriate for creation.
This hexagram indicates a situation in which the principle of darkness, after
having been eliminated, furtively and unexpectedly obtrudes again from
within and below. Of its own accord the female principle comes to meet the
male. It is an unfavorable and dangerous situation, and we must understand
and promptly prevent the possible consequences.
The hexagram is linked with the fifth month [June-July], because at the
summer solstice the principle of darkness gradually becomes ascendant again.
THE JUDGMENT
The rise of the inferior element is pictured here in the image of a bold girl
who lightly surrenders herself and thus seizes power. This would not be
possible if the strong and light-giving element had not in turn come halfway.
The inferior thing seems so harmless and inviting that a man delights in it; it
looks so small and weak that he imagines he may dally with it and come to
no harm.
The inferior man rises only because the superior man does not regard him
as dangerous and so lends him power. If he were resisted from the fist, he
could never gain influence.
The time of COMING TO MEET is important in still another way.
Although as a general rule the weak should not come to meet the strong,
there are times when this has great significance. When heaven and earth
come to meet each other, all creatures prosper; when a prince and his official
come to meet each other, the world is put in order. It is necessary for
elements predestined to be joined and mutually dependent to come to meet
one another halfway. But the coming together must be free of dishonest
ulterior motives, otherwise harm will result.
THE IMAGE
The situation here resembles that in hexagram 20, Kuan, CONTEMPLATION
(VIEW). In the latter the wind blows over the earth, here it blows under
heaven; in both cases it goes everywhere. There the wind is on the earth and
symbolizes the ruler taking note of the conditions in his kingdom; here the
wind blows from above and symbolizes the influence exercised by the ruler
through his commands. Heaven is far from the things of earth, but it sets
them in motion by means of the wind. The ruler is far form his people, but
he sets them in motion by means of his commands and decrees.
1
If an inferior element has wormed its way in, it must be energetically checked
at once. By consistently checking it, bad effects can be avoided. If it is allowed
to take its course, misfortune is bound to result; the insignificance of that
which creeps in should not be a temptation to underrate it. A pig that is still
young and lean cannot rage around much, but after it has eaten its fill and
become strong, its true nature comes out if it has not previously been curbed.
2
The inferior element is not overcome by violence but is kept under gentle
control. Then nothing evil is to be feared. But care must be taken not to let it
come in contact with those further away, because once free it would unfold its
evil aspects unchecked.
3
There is a temptation to fall in with the evil element offering itself-a very
dangerous situation. Fortunately circumstances prevent this; one would like
to do it, but cannot. This leads to painful indecision in behavior. But if we
gain clear insight into the danger of the situation, we shall at least avoid more
serious mistakes.
4
Insignificant people must be tolerated in order to keep them well disposed.
Then we can make use of them if we should need them. If we become
alienated from them and do not meet them halfway, they turn their backs on
us and are not at our disposal when we need them. But this is our own fault.
5
The melon, like the fish, is a symbol of the principle of darkness. It is sweet
but spoils easily and for this reason is protected with a cover of willow leaves.
This is a situation in which a strong, superior, well-poised man tolerates and
protects the inferiors in his charge. He has the firm lines of order an beauty
within himself but he does not lay stress upon them. He does not bother his
subordinates with outward show or tiresome admonitions but leaves them
quite free, putting his trust in the transforming power of a strong and upright
personality. And behold! Fate is favorable. His inferiors respond to his
influence and fall to his disposition like ripe fruit.
6
When a man has withdrawn from the world, its tumult often becomes
unbearable to him. There are many people who in a noble pride hold
themselves aloof from all that is low and rebuff it brusquely wherever it
comes to meet them. Such persons are reproached for being proud and
distant, but since active duties no longer hold them to the world, this does
not greatly matter. They know how to bear the dislike of the masses with
composure.
Barbara Hejslip interpretationLook at itself from: whether enough you are constrained, tactful, tolerant? Concern attentively to changes in contacts to people and try to estimate their actions is less critical. Hardly it is possible to expect performance of desires and hopes. Be economical. Be internally prepared to that the unexpected events which are not promising to you anything favorable will soon follow.
  1. Force (qián). The CreativeAdvise
Life is endless sequence of changes. Try to evaluate energy, learn to acquire, accumulate and give, lose. Swallow your pride. Do not try to raise higher Heavens as everything will return to the Earth. The great is similar to the small.
Inital text of I ChingThe Judgement
The Creative works sublime success,
Furthering through perseverance.
The Image
The movement of heaven is full of power.
Thus the superior man makes himself strong and untiring.
- Hidden dragon. Do not act.
- Dragon appearing in the field. It furthers one to see the great man.
- All day long the superior man is creatively active. At nightfall his mind is still beset with cares. Danger. No blame.
- Wavering flight over the depths.No blame.
- Flying dragon in the heavens. It furthers one to see the great man.
- Arrogant dragon will have cause to repent.
There appears a flight of dragons without heads.
Good fortune. Prediction
It is beginning to everything. It is time to act in accordance with Higher Reason. Something started should be finished. Study to manage the creative process, be able to restrain and direct energy consciously. Do not think and reason about benefits. Do not reject joy and grief. Be constant and reserved in speech, careful and consistent in actions. Moving forward on the way to knowledge, improve your life, find new goals. Do not neglect trifles – the great consists of small things. Having raised high, do not be too proud; falling down, do not despair – nothing is constant. People, who cannot part with something, have lost the wisdom. Be careful even if there are no reasons. Any good hides danger and any danger hides good. Everything is dual.
The first hexagram is made up of six unbroken lines. These unbroken lines
stand for the primal power, which is light-giving, active, strong, and of the
spirit. The hexagram is consistently strong in character, and since it is
without weakness, its essence is power or energy. Its image is heaven. Its
energy is represented as unrestricted by any fixed conditions in space and is
therefore conceived of as motion. Time is regarded as the basis of this
motion. Thus the hexagram includes also the power of time and the power
of persisting in time, that is, duration.
The power represented by the hexagram is to be interpreted in a dual sense
in terms of its action on the universe and of its action on the world of men.
In relation to the universe, the hexagram expresses the strong, creative action
of the Deity. In relation to the human world, it denotes the creative action of
the holy man or sage, of the ruler or leader of men, who through his power
awakens and develops their higher nature.
THE JUDGMENT
According to the original meaning, the attributes [sublimity, potentiality of
success, power to further, perseverance] are paired. When an individual
draws this oracle, it means that success will come to him from the primal
depths of the universe and that everything depends upon his seeking his
happiness and that of others in one way only, that is, by perseverance in what
is right.
The specific meanings of the four attributes became the subject of
speculation at an early date. The Chinese word here rendered by "sublime"
means literally "head," "origin," "great." This is why Confucius says in
explaining it: "Great indeed is the generating power of the Creative; all beings
owe their beginning to it. This power permeates all heaven." For this
attribute inheres in the other three as well.
The beginning of all things lies still in the beyond in the form of ideas that
have yet to become real. But the Creative furthermore has power to lend
form to these archetypes of ideas. This is indicated in the word success, and
the process is represented by an image from nature: "The clouds pass and the
rain does its work, and all individual beings flow into their forms."
Applies to the human world, these attributes show the great man the way to
notable success: "Because he sees with great clarity and cause and effects, he
completes the six steps at the right time and mounts toward heaven on them
at the right time, as though on six dragons." The six steps are the six different
positions given in the hexagram, which are represented later by the dragon
symbol. Here it is shown that the way to success lies in apprehending and
giving actuality to the way of the universe [Tao], which, as a law running
through end and beginning, brings about all phenomena in time. Thus each
step attained forthwith becomes a preparation for the next. Time is no longer
a hindrance but the means of making actual what is potential.
The act of creation having found expression in the two attributes sublimity
and success, the work of conservation is shown to be a continuous
actualization and differentiation of form. This is expressed in the two terms
"furthering" (literally, "creating that which accords with the nature of a
given being") and "persevering" (literally, "correct and firm"). "The course of
the Creative alters and shapes beings until each attains its true, specific
nature, then it keeps them in conformity with the Great Harmony. Thus
does it show itself to further through perseverance."
In relation to the human sphere, this shows how the great man brings peace
and security to the world through his activity in creating order: "He towers
high above the multitude of beings, and all lands are united in peace."
Another line of speculation goes still further in separating the words
"sublime," "success," "furthering," "perseverance," and parallels them with
the four cardinal virtues in humanity. To sublimity, which, as the
fundamental principle, embraces all the other attributes, it links love. To the
attribute success are linked the morals, which regulate and organize
expressions of love and thereby make them successful. The attribute
furthering is correlated with justice, which creates the conditions in which
each receives that which accords with his being, that which is due him and
which constitutes his happiness. The attribute perseverance is correlated
with wisdom, which discerns the immutable laws of all that happens and can
therefore bring about enduring conditions. These speculations, already
broached in the commentary called Wên Yen , later formed the bridge
connecting the philosophy of the "five stages (elements) of change," as laid
down in the Book of History (Shu Ching) with the philosophy of the Book of
Changes, which is based solely on the polarity of positive and negative
principles. In the course of time this combination of the two systems of
thought opened the way for an increasingly intricate number symbolism.
THE IMAGE
Since there is only one heaven, the doubling of the trigram Ch'ien, of which
heaven is the image, indicates the movement of heaven. One complete
revolution of heaven makes a day, and the repetition of the trigram means
that each day is followed by another. This creates the idea of time. Since it is
the same heaven moving with untiring power, there is also created the idea
of duration both in and beyond time, a movement that never stops nor
slackens, just as one day follows another in an unending course. This
duration in time is the image of the power inherent in the Creative.
With this image as a model, the sage learns how best to develop himself so
that his influence may endure. He must make himself strong in every way,
by consciously casting out all that is inferior and degrading. Thus he attains
that tirelessness which depends upon consciously limiting the fields of his
activity.
1
In China the dragon has a meaning altogether different from that given it in
the Western world. The dragon is a symbol of the electrically charged,
dynamic, arousing force that manifests itself in the thunderstorm. In winter
this energy withdraws into the earth; in the early summer it becomes active
again, appearing in the sky as thunder and lightning. As a result the creative
forces on earth begin to stir again.
Here this creative force is still hidden beneath the earth and therefore has
no effect. In terms of human affairs, this symbolizes a great man who is still
unrecognized. Nonetheless he remains true to himself. He does not allow
himself to be influenced by outward success or failure, but confident in his
strength, he bides his time. Hence it is wise for the man who consults the
oracle and draws this line to wait in the calm strength of patience. The time
will fulfill itself. One need not fear least strong will should not prevail; the
main thing is not to expend one's powers prematurely in an attempt to obtain
by force something for which the time is not yet ripe.
2
Here the effects of the light-giving power begin to manifest themselves. In
terms of human affairs, this means that the great man makes his appearance
in his chosen field of activity. As yet he has no commanding position but is
still with his peers. However, what distinguishes him form the others is his
seriousness of purpose, his unqualified reliability, and the influence he exerts
on his environment with out conscious effort. Such a man is destined to
gain great influence and to set the world in order. Therefore it is favorable to
see him.
3
A sphere of influence opens up for the great man. His fame begins to spread.
The masses flock to him. His inner power is adequate to the increased outer
activity. There are all sorts of things to be done, and when others are at rest in
the evening, plans and anxieties press in upon him. But danger lurks here at
the place of transition from lowliness to the heights. Many a great man has
been ruined because the masses flocked to him and swept him into their
course. Ambition has destroyed his integrity. However, true greatness is not
impaired by temptations. He who remains in touch with the time that is
dawning, and with its demands is prudent enough to avoid all pitfalls, and
remains blameless.
4
A place of transition has been reached, and free choice can enter in. A
twofold possibility is presented to the great man: he can soar to the heights
and play an important part in the world, or he can withdraw into solitude
and develop himself. He can go the way of the hero or that of the holy sage
who seeks seclusion. There is no general law of his being. If the individual
acts consistently and is true to himself, he will find the way that is appropriate
for him. This way is right for him and without blame.
5
Here the great man has attained the sphere of the heavenly beings. His
influence spreads and becomes visible throughout the whole world.
Everyone who sees him may count himself blessed. Confucius says about this
line:
Things that accord in tone vibrate together. Things that have affinity in their
inmost natures seek one another. Water flows to what is wet, fire turns to
what is dry. Clouds (the breath of heaven) follow the dragon, wind (the breath
of earth) follows the tiger. Thus the sage arises, and all creatures follow him
with their eyes. What is born of heaven feels related to what is above. What
is born of earth feels related to what is below. Each follows its kind.
6
When a man seeks to climb so high that he loses touch with the rest of
mankind, he becomes isolated, and this necessarily leads to failure. This line
warns against titanic aspirations that exceed one's power. A precipitous fall
would follow.
When all the lines are nines, it means that the whole hexagram is in motion
and changes into the hexagram K'un, THE RECEPTIVE, whose character is
devotion. The strength of the Creative and the mildness of the Receptive
unite. Strength is indicated by the flight of dragons, mildness by the fact that
their heads are hidden. This means that mildness in action joined to strength
of decision brings good fortune.
Barbara Hejslip interpretationThis symbol consists of six lines. A kind, good sign. This hexagram man's, means month April and spring hopes. But be circumspect! Now you at top of mountain and while opportunities to go down at you are not present. Being above, be vigilant and judicious. Wait for large changes not later than in six months. Time favours to your undertakings. There is a known uncertainty at you in private life, it is necessary to bring in it clearness. Your desire will by all means be executed, if it reasonably and modestly. Someone resists to you but if you will be resolute and unshakable, you are expected with success. Test to which you undergo, you sustain.
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Richard Wilhelm's commentary